Lakers Celtics playing now

Reading L.A. Weekly to drone out the sound of those irritating commentators and arena people. They are so annoying. Laker fans don't sound like that; I'm serious. It's a more beautiful, harmonious, high-pitched cheer. The way a cheer is supposed to be. These dumb fans just sound derisive. The commentators are so boring and Sam Van Gundy. He can be funny, by being really stupid and caustic, but he has the ugliest voice. And Paul Pierce. I hate that guy and his dumb acting. He went down as though he was hurt, had people carrying him to the locker room, and looking like he had died or something. And then comes back. He just wanted to get the crowd riled up. You could tell it was all drama.

Anyways, I'm reading an article about that 17-year old kid who got shot. This was some gang-related crap again. The alleged shooter was an illegal immigrant. This law that they're trying to write up reverses Special Order 40, "which instructs Los Angeles cops not to ask the immigration status of anyone unless he or she has already been arrested." This should raise a flag. It doesn't make sense. The foremost problem in this tragedy is the state of gang warfare in L.A. It is not so much about illegal immigrants. The most outstanding attribute being promoted about the killer is his being an illegal immigrant. Red flag! The story is supposed to be that he is a Crip and Jamiel associated with the Bloods. That's the real story. At least it should be.

This is why problems never get solved. Because we are always evading the real root of evil, and focused on distractions. Illegal immigrants have been painted such a poor image. They are still people. The only reason why they want to come to America is to improve their prospects. That's an honorable intention. Illegal immigrants contribute a great deal to the L.A. economy. Instead everyone tries to find a way to turn illegals into cold-blooded killers, glass-eyed moochers.

Our priorities are not in the right place. We are in a wrong state of mind.

My case for David Geffen

I see it. Perhaps by making the LA Times more local than it already is, people will be ignorant about the rest of the world? No, I wouldn't agree so. I mean, local first. National and international should come after that. As a common thread in the hodgepodge quilt of Los Angeles, the Times has the opportunity to be the source of a deeper connection and sense of identity amongst Angelenos. As dwellers of the city, they should know their city well beyond its facade as entertainment capital, vacation paradise of the world. Making the Times a local paper (Stress LOCAL--not loco) will help unite the community. People in LA don't know each other. They're stuck in their cars or at work, and that tears at the sense community. If you unite the community, then you can start getting dialogue, and then more community action. It's just a win-win situation. Then people will talk not only about the local stuff, but they have a forum for larger issues.

And I also have a theory, that when a community is closer together, there is a slighter tendency for crime. When you know somebody, it is often that you do not want to hurt them. And when you know everybody and the city is like a great big family, then I would want to say that the same theory holds and applies. Then the world would be a happier place...if David Geffen owned the Times--and hired me as a layout designer; in my dreams.

You are so ironic, Curbed LA architect

Take a look at this guy:

Ok, I'm an architect and not that my opinion matters more than anyone's else's, but the hotel looks a thousand times better than before. I agree with the LA Times that it won't win any design awards but jeez. What's up with folks in LA always wanting to hold on to blah design and shabbiness? Is it mostly for sentimental reasons?

It is so funny he brought up that LA is "always wanting to hold on to...for sentimental reasons." If it's one thing I learned in my Cluster, it is that Los Angeles is a historyless place. People do want a history I guess, but the history they want is never the history they actually had. So they make it up. Historicism.

Okay, so even though this person's comment was ironic, it holds up true, I guess. Never mind. I was almost going to bash him. He nailed it, actually.

By the way, this was from Curbed LA. They were critiquing David Geffen's renovating some Malibu hotel. David Geffen! My hero! However, some person said something along the lines of "maybe Geffen should burn in the Mailbu fires too." And I'm like, say what? Are you from New York hating on an admirable and rich LA-centrist?

Rooting for the green

Over this weekend, I went home. I was put in a predicament, because I was assigned to be discussion leader in my fiat lux, "The Ecology of Crime," however, I did not yet receive my book from that basslard half.com man. He is supposedly on vacation, but I threatened him with three messages. I hope he gets them soon. And I hope I get my books soon!

Anyways, so I checked online to see if any regional bookstores carried the book I was supposed to read. I wanted to read really quick and just leave. Not only did that not happen, because all the bookstores suck (or probably the book sucks) and it wasn't in stock, but I just read it and it took forever, so I probably would not have been able to finish my reading material in a short enough time. So I had to rush back to UCLA today, before five p.m., so that I could get the book from the bookstore.

First thing, we had to go to Saips' house to pay respects to my grandpa. My cute mother was very proud of a paper t-shirt she had bought to burn for him. Anyways, we were on crunch time, because we got there at 12, and I had to be back by 5. In addition, before heading back to UCLA, we had to go to the phone place and get some stuff sorted out. Whatever, me, my daddy and mommy were out of that dumb phone place by 4 and got back to school at 4.30ish. And then afterward, we went out in Westwood. I loved it. Just me and mommy and daddy. I love my family to death, but honestly, who doesn't want or like that only-child experience, if only for 4 hours. So we were on a quest to find impossible Westwood street parking. And we were circling around the streets for a while. When we're stopped at a stop light, we see a car from across the street getting out. So at the intersection, we are all very nervously yelling "GREEN! GREEN! GREEN!" This happens as several cars turn into that street, near the spot that WE WERE CLAIMING. So luckily no one took the spot! But when we get there, that dumba$ sign says "Passenger loading only." But we were so animated. It was cute. And it was my favorite part of this wondrous day.

Other stuff- I took my mom to Whole Foods to get organic Golden raisins, all three of us went to DSW (where I realized exactly how deep my dad's obsession with Addidas sneakers was. He had always loyally bought Addidas, but I didn't realize it was one of those sneaker-fetishes until he saw a size 12 pair and said, "Look at this beautiful shoe! And it's only $25! They suck; they don't have my size."). I think we encountered some rude b!itches--both in animal and human form. Some woman was putting a leash on her dog, some b!tch was next to them talking on the phone, and when we passed the tight space between them, she said "'scuse me! 'scuse you!" I don't know if she was talking to us, but what a rude LA B!tch. Then after my dad got 2 pairs of shoes, I took them around walking Westwood (they were bored, they thought I was lost. I was kind of leading them nowhere, though). Then we ate Noodle Planet. Thai BBQ Chicken is yum. And pineapple fried rice. My mom ordered Red Bean Ice, but the guy didn't charge us. He forgot. His fault, not ours!

I loved today. And I also realized, that, perhaps, when I defend Angelenos against that nasty reputation that everyone's a cold detached b!tch, I'm thinking of the general population of LA County, rather than city. Because the Westside has a lot of those rich hos who are really stuck up and mean. I don't mean to use this, but they got that entitlement complex, that White Privilege thing down to a TEE. Before calling me racist, look up White Privilege; I learned it in my cluster. Blame my white professors that taught me. But you can't blame them, because they're teaching a theory that I believe exists and has consequences in reality. And for the record, I recognize that not all White people are like this premium LA breed of b!tch.

I realize that I used "perra" a lot in this post.

I had work today & then I got pissed off at my finals review session

Work today. First day. Hectic. So many people like pizza. I don't understand. It's ugly & greasy. But at least I got to slice it. That was fun. But the bad part is it melted my glove. No protection. Haha. Sounds dirty. It was gross and embarrassing when I found my index sticking out from my glove. I felt like I exposed myself. And I was really grossed out because they make us wear hats, and I totally got little precursor pimples from that stupid hat. I was sweating. I was probably making people sick to their stomachs. Oh and salads. What's the point of pairing something as eternally unhealthy as grease-face pizza pies with salads. Trying to feel good about yourself? Well, actually, those who ordered pizza & chicken pesto pasta salad, that's another story. Anyways, I was sweating under the heat of the pizza warming device. I don't have a proper name for it. Let's name her Gidget. Yah, so Gidget was hot enough to burn a hole through my glove. And she also got my sweat glands all riled up. Gross. So during my fifteen minute break, I went to the restroom. So sick. I uncapped and found my pulled-back hair all over my forehead. It was sick. Enough of that. On to more serious matters.

I had my review session. I was a little hesitant to go, because I was like, well, my TA will be there, what if she thinks I'm going because I'm a slacker and I didn't read the entire quarter... She knows I read, at least at the last section she surveyed and I was a reader. But anyways, I got over it, and went. Serious. There are some major slackers. "What is Sondra?" What the fcuk. Don't you mean Who is Sondra? And the same guy kept asking the same questions that exposed himself as a lazy fool. "If that term was an ID, what points should we include?"

That did it. I felt like my peers were idiots. I mean I know most people read and were there genuinely trying to get a handle on what the exam would possibly cover. But some people were there expecting to get taught. To learn new things. Muh gah!

And then someone asked a question regarding moral binary in Hollywood. I was ashamed at the TAs' answers. They said the moral binary was between West Hollywood and Hollywood. First of all, moral binary is applied in discussing within a same community. So that begs the question, do you even know that those two regions are separate and distinct entities? Katz was talking about the moral binary in Hollywood, the dichotomy within the Latino neighborhoods--the working-class Latinos and the street people, the "deviants" and cholos. And also on a larger scale, the separation which exists between the hills and the street level. And as far as I understood, Hollywoodland was NOT referring to Hollywood! Hollywoodland is a certain community within Hollywood!

It just really irks me that they so proudly shared their goods. Their impostered goods! How can they so forcefully disseminate wrong information. It's so gross. I hate how community histories are mixed up like that. You're messing with history and you're messing with students' ability to comprehend. They will misunderstand like crazy. And you are responsible! At least if you aren't so sure, say. "Well, you stumped me; let me look that up." You're human, you don't know everything! So just admit it. Don't answer questions you don't know. You're making everyone stupid.





Yuckkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk.

GE Cluster & Social Science

I love my LA class very much! So today, Professor Gary Blasi (or however you spell his name) came and talked about homelessness. Very good lecture. I loved the subject. He was brilliant. I want to be like him one day; and also Steve Lopez from the LA Times. Be one of those guys who talk to the Mayor and know what's happening at City Hall--and then go out into the public and criticize them when they're doing stupid. I want to be somebody to make them accountable and wake up the punch-drunk (drunk on ignorance) public. Be all sardonic. Sardine-ic. Heehee.

Oh, that's nice.


From the LA Times:
"State law bars more than six registered sex offenders on parole from living together in a residential care facility, unless they are legally related by blood, marriage or adoption. Only one sex offender is allowed to live in a single-family dwelling. The law, however, does not address the number of sex offenders allowed to live in an apartment building, authorities said."
------NIMBY NIMBY NIMBY NIMBY NIMBY!
Why are we all such NIMBYs. No one wants a sex offender to live anywhere near them! So why is it single-family dwellings that get the special protection! Lower-income people seemingly don't deserve the protection? Is that it?
And then they admit to containment of homeless people. "Is it really safer to have these homeless guys spread out one or two to a block, or have 10 or 12 in one place where we can keep an eye on them?" Switching topics, Gary Blasi blasted the Safer City Initiative. "Cleaning up" Skid Row by throwing people heavy policing and throwing people into jail. Citing people who can't pay. Citing people for littering when their cigarette ash falls to the floor. Not even attempting to target "so-called-crime" rates, since there are no trash receptacles in Skid Row. And its been shown the a night in jail costs much more than a night in a shelter, costs much more than permanent housing... But in the end, indigents come back out, back to--you guessed it, Skid Row. Worst thing is, they come back quick because jails are overcrowded. And also, since they've now been prosecuted, they will no longer be eligible for services in the future. And more offenses, they get thrown into the prison. The prison that is currently under federal watch, because of the budget crisis that turned the state prison system into "Cruel and unusual punishment," with its lack of health care, blah blah blah.

In short, Los Angeles, you suck. How much money are you spending on this homeless problem? Well, $12 million goes to hiring inefficient cops specifically for the .85 square mile Skid Row and only $5.6 million goes to homeless services throughout the city. The city that includes the Port of LA, San Fernando Valley, East LA, Central City, South LA...that MEGAMAN of a city and you only spend half of what you spend on cops for .85 square miles of the city.

Los Angeles, although I love you dearly, your inefficiency drives me crazy.

Good thing Blasi said that the problems are finally being recognized and assessed. They're trying out the "Housing First" thing that has worked for the country's other big cities. It's called Project 50. Look it up!

I saw Quinceanera

Too bad I didn't get to go to my two friends' quinces. Sorry--just to one of them, because the other was in Mexico. No way I could have made that one.

Cluster
Katz was quite interesting today. During the movie, he asked us to recall the other Los Angeles movies, and how the images portrayed in those measured up to the image in Quinceanera. He brought up how there are different spheres of Los Angeles, totally different lifestyles, and Angelenos are always subject to one and closed off from the others. What happens when these spheres meet? What happens when LA's cultures and lifestyles interact? Collide?
Good to ponder. Sometimes I think I want to be a sociologist or such. But really, I wouldn't consider that a career for me, because in my person, I don't see sociology as a career field at all. For me, it's looking like a hobby. One I would love to engage in when I get older and when I have time. Studying people would be so fun. I just don't see it as a profession. At least not for me.
The way I see it, I can always analyze and be all anal, on the side--just something teensy weensy to keep life interesting.

Ahh, yes. I had a dream, a little desirous. I also had a tuna sandwich that was pretty gross. Who the freak toasts the lettuce with the sandwich? And why the fcuk was it all sludgy and soppy? I bet I got a used sandwich. I should have asked for special bread. I knew it was gonna be gross since I asked for a hot sandwich (which usually takes time to toast), but it came out all fast. Bast-lards.

Lakers & my BFF!

Well I'm ecstatic that the Lakers have a talented core that can win. They have always shown talent and promise, but I guess they were lacking the confidence. Games nowadays, you can totally see that they are more energetic and hungry! Back in the day, Jerry West's team--Kobe, Shaq--Laker fans expected their team to win all the games. Then the Mitch Kupchak years, that really initiated when he traded Shaq off--Laker fans hoped their team would win some games. And now, with Pau Gasol, Laker fans are once more lifted--we have expectations. The Lakers Story is really the Pau Gasol Story. In Memphis, he never even hoped to win; I mean, Let's Be Honest. Then coming to the Lakers, he was all excited to be on a winning team. Same with Laker fans. Pau. Returning the favor.

Now on to my best friend. I have one. Linda. You know, that Kip girl? I've had these awesome future plans. We should move into a high-rise loft in downtown--be all green and whatnot, living in one of those environmentally-conscious architectural wonders, not use cars and bus it everywhere, walk to work--whatever. Promise me, you must return to L.A. after college. I can't imagine any liberal (and that, my friend, you are) wanting to live in stuck-up O.C.

If you can't already tell, I have a lot of Angeleno pride; I almost wish I wasn't born in Monterey Park--but we're within 6 miles of Downtown. I love I love I love I love I love.

I love.

Cars Cars Cars

From the LA Times
"The mayor and I both believe that in a city where traffic is the No. 1 quality-of-life problem"
-- Beverly Hills Mayor Jimmy Delshad