Rolling Stone Interview
Jul 2005
As they prepare for their August tour with System of a Down, the boys of Texas psychedelic funk rockers the Mars Volta -- singer Cedric Bixler-Zavala and guitarist Omar Rodriguez-Lopez -- are ready for their close-up. And this won't be your normal band DVD.
"It will incorporate humor and live footage, and be shot on film, which doesn't happen anymore these days," says Rodriguez-Lopez, who is directing the movie.
In that spirit, the guitar prodigy rented five 16mm cameras to shoot Volta's March 13th gig at London's Brixton Academy, during their headlining tour in support of their sophomore breakout, Frances the Mute. He also captured a spiritual moment in Sweden: "We played an old cathedral, and the backstage was all amazing stained glass. I lit that up!"
Rodriguez-Lopez also says he has footage from the group's very first rehearsal -- "when we were a bunch of junkies and losers." (Clean for three years, the guitarist will only indulge in the occasional post-show smoke.)
The Mars Volta's stint with System kicks off on August 4th in Long Beach, California, just five weeks after the band was forced to cancel the rest of their European tour due to Rodriquez-Lopez's severe abdominal pains. All fixed up, the duo is set to tour North America through August 30th in Quebec City
Mars Make Movie Magic Texas psychedelic funk rockers let it all hang out on film
What are these Bush Republicans afraid of? Dirty looks from the help at the country club?
"Most of these illegals come to work to send money back to their families. They are not bad people. But because they are predominantly young and male, they commit a disproportionate share of violent crimes." - Pat Buchanan
"Why should U.S. citizens be assaulted, robbed, raped and murdered, and have their children molested, because their government will not enforce its own laws?" - P. Buchanan
"Who can guarantee that, of the untold millions of illegals here, and the scores of thousands ordered deported for crimes who have disappeared into our midst, none is a terrorist waiting for orders to blow up a subway or mall and massacre American citizens?" -P. Buchanan
This is one man of many that will never understand that this land cannot be bought (but has) through any kind of system and because this land was never ours to begin with - but since he has the omnipotence of money and fear of what he already knows, he defends himself and manipulates "Americans" into drawing lines; Lines that were put there so that this country could be sold back to you.
You are herby ordered to Leave at once
The Bracero Program
The braceros converted the agricultural fields of America into the most productive in the planet.
The program under which more than three million Mexicans entered the U.S. to labor in the agricultural fields ended in 1964. The U.S. Department of Labor officer in charge of the program, Lee G. Williams, had described it as a system of "legalized slavery."
http://www.calstatela.edu/faculty/fbalder/decade.html
Last week the Juarez inter secretarial migratory labor office announced that group labor contracts expiring Seat. 15, would not be renewed.
Today the Juarez office, headed by Alberto Monroy, canceled contracts with the two farm associations which were scheduled to run until Dec. 31.
I need to go to the Doctors
I'm optimistic in this conservative town where Rivers die. Will it really change? I can only hope and help. 45 days & we'll see something.
Vecinos - Americanization & African Americans as neighbors or Why I Want to be a Puerto Rican
The only brave thing I did growing up in Sacramento, California, was to go see Malcolm X when he came to Sacramento. At a time when his audiences were largely restricted to African Americans, I went. Bravely, stupidly, not knowing that I would be a problem at the door. There I was, a brown child at the door, with these two men at the door looking at me, computing behind their eyes: Who in the hell is this Mexican kid, what does he want? They let me in. I do not forget that act of generosity today.
The continuing tales of Mr. Danger & The imperial Lady
"He's a private citizen. Private citizens say all kinds of things all the time,"- Donny "Rummy" Rumsfeld on Pat Robertson's call to assassinate Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.
Televangelist Calls for Chavez' Death
TG:Pat Robertson, read your bible. Tell me where it say's that this is ok.
PR: I'm the founder of the Christian Coalition of America, of America as in: we don't give a fuck about anyone else. We will take and will pillage. The entire world is ours to conquer despite the cost of innocent lives lost. I'm safe, I've got money & protection which with my guns I will bear them for all to see.
TG: You pig, your just a megalomaniac, fucking sinner. Hell is awaiting you.
The Right to Survive
Mexican Hopefuls Eye Voters in L.A. - Yahoo! News
How could you just take the money and just forget?
Can we break bad habits of ignorance, almost inescapable; but with optimistic sacrifice we can overcome.
Riverside's Least Known
Forget Alien Ant Farm, Voodoo Glow Skulls, Blink+11-182.....all fine entertainment.
But The Bellrays are the real deal.
From today's L.A. Times:
Fast forwardFresh off a strong residency at Spaceland, the BellRays are working on material for their third album, which is drawing interest from three indie labels. Of course, vocalist Lisa Kekaula is nearly an industry herself: That's her belting out "Revolution Get Down" on a Nissan commercial; she's in the U.K. as one of the lead singers for Basement Jaxx; and she'll join the likes of Greg Dulli on Sept. 17 to perform with MC5 surviving members Wayne Kramer, Michael Davis and Dennis Thompson at UCLA's Royce Hall. The BellRays play Sept. 12 at the Viper Room.
Zoo Life
There are plenty of things that are out of your control, mine, and theirs. If a system or government is the deciding factor in the decision to stay or leave, don't expect to find what your looking for anywhere else. Our system is not perfect and never will be, although its not fucked. Its good enough, easy to survive in as are most of the systems in most of the countries around the globe. The issue of power will always be an issue. Can you guess why? Well why would a hord of people try to change a system which they are survivng in. It feels good to point out the many flaws of our government, its like rebeling w/o consequence, its actually one of the few rights we americans exersize. But it also feels good to have a job, a house, food, a/c, heat, the list goes on. In the back of all of our minds the question arises: would we really give up these things to make our system better, would we give up our life? I'm being extreme, but nothing is going to change if we don't sacrafice our comfortability. This is why nothing will change, I'd like to watch the walls of the U.S. Gov't crumble to the ground but it won't happen in mylife time. And its not because I hate the government, I love the ideals set forth by our founding fathers. But those ideals are like two human legs supporting an elefant and ass's body fused together making some hellish freak of a systems that works, somehow it still works.....somehow. We make it work, we don't try to bend the prison bars because we're too comfortabe to move. Like animals in a zoo who don't try to escape because they've got everything they need and wouldn't ever give that up.
Does This Sound Like Home?
RIVERSIDE - As city officials, police and more than 100 community members gathered at an Eastside restaurant Monday night to discuss the recent spate of gang violence, someone was in the parking lot slashing tires.
Susan Medina, owner of Zacatecas Restaurant on University Avenue, hosted the community meeting to discuss the shootings that have terrorized the Eastside this summer. The Eastside Think Tank, a grass-roots community organization, planned the event.
Medina said two cars' tires were slashed in her parking lot, and she had received an anonymous call earlier in the day telling her to cancel the event.
"They said this is not neutral ground," Medina said.
Over the past few months, at least a dozen people, not all of them gang members, have been shot in suspected black vs. Latino gang violence. On Saturday, four people were shot in two incidents.
A Nigerian man visiting from Oklahoma was in critical condition after he was shot without provocation across the street from the restaurant, police said.
At Monday's meeting, Mayor Ron Loveridge said, "Too often we've gathered here with the same kind of anger. I'm not sure what thinking out of the box is. But it's probably time to do that."
Loveridge and Deputy Chief Andy Pytlak assured the crowd that the Police Department has a suppression effort in the works.
Pytlak acknowledged that the violence had risen to an unconscionable level. He said the department has concentrated its patrols by uniformed officers in the area. Such a high-visibility crackdown, he said, should help to "keep gang members' heads down for a while."
Pytlak said the extra patrols will continue for at least a month.
"There are people on the Eastside who are even afraid to come out of their doors," said Woodie Rucker-Hughes, president of the Riverside branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and a Think Tank member.
Another Think Tank member, Riverside Community College Trustee Mary Figueroa, said, "It doesn't matter now whether you're involved in a gang." What matters, Figueroa said, "is the color of our skin."
She and others at the meeting blasted city leaders for displaying "selective outrage." Figueroa said the Wednesday shooting of an 11-year-old neighborhood girl caught in gang crossfire wasn't quite enough to generate widespread anger. It took a tourist getting shot on the Eastside to really get people's attention, Figueroa said.
"What I don't want to hear is 'the community needs to step up to the plate,' " Figueroa said. "We do," she added, demanding more action from the city.
Lifelong Eastside resident Valerie Silva said she wonders whether there's really anything that residents can do.
"Do you get involved?" she asked. "Do you not get involved? Is it too dangerous?"
Lt. Alex Tortes, the Eastside area commander, said Monday morning, "It's the wild, wild West out there."
Tortes said the community will have to share information with police if they want to catch the shooters.
"They're not people coming from outside the community," Tortes said. "They're family members."
In Arizona, Remove Grass, Get Rebate - Californians keep wasting resources
Grass is a thing of the past!
Bringin' Up the Rear
But we're number 1 (or close to it) in sprawl!! WooT, WooT!! Get me the hell outta here.....
August 8, 2005
L.A. County Tops the Nation in Employers but Not Wages- From Associated Press
For the most chances to get a job, consider working in Los Angeles. But if you want to earn a high wage, try New York City. A new U.S. Census Bureau report being released today shows that populous Los Angeles County leads the nation with the largest number of businesses while Manhattan tops the chart with the highest average salary. The bureau's 2003 County Business Patterns report analyzes business establishments in more than 1,000 industries on the national, state and local levels. The data are used by business planners to study economic activity.
In the report, Los Angeles County had 235,000 businesses, followed by Cook County, Ill., with 128,000 and Manhattan, also known as New York County, with 103,000.
In 2003, businesses in Los Angeles County had 3.8 million workers, who earned $147 billion. Cook County had 2.4 million employees, who made $102 billion, and New York City had 2 million workers and a payroll of $148 billion.
Among the nation's most populous counties, Manhattan had the highest average annual salary per worker at $73,000; the lowest average was in Riverside County at $29,000.
Rounding out the top five counties with the largest number of businesses are Harris County, Texas, with 86,000 and Orange County with 83,000.
Home Town Violence: soldiers without a purpose
Old wise men always have young followers, offspring and kin waiting with pride in line to take their places. These men are only perceived as wise to the fresh weak minds. They already have been brought up in an environment that is not conducive to positive change and usually reside less than desirable areas of town which affects their outlook until it turns to sour reality. They know nothing better than that what is influenced from their founding fathers: pride for ghosts and respect which they think they deserve. They are unable to take responsibility for themselves until they have only a few ways out. A few of these being prison and addiction and all along their lifetimes learning how to survive while gaining a sense of belonging from the same old men that taught them this the only way in their chaotic world.
There are exceptions to this and it requires the utmost optimism that they can change their reality any time they want, they cannot lay blame on the man or woman, they need to look in the mirror of life and see things how they are at this moment and how they’ve gotten this way; from this, these young people can see into the future further than tomorrow and gain the will to change, in the end some leaders prevail and those that don’t their followers will always fall short.
There is no fear in love as John once said and these soldiers have merely been fighting fear with fear and I can hope they are struggling to abandon the idea that it is the only way.
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