2/18/07

Pachucoville/Oscar predictions...

Why not?
I love movies. Tis' the season to be critical.

BEST PICTURE:

"Little Miss Sunshine" come on this is a freaking comedy! Does the academy like giving Oscar noms and awards to films that show how fucked up families can be? Think "American Beauty." "Borat" should be nominated since LMS got in. Both show how screwed up Americans are. Cute yes, laugh out loud ofcourse, best pic? Por Favor, no.

"Babel" good but not all that. Inarritu has done this formula in his past, now he had more money and a bigger cast. Simple story (for me at least), somewhat touching, relevant, ok acting (it was all in the editing) BUT a film basically about American media overreaction, human links, and a Japanese girl's chonch shot should not make a Best Picture. In that case a movie tracking a Fed Ex package from New York to LA to Kyoto to Bejing, to Athens, to Paris could do the same. Let's do it!

"Letters From Iwo Jima" Mr. Eastwood is the man. This was great film making. Is is a best pic? Sure. Is there better stuff? Read on...

"The Queen" only people who give a crap about the Queen of England, give a fuck about the Queen of England. Who cares? Why should I? Pobrecita had a media issue? ay ay ay. Fuck it. This should have never made out of the TV movie it should have been.

BEST PICTURE WINNER IN PACHUCOVILLE: "Children of Men" or "Pan's Labrynth"

Children of Men: Ofcourse it is not nominated! It scares the shit out of people. This actually says something that "Babel" tried, and "The Queen" thought it did. The acting, action, cinematography, story, everything rocked. Clive Owen, sure he is becoming too much like hound dog Harrison Ford, but he can play moral ambiguity like the best of them.

Pan's Labrynth: A perfect mix of two very different film genres made to seem like they always belonged together. You care about the peeps real and not, the story, the colors, I felt like licking the screen it looked and played so good.


BEST DIRECTOR:

Clint Eastwood, I love this man's eye, his pacing, his subtle touch, the way you forget you are watching a grand film. He is Scorsese's worst nightmare.

Stephen Frears, come on homeboy, you got so lucky with this. Your lead actress has played this role how many times? Can she play any other role? What did you do other than turn on the camera and let her go off on replay?

Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu deserved an Oscar for "Amores Perros." It was new, gritty, exciting, hot, took you places most have never been, brought issues up that were commonly uncomfortable, but for "Babel?" No. "Amores Perros" changed film making in many circles, "Babel" shows he is running in circles. Adelante hombre! You are a bad ass. Stop being comfortable.

Paul Greengrass, his name is very cool, Greengrass, love it. Love it a lot. What film did he make?

Martin Scorsese is the man. He should have won for "Raging Bull," "Good Fellas," and yes "Gangs of New York." Dicaprio fucked that up for him though. "Departed," like many are saying, is warmed over Scorsese, just like I'm saying "Babel" is warmed over Inarritu. Marty has been there and done that. Does he deserve the Oscar, ofcourse, will he win? I would think so, but....


Best Director in Pachucoville: TIE!!!! Alfonso Cuarron and Guillermo Del Toro

Cuaron made a vision without losing the dirt, the blood, the gut twisting decisions humans in extreme situations must make. "Children of Men" will be one of those films that we look at many years from now and hopefully go "Dang we are so lucky we missed all those bullets."

Del Toro made a film that parents love and I bet would love their kids to see, if not for the crazy beat downs and torture. He brought two worlds together and blended them seamlessly without cheap or played out tricks. His story moved you on every level: As a revolutionary, as a parent, as a believer in the unperceiveable, as a lover of beauty.


BEST ACTOR

Leonardo Dicaprio needs to step up to his directors or handlers and tell them to let him get dirty, let his hair get messy, let his fingernails get broken. Please, the accent was ok but nothing else made you think this fool could be a bad ass in black Africa.

Will Smith got jiggy with his little film. So did Sacha Cohen in "Borat." It ain't fair. Smith makes his peeps money already, so they don't have to give him an Oscar til waaayyyy later.

Peter O'Toole, one word : TOOL

Ryan Gosling, now here we are hitting some carne. Crack head teacher, sure. Lot's of them. Great job.

Forrest Whittaker, THE WINNER here in Pachucoville and on Oscar night.
This vato, in my book, can do no wrong. Give it to him for all his work, give it to him for becoming Idi Amin. Whatever, he is far and above all the other guys in this race.


BEST ACTRESS

Penelope Cruz, eye candy that can act when her creator, the amazing Pedro Almodovar, is pulling her strings. Otherwise, you get nada out of this European Espa~ola who has been working the Raza angle.

Judi Dench as a pissy lesbian hustling it. Was this role written for her or what? Was there any acting involved? Overall the Academy seems to always need some English accents around during Oscar time, whether or not the acting is great.

Helen Mirren as the Queen of England. Like I said she can't play any other role and how many times has she played the Queen? No acting required. No Oscar should go to her for this.

Merly Streep played a character/archtype/one dimensional over the top fun to watch wreck. Could she have shown us that she is a human under all the Prada, she should have.

Kate Winslet, THE WINNER here in Pachucoville, but unfortunately will be losing to Mirren on Oscar night. She played all those little emotions we hide beneath the surface when we are playing our roles and when we play the roles on top of the roles we play in life. Simple, tense, deserving.


BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN PACHUCOVILLE

EDDIE MURPHY, "Dreamgirls"

I love Eddie Murphy, I hate his career choices. He is a true acting genius that needs an Almodovar, a Scorsese, or some other great director to help him make better choices than "Norbit." In "Dreamgirls" he simply rocked. You could almost feel the slime on him when he worked that girl in the bus, you could feel his heart beating out of his chest when he was high and you were just as dizzy, pissed off and confused when he crashes on stage. One day we will look back and realize that Eddie Murphy is a true bad ass. I really, really hope he wins Oscar night and drops a phat ass speech.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN PACHUCOVILLE

RINKO KIKUCHI, "Babel"

Sure she was naked and showing off her kuchi but it was not her naked body (parts) that kept you hoping some one would finally give her what she needed. It was her pain, her lonliness and her little girl innocence she pulled out of her 23 or 26 yr old mind. Her silence made more noise than all of Pitt's screaming and yelling.



These are my two cents on this year's flickas. We'll see what happens. Any Oscar party invites you want to throw my way, I promise to keep my opinions to these pages, but the beer I will bring will be for all.

The Best BEAN Burritos

It is late, it has been a long day, the only thing that would be good for me at this time of the night/morning is a great bean burrito. A bean burrito is not that bad for you, unless of course they have lard, but then again we might be immune to that. Positive mindset, remember. Best of all most bean burritos are very inexpensive and don't really count as a full meal. They are more like a great snack. The following are some of my favorites, I won't say where they are at exactly because I don't want a big long line ahead of me when I get there. But if you really need to know I will tell you personally.

#1
AL & BEA's

Classic. Simple. Beans and cheese with either Red or Green Chile. The beans are thick, not paste like but they stick to the tortilla. I like to ask for the Bean and cheese with potatos and rice. That is making more like a meal but hey they make 'em by special request. At this spot potatos mean french fries! How Chicano is that! French fries in a burrito with beans and cheese, dang! Then add in the rice ay ay ay.

#2
J&S (open 24 hrs)

This is another classic spot with old school flavor in spades. This is just simply beans and cheese. The frijole consistency here is about the same as Al & Bea's, but be careful these might spill out of their tortilla a little easier. Their salsas and hot sauces are very good, thick and flavorful. Mouthwatering just to sniff them. This spot also has the ubber Chicano Chile Relleno Burrito and a kick ass breakfast burrito they sell at anytime.

#3
Poquito Mas
(various locations)
These are bigger and cost a lil mas but they are grilled and very tasty. Want to be a little bad? Add the carnitas for a couple of bucks more. These burritos need to be handled with cari~o or they might make a mess. Maybe the workers think that since a lot of gringos eat here, and you know they use forks on their burritos, they might not roll them as good if they were serving a Chicano/a population whose cool level is measured by whether or not a burrito falls apart in their hands while eating.

#4 King Taco

(various locations)
Yes, ofcourse, why would anyone go to King Taco for just a bean burrito? Well, maybe it's lent? It is coming up right? Maybe you went vegetarian? Maybe you can't afford the rotisserie chicken or a meat burrito (which are overpriced IMO)? Whatever, these are very good simply because they use the ever loved King Taco Green sauce. Be real trucha with these burritos they will fall apart. The workers are so used to making them with meat and rice that the beans they use are very runny and will break out of their tortilla making you look stoooopid in front of all the Raza in the casa.

#5
T.V. Cafe (24 hrs)

If you have ever been out with me long enough, you know the drill. The #31, the Famous T.V. Cafe Vegetarian Burrito. I know it is not a bean burrito, but it is damn good burrito that is made damn good because of damn good beans. You owe it to yourself to try this burrito out. The mix of the beans with their sour cream, guacamole and great hot sauce, oh my. I need to control myself from gettin in the ride and getting one. This is very filling and can be considered a meal in itself. Usually they maintain their body because all the stuff that goes into it sticks together.

Ah, I feel better. I feel satisfied without the fear of being gassy. I guess writing about food is kinda like cooking it. After you are done you aren't hungry anymore.

Got any burritos I should try? Por favor let me in on your secrets...

Tia Chucha's, What the Fuck RAZA!

Yesterday was the closing party for Tia Chucha's Cafe/Community Center. The Sylmar based spot founded by author Luis Rodriguez lasted 5 years at its Glenoaks Blvd. location.

I went only a handful of times, but each time was very memorable. I went to hear people discuss issues and poetry. Heard gente from the neighborhood break off knowledge and skills seldom seen with so much innocent, passionate, powerful flavor. I also rolled there with Harry Gamboa Jr. to take Rodriguez's picture for Gamboa's ongoing project Chicano Male Unbounded. That was very cool. Rodriguez is a GIANT, a man to be honored and heard. His writing is just an inkling of the depths he goes to, and if you know, you know he is one bad ass writer. His work for Tia Chucha's has given that dry part of the SFValley so much. He is committed. And if he was able to be pushed out of his location then DANG we are in some shitty times.

I had Rodriguez come and promote this event on Power Tools and heard him several times on KPFK breaking it down about what was happening. He was always positive and upbeat stating that the owner of the space tried to work with him, but in the end it is about money. Rodriguez was never bitter. He always said Tia Chucha's was not going to die, only move. They already have a new location on Foothill Blvd. just down the 210 from where the O.G. Chucha's is/was. He said that this location was only temporary, and in about three - four years he would have a new spot where he could really get down to making all his visions come true. The man was unstoppable, positive, focused. I believe he knows the law of attraction and was living/manifesting everything he said at every moment. Like I said, we gotta listen to this hombre noble.

Today at the party Rodriguez invited Rueben Martinez of Martinez Books to come and speak and he put some stuff into focus about this whole pedo. He began by saying that if only .5% of 1% of the Latino population supported Tia Chucha's, it would not be closing. He pointed out how WE as Raza are responsible to never give up our dreams/spaces. As he scolded us, I went into my head and remembered other spaces we have lost: The Peace and Justice Center, Midnight Special Books, Arroyo Books, The Centro Regeneracion/Popular Resource Center, Cafe Luna Sol, The Aztlan Cultural Arts Foundation, The South Central Farm, and so many others I may not have even heard about. I remembered how some were taken, some we walked away from, some imploded, some exploded and some are barely hanging on like Self Help Graphics is. What the fuck RAZA! I took Martinez's scolding because we deserve it. We have let so much go. We have not established much to leave for the next generations. We are not working like a WE.

Martinez pointed out how in Santa Ana, where he is based out of, it is 80% Latino!!!! Out of that 80%, 57% can vote, but in the last election Santa Ana ended up with a Vietnamese leader because only 12% of Latinos came out to vote for the Latino candidate!!! What the fuck RAZA!

When Martinez was done, (and I must note that he didn't just scold, he taught, inspired and educated us at the same time) my homeboy Alberto Ibarra of Chusma fame, spoke a little about our next pedo: the fight to keep the charter school in El Sereno, Academia Semillas del Pueblo (ASP) open in the face of LAUSD charter renewal proceedings. ASP has been in the spotlight because racist pendejos on some Disney owned radio station began attacking them for actually giving Chicanito/as a real education. There were bomb threats, Minutemen threats, and just plain media pendejadas being hurled at OUR SCHOOL. Ok my kid don't go there (long story, baby momma drama etc.), but the peeps working there, the education being given there is what all schools in the LAUSD should be doing. Due to the drama on the racist radio and because of stupid State test scores ASP may lose its charter.

It's hard to stay positive.

It's becoming easy to accept loss.

Esta gaucho.

We need to hear Rodriguez and Martinez more often. We need to re-member how to fight, but with new weapons and tactics because what we have done in the past has obviously not worked. We have lost so much.

"you're a lost soul you're a lost soul, you don't know where to run, you roll out of control." - Aztlan Underground, Lost Soul

Tuesday February 27th the LAUSD will vote on ASP's charter re-newal. ASP needs our bodies there to show support. If you plan on coming wear your best business attire. Showing up in feathers, war paint, dread locks and your most radical Xicano t-shirt has not worked fighting this machine and its minions. We need to scare them by showing them we can talk their game, play their game, dress their game, and beat their game on their terms, because we didn't write the rules, face it. We are playing their game. We need to beat them on their turf without losing sight of why we came to fight in the first place.

Yes we need to take their spaces, their seats, their positions, just like they have taken ours. But we must not forget and begin to value what they value. Take their shit and re-make, re-structure it to something that serves humans not money accumulators who pose as humans. In order to take it, we need to go really underground to the point where they elect us, they sit us next to them, they let us in to help design the laws, plans and policies. BUT NEVER FORGET what we came for.

"We will never be free unless we realize prophecy. This prophecy is Aztlan. Aztlan is the key for the world to see, Aztlan is the key for the world to be free. And Aztlan will free the world eventually. Yes Aztlan will save the world eventually."
- Aztlan Underground, Sacred Cirlce

We got a lot of work to do, we got a lot to get back, we got a lot to take back.

Preparete Raza.

2/15/07

The Secret

"The Secret" is a DVD that has been making noise all over the place. Oprah, Larry King and locally KPFK 90.7 FM have been having different people who were featured in it. They all speak of their successes and how the DVD has been changing lives.

It basically is about the LAW OF ATTRACTION. The Law of attraction is that what you put out, you will get back. If you put out negative vibes, you get negative vibes. You put out that you don't want to be in debt you will stay in debt. Something about the universe doesn't hear the "I don't want" part, but it does hear the "debt" part and thus sends you more debt. You know how some people, myself included, sometimes get all "Oh poor me. I am so broke. blah blah blah." The universe sees that you are kind of working or keeping yourself there. SO you stay there.

WE are suppose to think and act and FEEL how we want to feel or be. SO instead of "I don't want to be in debt" we SHOULD say, think, feel and act like "I love not being in debt."

Get it?

Also we are supposed to be totally grateful and thankful for ALL that we have in our life. Let the universe know it by saying it, thinking it and spreading that positive, grateful energy for life. This way the universe sees it is time to give you more good stuff that makes you feel good. One of the panelists on the Oprah show said something like "We need to empty ourselves of negatvity in order for the positivity to come in. We are the only ones who can hold on the the negative or positive in our lives because it is negative or positive ONLY in our own minds eye."

We are suppose to manifest that which we need or want.

Examples given in the DVD include:

-Man who wants millions of dollars. He makes his own 'million dollar bill' and sticks it to the ceiling above his bed, so that it is the first and last thing he sees in the morn and when he goes to sleep. What happens? He writes "Chicken Soup For The Soul" and begins a multi million dollar book career.

-Woman has cancer. Everyday she repeats in her head "I am so thankful and grateful for being healthy and happy, free of disease," "Thank you for my health," "I am healthy and disease free," etc.... She watches nothing but comedies all day, laughs as often as possible and within 6 months she is cancer free.

-Man breaks all practically all his bones in an airplane crash. Doctors say he will live as a vegetable. He lets the doctors know that he will walk out of the hospital in 6 months. He begins visualizing himself walking, talking, running. He remembers the feeling of walking, running and talking. He feels he can do all. He thinks it, He visualizes it. He walks out 6 months later from the hospital as doctors stand in awe.
Scientists are thrown in to show that athletes often are told to visualize their event in order to to have the perfect form and win. These scientists record athletes doing their thang. Then they record them visualizing doing their thang and the same chemical and electrical signals are found to be sent all over the body as if they were actually doing their thang. WOW.

The power of the mind. The universe is like a restaurant, you just have to know what you want and ask for it. You create the world you live in. The universe is working for you. THESE are some of the quotes I remember most.

It sounds easy, but we do have to be disciplined and not give in to fear or old patterns of despair when things happen that we might not have wanted.

I have begun to see a lot of people using, quoting, and talking about this Secret. I think it might actually help us all.

Some more than others. Some with out even knowing that they are doing things that are described in the DVD.

Call it the zeitgeist of the moment.

In these times this is one of the shiniest lights at the end of our tunnels.

2/8/07

R.I.P Anna Nicole Smith

Whatever she did, said or whatever, she was FINE back in her hey days.




Check your hetero levels if you never ever thought of her in a non Christian way back in her Guess? and first Playboy days.

Pobrecita had it hard, you could see it in her eyes. That was a part of her allure.

She was damaged inside, but on fire outside. She used that superficial fire as power to get what she thought she needed to calm the real fires roaring inside.

She obviously found some love in food and then some pills.
She gave. She took, some.
But mostly I think she gave and we all took what we needed from her.

Rest In Peace Chula.

I am sure now you can laugh with all you got at our silly ways that hurt and used you, as we were amused.


I hope my parents didn't throw away that Playboy with her in it.

Super Bowl

Overrated.

I am not a sports fan. I would rather play a sport than watch. I know on some level men use sports to connect with other men. It was more than likely something passed on from Dad. My Dad didn't watch sports, so I didn't. He likes watching the finals, so I do too. I connect with men via music and DJing.

THE BEST


-Louie Vega and his Elements of Life kicked it off. House music's early pioneer handling it. I am honored to have met and chatted Louie Vega several times. He is a true gentleman and immensely talented. If you consider yourself a music lover and don't know his name you need to do some research.


-Prince, well he is muthaF###*n PRINCE! Bad Ass. What else can anyone expect from this legend than THE BEST. He is a prodigy.


















-The best line was by one of the suits/analyst/has been that drop knowledge, make predictions or a dope line like "Keep your eyes on your baggage." Refering ofcourse to the high number of fumbles and interceptions throughout the game.


THE COMMERCIALS:

SUCKED and I'm not going to name the companies name, if you know, you know.

The best one was the chips one about the guy in the car and the girl walking. Lo-fi and made at someone's home, most likely on a Mac baby.

I remember:

-the dot com that is a job/resume database/myjobspace(?) thing was ok until the last line. Was the vato ashamed of the party going on in the marketing area? That is wack, he seemed like a nice guy, who worked for a good company, but that last moment I was like "What the fuck ese? Are you down with your peeps or what?"

On another level this company had the most commercials next to the chip company, at least that is how I remember it. What is worth noting is that it was a job seeker dot com thing that had the money to get all those ads. Gee, are that many people out of work? Is our middle class out of their office job and now are dropping their resumes on sites like this to the tune of millions of dollars to pay for Super Bowl ads?

-the mechanics who kissed. Big fucking deal. Well its a big funkin deal in some middle amerikkka state but come on wake up, look around. I thought it was lame thinking that ripping out chest hair is manly. How about be a man and make your child support payment fuckin' mechanic. How about spend more time with your girl, doing "fun" things, than with your boys, slapping each other on the back as you watch other men in tight pants run around and pile on top of each other. How gay is that? And then GLADD uses the opportunity to make sure we all know they are out there watching for any mention of gay people, that isn't entirely positive. Good for them though, I wish every one in Amerikkka had an Anti- Defamation League looking out for them. Shit would really have to be funny then.

THE FIRST BLACK COACHES TO PLAY BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH


- I think it was the Colts coach who was quoted somewhere saying it best, and I'm really working my memory here, 'I am proud of this, but I will be even prouder when this isn't even a topic anymore, when it is perfectly natural.'' Or something like that. He was cool. He reminded my of Danny De La Paz from 'Boulavard Nights' and 'Mi Familia' fame. I love Danny and that coach reminded me so much of him in the skinny cholo kinda way.


















The game was boring. I think we noted how heavy the rain was coming down more than any play or hit, or fumble.

Whats next? Basketball?

Blog B-day 2/8/07

Hola, greetings,

Welcome to Pachucoville where I will translate, critique, clarify, imbue, explain, charliar, pensar out loud, annoy, alert, convert, fart conceptually, and overall BLOG.

It is the thing to do in this era, que no? So why not? I got the Myspace, the two Yahoos and still I got more to throw up on a cyber fueled page.

I am a Xicano living in pre-gentrified Boyle Heights, the heart of Aztlan. I am also a Pochoteca, cybertecha, DJ, produsa, traveler of escapist universes, with visions of grandeur.

I will blah blah blah, so you may ha ha ha, but mostly to give me some cheap self induced therapy as I fill this up with verbal burps.

I don't want to be redundant so if you want to know more about me and are a myspace-ista find the Pachuco3000 and ask to be my friend.

I am not promising consistency, but definately some controversy.

OKAY

I'm bored.