Fancy Bars

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(Click on the picture for a larger version. Err, I meant to say, click to humungify-quadrupulate-embiggen-yowzify-ginormousitize. I gotta get with the times! Or maybe not.)

I doubt I’ll ever need their services, but if I ever did get super scared of my neighborhood and wanted to install black bars/gates to keep the chusma out, I think I’d try to find out the info on the people that did the fine work for this lil’ pickup truck. That sure is some fancy metal cutting. I’m always impressed by the various ways working people show their creativity; it might not be a book, a painting, or something on film, but the DIY spirit always manages to wriggle itself into the sunlight, despite all the constraints the lack of money tends to impose.

Posted in Fotos, Lincoln Heights | 8 Comments

Huevos Rancheros: Tio Pepe

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I admit it. It’s true: as was correctly noted on some thread, I am not very objective. Take for example this next post, it’s totally biased, subjective, and uncritical. Why? Because even though I haven’t been back to Tio Pepe since I was a young mocoso, I went there today with the express purpose of liking my HR dish, no matter what. And as my life coach always tells me “take the time to develop and envision your dreams, then all your pendejo ideas will come true.” I took a deep breath, got in the HR zone, and made the magic happen.

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Posted in Eastside, Fotos, Huevos Rancheros, La Comida | 7 Comments

Fold…like a taco

While the city and county of Los Angeles turn their backs on the humble taco a worker on some Chinese factory floor is hurriedly attaching these instructive labels to yet another car window shade, likely unaware that she is contributing to the further inroads the taco culture is making in the United States.

Posted in commodities | 3 Comments

Tubos

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Some time ago I was having a conversation with a friend about how you rarely see ladies out with their tubos anymore, which I thought meant most everyone nowadays has an electric curler. But lo and behold, as I was eating a plate of chiles rellenos at La Morenita on Broadway this weekend, some señoras came in for their late breakfast and one of them was sporting tubos  covered by a bufanda, all Doña Florinda style. I guess it doesn’t take much to please me, as this certainly put a positive spin on the rest of my day. All Power to the Tubos!

Posted in Fotos, Lincoln Heights, Pendejadas | 14 Comments

LA Eastside.com

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It’s been talked about for some time, a group blog for Los Angeles that might be a bit more representative of the Los Angeles many of us know: a city that doesn’t end at the river, is inhabited by working class people (shock, horror!) and has interests beyond the film/tv industry mill. Since it doesn’t seem the other city group blogs will be addressing this lack of diversity any time soon, it seems easier to just start from scratch. So along with a few others I’m going to start posting at LAEastside.com, see if we can somehow manage to alter some of those default perceptions that still rule our city, and maybe chip away at the persistent notions of what constitutes the other.

At the moment the design is still being worked on and new authors are being set up, but some have already started posting and it should start picking up momentum very soon. And just to be clear, it’s not going to be limited to things happening East of the river, as that would be an unnecessary and foolish restraint; we venture out West, North, South, and East! Besides, the Eastside is more than just a place, it’s a state of mind. 😉 Hope to see you there!

Posted in Eastside, Greater Los Angeles, This Chicano Life | 13 Comments

Huevos Rancheros: La Cabanita

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I’ve been wary of checking out La Cabanita mostly because the good reviews I’ve heard tend to include some gushing praise for the Margaritas, something I don’t usually associate with decent Mexican food. It not ‘Fiesta Time’ for me, just normal eating. Besides, I’d rather stick to Negra Modelo! At around 10:30 in the morning, there was already some dude at the bar having a Margarita and a beer, just as I expected.

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Posted in Greater Los Angeles, Huevos Rancheros, La Comida | 4 Comments