Sarah's Muse Attic

One of the Seven Mortal Sins: Tamales in Trader Joe's

2011-12-21T15:04:00.000-08:00

As if it weren't enough that some Angelenos wonder which tamales, other than their Tia Lala's are the best in Los Angeles. La Mascota is it, hands down. There's no question about it-- only La Mascota offers the most savory, saucy meat inside delicious fluffy masa, and it's right in our favorite hood, Boyle Heights.
People still swear by their beloved Juanitos, Indianas, or the very popular Liliana's, like they love their childhood barrios, so I kind of understand- but Trader Joe's tamales? You've got to be kidding me. This is wrong. Who can I write to, to end this blasphemy?

The unfortunate sighting occurred inside a neighborhood Trader Joe's this morning as I anxiously loaded my basket with my last few bottles of champagne and chocolate for Winter Solstice gifts. I did a double-take when I spotted the unfortunate and shameless tamales bag standing there as if it knew it were a fraud. "I am filled with tamales for the unfortunate soul who doesn't know any better, please eat me. I come by the dozen in chicken and pork and I am feeling slightly awkward sitting here in the last Trader Joe's aisle near the soyrizo and chicken-apple sausage." It couldn't even look me in the eye. I pretended not to notice and quickly went on my way, not even moving in to get a closer look. Even though I wanted to laugh, a part of me felt sadness for the unknowing shopper who may have only read about the great Christmas tamal and what they would ultimately miss out on after biting into these morsels of sadness (what could be worse? Blue Corn Maiden tamales at El Cholos? Stop me now!).

Look, my own tamales didn't come out so great a few weeks ago, but there's always your tia or your neighbor or for God's sake, just jump on the Gold Line and buy your tamales EAST of the LA river and not in Trader Joe's. Take this humble advice and your life will be filled with joy and good karma forever and ever, Amen.

Mazzy Starr Together Again

2011-11-09T16:59:00.000-08:00

Liking this new Mazzy track, Common Burn.

Dia de los Muertos

2011-10-21T13:33:00.000-07:00

Day of the Dead 2011

Saturday, October 16, 2011
El Centro Del Pueblo
http://www.echoparknow.com/2010/10/13/dia-de-los-muertos-with-el-centro-del-pueblo/

Saturday, October 22, 2011
Hollywood Forever Cemetery
http://www.ladayofthedead.com/

Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Self Help Graphics & Art
http://www.selfhelpgraphics.com/

Sitting Bull Shrine

2011-10-02T22:25:00.000-07:00

Dia de los Muertos is near! Here is my first matchbox shrine of the year-dedicated to Sitting Bull.

Happy Belated Summer Solstice- fo free!

2011-07-02T10:19:00.000-07:00

My fresh fuchsia sunburn now branding my belly and thighs is enough to keep me off the beach for the remainder of this summer--but I will not let this prevent me from 1) finally updating my blog and 2) getting out to soak in more sun and live music. Happy Belated Summer Solstice! All events listed below are free or under $20.

1) Outdoor Cinema. Some people are put off by the notion of outdoor film in the cemetery because the dead might rise like zombies or haunt our space forever and ever if we upset them by making out on their graves while sipping sangria and watching old movies. Fear not. You won't be picnicking on anyone's grave at Cinespia. It actually takes place on the non-grave grassy area at Hollywood Forever, where the living and dead peacefully co-exist and enjoy live music, old film favorites, and personal picnics. BYOB. Of course, if you still can't get over the idea of summer cinema in the cemetery, then definitely check out at least one of the other outdoor flick events below.

Cinespia: Outdoor Cemetery Screenings @ Hollywood Forever Cemetery. BYO picnic. $10

Devil's Night Drive-In: BYO Car or chill out on the astro turf in the heart of Downtown LA. $10-$12

Friday Night Flicks @ Pershing Square: Fear not the remnants of the Pershing Square's less than desirable day piss, loose rock, and tacky concrete plaza. There are some gems in this series- Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Mommie "No Wire Hangers" Dearest, American Graffitti, Inception, and Poltergeist are just a few in their lineup. Runs June-October 2011. Free.

Movies on the Plaza @ JACCC: Part of Little Tokyo's Design Week, they'll show My Neighbor Totoro, your favorite overgrown Japanese psychadelic furry friend with music from DubLab Djs. Friday, July 15th @ 8:30pm. Free.

Old Pasadena Film Festival: Boasts the "largest free outdoor film festival in Southern California" that runs July 7-30th. Highlights include Rebel Without a Cause, An Affair to Remember, and my personal favorite, Invasion of the Body Snatchers. Each film was handpicked to reflect the a urban environment of Old Pasadena's historic downtown. Very cool. Free.

Outdoor Cinema Food Fest: Summer series featuring live music and roach coaches (aka gourmet food trucks) in Exposition Park. Runs May-September. $10 a head.

Outdoor Films: A Tim Burton Sampler: A short running series of Tim Burton Films that include Pee Wee's Big Adventure and Corpse Bride @ Hancock Park. LACMA is also showing a $5 indoors matinee Tim Burton series called Monster Matinees with classics like The Incredible Shrinking Man and Dracula.

2) Grand Performances @ Cali Plaza in DTLA: It's one of the best and longest running free summer concert series (they're in their 25th year already) in LA. What's even better? This year they're hosting an ongoing dedication to one of my favorite hoods: Boyle Heights. Don't miss La Santa Cecilia, Build An Ark, and legendary Fela Kuti's son- Seun Kuti & Egypt 80. Free.

3) The Levitt Pavilion Summer Series: There's two- the one in Pasadena and the other in MacArthur Park. Both are free but the only difference is maybe leave the shoes on in MacArthur Park. It's never fun stepping on dirty needles. Free.

Levitt Pavilion Pasadena: Runs June-August 2011 @ Memorial Park. Free.

Levitt Pavilion MacArthur Park: June-September 2011 @ Macarthur Park. Personal highlights: Mia Doi Todd, Breakestra, Orgone, Dublab Presents (Daedelus), and La Santa Cecilia. Free.

4) Blues, Jazz, Latin, and Wine: Chill out with some wine and appreciate legendary jazz and latin performers in all their glory.

16th Annual Central Avenue Jazz Festival: This used to be the heart of the jazz scene in historic Los Angeles and is now host to Central Avenue's annual two-day festival. Runs July 30-31. Don't miss the Pan Afrikan's tribute to the late Horace Tapscott and Pete Escovedo. Free.

Jazz @ LACMA: Fridays, July-August. Free.

Latin @ LACMA: Saturdays, July-August featuring Bobby Matos, Ricardo Lemvo, and more. Free.

Jazz on the Lawn Concert Series in Santa Monica: Sundays @ SM City Hall lawn. Free.

Sizzling Summer Nights @ The Autry: Living legends play son, charanga, and Afro-Cuban rhythms. Dance with other booty shaking salseros and feast at the taco bar with an abundance of margaritas. Runs Thursdays, June-September. $10 for non-members.

Wine and Jazz @ Hollywood & Highland: Their series gets better every year. Take the Red Line and save yourself the trouble of parking! Every Tuesday, June-August 2011.

5) Pershing Square Summer Series 2011: Are you in your 30s and 40s? Do you ever wonder what happened to A Flock of Seagulls, The English Beat, The Untouchables, or 10,000 Maniacs? Look no further-- seems like Pershing Square is where you can go to fully digest just how much time has passed since your high school daze. Saturdays, July-August. Spaceland is also hosting Spaceland Under the Stars Thursday lineups with fresh mix of indie music @ Pershing Square. If I were you, I would bike it or take the MTA to avoid pricey parking. Free.

6) Saturdays Off the 405-Getty Summer Concert Series: Good luck making it to any of these nights @ The Getty. Traffic is always a bitch and you may or may not make it in. If you do decide to brave the 405n monster, expect to pay $10 to park your car. They advertise some pretty groovy bands and "no outside alcohol." Whatever that means. Kind of free.

7) Street Fairs:

Eagle Rock Music Festival: I much prefer this to the long-running and overrated Sunset Junction. And it's still free! August date TBA. Free.

Sunset Junction: August 27-28th in Echo Parque. $15 a head.

Los Feliz Village Street Fair: Sunday, July 24th in Los Feliz. Free.

8) Little Tokyo Design Week: A four-day festival focusing on "sustainability and creative urban lifestyle," this is an exciting J-town first. Think four whole days of bar crawl chaos, live music, art exhibits, food trucks, and "Future City Dialogues." Check their website for the schedule. Free.

9) KCRW Summer Nights: Fabulous KCRW DJs will spin across the city at various venues including , Also I Like to Rock (@ The Hammer), Grand Performances (Cali Plaza), Little Tokyo Design Week, and Santa Monica Pier Twilight Dance Series. Free.

10) Summer Obon Festivals: Last, but certainly not least, there is one really, really good reason to go out and mingle in Los Angeles. Japanese Obons. My favorite one always falls on the same day as the Lotus Festival in Echo Park, but I just can't miss out on dynamic Taiko, delicious Japanese/Hawaiian food, and the whole community vibe of Obon. Check Nichi Bei for full listings of LA Obon festivals. Free-but take cash to get plants, second-hand junk you don't really need, and an ice cold one with some dangos. Yum.

Griffith Park Day Hike

2011-05-31T16:03:00.001-07:00

I like the little Every Trail app (free BTW) for day hikes even though I forgot to turn it back on after a bit. Trails Cafe on Fern Dell makes a pretty good avocado sandwich with soy bacon bits (totally not necessary but pretty tasty-- why do vegetarians eat fake meat? I don't get it).

RIP Gil Scott Heron

2011-05-29T11:21:00.000-07:00

Free Will was the first Gil Scott Heron album I picked up from Aron's Records over on Highland Avenue. I played The Revolution Will Not Be Televised (of course his music was way before my time) over and over, and at the time I was still in my militant college days and had lived through the Los Angeles uprising/rebellion aka The LA Riots and still believed I could change the world in profound ways. Fast forward a few decades later and I have to say that I still love and believe in the message but only wish that contemporary hip hop artists would be courageous enough to do the same instead of continuing to spread messages of hate, misogyny, greed, and materialism.

Fresh and Fancy Free

2011-05-29T11:03:00.000-07:00

Summer is here. And to prove it, I recently pigged out at my family's first Omega-3 BBQ. Don't get me wrong-I still love carne asada, kalua pig, and everything else fried and greasy that I've grown to love at family feasts, but because of my family history (you name it, we've got it-- diabetes, high blood pressure, etc.), we hosted an alterna style bbq that included lomilomi salmon, grilled chicken with veggies, beets and southwest style salad, and ginger somen salad. Damn, it was an inspiring spread! Looking forward to more of these although I definitely haven't given up pig, cow, or fried goodness for good yet. After all, a party just ain't a party without that lechon or Spam musubi.

Random Tracks

2011-04-30T21:52:00.000-07:00

I read on Pitchfork that Fugazi still might reunite one day. Definitely in my top three to see live before I die.

I want this on wax.

The above is from Salem: Sick.

Feeling this.

I like

2011-04-30T20:50:00.000-07:00

Telluride by Chapel Club this week.
But the more I listen to this album, the more I realize that The Chapel Club is just paying homage to The Smiths and Echo and the Bunnymen (dude sounds just like Ian McCulloch) and eventually I'll give this imported piece of wax a rest. In the meantime, Telluride is a dreamy little track to drink wine and spin around the room to.

Resolutions

2011-01-15T09:58:00.000-08:00

Just when it seemed that our Los Angeles winter would be a dark and disastrous interminable rain storm, the clouds finally parted and we are once again enjoying our usual unseasonably warm weather again. And then it dawned on me that I have not updated my beloved beast of a blog, aka How I Manage My Writing Itch, in over three months. Plus, I have a three day weekend in honor of MLK Jr. (okay, so maybe this isn't the time to bring it up but I always think back to that one Chris Rock piece in which he laments over the irony of Martin Luther King's legacy and the poverty stricken streets across the nation that have been named after him). But back to life, the neglect of updating my writing space place is in no way a reflection of me being idle, depressed, or bored. On the contrary, the last year of my life has been incredible.

Eating raw and organic foods AND making it tasty
The recently discovered human remains of early California settlers near La Placita (Olvera Street)
Closing mental health facilities and treatment programs and the overall impact on our communities (I'm curious to see a timeline or get some reading material on the subject)
Finding inspiration to exercise, meditate, etc.

113 Degrees (I Can Rant If I Feel Like It)

2010-09-27T19:15:00.000-07:00

It's our city's last chance at having a real summer-- Los Angeles snuck in one final heat wave of 2010 after all and today the heat was extraordinarily miserable. 113 degrees is stifling, maddening heat that make me squint and feel anxious, even when I am cruising around in my little air conditioned car. My apartment is an inferno. I can take it-- this heat-- I'll tough it out in my non-air-conditioned, fanless, hotbox of an apartment and deal with it!

Feeling more adventurous than usual and suddenly craving one of those heaping ice-cold coffees, I bolted for the door in search of "Air Conditioned Coffee + enter zip code here" and voila, I got at least ten hits of air-conditioned Wifi spots in my area. Half of them have changed owners or cut their hours, and although the public library isn't a coffee shop, it was my first choice. Alas, due to smart Los Angeles budget cuts, libraries have indeed closed on Mondays. I mean, hell, who wants to go to library on a Monday anyway? Um, I do, especially when it's 20 degrees cooler in there than it is in my home.

What I discovered: 1) coffee shops close at 6 or 7pm 2) I refuse to go to Starbucks 3) If I want late night air-conditioned Wifi, I will have to drive a bit to get it because this is LA after all, not NY.

Heat waves suck and so do coffee shop hours. I want to put a large Barbie blow-up pool in my living room and sink into ice-cold water tonight.

A Limpia Is In Order

2010-08-08T12:01:00.000-07:00

If you're superstitious or Mexican, you probably already know about the limpia, which is a kind of cleansing for those who are cursed or unlucky. According to modern mystics, the limpia, when performed by a curandera, can cure the worst of headaches to strings of unlucky occurrences. Ancestral Apothecary describes the limpia as, "a spiritual cleansing that is based in the philosophy and practice of traditional Mexican healing, or curanderismo. To perform a limpia, the curandera uses herbs, flowers, prayers and songs to help purify the client’s mind, body and spirit." Educated folk and Catholics scorn folksy pagan traditions, and the rest of us seem to be fascinated with or at least intrigued by these ancient esoteric practices.

I'm considering getting one of these, especially after a recent freak accident that involved me, the bystander and a reckless bicyclist, who slammed me into a car/street/unidentified nearby object. Following is my random picture list of tried (but not necessarily true) items to help with the healing.

1) Korean Marmalade: Commonly seen in Korean novelas (so I've heard. I am not guilty of being a Korean novela addict). This Korean marmalade is really just a packaged version of the Mexican herbal remedy for the common cold/flu: tea with honey and lemon.
2) Chiropractic Work: Friends of mine swear by getting their necks cracked and their body re-aligned. I'm not sold on this yet though and the thought of having my bones snapped for the sake of healing and proper alignment terrifies me.
3) Drugs + Hospitals (aka legal rock house): After an overnight stay in a local hospital, I have become convinced that our healthcare system is deeply flawed. In just under 48 hours I was offered Morphine, Vicodin, Codeine, Protonix, and Cyclobenzoprine to help ease the pain I was in. The following weeks have felt a little bit like a detox session from the meds and the haunting hospital food I was forced to consume. Nevermind the stress from the mounting bills and insurance. What exactly is my insurance covering again?

4) Yoga for Whiplash: Whiplash (see above, a classic clip from Cooley High @ 6:54... "Whiplash!! Whiplaaassh!!") was the last thing I'd hoped would motivate me to get back to my yoga practice. But hey, I'll do anything to avoid going back to the legal Rock house. Yoga it is.

Happy Summer Solstice & 21 Reasons to Leave Your House

2010-06-19T12:17:00.000-07:00

Boyle Heights Footage 1961-1965

2010-05-27T07:20:00.000-07:00

10 reels of family footage from the 1960s only yielded about 15 minutes of viewable film, mostly of wildflower viewing road trips, naked babies, and family gatherings. From the looks of it, people didn't really know what to do with a video camera back then, so many of the shots are of the family posing, as if for a still camera. Here's a clip of Boyle Heights in the 1960s-- note general hospital and Saint Mary's spires in the frames.

Los Angeles Indie Film Festivals

2010-04-19T17:16:00.001-07:00

It's April. The sun is shining, rain is in the forecast, and summer is oh-so-close.. Not time for my annual Summer Picks list just yet because there is always, and I mean ALWAYS something to do in El Lay. Lately I've been Netflixing it and only dreaming of movies I'd like to catch in the theater. Just last week I traumatized my boyfriend after projecting horrific El Topo images across my living room wall, with both of us being fairly clueless about what to expect: gratuitous sex, stomach wrenching violence, and beautiful imagery throughout Jodorowsky's acid trip of a film.

Banky's much talked about Exit Through the Giftshop is a nice diversion from the 3-D hype/overkill that is sweeping Hollywood this year. (See LA Weekly)

OTHER FILM IN EL LAY

Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (IFFLA)
April 20-25
@ ArcLight Cinemas, 6360 W. Sunset Blvd., Hollywood and other venues around LA
http://www.indianfilmfestival.org/

Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Fest
April 29-May 8, 2010
@ Directors Guild of America, 7920 Sunset Blvd., David Harvey Hwang Theatre, Aratani/Japan American Theatre and others
http://asianfilmfestla.org/2010/

Cinespia
Starts May 2010
@Hollywood Forever Cemetery
http://www.cinespia.org/

Los Angeles Film Festival
June 17-27, 2010
@ California Plaza, Downtown Independent and various venues throughout LA area (check website for details)
http://www.lafilmfest.com/2009/

Boyle Heights 1961-1965

2010-03-14T22:30:00.000-07:00

Who knows what these 16mm reels of film hold? I have a hunch it's gonna be pretty damn good... To be continued...

Spring Equinox Things to Do

2010-03-07T11:31:00.000-08:00

Vernal or Spring Equinox, Saturday, March 20, 2010, marks the official first day of spring, when day and night are equal all around the world!

In Japan it is Shunbun no Hi, a national holiday reserved "as a day for the admiration of nature and love of living things." In Mexico, thousands of visitors travel to Chichén Itzá to witness the setting sun cast a shadow of a serpent (Kulkulcan or Quetzalcoatl) on the northern steps of the El Castillo pyramid.

Thanks to our puritan roots, we Angelenos celebrate the Vernal Equinox by spring cleaning. Fret not though, here are my top nine ways to ring in the spring:

1) Drink lots of tempranillo and devour caprese bites drenched in olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Then go see Hairspray on astroturf on a downtown LA rooftop with your dearest loved ones. March 13th @ 7PM.

2) Hike up to the Griffith Observatory and experience your first Public Star Party (3/20/10 @ 2-9:45PM) and then partake in the park's annual Vernal Equinox celebrations. March 13th, details TBA.

3) Join in Obscura Day: "The Echo Park Time Travel Mart and Atlas Obscura are teaming up to lead a special bus tour of some of Los Angeles' most time-specific places. We will travel back to the days of cane sugar sodas, panoramic paintings, and whimsical marionette performances. Lunch included!" March 20th.

3) Check out Skateboard: Evolution and Art @ The California Heritage Museum in Santa Monica before it ends in May.

4) March in Hollywood to "end Colonial Occupation from Iraq to Palestine, Afghanistan, Haiti." March 20th @ noon. Free.

5) Experience the music of legendary Gilberto Gil @ Royce Hall. March 20th @ 7pm. $30

6) Get your fashionista self down to Sewdown in DTLA. March 20th. $20

7) Bicyclists, pedestrians, and proactive LA folk engage in workshops to "formulate exciting plans for a better public realm" at the Los Angeles at LA StreetSummit 2010. March 20th, 10:30-5PM. Free.

8) Snag another fresh Buddy to your vinyl toy collection at the Buddy Custom Show in LA on March 27th.

9) Make love. Free.

Viva la Kokeshi!

2010-03-06T10:54:00.001-08:00

Mini kokeshis, El Luchador y La Heina, all dolled up and ready to roll.

Love, Neglect, and Urban Oddities

2010-02-20T10:32:00.000-08:00

Almost exactly a month has passed since I've published anything on here, and it's unfortunate because I had at least ten* little tidbits (I forgot the other five, so now it's Top Five) I wanted to mention in the Attic.

1) Bunraku, the art of Japanese puppetry, is a new fascination of mine ever since I was treated to go see Basil Twist's Petrushka at The Broad Stage in Santa Monica a few weeks ago. Petrushka was abstract, innovative, and visually stunning. I was only four years old the last time I attended a puppet show and was disturbed by the Mummenschanz experience, which haunted me throughout my teenage and adult life, so Petrushka was a welcome surprise.

2) Kitty Cats on Arroyo Parkway-- rusty brown and black spray-painted kitty cat heads were happily multiplying all along the Pasadena 110 during the last couple of months until the broke City of Los Angeles, which seems to have enough money to paint over any signs of life with depressing shades of grey rather quickly, exterminated the joyful feline heads. LA Eastside Blog has some groovy pixes and are speedier to post than me, so peruse the pussy cats there! They make my long, dreaded morning commutes rather joyful.

3) Bloody Mary Top Three-- the best way to start off a Sunday morning is with a stewy, spicy Bloody Mary. Tupelo Junction in Santa Barbara serves a mouth watering crab version that has a frightening little claw holding the drink straw-- an delightfully odd touch to a damn near perfect Bloody Mary.

4) Lots o' Hapas in Santa Barbara-- while we're on the topic of oddities in Santa Barbara, I would like to mention the unusually high number of hapas who can be seen wandering around in Santa Barbara. Can someone please tell me why there are hundreds of beautiful hapas (in their usual range of rainbow tones) meandering around on State Street? Is SB the new hapa capital?

5) Love

Blame It On the Jellyfish

2010-01-16T11:59:00.000-08:00

"Go see Avatar in 3D!" This was the common cry I heard over the past two weeks, and I finally succumbed to the peer pressure of friends, family, and students. "You will love this movie!" they told me, and I believed them. Don't get me wrong-- I was fascinated by the hallucinogenic-like 3D animation effects of Avatar along with the message of the interconnectedness of life, but this poorly edited movie did not have to be three boring hours long (I fell asleep three times) nor have the American dude save the unsuspecting third world people in the end. I won't even mention the snowballing sappiness of Avatar as the move wore on.

Besides, wasn't this movie already made? See Dances with Wolves or Pocahontas to refresh your memory.

Blame everything on the jellyfish. If the protagonist's girlfriend, Neytiri, hadn't listened to that idiotic floating jellyfish in the first place, the forest wouldn't have been invaded by the Western World because the military's secret spy Jake Sully would've been dead already. End of story in under thirty minutes! Every woman and female avatar should always go with her initial gut feeling to fend off the predator (e.g. Jake Sully) with bow and arrow and happily ignore any "signs," like jellyfish, that he is worth engaging or saving. The first instinct is usually the correct one.

On a side note, if you are a sucker like me and still want to see the film, do see it in 3D. At least you will get hooked up with a special pair of 3D Locs for the screening that you can rant about after. Otherwise, don't waste your time or dimes. Go watch The Book of Eli or Sherlock Holmes instead.

Paying for Los Angeles's Budget Crisis

2010-01-16T11:32:00.000-08:00

Between the months of December 2009 and January 2010, I am embarrassed to admit that I racked up over $250 in parking tickets-- most of which occurred on the street I live on. Street cleaning "No Parking" hours are between 4-6AM on my block twice a week, and sometimes I absentmindedly leave my car parked overnight on the wrong side of the street. Doing my part to pull Los Angeles out of its budget crisis was definitely not one of my 2010 goals, so here's my #7 New Year's Resolution: No more parking tickets.

5 Other Ways to Spend $250

1) Buy more art supplies (you can never have too many)
2) Down payment on a jarana from Candela's
3) Enroll in a Green class at SMC
4) Donate to any one of several bankrupt non-profit organizations or radio stations in Los Angeles
5) Bring public art back to LA and help save LA's murals

January Kicks

2010-01-13T20:57:00.001-08:00

Resolutions, resolutions. I'm sick of talking about them and even more sick of hearing about them. And guess what? Now I'm writing about them! Turns out I am a little sheep just like everyone else and am also ecstatic about using the new year as a vehicle to rearrange my routines and life purpose. I guess a little resolving never hurt anyone.

I've agreed to some slightly anal self-imposed health restrictions and exercise plans that will give me my desired bikini body by May. Well, at least that's the plan anyway. So here it goes--here are half of my resolutions list (I can't share all my secrets, you know):

1) No alcohol, soda, or juice for 30 days. I cheated already and had grapefruit juice twice at a weekend work conference. Damn. No boozing yet though-- I deserve a special award for this one.
2) Put money down on two month's worth of Vinyasa yoga (and attend).
3) Hike once a week (anything but the gym!).
4) Meditate daily.
5) Write the novel I've been dying to write since age 10. I just threw this one in because I think 1-4 are boring.
6) Talk less of my plans and get more of them done (this one is inspired by a fortune cookie fortune now posted above my work space).

Ode to the East Los Angeles Tamale Festival

2009-12-07T19:32:00.000-08:00

40 degree weather, upcoming Winter Solstice, and the end of the year festivities make my yearnings for rich tamales run deep. No one in my family bothers slaving away over masa and husks anymore (who has the time?), so most of us depend on the The Three Greats in Boyle Heights -- La Mascota Bakery, Juanito's, or Lilliana's to quell our Christmas cravings. I grew up with La Mascota's red pork, and lard-free green chile cheese and chicken tamales, and they are still scrumptious to this day. Recently I was introduced to Lilliana's rich and buttery spicy green chicken tamales, and though my mother might scoff at me for having tried "those other" tamales, I must say they were pretty damn delicious.

On that note, it saddens me that there will be no tamale festival this year. I was looking forward to sampling all the delectable goodness at the 5th annual East Los Angeles Tamale Fest, so this is my official ode.

http://www.eastlosangeles.net/tamalefestival/

Mixed Chicks' Hair, According to the Times

2009-11-22T22:37:00.001-08:00

My girl led me to this article on mixed ethnic hair in the Image section of the LA Times today:

Getting Mixed Hair Right

Fun reading for hapa girls with crazy manes like me! It's always a positive thing when services and products are focused away from the mainstream because really there IS NO mainstream!! Why bother reinventing the wheel when we can just import hair products from Brazil, where everyone is already rocking a mixed mane?!

Links
Mixed Chicks
Beauty Village

East Los Gold Line Opening Partay

2009-11-14T08:25:00.000-08:00

Angelenos drive. Most have only been on the Metro for drunken fun or during their last peace march to Hollyweird when Metro rides were free for the day. Other than the novelty aspect, using public transportation system is a hassle-- inconvenient and expensive at best. Now that I reside near a major Metro line, I tell others how convenient and fun (!) the Metro really is, but the truth is that I've only actually been on it twice: once to head out to a peace fest in Hollywood, and the other time for drunken fun.

It's not too late to pop your metro cherry! Metro Gold Line pachanga happens this Sunday in our favorite part of town-- East LA.

Free Gold Line Metro rides (BYOB), food, and my favorite part (really what this post is all about), MUSIC.

Catch all your local favorite bands: Domingo Siete, Ollin, UmoVerde, y mucho mas at The Mariachi Plaza Station @ 1st and Boyle.Sunday, November 15, 2009
9-5PM
East LA Civic Center Station, Mariachi Plaza Station, J-Town/Arts District Station, Union Station

15th Annual East LA Chicano Film Festival

2009-11-11T20:16:00.000-08:00

Fun to say and even more fun to go see!

A Cine Sin Fin Quinceañera

15th Annual East LA Chican@ Film Festival

Held at various sites through El Lay

Nov. 12th-Nov 21st, 2009

Celebrate 15 Years of East LA Cinema in the heart of the Boyle Heights East 1st Street Arts District

Screening Dates: Nov. 12, 13, 14, 20 and 21

Film and Event Program Schedule:

Thursday, Nov. 12th, VIP Reception, 7 pm
Special Screening: Casa Libre (Documentary - Dir. by Roberto S. Oregel) at Brooklyn & Boyle, 2003 East 1st St., LA, CA 9033

Friday, Nov. 13th,
Silent Shame (Feature- Dir. by Dalia Tapia) & Opening Night Party. 8 pm at Casa 0101 Annex, 2102 E. 1st St., Los Angeles, CA 90033

Saturday, Nov. 14th, • Documentary Focus, 8 pm
Purepecha: Poorest of the Poor (Documentary Short - Dir. by Cheryl Quintanta Leader)
As Long As I Remember: American Veteranos (Feature Documentary - Dir. by Laura Varela) at Casa 0101 Annex, 2102 E. 1st St., Los Angeles, CA, 90033

Friday, Nov. 20, 8 pm
Reel Polemic (Short - Dir. by Elias Serna)
Intimidad (Feature - Dir. by Ashley Sabin) at Casa 0101 Annex, 2102 E. 1st St., Los Angeles, CA 90033

Saturday, Nov. 21, 8 pm
Tijuaneros (Short - Dir. by Paul Bobadilla)
Between Stories (Feature - Dir. by Domingo Vara) at Casa 0101 Annex, 2102 E. 1st St., Los Angeles, CA 90033

Contact:
A La Brava Producciones Revolucionarias
673 South Fickett St.
Los Angeles, CA 90033
(323) 265-2344
cinesinfin@gmail.com
www.alabrava.com

Killing Time While Sick

2009-11-11T18:53:00.000-08:00

1) A shot of honey + lemon is the age old Mexican cure for the common cold. I overdosed on this today.

2) http://www.infinitewheel.com/

Synesthete's heaven: I totally forgot all about this blessed interactive dub selector site until my girl called me up today to remind me. Perfect for killing time.

3) Pitfall by Hiroshi Teshigahara made me feel sicker than I already was despite the beautiful cinematography. Teshigahara's complex film about the death of a coal miner in post-war Japan combines social commentary and the supernatural.

4) Four is unlucky is Japan, so I chose not to include my number four.

Matchbox Art

2009-10-23T10:03:00.000-07:00

I'm over short vacations. If it wasn't for all the D of the D craft making I've been indulging in with friends over the past seven days, I'd lose my mind. Don't get me wrong- I love being a community worker, but if there was a better way to make art workshopping a part of my paid 9 to 5 ( I'd prefer 9-1) day, my heart would be seated. My new favorite craft: matchbox art. It's instant, cheap, and non-committal.

Matchbox/Matchbook Art:

http://samehat.blogspot.com/2009/09/matchbox-art-show-in-latvia.html
http://www.leafcutterdesigns.com/shop/matchboxtheater.html
http://badbanana.typepad.com/weblog/2009/08/match-box-art.html
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=20151973&ref=sc_16
http://atime4art.blogspot.com/2007/06/altered-matchbox.html
http://www.tentwostudios.com/project024/

L.A. Dia de los Muertos 2009

2009-10-11T12:16:00.000-07:00

Last year I spent my birthday on Dead Day and I swore that no birthday of mine would ever be the same again. My favorite time of year is here again, when the mundane becomes mystical. Where to go to get your Dead celebration on:

1. Self-Help Graphics 36th Annual Dead celebration, usually held at their quaint studio location in Boyle Heights, will be at the East LA Civic Center this year. Includes innovative local LA bands like La Santa Cecilia, Conjunto Los Pochos, Ollin, and more. FREE.
Monday, November 2, 2009, 5-11pm
East LA Civic Center
4801 E 3rd Street, LA, CA 90022

2. Hollywood Forever Cemetery promises a most extravagant fiesta, with the illustrious Lila Downs performing at 9pm. If you don't mind BIG crowds, this is a must-do on your altar hopping list. $10 at the door, children under 10 are free.
Saturday, October 24, 2009, 4-11pm
Hollywood Forever Cemetery
6000 Hollywood Blvd, LA, CA 90038

3. 10th Annual Goya Festival de la Gente has been cancelled ~~is what a dead fest should be~~. In the heart of Boyle Heights, at the historic Hollenbeck Park, it promises "the nation's largest paper mache calavera and outdoor art exhibit." FREE.

cancelled ~~Friday & Saturday, October 23-24, 2009, Noon to 9pm~~

Hollenbeck Park
415 St. Louis Street, LA, CA 90033
See LA Eastside blog for more info:
http://laeastside.com/2009/10/festival-de-la-gente-cancelled/

4. La Placita (Olvera Street) I have never actually been to Olvera Street's annual Dead celebration. They promise "community theatre, banda, folklorico" y mucho mas. Sounds like a party to me!
Fiesta Muertos
Saturday & Sunday, Oct. 31-Nov. 1, 2009, 12:00 – 6:00 PM
East Cesar E Chavez Avenue & Olvera St.
Los Angeles, CA 90012

Novenario Processions
October 25 - November 2
7:00 p.m. nightly

5. El Centro Del Pueblo (Echo Park) new!
First ever Dia de los Muertos fest in Echo Parque! "Altars, culture, loteria... Ollin + 5Senti2." Entrance is free and you can now rent out your own little vendor booth for just 50 bucks.
Sunday, November 1st, 1-8PM
El Centro del Pueblo
1157 Lemoyne Street
Los Angeles, CA 90026

Art Galleries, etc.

1. ChimMaya Boutique and Gallery
Muertos y Ofrendas
October 11-November 5, 2009 (Closed Sunday & Monday)
ChimMaya Boutique and Gallery
5283 Beverly Blvd., LA, CA 90022

2. 26th Annual Dia de los Muertos at the Folk Tree in Pasadena has a low key but fun Dead Day celebration in its store gallery space.
October 10-November 7, 2009
Folk Tree
217 S. Fair Oaks Ave., Pasadena, CA 91105

3. Tropico de Nopal
Calavera Fashion Show & Walking Altars
Saturday, November 7, 2009, 8PM
1665 Beverly Blvd, LA, CA 90026

For Bay Area Transplants (new!)

My girl is jealous that she can't be in her original hometown of Los Angeles to celebrate on November 2nd and complained that my list is so LA-centric. Of course, that's the whole point! Los Angeles has the best Dead fests ever, and yes, many of us do not venture too far beyond our little Angeleno hoods either. Besides, I don't have the time to list all the fests in this nation, let alone in LA County. But, if you too are a homesick Angeleno/Bay Area Transplant and salty that you can't be in the nitty gritty of beautiful el Lay, this is where you can go to to flaunt your mascaras and marigolds:

http://www.dayofthedeadsf.org/

Cool Skull Blog

2009-10-10T20:43:00.000-07:00

New fresh find: check out this Skull a Day blog dedicated to skull crafts.

http://skulladay.blogspot.com/2008/05/343-pop-up-skull.html

I googled "Do the Hustle" and this is what I found

2009-10-09T18:25:00.000-07:00

Mexican Sci-Fi Classics for Free!

2009-07-21T18:11:00.000-07:00

Summer's in full swing and I've forgotten all about my Muse Attic once again. Fear not though, the hotness of July brings you (in addition to my amazing FREE summer events list below) five of your favorite 1950s Mexican sci-fi classics for free at UCLA's Billy Wilder Theatre at The Hammer Museum! Think scantily clad bombshell Mexicanas, robots, and hunky luchadores. Orale!

August 14th-29th
Courtyard Level, Billy Wilder Theatre
The Hammer Museum
10899 Wilshire Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 9024

I Heart Samurai

2009-06-09T22:23:00.000-07:00

"Art and aesthetics of Samurai culture" is about to end at the Bowers Museum in Santa Ana. Anyone who remembers the opening scene in Kwaidan's Hoichi the Earless will appreciate The Battle of Dan-no-Ura piece on display.

Cue the biwa, raise the dead. You don't want to miss this.

Art of the Samurai: Selections from the Tokyo National Museum
April 19 – June 14, 2009

http://www.bowers.org/explore/exhibitions.jsp

New Favorite Toys/Why I Love Japanese People Pt 2

2009-06-06T07:44:00.000-07:00

Rob and Skip

Paper Piperoids! $15 gets you a bunch of multicolored tubes that you cut, fold, and connect to create fresh paper robots. Pick some up at Kinokuniya and the Library Store.

Why FREE LA Summers KIck Ass '09

2009-06-02T18:48:00.000-07:00

Free outdoor screening of Astro Boy, Gigantor, and Voltron at the JACCC in J-town. Holy shit! Breakestra on Broadway, fine dining with dead stars, and so much more (I'll keep adding, of course)! LA summers make me feel warm and fuzzy all over.

FREE Outdoor screenings on the JACCC Plaza
Central Avenue Jazz Festival
Cinespia (not free)
LA Grand Performances
LACMA Free Friday Jazz and Latin Sounds
http://www.loveturl.com/ (West LA Civic Center)
The Levitt Pavilion in Pasadena is not LA but...
The Funk Rumble Block Party ($5 before 4pm)
Wine, Jazz & Moonlight @ Hollywood and Highland
Japanese Obon Festivals (lots of them)
NHM First Fridays (not just summer and probably not free)
Santa Monica Twilight Series
Saturdays Off the 405 (Mas Exitos, Domingo Siete, Cut Chemist, Freeee)
Space 15Twenty Free Outdoor Movies
Sunset Junction (usually a suggested donation)

So, I don't think this video really does Breakestra's funky funk and soul any justice, but just listen and you get the idea...

Brave Raideen

2009-05-24T09:01:00.000-07:00

Brave Raideen may be a little before my time, but in the early 80s I would scratch (wiki-wiki-wik) this red 45 record on our Fisher Price turntable for kicks.

Daichi, Beatbox King

2009-05-17T18:43:00.000-07:00

Proof that the Japanese are still representin hip hop and the fine art of beatboxing.

What to Dip In

2009-05-17T09:24:00.000-07:00

A bunch of cranberries and cloves clogged my drain after my hot bath, but it was devilishly fun witnessing the Play Doh-looking blob, aka The Witches Ball Bubble Bar, transform into pink bubble suds. It's featured in Lush's Supernatural line of bath products.

Black Diamond Body

2009-05-17T08:46:00.000-07:00

Big motivation before yoga class.

Show Some Love

2009-05-16T11:06:00.000-07:00

Okay, okay, I need to be a little better about promoting homies' art, music, and other works of creation. I get lazy-- especially when my camera is MIA. In any case, my friend Codak had his first solo LA show a week or so ago at the Archrival Boutique in J-town, and it's a definite must-see. Pick up some feather earrings and cute tops while you peruse his latest.Archrival Boutique
349 E 2nd St
Los Angels, CA 90012

Instead of Zoloft, Consider

2009-05-13T21:19:00.000-07:00

1. Botan Rice Candy stickers (instant mood lifter)

2. Hello Kitty removable tattoos (you can get them in Hello Kitty birthday cards at Target for a couple of bucks)

3. mudras
4. Wet N Wild Caribbean Frost on toes (No pix included. I'm having a bad toe day)

Three Good Meals

2009-05-13T21:08:00.000-07:00

Finally I took some decent pictures of some fucking fantastic food over the weekend, and now my camera is missing. Pictures to follow. Places to eat:

1) Jasmine Market & Deli in Culver City
"We serve only Halal Zabiha local fresh meat"

Burmese food beyond the little white picket fence on Sepulveda Blvd. is to die for. Hook your Chicken Biryani, Dal Goash Curry, and Aaloo Puri up with some coconut juice.

2) Josyel's Mom's House:
Nicuaraguan pupusas, platanos con crema, and other stuff I couldn't remember the name of after I had my third beer.

3) Three is generally the magic number, but I'm drawing a blank. I'm pretty sure there was a third place in there...

Little Stringed Playthings

2009-04-24T18:24:00.001-07:00

For a long time, my love was only for my ukulele. After playing the tenor for a short while, I dreamt of my next uke purchase-- maybe a soprano or one of those eight stringe uke beauties that cost a pretty penny.

But then I met and jammed with this awesome jarana singer/poet who inspired me with her exotic Veracruzan jarana. Actually, at first I was kind of jealous that her church lunges and eight-stringed jarana were so much brighter and louder than me and my four-stringed uke, but that's just when my jarana affair began...

And now! Monday I met my new Iranian teacher friend who plays the tar. Who knew there were so many of these divine playthings struttin around LA? One day I want it to be the jarana, the tar, and my little uke playing to the tune of La Bruja or Chinese Rocks.

La Bruja

2009-04-24T18:15:00.000-07:00

Son de Madera's sensuous rendition of the old Veracruzan folk song La Bruja. Notice the beautiful jaranas.

Japan Film Festival in Los Angeles

2009-04-12T10:06:00.000-07:00

What's better than watching Zatoichi on the big screen in downtown Los Angeles? Well, watching the female version of Zatoichi, of course-- nothing is hotter than a blind sword-wielding woman. Catch Ichi and over a dozen other Japanese films (with subtitles of course!) throughout the month of April in the LA area.

2nd Annual
Japan Film Festival Los Angeles
April 10-26, 2009
Los Angeles, Santa Monica, Irvine

http://www.jffla.org/

Jane's Addiction in Los Angeles?!

2009-02-24T01:15:00.000-08:00

How come no one told me about their surprise show at the Echoplex?!

Breakin' and Poppin'

2009-01-19T10:29:00.000-08:00

Wow. Glad I didn't learn the centipede from a video. Hilarious!

Bloody Mary Anyone?

2009-01-13T00:03:00.000-08:00

I knew I had it bad when I settled for a V-8 with lemon juice and pepper in lieu of a spicy Edendale Bloody Mary the other night. Since then I've made it out of the house to calm these furious breakfast Bloody Mary cravings the *right* way-- and bumped into a few recipes along the way. Unfortunately, Edendale's delicious Bloody Mary recipe is super top secret, so I don't actually know what they put in it besides three green olives along with a couple wedges of lemon and lime.

Stay tuned...The Best Breakfast Bloody Mary search begins!

BART Police Fatally Shoot Unarmed Man

2009-01-10T12:24:00.001-08:00

Justice for Oscar Grant Now:

5 Things You Can Do Right Now About the Oscar Grant Shooting

(from RaceWire: The Colorless Blog by Jonathan Adams)

Oscar Grant, an unarmed man, was killed by an Oakland police officer. Here are five things (compiled by Makani Themba-Nixon) that you should do right now to respond to the senseless death of this 22 year old Black man. Video footage of the shooting recently surfaced.

1. Digg the story so that the national media can pick up on it

2. Contact BART Director Carole Ward Allen and demand that 1) the officers involved be taken off duty without pay and charged and fully prosecuted; 2) there be an independent investigation of the shooting that includes a review of training and hiring practices; and 3) BART establish an independent residents’ review board for the police Call her at 510-464-6095 or email the BART Directors at BoardofDirectors@bart.gov

3. Call the BART police to complain about the officers’ conduct and demand immediate action: Internal Affairs: Sergeant David Chlebowski 510.464.7029,dchlebo@bart.gov; Chief of Police: Gary Gee 510.464.7022, ggee@bart.gov

Call them toll free at 877.679.7000 and press the last four digits of the phone number you wish to reach.

4. Talk it up on your blogs, networks and talk radio shows (call Michael Baisden 877-6BADBOY or Rev. Al, etc. to get this on the national radar)

5. Stay tuned for other actions, protests, etc., especially if you are in the Bay.

Go to BART for the latest on the investigation.

Articles
BART Directors Aplogize to Slain Man's Family
BART Shooting Captured on Video
Calm Urged After Oakland Protests

Mitsuwa Market Closing in Downtown

2009-01-09T20:04:00.000-08:00

Oh, Mitsuwa. We will miss you. It was only a matter of time before it happened, but I had hoped something more revolutionary would happen before the H Mart take-over. I thought maybe the Korean investors would grow a soft spot in their heart for Japanese culture in LittleTokyo (aka J-town) and choose to preserve the identity of the area instead of replacing it with Korean marts and spas.

Maybe there aren't too many Japanese living in the area anymore, but I also know that J-town is where you go when you want to feel connected if you're too far from the Eastside or Torrance or Gardena. If I want Korean, I go to K-town--which is now splitting its seams and flowing into Little Tokyo. Bad karma.

Pretty soon it will be just another faceless, trendy Silverlake complete with boba, hipsters, Korean taco truck, and spas. I'm so depressed.

J-town Mitsuwa closes on January 25, 2009.

Related:

Eating LA Blog
Large Korean Grocer To Replace Little Tokyo's Mitsuwa
Los Angeles Business Journal
Sale of Little Tokyo Mall Stirs Apprehension

Kogi Korean BBQ Taco Truck?

2009-01-09T19:43:00.000-08:00

Has anyone else spotted this truck around town yet? I wasn't one of the 50 fools in line waiting at least an hour to taste a Kalbi taco, but the aroma was pretty goddamn tempting from across the street. For the first time in ages, Daikokuya in J-town looked pretty empty with all its would-be customers heading straight for Kogi (they were parked right out front).

Stuff I found online on Kogi:

Kogi BBQ-To-Go

LA Taco Truck Blog

On Yelp

Thrillist

Before They Close, Go See...

2009-01-07T23:04:00.000-08:00

UCLA Fowler Museum's Cara Vemos Corazones no Sabemos exhbit

Sorry about the late notice -- you missed a good one.

Bold Caballeros y Noble Bandidas

Gene Autry Museum

November 1, 2008 -May 10, 2009

Slumdog Millionaire

2009-01-02T16:08:00.000-08:00

Our ghetto fabulous protagonist wins a chance to become a millionaire on India's version of Who Wants to Become a Millionaire? After the producers of the show suspect him of cheating, Jamal (Dev Patel) narrates his life story involving tragedy, crime, poverty, and love to redeem himself.

If you see nothing else this month, make sure to check this one out on the big screen.

How to Make Korean Karaoke Work for You

2008-12-30T00:08:00.000-08:00

1. Plan ahead. Sure, a drunk party at 3AM at any private karaoke room you happen to stumble upon can be fun, but if you are looking for a step up from your usual vomit, sex, and raunch in K-town, plan ahead! There are many clean, non-escort private karaoke rooms to be discovered.

2. Take at least one token Korean friend. This will cut down on the time that you and your non-Korean speaking friends take trying to figure out what to order and which buttons to push on the machinery. Time is money. Of course you can always ask your friendly Korean Karaoke host to explain all that stuff too, but he will most likely use charades and give you stink eye. Better to take one friend, yeah?

3. BYOB. This one is a little juvenile, but if you are strapped for cash (you will buy by the bottle--Crown Royal, etc., etc.) and not into Soju, which is the Korean version of liquid crack (see Cisco), BYOB.

Online Music Must-haves

2008-12-29T23:37:00.000-08:00

Passive Listening:

1. Pandora.com - not the best tool for discovering up and coming musicians and innovative tunes, but overall it's a pretty Zen experience.

2. Grooveshark - I feel like I am thirteen years old spending toomuch time adding and subtracting songs to make it happen on this site. Yes, it takes a little bit of effort and can be addicting for junkies, but it seems like a good place to store music. Not sure if I really, really like it yet.

3. Jango - Almost as good as Pandora, maybe even better. Not easy on the eyes and a little confusing. Maybe it will grow on me.

Music Nerds and Junkies:

1. All Music Guide - tried and true one stop shop for music sampling and research. You should be semi-literate to fully benefit from this site.

2. Metacritc Music Reviews - The reviews can be enlightening, but I use it to keep tabs on new releases. It's got a nicely organized little database of all new music. Easy to browse. Stick it in your Reader or IGoogle page.

3. Pitchfork Media - Online music mag. Reviews, articles, blah, blah, blah.

3 Reasons to Love The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz

2008-12-29T23:30:00.000-08:00

1. Its four main characters are based on the Fantastic Four.
2. Name one other novel that stars a fat Dominican fan boy who can't get laid.
3. Dominican history as told through the voice of Yunior, swear words and all. Fucking beautiful.

Psychedelic Poster Art

2008-12-29T22:44:00.001-08:00

1968 Cuban psychedelic poster art created by Raul Oliva.
If this doesn't make you hot and bothered, then we have nothing further to discuss. Inspiration for my next set of Gocco and linocut prints.

Ammesia

2008-12-29T22:32:00.000-08:00

It sucks when amnesia happens. I inadvertently just deleted a bunch of Flickr photos that link to this blog. That's what happens when you let something go that you love and you forget to nurture it. Two months have passed since I've last posted on my dusty old blog. Life happens. So, maybe it's time to dust off an old love affair once again?

Palin Bingo

2008-10-02T21:24:00.000-07:00

Play with your friends! Play with your family! A friend sent this to me earlier but I didn't get to use it for the debate. Damn! It would've made the already ridiculous debate even more amusing.

http://www.palinbingo.com/

Praying Mantis Feasts and Frets

2008-09-15T12:00:00.001-07:00

My sister gifted me with a few plumeria stalks last November, and since then they have blossomed into a strikingly fragrant bouquet. What's even more interesting is the kinds of creatures it has attracted, including my newest pet, the praying mantis. When I first discovered the insect, I must admit I was a little terrified.

You see, I have never actually seen a living praying mantis before. At first glimpse I thought it was a grasshopper until the little beast turned its triangular shaped head 180 degrees to get a good look at me. Yikes. What's more is that these creatures are masters of camouflage, and this particular one blends right in with the spring green and rosy golden hues that my plumeria boast. Much to my delight, I also discovered that the praying mantis is often used as natural organic pest control and is considered by many to be a beneficial garden insect.

My housemate is apparently paranoid that this critter will devour us one day or bite my fingers off if I get too close. Fret not-- even though they are carnivorous and have been known to eat hummingbirds, small fish, and even snakes, they are virtually harmless to humans.

Check the following YouTube clips (viewer discretion advised) on praying mantis feasts, courtesy of my paranoid housemate.

Praying Mantis vs Hummingbird

Praying Mantis vs Snake

Mantis (Wikipedia)

Praying Mantis (National Geographic)

Praying Mantis vs Fish (YouTube)

Praying Mantis vs Mouse (YouTube)

What 99 Cents Can Buy You at Shim's Bargain Store

2008-09-08T22:35:00.000-07:00

Looks like everyone is getting ready for Halloween, including the folks at Shim's Bargain store in L.A. That's right-- for only $1 you can buy your very own "Indian Mask" complete with Mama Indian, Papa Indian, and Little Girl Indian in war paint, feathers, and headbands!

For only $1 you too can purchase the continued misrepresentation of cultures at your local bargain store.

Museum of Tolerance

'Red Face' Does Not Honor Us

Exploitative Types of Native Americans

Reuse, Reduce, Recycle!: Plastic Unfantastic

2008-09-02T15:08:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine recently gave me a cool Envirosax bag for plastic-free shopping, and then it hit me. Despite all the reusing and recycling I've been doing these past years, I've been guilty of taking many plastic bags (and disposable water bottles!) home. Nevermind the fact that we reuse the plastic poison to line our trash cans, hold dog poop, or to transport gifts or mores shopping goods one last time.

Plastic bags really suck for the environment and they should be banned.

Many countries around the world have already begun to take a stand against unfantastic plastic, including Australia, Ireland, China, and a few U.S. cities like San Francisco and Seattle. Big ups to Los Angeles City Council for voting to ban plastic bags from stores by July 1, 2010.

Consider purchasing reusable bags for your future shopping sprees such as the EnviroSax or Mexican mercado mesh bolsita (my personal favorite). There are tons of environmentally friendly options at Reusablebags.com too.

Are Plastic Bags Sacking the Environment? (National Geographic)

Campaign Against the Plastic Plague Background Information (Earth Resource Foundation)

LA City Council Votes for Ban on Plastic Bags (LA Times)

San Francisco First City to Ban Plastic Bags (San Francisco Chronicle)

Cube Craft Craze!!

2008-09-01T03:09:00.000-07:00

I love, love, love toys, especially paper ones that you cut out yourself. In my world, one is never too old to appreciate some good old fashioned fun:

Free paper toys!! Brought to you by Cube Craft.

Their long list of DIY paper dolls include Storm Trooper, Usagi Yojimbo and Mr. Stay Puft in full color and ready to print out in the comfort of your own home.

Awwww Sheeit!

LACMA Steps Up Their Game!

2008-09-01T02:45:00.000-07:00

If you do nothing else before the summer ends, do yourself a favor and go see all the exhibits at The Los Angeles County Museum of Art. It seems that LACMA has finally graduated from lukewarm to dynamic. I'm excited and you should be too. It's free after 5PM and every 2nd Tuesday of the month.

An incomplete list of

current must-see dope exhibits:

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner: Selections from the Robert Gore Rifkind Center for German Expressionist Studies

Phantom Sightings: Art After the Chicano Movement

Los Angelenos/Chicano Painters of LA: Selections from the Cheech Marin Collection

The Age of Imagination: Japanese Art, 1615-1868, from the Price Collection

NaNoWriMo

2008-08-31T14:16:00.000-07:00

This is new to me even though it's been going on since 1999. I discovered it on 43 Things just the other day and am gonna try this out. Nevermind the new job and two dozen other projects I have going on. This should be fun. Pass the word on to your other nerdy writer friends.

National Novel Writing Month is a fun, seat-of-your-pants approach to novel writing. Participants begin writing November 1. The goal is to write a 175-page (50,000-word) novel by midnight, November 30

Visit their website at:

NaNoWriMo

See Close Encounters of the Third Kind @ Hollywood Forever Cemetery

2008-08-30T13:37:00.000-07:00

Plays at Hollywood Forever Cemetery tonight. I finally got out to check this last week and it was AMAZING. What more could one want- to wine and dine with the dead?! 10 bucks, BYOB, blankets, candles, etc. Plus, Carlos Nino will be spinning before and after this alien classic!!

http://www.cinespia.org/calendar.php

Lard Makes Life Delicious

2008-08-22T19:45:00.000-07:00

Our Best Chorizo, Nixtamal, Binola, 8 Dozen Tamales, Maple Parfait, Butterscotch Pie, Menudo: these are the titles of recipes in my mother's aunt's cookbook, some dating all the way back to 1934.

Aunt Connie also kept personal Spanglish notes about events that occurred on the day she scrawled her recipes down into her "All About Home Baking" American cookbook. The faded plaid book is filled with humorous anecdotes and unscientific measurements for various recipes, including phrases like "3 wooden spoonfuls lime" and "900 lbs of elbow grease" in her recipes for masa and tamales.

She scribbled in the margins, recorded tales on the inside covers, and spiced up an otherwise bland all-American apple-pie baking book with some good old Mexican and Mexican American concoctions. Some of the recipes are a little bit intimidating, but I think I may try a few out just for kicks- think 1 lb of pork and 1 lb of beef for the chorizo. So good...

Ma Jian

2008-08-11T12:30:00.001-07:00

I found this inspiring picture of Ma Jian, published in the Times a couple of months ago. In this particular photograph, Ma Jian stands proudly in Tiananmen Square, China, with a simple straw hat and striped tee-shirt. The striking black and white photograph reminded me of the omnipresent Che Guevara portraits, but I had never even heard of this author before. I just knew I wanted to paint his portrait.

Born in Qingdao, China in 1953, Ma Jian is a notable writer who is best known for his controversial novels, which have been banned by the Chinese government. After he published his first novel, Stick Your Tongue Out in 1987, Ma Jian left Beijing to Hong Kong as a dissident. Since then he has published Red Dust, The Noodle Maker, and Beijing Coma. Ma Jian is now living in London.

Related

Interview with Ma Jian

Ma Jian's Beijing Coma: NPR

New York Times Book Review

More Coptic Stitch Bookbinding

2008-08-08T01:49:00.000-07:00

Another non-adhesive coptic stitch bound book...

Google Maps Street View + Big Brother!

2008-08-05T01:47:00.001-07:00

I nearly choked on the last of my morning Gevalia when I clicked on the link to Google Maps' shameless Street View of my house via email. Luckily I (and my car) was nowhere to be found in this public photo of my lot, but others aren't so lucky. For fun, I typed in my mom's address and there she was picking up her LA Times. I typed in three different addresses and got three different views of Mom in her driveway.

Is this legal?

In the U.S it is legal to take pictures of people from the public streets, but "Privacy International, a UK rights group, believes the technology breaks data protection laws ." It's clear that we are living in the age of Big Brother, but this is going too far. Recently, Google stated that "privacy doesn't exist" in response to complaints about privacy concerns. Hmmm, makes me think twice about keeping that Gmail account.

Go ahead, type in your house address and click on Google Maps Street View pop-up window. Like what you see?

Related:

Google Faces 'Street View Block' (BBC)

Google Starts to Blur Faces in Street View Photos (MSNBC)

Google Street View: Private moments captured (Telegraph.co.uk)

Google Street View Goes Live in Australia, Japan (Webware)

Privacy Advocates Say Google Has Gone Too Far (The Australian)

Total Solar Eclipse on Friday!

2008-08-01T03:34:00.000-07:00

A total solar eclipse will fascinate thousands this Friday, August 1, 2008, but the viewer has to be in Greenland, Siberia, Mongolia, or China to witness the spectacle. Damn. The next total solar eclipse that will be visible from the U.S. happens in 2017. If you just can't wait that long, watch this one on the Exploratorium Live Webcam or NASA TV from 10:00-12:15 UT. Yes, dear, that's 3-5:15AM PST for all you local insomniacs and closet nerds.

Oldie but Goodie (or Why I Love Japanese People)

2008-08-01T00:07:00.000-07:00

This is an oldie but goodie, and it still makes me fall out of my chair with a smile. Of course there are many other reasons to love the Japanese besides Zen, sushi, and nipple scarves, but these enchanting nipples will forever hold a special place in my heart.

Secret Meanings Behind the Eye of Horus

2008-07-31T00:03:00.000-07:00

Because we live in a culture devoted to science, technology, and sometimes God, symbols and talismans are fascinating to us for the stories they tell and the mythology they promise.

The search for a good luck symbol to hang over my front door began in the springtime at a small South Los Angeles botanica. Instead of discovering an exotic and inspiring talisman, I left with only a small gold plated horseshoe in hand. An enclosed prayer to Chango Macho in Spanish was enough to satisfy me for the time being, but I knew my search wasn't over.

Fast forward several months later. I am reading about Bast, the Egyptian cat goddess,

and I rediscover the Eye of Horus or wadjat ('Whole One'). At last I have found what I am looking for. The secrets behind the Eye of Horus go beyond its popular use as an amulet to ward off evil spirits though. Not only does the Eye of Horus represent the eye of Egyptian falcon god Horus, but when broken up, the image consists of several sections which represent fractions of a whole. Some even guess that the Rx sign might be derived from the wadjat, but there is currently not enough research to support the claim.

Top 5 Summer Snacks

2008-07-27T13:00:00.000-07:00

Sippin' sangria in the shade trying to avoid 90 degree Los Angeles heat and I want something simple, maybe meatless, but damn tasty to nibble on. Women in my family have high standards for delicious cooking and I am no exception. So here are my top five favorite summer dishes (in 10 minutes or less) I can't live without:

1. Avocado and Black Bean Tostada

2. Vietnamese Spring Roll

3. Insalata Caprese

4. Grilled White Fish with Capers

5. Island Style Fried Tuna Pupus

So delicious!

Why I Love Positive People

2008-07-26T17:01:00.001-07:00

In Los Angeles, postivity and spreading good energy are things we associate with the New Age movement, with those softy artist eclectic types, or better yet, hippies. But really, positivity is for everyone. Positive people thrill me because they are the ones who inspire and help to sustain a fragile society of the fearful and frustrated.

After getting off the phone with Jr, an old friend of mine, it dawned on me why I always love to hear from him. Jr. is one of those creative charismatic types who people are instantly drawn to. Why? Because he talks about what it's like to move forward, to trust in what we cannot know or fully understand, and openly gives thanks and praise to people, life, and lessons.

Wow. It sounds like a lot, yes? Not really, because Jr. doesn't force it. He just is. He said something that really struck a cord with me- that we can only go so far in life without that joy and appreciation; if we are holding onto any resentments or sorrows, those feelings might be the very obstacles that keep us from ever attaining true success and happiness. It's a simple concept, yet a powerful practice.

Recommended Reading:

The Book of Secrets by Deepak Chopra
The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz
Positive Energy by Judith Orloff

Painted Gothic Halo Heinas

2008-07-21T15:33:00.000-07:00

There is something incredibly calming about particular pens and the way they make you draw. My gothic halo honey began as a 3AM insomniac scribble and now bombards many of my daydream doodles. Armed with larger paper (19 x 24) and some black acrylic paint, I did a test run of her, large-scale.

Reviving Nishiki (Part 3)

2008-07-20T15:06:00.000-07:00

After letting a few weeks slip by before returning to The Bike Oven, I finally purchased a pair of 24" bicycle tires for my road bike. Notice the difference between (A) 20-year old petrified rubber originals

and (B) brand new all-black Clincher tires:

My bike volunteer had me clean the chain ring, loosen stiff chain links with a chain tool,

and hook up my spanking new tires. Loosening up the handful of tight chain links

was tedious and time consuming (my bike instructor kept saying, "fuck" and "shit" every thirty seconds), but my ride pedals so smoothly now that it was definitely worth the effort. During my next visit, I'll learn how to adjust my headset and brakes. To be continued...

Will the Beloved Gocco Become Extinct?

2008-07-20T15:00:00.000-07:00

Why am I always the last to find out about cool Japanese toys like the Gocco Printer? In short, Gocco printers are tabletop silk-screen units that can produce professional quality prints. Many artists, including an entire community of Etsy.com and Flickr print fanatics, use the Gocco as their primary medium of choice to create unique printed items.

Just as I raced off to find out where I could snag one, I learned that this novelty item might soon be extinct in the states. Riso, the Japan-based maker of the beloved Print Gocco, announced it will discontinue U.S. distribution of the home-use Gocco printers in June 2008.

Save Gocco posted this announcement on its website, much to the sadness of Gocco enthusiasts around the world:

this just in from japan corporate news: "Riso Kagaku Corp. said Friday that it will discontinue shipments of its Print Gocco home-use greeting card printer in June because increasing use of personal computers has shrunk its demand sharply.

Nevermind the arts and crafts revival or DIY movement, Riso seems to be primarily concerned with making the big buck. I'm optimistic though. There's still time to purchase a Gocco before they become overpriced and hard to find.

Gocco Resources:

Gocco North American Site
Nehoc Australian Gocco Supplies
Save Gocco

Still Ravin?

2008-07-17T13:41:00.001-07:00

GLOW 08 sounds a little ravie and quite frankly I'm gettin' too old for all-nighters, but damn, this Santa Monica dusk-to-dawn arts and music event sounds like some serious asphalt fun (remember the L.A. Street Scene in the 80s? Don't even get me started on that).

If you don't have anything better to do when the sun rises between Saturday and Sunday night, July 19-20th from 7PM to 7AM, this may very well be the spot to be, especially since it's FREE!

Glow will fill the hours between dusk to dawn with compelling, enchanting and effervescent sights and sounds situated in spaces and ties that expand possibilities for where, how and when the public experiences contemporary art.

With the historic Santa Monica Pier and adjacent world-famous Santa Monica Beach as their space, artists were commissioned to create unique and inviting works of art that welcome the public to be both audience and actor for twelve celebratory hours. Inspired by the wildly successful Nuit Blanche in Paris, Glow takes its spirit from the fabled grunion that live in local waters and come ashore several times a year to spawn in the sand creating a momentary sensation of iridescence.

Okay, hippies, I'm convinced. Wanna come?

GLOW 08 Dusk-to-Dawn

Why Aren't You Married Yet?

2008-07-17T03:08:00.000-07:00

It all began somewhere in my mid-twenties when the bombarding of this annoying question began. "Why aren't you married yet?" It is my least favorite question of the top three most-asked and most-annoying questions:

1. Why aren't you married yet?
2. But you have a boyfriend, right?
3. When are you going to have kids?

People really expect a response too, like I'm supposed to come up with an answer on the spot- as if I had an answer hidden away that could make them feel better about themselves. There is usually a long pause because I am always, and I mean always, caught off guard by the question. The truth is, I hadn't given it much thought until people started asking. And all the way home I started to think, yes, maybe something is wrong. Maybe I really do want to get married. What have I been doing? Am I wrong for not having made it a priority? Should I have said,"yes" the first time I was asked?

Really, it's no one else's business but my own, but various people still feel compelled to ask me with that sorrowful expression on their face and dreadful sigh, "but you're so... cute." Maybe they think that my cuteness is the best thing I have to offer to our planet and marriage is the only thing I strive for. There must be something wrong with me if I am still single, right? They secretly wonder if I am seriously flawed, suffer from daddy issues, or God forbid- a lesbian!

Apparently, I am not alone in my occasional irritation, as the proliferation of tasteless and even some very clever comebacks for that unimaginative question, "why aren't you married yet?" can be found all over the Internet:

Witty Comebacks for the Dreaded Question
Why Aren't You Married Yet?

1. Just lucky, I guess.
2. What? And ruin my great sex life?
3. It gives my mother something to live for.
4. Because I want to do something meaningful with my life.
5. My fiancé is awaiting his parole.
6. I look at marriage as an old-fashioned, patrician, indentured-slave practice that imprisons people in a backbreaking, emotionally bereft sinkhole.’”-Mike O’Malley, star of the CBS series Yes, Dear
7. Thank you for recognizing how high my standards are!
8. Because I'm waiting for my perfect match, just like you did!
9. I'm waiting until I get to be your age.
10.Nobody would believe me in white.

Articles
http://www.missabigail.com/advice/q5.html
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/gate/archive/2002/06/21/notes062102.DTL
http://msn.match.com/msn/article.aspx?articleid=5384&TrackingID=516311&BannerID=544657&menuid=7&GT1=7350

+ Snappy Comebacks
http://www.thatwasfunny.com/comebacks-to-why-arent-you-married-yet/455
http://www.keepersoflists.org/index.php?lid=3098
http://www.bitter.org/notmarried.html

How to Reclaim Sanity During an ADHD Meltdown

2008-07-15T13:50:00.000-07:00

I was never actually diagnosed with having ADHD, or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, but I'm sometimes tempted to self-diagnose myself because I cannot FOCUS on much of anything that doesn't interest me, let alone remain still for extended periods of time. Living in a culture that values mile-a-minute multitasking and constant productivity, sitting still and doing nothing can present a challenge for many of us. But just because we can't focus, sit still for long, or specialize in one area of life all the time also does not make one ADHD.

Nevertheless, here's my list of 5 ways to treat an ADHD (or whatever current overwhelming brain explosion you are experiencing) meltdown.

1. Walk away and turn everything off (television, radio, laptop, cell, talkative roommate, etc). Go to a quiet space where there are no distractions- in some households this means the bathroom or closet. Don't be shy. You don't need to explain yourself to anyone. Think of it as your personal sanctuary or asylum for the moment. It need not be a padded room.

2. Close your eyes and breathe normally. The chakra meditation is my personal favorite because it gives my busy brain something to concentrate on while attempting stillness. Different experts on meditation recommend different techniques. Be gentle on yourself and do what works best for you.

3. Resist the urge to bounce back up to do that thing, just this once. It can probably wait. Start small- say 5 minutes and then gradually increase your time the next time you take your time-out. Usually the first twenty minutes is the hardest to get through in any sitting meditation.

4. Sometimes I have panic attacks because I am overwhelmed by all the junk floating around my head. And most of it is junk- stuff that doesn't exist or really isn't all that important. When you sit down to release and re-center, all that stuff eventually passes out of you. Your job is just to sit there and let it all go.

5. Start living healthy. Avoid toxic stuff- this includes your favorite recreational drugs, alcohol, caffeine (ah, damn, what vice is left, eh?), and people. Start working out. Now I sound like my mother, but I have tried this one out and I swear it works. I won't give up my coffee though.

Make Your Bedroom a Love Shack (Feng Shui)

2008-07-14T01:50:00.001-07:00

Which direction should my head point to when sleeping in my bedroom? A friend warned me that my head should never point north because in Japan the dead are laid out at a funeral with their heads pointing northward. I tend to be more superstitious when I'm feeling unlucky, so I set off to confirm this old Japanese superstition after a recent string of unhappy occurrences.

I decided to ditch Japanese superstitions and instead embrace Feng Shui, the Chinese art of arrangement. After all, the Japanese are always borrowing from the Chinese, and I don't want my head underneath my towering bookcase at night. Much of the Feng Shui advice on bedroom furniture arrangement centers around producing restful sleep and romance. The bedroom shouldn't be about anything else (including work). I could definitely use more sleep and healthy romance in my own life, so I transformed my bedroom into my version of a love shack.

Here are ten simple tips for transforming your bedroom for a healthful night of sleep and love:

1. Bed and sheets- for the most part, your Queen-sized bed (get rid of the King-size if you can) should have both sides free and allow its inhabitant to see the entire room. It should not be near the door or have the foot of the bed directly facing the door. In Chinese culture, this is called the "Death Position" because the dead are carried out feet first.
Get rid of old sheets. Ewwww. How many lovers have been on your current sheets (Just you and hubby, huh? Good for you!)? Yuck. Throw them away - the sheets I mean. Get new sheets with a high thread count in sensual skin-tone colors such as ivory, beige, coffee, and mocha.

2. Install pairs- items should be in pairs to encourage romance. This includes pairs of bedside tables, candles, pillows, etc.

3. Dim your colors- Soft "love" colors for the bedroom include pink, red, burgundy or eggplant. I'm not crazy about any of those colors for my bedroom, but I do like the idea of a 50/50 color balance. Some experts recommend a 50/50 balance of warm skin-tone colors and cool blue shades for the ultimate yin/yang experience.

4. Toss and cover mirrors- get rid of or cover up bedroom mirrors. A mirror facing your bed encourages a third party to enter your current relationship. Hmmmm, some of you actually might prefer a third party, so if you're gonna do mirrors, maybe stick a couple on the ceiling for maximum erotica appeal. For singles, a mirror facing the bed is said to double solitude.

5. Clear clutter- any kind of clutter in your room is not a good thing. Clutter symbolizes unfinished projects that impede your progress. Put it away, toss, or donate it!

6. Pictures of family and friends- remove any and all pictures of loved ones and put them in another room. It never occurred to me that pictures of family and friends could actually sap the sexual energy in my room. But it makes sense- it's just a tad bit uncomfortable when you've got everyone grinning in little frames while watching you do the nasty.

7. Precious gifts from ex-lovers- "But I don't hold onto gifts from ex-lovers," you say. Maybe this is a singles thing, but I found at least three gifts from ex-boyfriends which were prominently displayed in my bedroom. I really thought I had gotten rid of all that stuff a long time ago. Sadly, I decided to box up some of my favorite toys/art pieces and anything else that held heavy memories I no longer have room for in my life.

8. Images- should reflect what you want to manifest in your life. I am reluctant to part with my Three Ages of Women reproduction, which currently hangs in my love palace. Maybe I'll consider adding more uplifting imagery in place of this Klimt masterpiece though. Anything relating to water, real or depicted, is thought to create "a water field of too much emotion." Plus, water cools down the fire, which equals passionless sex.

9. Eliminate electromagnetic fields- this includes alarm clocks, laptops, video games, and televisions. Place those items as far away from your bed as possible so you can indulge in a restful sleep. Consider screening them off if you just can't move them to another space.

10. Close your door- again, this is all about getting a good night's sleep. It's tough to sleep well if you have to worry about random disturbances entering your little love shack at night.

Phew! I could go on and on. These Feng Shui tips can get kind of overwhelming if you're trying to cover all your bases. It's nearly impossible to create the perfect love shack space because the layout of every bedroom is so different. Besides, it's no fun to get fanatical about the stuff unless you're getting paid to be the expert.

Articles on Feng Shui for love shacks:

CNN- Arts & Style

Healthy & Green Living

I Love India

The Spiritual Feng Shui

Tarot.com

Happy Feng Shui-ing, sleeping, and lovemaking!

Why Does Buddha Have Long Earlobes?

2008-07-12T20:06:00.001-07:00

There were three of us in the room when my sister asked, "why does Buddha have long earlobes?" We all came up with different answers. She figured it had something to do with them being the mark of royalty. I remembered reading that long lobes symbolized prosperity and good fortune. Later on I told her it was probably because Buddha was into tribal jewelry and stretched them out. Even though there is no definitive answer available, there is a lot of fascinating conjecturing about Buddha's beautiful stretched lobes going on. Munisha, a member from the Western Order of Buddhism, offers some ideas on depictions of Buddha's elongated earlobes.

D.L. Snellgrove (Buddhanet.com) writes,

The ear lobes of the Buddha statues are nearly always shown elongated, this is indicative of renunciation in that while a layman, the Buddha wore large ear plugs which he stopped wearing when he became a monk, but which left his ear lobes stretched.

On Wikipedia, reasons behind Buddha's lengthy lobes are similarly uncertain-"the Buddha is also always depicted with very long ear-lobes. This may be because in his earlier life as a prince he had always worn heavy earrings, but has come to symbolize wisdom."

Amidst all the uncertainty, I still like my answer the best: Buddha was rocking some heavy jewelry before renouncing all his earthly possessions as a monk.

Do Malaria Pills Really Cause Psychosis?

2008-07-07T02:32:00.000-07:00

My aunt's friends swear that malaria pills will make her demented before she ever makes it to Vietnam for her annual summer trip. Confused about why her doctor never mentioned these side effects, she returned to get the full scoop on the drug and promptly stopped taking her prescribed 30-day dosage. At first it seemed unbelievable to me- like one of those fleeting Internet rumors that has everyone freaking out and hitting FWD to everyone they know about the latest horrors to beware of; but it turns out that, while rare, malaria pills (Mefloquine in Larium) can cause psychosis in some people:

Minor side effects occur in up to 15% of people. These include stomach upset, dizziness, vivid (good, bad, erotic and otherwise) dreams, insomnia and anxiety. More serious side effects, such as seizures and psychosis, are relatively rare. These side effects are usually transient, and may dissipate with time. Remember, most side effects do not occur in most people most of the time. Many of the same adverse effects are reported with chloroquine.

It would suck to be in that 15% category, eh?

8 Reasons Why Los Angeles Summers Kick Ass

2008-07-07T00:36:00.000-07:00

Maybe my top eight reasons are a little redundant, but they are eight very inspiring reasons to get out of your house and soak in FREE OUTDOOR MUSIC MADNESS!!

1. Grand Performances @ California Plaza in DTLA - total music heaven in the hub of Downtown Los Angeles. Asphalt picnicking and outdoor grooving with L.A. favorites Very Be Careful, Dakah Hip Hop Orchestra, Son de Madera & Nati Cano's Mariachi Los Camperos, Los Pinguos, and others. Runs June 1st-October 6th.

2. Santa Monica Pier Twilight Dance Series - fresh music at the beach including bands like the Crown City Rockers, Toots & the Maytals, the Spanish Harlem Orchestra, and others. Happens every Thursday from 7-10pm. June 26th- August 28th.

3. 1st & Central Summer Concert Series @ Japanese American National Museum - enjoy world music, food, and booze in the plaza! Opens July 10th with up and coming ukulele performers and closes with Brooklyn-based Chicha Libre.

4. Annual Central Avenue Jazz Festival - experience live jazz and blues in front of the historic Dunbar Hotel at 42nd and Central Avenue in South Los Angeles. July 26th-27th from 11-7pm.

5. Levitt Pavilion for the Performing Arts @ MacArthur Park- what?! 50 free performances from July 3rd - September 14th? I've actually never been to their summer concert series, but damn, it seems like the entire musical planet will be there - Keali'i Reichel, Son Mayor, Quetzal, ELAN, and others.

6. Free LACMA concert series - Friday night Jazz (LA Times Central Court-LACMA), Saturday Latin Sounds (Hancock Park north of LACMA), and Sundays Live (Bing Theatre-LACMA) promise relaxing evenings of classical, Latin, and jazz styles with fine wine and cheese.

7. Summer Sessions 2008 (Visit the Getty) - Sorry I didn't post this sooner. I've never actually made it to this so-called Summer Sessions @ the Getty, which features three nights of eclectic sounds. Oh, my! The Budos Band will be here on the 19th along with the mobile I & I Sound Systems (think green Reggae ice-cream truck) and others. Global grooves and electronica on the 26th- not to be missed!

8. Cinespia @ Hollywood Forever Cemetery - Again, I forgot about this one when I first posted "6 Reasons Why Los Angeles Summer Kick Ass," so a couple of these films/music nights have already passed. Better late than never. Watch films like Sixteen Candles and Rear Window while chilling out with celebrity ghosts and Dublab Djs. A $10 donation is suggested. July 12th-20th from 7:30-9pm.

Broke and Having a Blast

2008-06-30T21:08:00.000-07:00

My workaholic roommate gave me some cool project management ideas to make me a more productive citizen, and my productivity rate hasn't been this impressive since the 9th grade. I knocked out two painted mirrors this week and have begun to gaze at the third. If it goes as planned, which it probably won't, the result will be something like a holy trinity of mirrored lotuses.

Reviving Nishiki: Fresh from '88 (Part 2)

2008-06-30T19:54:00.000-07:00

Yes, yes, y'all, I dug out my 20-year-old steel blue Nishiki, fresh from '88- the same year NWA dropped Straight Outta Compton and EPMD released Strictly Business. But we're not here to discuss the golden years- this is about the resurrection of a dead bike. After slamming myself into my neighbor's house (I suffered only minor abrasions and a banged up knee) to make up for shot brakes, I officially decided to revive him. I threw my babe in my hatchback and headed towards The Bike Oven, a local bike cooperative over in Cypress Park, where volunteers and bike fanatics alike teach regular riding folks like me how to fix up their own ride.

The cost is a steal- only $5 an hour (or whatever dough you got in your pocket) plus any parts. My personal mechanic/instructor and I discussed life transitions and the energy matrix for three hours while I learned how to dismantle the bottom bracket of my old hunker, grease the bearings, and tune the wheel spokes. Right now my 10-speed is discombobulated until I return to do part two: change the cables, finish tuning spokes, and replace threaded tires. Stay tuned.

How to Save Gas! Bike It.

2008-06-30T19:31:00.000-07:00

Since I am in job purgatory right now, I am watching every penny in my pocket. Driving sucks because in case you hadn't already heard, gas prices are out of control. My dad says, "well, we've had it good up til now. People are paying 9 bucks for gas in Norway." Norway? Are you kidding me? Thankfully I do not live in Norway, and nor do I think 5 bucks a gallon is an acceptable price to pay to fill up my VW just because Norwegians are paying $9. In any case, this leads me to discuss my resolution for saving on gas and being down with environmental alternatives to fuel-driven anything: use the bike.

Beverly Hot Springs

2008-05-20T16:22:00.001-07:00

Last month I urgently headed over to my favorite Thai massage place in Echo Park for a rejuvenation plunge. This past week I joined my girlfriend Jen to an afternoon spa retreat at the only natural hot springs in Los Angeles: Beverly Hot Springs. Hot springs and deep tissue massages are not for the faint of heart, and the public nudity takes some getting used to as well. I didn't get any fancy body scrubs or shiatsu massages this time, but I did indulge in the natural mineral waters and wet/dry saunas. For those that have a few bucks to blow on a simple afternoon of relaxation and Korean-style skin exfoliation, this is the place for you.

San Francisco Weekend Getaway

2008-05-20T10:29:00.000-07:00

My whirlwind Bay Area trip this past weekend was the most fun I've had in weeks. Even though our actual stay time was a mere 24 hours, the trip was a perfect blend of delicious eats, quaint San Francisco Mission Street browsing, and partying in the city. After my friend was hooded at San Jose State University, my girl and I left for San Francisco and perused knick knacks at 99 cent stores in the Mish, boozed it up at a couple of local bars, and feasted at Little Baobab, just off Mission and 19th Street. This casual little dive serves inexpensive and deliciously small portions of rich West African/Indies/Creole bites along with exotic fruit cocktails (Hibiscus Margarita?), though the service was definitely nothing to rave about. Apparently it turns into a club at night, playing some of the best Bangra, Reggae, Soca, and Merengue in the city- but I don't know where they put all the people (on the tables maybe?) in this tiny little closet.

Sadly, we ended up at Medjools's instead of sticking around Baobab's for some late night booty shaking. Medjool's was the antithesis of casual and earthy and they served our drinks with dead fruit flies on ice. "Uh, think we can get another round? Ours has flies." The view of downtown San Francisco's skyline was amazing though. Tired from an all-day drive, my friend and I ducked out early, just as local suckers lined up around the corner and paid $10 to get in.

Sunday morning brunch at the fabulous Luna's in the Castro was perfect. We sipped mango mimosas in the covered patio and talked story over calamari, omelets, and breakfast potatoes before heading back to L.A.

Portishead Releases "Third"

2008-04-30T10:29:00.001-07:00

It's been ten years since Portishead has released any new albums. Their 2008 album, Third, is officially out (Third was leaked and has been out unofficially for a few months now). Third is a brilliant album that is more punk than trip hop, and delightfully more experimental and sophisticated than previous releases. Hints of Siouxsie and Bjork-esque wailing, along with Joy Division-like guitar riffs and Skinny Puppy sampling are unlikely surprises that work for the album as a whole. Portishead's signature melancholia is not lost, but the overall sound is somehow wiser and more electrifying than anything else they've done. Listen for yourself!

Personal Favorites:

Rip
Hunter
Small
Deep Waters
Magic Doors

Ten Commandments for Peace of Mind

2008-04-30T10:20:00.000-07:00

Day 2 of my two-month vacation! I was cleaning off my fridge this morning when I stumbled upon this very refreshing article I haven't looked at in a while. The author of Ten Commandments for Peace of Mind is Gyan Rajhans, a Vedic religion radio broadcaster. I hope you enjoy these as much as I have.

Ten Commandments for Peace of Mind

From Shri Gyan Rajhans

How to attain mental peace

Peace of mind is the most sought after 'commodity' in human life. It appears that most of us are in a state of perpetual restlessness. On analyzing the causes of this restlessness, I have ventured to find for myself ten solutions that need to be followed religiously if we are serious about achieving perfect peace of mind.

1. Do not interfere in others' business

Most of us create our own problems by interfering too often in others' affairs. We do so because somehow we have convinced ourselves that our way is the best way, our logic is the perfect logic, and those who do not conform to our thinking must be criticized and steered to the right direction, our direction.

This kind of attitude on our part denies the existence of individuality and consequently the existence of God, for God has created each one of us in a unique way.

No two human beings can think or act in exactly the same way. All men or women act the way they do because they are prompted to do so by the Divine within them. There is God to look after everything. Why are you bothered? Mind your own business and you will have your peace.

2. Forget and forgive

This is the most powerful aid to peace of mind. We often nurture ill feeling inside our heart for the person who insults or harms us. We forget that the insult or injury was done to us once but by nourishing the grievance we go on excavating the wound forever. Therefore it is essential that we cultivate the art of forgiving and forgetting. Believe in the justice of God and the doctrine of Karma. Let Him judge the act of the one who insulted you. Life is too short to waste in such trifles. Forget, forgive, and march on.

3. Do not crave for recognition

This world is full of selfish people. They seldom praise anybody without selfish motive. They may praise you today because you are rich and have power but no sooner you are powerless, they will forget your achievement and start criticizing you.

Moreover, no one is perfect. Then why do you value the words of praise of another mortal like you? Why do you crave for recognition? Believe in yourself. People's praises do not last long. Do your duties ethically and sincerely and leave the rest to God.

4. Do not be jealous

We all have experienced how jealousy can disturb our peace of mind. You know you work harder than your colleagues in the office but they get promotions, you do not. You started a business several years ago but you are not as successful as your neighbor whose business is only one year old. Should you be jealous? No, remember everybody's life is shaped by his previous Karma that has now become his destiny. If you are destined to be rich, not all the world can stop you. If you are not so destined, no one can help you either. Nothing will be gained by blaming others for your misfortune. Jealousy will not get you anywhere, but will only give you restlessness.

5. Change yourself according to the environment

If you try to change the environment single handedly, the chances are you may fail. Instead, change yourself to suit the environment. As you do this, even the environment, which has remained unfriendly for you, will mysteriously appear to be congenial and harmonious.

6. Endure what cannot be cured

This is the best way to turn a disadvantage into an advantage. Every day we face numerous inconveniences, ailments, irritations and accidents that are beyond our control. We must learn to endure them cheerfully thinking, "God will it so, so be it." God's logic is beyond our comprehension. Believe it and you will gain in patience, in inner strength, in will power.

7. Do not bite more than you can chew

This maxim should be always remembered. We often tend to take more responsibilities than we are capable to carry out. This is done to satisfy our ego. Know your limitations. Spend your free time on prayers, introspection and meditation. This will reduce those thoughts in your mind, which make you restless. Fewer the thoughts, greater is the peace of mind.

8. Meditate regularly

Meditation makes the mind thoughtless. This is the highest state of peace of mind. Try and experience it. If you meditate earnestly for half an hour every day, you will tend to become calm during the remaining twenty-three and a half hours. Your mind will not be disturbed as much as before. This will increase your efficiency and you will turn out more work in less time.

9. Never leave the mind vacant

An empty mind is devil's workshop. All evil deeds start in the mind. Keep your mind occupied in something positive, something worthwhile. Actively follow a hobby. You must decide what you value more - money or peace of mind. Your hobby, like social work may not always earn you more money, but you will have a sense of fulfillment and achievement. Even if you are resting physically, occupy yourself in healthy reading or mental chanting of God's name (japa).

10. Do not procrastinate and never regret

Do not waste time in wondering "should I or shouldn't I?" Days, weeks, months and years may be wasted in that futile mental debating. You can never plan enough because you can never anticipate all future happenings. Always remember God has His own plan too. Value your time and do things. It does not matter if you fail the first time. You can rectify your mistakes and succeed the next time. Sitting back and worrying will lead to nothing. Learn from your mistakes but do not brood over the past. DO NOT REGRET! Whatever happened was destined to happen only that way. Take it as the will of God. You do not have the power to alter the course of God's will. Why cry?

Lights Out America

2008-03-29T09:32:00.000-07:00

Tonight is Lights Out America night! On Saturday, March 29 2008, from 8-9pm, communities around the world will turn off their lights for one hour to raise awareness of this worldwide energy conservation effort. Australia launched a successful Earth Hour in 2007 to bring attention to the environmental crisis, and since then the movement has expanded across the globe to include cities like Copenhagen, Chicago, Dubai, Melbourne, and Tel Aviv.

But damn, it's a Saturday night and I'll be out of the house anyway. I wonder if Cha Cha Cha will turn out the lights during my jerk chicken and sangria feast? I would hate to miss out on such an important event. If you do happen to be home tonight, consider ditching those Korean soaps (or maybe the Clippers vs. Grizzlies game) for an hour and support a global cause.

Japan Film Festival 2008

2008-03-27T20:20:00.000-07:00

The 5th annual Japan Film Fest '08 is at the top of my must-do list. Showing at J-town's new ImaginAsian (I wish they woulda called it something else though) theater and at the Starplex Cinemas in Irvine, this film fest promises to be two weeks worth of total viewing fun. There's something for everyone as the fest includes classics like Kurosawa's The Hidden Fortress and Sanjuro, along with more recent indie flicks and animé. I definitely want to check out Travelling with Yoshitomo Nara, a documentary of internationally renowned artist, Yoshitomo Nara.

The film festival runs from April 11-18th.
And you can hook up tickets online ($20 for 3)...

Graciela Iturbide's Danza de La Cabrita

2008-03-23T09:23:00.000-07:00

After a couple rounds of deliciously toxic Conquistador margaritas, a few friends and I trekked out to see famed Mexican photographer Graciela Iturbide's Danza de La Cabrita (The Goat's Dance) at the Getty. The Getty is stunning, especially on a perfect 87°Saturday afternoon. Iturbide's black and whites are even more captivating. Masked carnival characters, cholos, transvestites, and Oaxacan goddesses are captured in their elements reaching across the landscapes of Juchitán, desert bordertowns of Tijuana, and East L.A. parks. Mythology, religion, and ritual saturate over 30 years of prints- now on display for the first time in Los Angeles through April 13, 2008.

Handbound Coptic Stitched Loot

2008-03-17T17:57:00.000-07:00

One of my muse's favorite activities is printmaking and bookbinding. Here's her latest stuff. All paper and adhesives are totally acid free! Each book is bound together using the ancient coptic binding method and made with lots of love.

Ukes and Uke Shops

2008-03-17T17:09:00.000-07:00

After I had posted a picture of a much desired ukulele (say "oo-koo-le-le") on my vision board about a year ago, I finally made the dream real and bought one over break. I paid good cash for a beautiful Ko'olau Pono tenor from Island Legends over in Torrance. The people who work here are awesome and never too busy to talk story. They offer a nice selection of ukes ranging in price from $70 to several hundred bucks and carry Aquila (among other) strings, felt picks, as well as hard and soft cases. Lots of giftsy island stuff here too. After my first string snapped, I took it back to the shop, where the owner happily showed me how to string my uke properly.

BTW-uke therapy is amazing. I only know a couple of songs so far, but it's also fun just to strum random chords and sing random lyrics. A few great uke chords n lyrics sites are Uke Club, Ukulele Underground and Chordie.com.

Happy strummin!

Right Brain Dominant

2008-03-15T11:04:00.000-07:00

Right Brain/ Left Brain Quiz
The higher of these two numbers below indicates which side of your brain has dominance in your life. Realising your right brain/left brain tendancy will help you interact with and to understand others.
Left Brain Dominance:	(8)
Right Brain Dominance:	(15)
Right Brain/

Thai Massage in L.A.

2008-03-12T17:56:00.001-07:00

Teaching for LAUSD at the middle school level requires its teachers to take a mental health day off once in a while. This is exactly what I did today. My doctor doesn't think I'm crazy, but I'm getting a therapist referral anyway, damnit.

Or not. Because today I remembered Pho Siam Thai Spa over on Glendale Avenue just outside of downtown Los Angeles. Just what a stressed out gal like myself needed to regain a sense of balance.

Imagine being rubbed down, stepped on, and pulled into yoga poses by a 4' 11" woman. Only $40 an hour for this very professionally performed holistic full body massage. You won't find happy endings here, but you will find peace of mind without the need for Prozac.