tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-69389442309845453552024-03-19T22:35:25.330-07:00Los Angeles TimesDaily Life of an Everyday Guy in the 21310Los Angeles Timeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07152065451741679853noreply@blogger.comBlogger19125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6938944230984545355.post-32359791400091521782009-02-13T09:09:00.000-08:002009-02-13T09:28:21.754-08:00Where do I go from where I now amI sit in my yard and feel bad. Its gone. My pops tore everything out to plant fruit trees. The ground is covered in wood chips. The soil is locked under. My yard is gone. The dill that the lil yellow bird flock would go into, the purple flowers that the huitzli and giant bees would favor, the zinnias that the butterflies liked, the poppies that the honey bees would leapfrog collecting pollen, the seedlings from the squash seeds, the tongue of the coatl rising from the soil, the cempohuali that glowed fluorescent bright. Everything is gone. The orange moths that would chase the white moths out. The swallowtails laying eggs on the dill tips. The finches have no soil to scratch searching for whatever it was that they were looking for anymore. Everything that once lived in my yard is now removed. The life I once offered to my community is now gone. The home I once offered, the nourishment I once provided, the refuge I once maintained for the migrating birds and insects. They came like refugees in search of an oasis from the urban landscape. Where do they go now? What am I offering now? I feel as if I'm missing a part of me. I feel bad.<br /><br />Perhaps it is time to develop a relationship with trees.Los Angeles Timeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07152065451741679853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6938944230984545355.post-11657802866822493792009-01-29T16:21:00.000-08:002009-01-29T16:52:28.371-08:00Alot going through my mindToo much going through my heart.<br />Pain without gain<br />Is this a fresh start?<br />My calendar collapsed<br />Time is not the same<br />Analytical scrutiny<br />soul searching for blame<br />Slow horizons in sight<br />Insomnia throughout the night<br />searching for an elusive moon<br />distance is anguish<br />alone in my room<br />In a hostile mind<br />I've got to think strong<br />breathe postive<br />and<br />seek ancestorsLos Angeles Timeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07152065451741679853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6938944230984545355.post-10459186195760632392008-12-11T13:55:00.000-08:002008-12-11T14:03:55.113-08:00I'm going away for a couple monthsMy surrender date is Friday. I will most likely be in the system by SATURDAY.<br /><br /><br />You can't write to me without knowing my booking number;<br />so.........................<br /><br />This is the best way to obtain my Booking number <br />; ]<br /><br />SATURDAY OR AFTER-go to :<br /><br />http://app4. lasd. org/iic/ajis_search. cfm <br /><br /><br />enter: <br /><br />PEREZ NICHOLAS ANTONIO 07/29/1977 <br /><br />It will then show my file with my booking info<br /><br /><br />Once you have the booking number you will just have to send the letter with my name and booking number written on the top to <br /><br />Inmate Name, Booking Number <br />PO BOX 86164 <br />Terminal Annex <br />Los Angeles, CA 90086-0164 <br /><br />for information on correspondence rules this website lists them <br /><br />http://www. lasd. org/lasd_services/custody-services/mail_regulations. html <br /><br /><br /><br />you can get info from this number tambien, but the website is faster and doesnt cause a phone bill <br /><br />(213) 473-6100Los Angeles Timeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07152065451741679853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6938944230984545355.post-27797922092183175962008-12-09T23:49:00.001-08:002008-12-10T00:30:22.329-08:00Catching the busMTA has come a long way from the old RTD days. I still remember sneaking on the backdoors of the bus to get on for free. The new fleets are much better designed, roomier, classier and cleaner. Although the Supreme Court had to sort of force MTA to finally replace the old junkers I'm still glad that they got something new. I hope they dont raise the day pass as high as they are predicting. Sure miss the days of 25cent transfers.<br /><br />I am realizing that whoever designed the bus was apparently not a bus rider. I see high traffic bus stops with no benches, wastebaskets or rain guards. Then I see the city put benches or rain guards on stops that people rarely use. I think the bus stops that are high traffic bus stops with alot of daily riders should get preference with the benches, wastecans and rain barriers. I have caught so many bus stops near colleges or hospitals with no rain guards or even benches that it is upsetting. Groups of people in the rain or standing while other low traffic stops have a bench and everything that sits empty most of the time. It is poor planning. <br /><br />It would be nice if the buses ran later also. I noticed they put bike racks on the buses now though and that is great. Someone had a good idea there. I see alot of people use them.<br /><br />Then again most stuff is not designed for the pedestrian. Everything is designed for the car. You never have roads dead end and pick up somewhere else with no connect for the car to use to get from one to the other. Yet walkways have a bad habit of just dead ending and you have to walk through stuff or in the road or parking lot to get to the next part of the walkway. Either that or go all the way around while cars are given closer connection ways. They are the ones driving. Shouldn't they be the one to have to go around further instead of the pedestrian?<br /><br />Everything is designed by car drivers for car drivers it appears.<br /><br />I guess that is just the way L.A. is. Maybe they should let GM go bankrupt. The auto industry really screwed Los Angeles when they tore all the rail out in the early 1900's and replaced everything with freeways forcing Los to become a car city. Why should we pity them now that they are hurting? They never cared about us. They used politicians to ruin the rail system Los Angeles historically did have in the early 1900's just to make money off us us. New York and other cities kept their subways and rail systems but ours got dismantled to build freeways. Alot of recent arrivals to Los Angeles don't even realize that Los Angeles used to have an extensive rail system that was pretty big across our county from the South Bay to Downtown LA to the Harbor to downtown Long Beach. It is long gone. I saw the Belmont Tunnel recently and that yard is changed. They built big townhomes on most of it although the old subway station is still there. Hurt to see an old West Coast spot get ruined by development. Still tagged up but not like the pieces I saw when I visited it in the mid-nineties. I can only imagine in the 80's when it was poppin back in the day. <br /><br />The Auto Industry has done alot of backroom deals to implement or cripple public policies in favor of their profits. The long term effects of the damage they have done are still hurting people like me that were born long after they did what they did. Why should I pity GM or any of them? I think I made a mistake to initially feel bad. I only regret it is a Union Company that is hurting. A company that apparently did respect its workers (so I'm told) is the first to suffer and that is just not right. It should be the other way around.Los Angeles Timeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07152065451741679853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6938944230984545355.post-48674330791446154132008-12-06T18:29:00.000-08:002008-12-06T20:08:16.317-08:00"Just say it in Freemason and you wont get caught"Well my semester is coming to a close and I'm trying to get all of my term projects done. Research and writing has consumed so much of my time that I am getting tired although I'm pleased with the results. There is alot of resources out there but it takes alot of searching to find it. Once you force yourself to think outside the set rythmn we have drilled into us as youth, suddenly a whole world of resources hits the horizon that can be somewhat interesting as well as empowering. <br /><br />Ever notice people lace insults and accusations into what they say and do? I guess they enjoy hurting people in a way that they can lie their way out of if confronted. <br /><br />Its almost like a way of life for some people to design everything about themselves to be a covert attack on people they secretly hold views about. If people would openly say what they insinuate I could clarify and defend myself but sadly these cut throat cowards refuse to give me a fair trial. They just assume and insinuate. I get insulted and other people get misled. It creates a mess that everyone is hostage to due to the refusal of these snobs to swallow their pride and actually talk about what is really going on with them. <br /><br />People that play mind games are very dangerous. They can really cripple your morale and self esteem. They can really hurt your self perception by planting seeds that your concious mind doesnt always catch, but your subconcious mind gets programmed by without you realizing it or having a say in what they are doing to you. These people are predators running free in society abusing people by conciously using this technique to wage psychological warfare on their targets by lacing it into civilian behaviour that appears harmless on the surface. Everything about these people is designed to be sharp and be a covert attack on your identity and health. <br /><br />I've been a victim and seen others get victimized as well. These jerks leave people psychologically and emotionally devastated by abusing them in this manner. They time out sounds, body movements and objects to respond to you and pretend it is merely a coincidence if confronted. They carefully select their words to pretend to be talking about one thing while in fact talking about something else they dont want to get busted for saying. They talk about two things at once as if they took a class on how to communicate in this freemason language within the language. It allows them to openly communicate crimes without getting caught cause you cant prove they are lying and they deny it. What an awful technology to get loose among the public! People use psychological and emotional knowledge to just abuse each other over whatever personal belief systems they subscribe to.<br /><br />I notice alot of these type of people tend to work together to run manuevers on common enemies that they dislike over a belief system that they share. People are covertly harrassed, slandered, insulted, mocked, their privacy violated and their mental and emotional balance attacked until it is ruined by these hostile rogue elements in their enviroment. These freemason snob bullies know that they can operate this way with a sort of impunity since proving what they are up to is almost impossible unless they admit to it. We dont have a good way to prove people are lying yet so it allows them to get away with blatant abuse and assault they commit on people. I call it psychological warfare. These people found that if they can communicate in way that appears as if they are doing or saying something else.... they can design everything to be hostile towards certain people to inflict maximum pain. They can leave something knowing you will see it later, knowing you will understand and knowing that the insult will hurt to recieve and proccess emotionally and mentally. <br /><br /><br />One thing I've learned in life is not to take things so seriously and not to have too much pride. I see alot of people that do this and I notice that they tend to be very proud people although different people secretly take pride in different things. So someone might appear humble but they might in reality be very concieted over particular things they refrain from openly speaking about. <br /><br />I look at the way freemasonry has taken everyone hostage by secretly operating and moving in silence, the way it enforces a culture where if you do not obey their customs you will be considered nothing by other people that have had everything from their emotions to their hormones manipulated and programmed by a bunch of unlicensed surgeons running loose operating on the public while backed by armed muscle that is trained in psychological warfare. I look at the culture and norms they implement and maintain, the closed conversation that the public space is herded and flows according to but is not included in. The way it demands you submit and internalize their precepts and beliefs before your right to know and be included in the conversation is respected, it is an enemy of human rights just as secrecy is an enemy of freedom. People get co-opted and used without realizing it. People are recruited into factions without even realizing they have joined something and are taking part in something. Freemasonry might appear one way in public but these secret societies hold heavy power and influence in our society that is unregulated by the Constitution and the Federal government. It might pretend it does not violate peoples constitutional rights to each other and by disguising everything naive people might be fooled into believing this, but the only reason why it is secret is to do exactly that- to have the ability to violate our rights that publicity would far more prevent. It has nothing to do with being polite, or having class, or getting a noble job done. It is just a pyramid scheme built of people that are in denial to how badly they are violating each others rights. They use wrestling moves to block any attempt to succeed in reasoning with them. They block every attempt to reason with them so that they can protect and preserve their collective delusion that they enforce on everyone as "reality" or "the way it is" or "keeping it real".<br /><br />They could do everything publicly but they refuse to even try. I see different factions use different excuses to pretend to justify their secrecy. The reality is alot of clandestine governments and factions use good causes to justify their existence. They then procceed to secretly or semi-secretly operate to hide alot of blatant crime that is more rooted in the egotistical desires of the upper hierarchy of their pyramid. I see them even using saintliness to act like a reason to act like snobs. They will try to outsaint each other and this becomes the cause of their arrogance! They think they should be able to abuse people and violate the rights of people that are less saintly! I've seen freemasons subscribe to the belief that since they chose to make sacrifices they should be entitled to abuse others that did not make those sacrifices! This is not Constitutional. It is a personal belief that they treat as if it supercedes the Constitution and hide to avoid getting cornered on it. I dont know where some of these groups get their technology from, but they abuse it to implement unconstitutional things on the public and to attack anyone that does not understand or agree. I realize that alot of civilizations before us as well as us did not have the legal protections and ethics the current laws are rooted in. Alot of inhumane research was conducted to understand how to colonize and manipulate people by past civilizations. Alot of this knowledge on how to manipulate people, how to read people and the patterns of behaviour that people usually have, how to play mind games and cripple people, this knowledge has been developed throughout history and preserved secretly. So alot of people transmit this knowledge that is illegal research and illegal in nature to each other to use it in their day to day lives in the public space. I also suspect that the Pentagon has done alot of research on psychological warfare and alot of it has leaked out to the public. So psychological warfare is a military technology and a medical technology that merged and then was leaked out to the public that began using it like savages on each other. There is a culture in place of generations upon generations of people that take pride in this embarrassing behaviour and waste their brains to figure out new techniques and ways to do this sort of abuse. It has become a status symbol among some people. The culture is not constitutional.<br /><br />Even when they do have a good idea they implement it in the most inhumane and incompetent ways. They dont use the public or the system to try. They just go clandestine and implement it secretly so that they can act like tyrants and wield power they should not have and took by force. <br /><br />Things just dont happen by accident. There is alot of people behind the scenes that have their hand in the cookie jar. They seem to have an unspoken understanding with each other and an arrogant dehumanizing disdain for those that are not privy to the level of understanding they consider themselves to have.<br /><br /><br />Sickening.Los Angeles Timeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07152065451741679853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6938944230984545355.post-69917329754091049282008-11-27T12:12:00.000-08:002008-11-27T12:31:40.879-08:00Thanksgiving MeditationI realize today is a national holiday whose lore is myth and not fact. The facts that have been well researched and documented tell a story of human rights atrocities. I would never celebrate such an awful event in history. <br /><br />To me this is a family day to visit with family and enjoy life together. That is what I celebrate. The external concept of thanksgiving is a wonderful concept (giving thanks) and why they attached such a beautiful concept to such an awful day in history perplexes me.<br /><br />There are a couple things I want to be more thankful for. <br /><br />I really want to give thanks to our ancestors worldwide. I take so many things I eat, take and use for granted. Yet everyone one of those recipes, crops, machines, designs, medicine, words, everything took generations upon generations of living people to figure out and research until they got it just right. I was looking at the ingredients in mayonaise. I would never of figured out that combination of things would taste so good. It must of taked years for people to figure out what mixes well and what doesn't to create so many food products I take for granted. I'm told elotes took years of cross pollinating to become the big ears of corn they are now. Even the house we live in took years of research to design the most simple structural knowledge and how to apply it.<br /><br />Someone I never met put alot of time and effort to invent or perfect something that now I can take for granted while I live my life. I'm lucky to benefit from so many ancestral contributions in my life and enviroment. <br /><br />I live in a nation with an amazing Constitution when it is enforced and respected. Not everyone has our Constitution to enact when their rights are violated. I got lucky and was born somewhere that had a impressive Constitution.<br /><br />I have the health I have. I might not have perfect health but I have alot and I need to be grateful for that. <br /><br />I met a woman that I'm dating that treats me very lovingly. I praise the sky for meeting her and her as a part of my life. I hope I pull my weight giving her the same.<br /><br />I have family to help me. They are not perfect, but if I wasn't living at home with them I would most likely be in prison or on the streets. Although I'm reckoning with certain things from my childhood, they have a positive side that I need to be very grateful for. They could of gave up and they didn't. <br /><br />I'm grateful for all relations in the universe, particularly of the earth. Other plants and life have taught humanity so much that we dont realize we originally learned from them. They actually were the first teachers and taught us. Humanity has come a long way.<br /><br />Our President-elect seems to be a much needed person. Its good we have a person of color and a tru mix in power, but his character also seems solid so we got really lucky with this man. <br /><br />Thats about it.Los Angeles Timeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07152065451741679853noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6938944230984545355.post-27834211397096486412008-11-26T15:17:00.000-08:002008-11-26T15:19:45.829-08:00Tired Today<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIwyQO3Mue1UBGq5r5X6CtrDrfQTlw8snS7VwIS31DqfFsjSTCW0WTnm5bxKatoe5nxeWg4GBq59HA0aHYO7Gl6LRknUma_p7coah8C1-MRIkSw9z-Q67k9N58YLdNDbgcGeeWiYMKQy58/s1600-h/002ky62d.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIwyQO3Mue1UBGq5r5X6CtrDrfQTlw8snS7VwIS31DqfFsjSTCW0WTnm5bxKatoe5nxeWg4GBq59HA0aHYO7Gl6LRknUma_p7coah8C1-MRIkSw9z-Q67k9N58YLdNDbgcGeeWiYMKQy58/s400/002ky62d.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273109527315498178" /></a>Los Angeles Timeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07152065451741679853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6938944230984545355.post-57383791135014093222008-11-23T09:30:00.000-08:002008-11-23T13:22:39.263-08:00Chicano/a StudiesOne semester away from graduation day. Then I better become a functional tax paying member of society making my way in the world. I don't expect to be wealthy financially, but I will hopefully make enough to be independent. My major is Chicano Studies. After years of Chicano Studies classes at various schools I've decided to give a couple thoughts on my field of research.<br /><br />I notice most published books actually employed in the classrooms cover either Tejas or California. I realize that these two states both assert a heavy role in starting the Movement, yet I feel the two get too much damn attention that other states do not yet receive. They read about us but we don't read about them. Chicano Studies should not even be limited to Aztlan. Raza live nationwide now from Chicago to New York. I don't think raza from many communities have yet received a true voice or inclusion.<br /><br />East Los and Downtown Los Angeles get far too much attention. You would think that East L.A. and the Downtown area are the only parts of Los Angeles with a history of raza communities. I'm from Los Angeles, my family is from the Southside of L.A. (mostly Comptone)and the Harbor Area. Yet Chicano Studies rarely covers our part of Los Angeles. <br /><br />I'm not blaming East Los for doing a great job of establishing themselves. I'm merely saying our community needs to begin researching and preserving our own particular histories instead of focusing on Chavez Ravine, East L.A. and their history. We have our own Chavez Ravines. My abuela tells me about Mexican Hollywood. We had a little downtown community in San Pedro that was torn out to build the Vincent Thomas Bridge. Several Mexican communities have been destroyed or come under attack in the name of "progress" yet many of us don't realize this. We are so busy learning the history of the Downtown area that we don't realize the exact same thing happened in our own communities. We end up angry over their situation not realizing historically we experienced the exact same thing in our own communities. <br /><br />I see raza more aware of the history of East Los and Downtown than they are of their own communities. They really think their own communities don't have a history! (or at least a history worthy of researching and retaining.) <br /><br />When the Aliso Housing Projects in Boyle Heights were torn down and gentrificated, I saw nationwide protest on the web over it. I am not upset because they deserve to get attention. What happened there was wrong. I was just disappointed that only when it happens in East L.A. does it get recognized by many people in the movement. Park Western Lomas was torn down in San Pedro and the exact same gentrification development took place there. Once again an old Chicano community is torn out and the people dispersed to build upscale houses none of them could afford. Harbor City also suffered the same fate. Their housing projects were torn out and replaced with the same style developing as Boyle Heights. Both of these more local Chicano communities were destroyed and gentrificated, yet ours received no attention from the Chicano movement. They never set the radar off, only Boyle Heights plight did like usual. <br /><br />I'm realizing that many of our communities have histories of people, places and events that have equally important histories within the Chicano Movement and Chicano History. Yet we are so busy focusing on East Los that many youth take it for granted that East Los must be the only place worthy of commemorating and respecting. We are raised to take it for granted that our communities must not have anything or anyone important enough to remember. We subconsciously learn to take our own history more for granted under the current Chicano Studies system. <br /><br />I think if Chicano Studies focused on a more diverse array of communities this field of study would attract more youth. Many youth don't care about what happened in some community they have never been, never heard of and don't know anyone from. They are going to be far more interested in their own communities. I think Chicano Studies needs to ask the question,<br /><em><br />How or where did this happen in YOUR community?</em><br /><br />Each time they teach about Chavez Ravine or East Los they need to ask us afterwards,<br /><br /><em>Now how or where did this happen in YOUR particular community? <strong>-because it has.</strong> </em><br /><br />Eventually a Chicano Movement will emerge that is more inclusive of all of the communities in it in its literature, books, films, attention, preservation and passion. <br /><br />I really respect East Los for rising up and establishing itself in the face of racism. I am realizing that instead of living on the fringes of their hard work we need to do the same in our communities as well. Each community should have a history book of itself. Every varrio should have its own history book of its own story and legacy. They could be assembled into a larger history book of each area. I think this would interest more youth in history if they could relate to it more personally. People would also take more pride in their own communities once they are more in touch with their particular histories.<br /><br />I've seen communities lose their histories except for a few elders that few even know about, and I've seen other communities take power and rewrite history downplaying ours or even denying ours to trump up themselves. Blacks in Compton, Filipinos in Carson, Whites in San Pedro; I've seen alot of very old Chicano communities robbed of their extensive histories and contributions in the memory of their own communities by another community that took power. We are treated as the immigrant community when we actually are the veterans, our role in the development of the community, the local church, schools or other aspects are ignored or diminished while their role is exaggerated and trumped up to suit their ego at the expense of the sober truth.<br /><br />Chicano Studies hasn't payed much attention to this. Other than Olvera St. which once again is downtown, this field has left us to fend for ourselves. Then it wonders why more raza aren't interested or majoring in our field. Our people are so hungry that you could talk about East and Central L.A. all day and many will listen to it. This should not be exploited however.<br /><br />The number of textbooks actually used, movies, and places remembered are disproportionately about the communities, people and histories of East and Central Los Angeles. I'm not going to get mad at them for doing an exemplary job of standing up for themselves. I am going to get upset at ourselves for not doing the same for our own communities and merely giving them an unspoken right of way. <br /><br />I can't help but wonder how many small towns across Aztlan have went unrecognized by Chicano Studies. Los Angeles itself has probably received far too much attention itself and we have East Los to thank for that. We need to force ourselves to begin integrating other parts of both Los Angeles (such as the Harbor Area, Southside, SFV and SGV) and other cities of Aztlan into the curriculum and documentaries. The amount of movies, films, inclusion in history books, art and focus still tends to dwell on the Central and East Los Angeles communities of past and present or on Tejaztlan. <br /><br />I don't understand how this disproportionate amount of attention and passion has gotten funneled into such a small sector of the community. It is as if the myths of the past still hold sway over our policies within the Movement. East LA was not the only old Mexican community to rise up nor was it the only source. It was merely the largest barrio for a period of time that has long since passed. South L.A., Compton, Watts, Long Beach, The Los Angeles Harbor communities have long since caught up in numbers and in all honesty I think the Southside passed East Los a long time ago although it is rarely given the same attention. Did you know the oldest Lowrider Club is from South Central's 38st community? All mainstream studies talk about is Whittier Blvd. No one talks about other historic Blvds such as Avalon in Wilmas. Other smaller communities that existed and contributed seem to have gotten robbed of their credit and legacy due to the focus on East Los.<br /><br />I think this situation arose from two causes.<br /><br />1. When the youth of East Los rose up they honestly had no idea they would succeed the way they did. They were fighting for survival. I doubt they had secretly hatched a plot to hijack the Chicano Movement they were a part of. I doubt they had ill intentions, they were merely fighting for themselves and were quite victorious. They ended up taking center stage and most likely were not even anticipating it.<br /><br />2. Many Professors and authors residing in Los Angeles that I've met are not actually from Los Angeles. They moved here as adults and they honestly do not have a heavy connection to Los Angeles. All they know about Los is what they have heard, read or saw in videos until they came here as adults. They were not born here, their parents were not born here, their abuelas were not born here, their great grand parents did not live here... they have very, very shallow roots in Los Angeles. If they have so much as 2 generations it is rare. How is someone that is so shallow in their roots here going to be presiding over a curriculum of this city and metropolis?<br /><br />My family has lived in Los Angeles for 5 or 6 generations. We have remained quite Mexican and every once in a while my grandparents or parents will teach or tell me something about somewhere or someone that you will never find in any of the books. I was born and raised here k-12. I have alot of love for the 213 as it originally was when I was young. I am not trying to be cruel or mean, but how are people who recently emigrated here going to be in charge of teaching me my own history? Why are they deciding what to include and what not to include? True they live in Los Angeles and it is their home too, but they are not FROM Los Angeles. It is not part of the home, family and upbringing. I don't mean to be inconsiderate, but seeing so many people from out of town determining Chicano Studies and the history of Los Angeles somewhat disturbs me. It just seems unsafe to me. We should be writing our own history and determining our own fates, not people that moved here during college or after. <br /><br />I have to give gratitude to these people though, many have sacrificed so much and preserved so much that they really do deserve praise. I just cant help but wonder if their lack of roots here is why they just blindly followed the leader in focusing on East Los and Downtown. They honestly didn't know better and since they were not rooted here they didn't realize how biased such focus truly was and is. <br /><br />I've also noticed another issue within our field of studies. While many old Chicano families remain, Mexjicanos have risen in numbers in Los. Many do not consider themselves Chicanos. Many find it an insult and have shown scorn for things such as Aztlan, Chicano Power and other Chicano concepts. Most Mejicanos have a very strong connection to Mexico and are proud of their Mexicano heritage. Chicano Studies and Chicanismo are considered North American and white to many of them. As a result many do not feel a connection to Chicanismo and I've had several express this to me. They don't feel a connection to alot of our traditions and history. Some don't even consider Chicanos to be true Mexicans and view us as whitewashed. The end result is that many Mejicanos are not finding empowerment through Chicano Studies. Due to huge misconceptions and estrangement suffered on both sides, Many Mejicanos choose to retain Mejicano traditions and histories and are not interested in Chicanismo. They have their own social circles and customs that they preserve independently from Mexican American social circles and groups.<br /><br />I've seen our two groups cross paths in a contradicting way. Sometimes we get along other times we fight with each other like enemies. Places like school, Danza Circles, jail, the streets and workplace have all become places where our two sides meet and interact. I've seen cases where we get along great and other cases where we don't. Neither side is rooted in the other. Sadly we are two separate camps with two separate epicenters we report to when there is trouble. When something goes wrong Mejicanos know that retreating to each other is the safest choice. Not us. Likewise Mexican Americans retreat to each other as well in times of crisis. There is a blurred and phantom divide that sometimes is nowhere to be found and other times is blatantly present. Our two halves share the same home and do attempt to befriend and interact with each other. Sometimes successfully and other times merely formally. We have different rhythms that we both find to be somewhat out of our comfort zone. So we are polite to each other although we tend to remain in our own particular corners of the same community. <br /><br />I think Chicano Studies needs to consider becoming more Mejicano and less Mexican American. The reality is the majority of raza in Aztlan are more and more Mejicanos who are first generation. I'm talking about in the millions. Mejicanos are not the minority to Mexican Americans anymore. They are equal and in many communities they are the majority, not the minority. Yet Chicano Studies seems aloof to this this massive shift in the dynamics of our community and seems to still travel along on a more Mexican American rhythm focusing on Mexican American history. This alienates many Mexicanos/Paisanos from Mexico. They are not on the Mexican American rhythm. They are on the Mejicano rythmn which although similar is still different enough to deter many. We need to acknowledge the discrimination they are facing within the movement. Merely speaking Spanish is not the solution or even a solution. Who we are focusing on and the rhythm we give the right of way to needs to become more Mejicano and less Mexican American. Until Chicanismo recognizes the shift in demographics and embraces this, we are actually alienating them irregardless of how much we talk about how "Aztlan once was a part of Mexico, blah blah blah..." They have a much different experience that Mexican Americans have. One we have never had to live or even are aware of. Yet Chicano Studies does not reflect on their experience the same as it does on Mexican Americans and our experience. We might study them and write about them but we are not really treating them like this is truly their home.<br /><br />Many Mejicanos refuse the word Chicano and separate themselves from identifying with us by referring to each other as Paisanos instead. I use this word because this is the actual word they use to refer to each other and distinguish themselves from Mexican Americans. I learned this word from Mejicanos. I say it with respect.<br /><br />I remember having a UFW pin on my bag and some paisanos looking at it with looks of disgust on their faces. They were not disgusted by the actual UFW. They were disgusted because it was on me. They didn't identify with me and as a result were both offended and cynical about me, a pocho having a pin representing something that only paisas actually worked and suffered. I honestly never expected a UFW button to bring disgust from my own people, but I did not realize I am not a Paisano, I'm a pocho to them and seeing a pocho with that button offended them. Pochos dont know what working in the fields is like. Only Paisanos know what that is like so I later realized they had a good reason to be offended seeing a pocho with the button.<br /><br />I had another friend that told me directly that he hated listening to Mexican rap. He found it ridiculous to rap about Brown Pride and if we were so proud of our Mexican ancestry then we should be singing and bumping nortenos and banda like him. Once again... the Chicanos and Mejicanos have two different experiences and mind states. Two different points of views about the same things. Chicanos tends to enjoy American music styles while many Mexicanos are very loyal to corridos and find giving any other music status over it to be awful. <br /><br />The two communities are both of Mexican descent, yet they have two experiences and POV's. Our rhythms are different whether we like to admit it or not, so until Chicano Studies begins respecting their POV, rhythm and culture; many 1st generation Paisanos do not feel at home with Chicanismo nor interested very much in it.<br /><br />I've had Paisanos tell me directly not to call them Chicano. I could see that to them it was an insult not a compliment. They weren't pochos they were Mejicanos and very proud of it. They weren't going to rob themselves of this by calling themselves Chicanos. The two sides of our communities define the very word Chicano differently. I've had Mejicanos ask me why I don't just call myself Mexican then if I am not ashamed of it. Why say Chicano instead? To Mejicanos it is seen as hiding the fact that you are Mexican by using another word. It is not viewed anything the way Chicanos see employing the term as. <br /><br />While many Chicanos take pride in Aztlan, many Mexicanos don't care much about Aztlan because they are more rooted and proud of their home state. Sinaloa, Michoacan, Guanajuato, these instead are the motherland they treasure and I dont blame them. Their family heritage is rooted there, not Aztlan like many of us Chicanos. So expecting them to enter a movement that focuses on Aztlan instead of their homestate immediately alienates them. Aztlan might have significance towards Mexican Americans but Mejicanos are not going to abandon their home state for something they have no family legacy in simply to suit the comfort of Chicanos. True we might say Que Viva Mexico but even that is too vague. True Mexicanos have a state they are proud of. You can often differentiate the difference because while Chicanos advertise Aztlan, SUR X3, the name of their city, etc... Mexicanos advertise their home state in Mexico. In their social circles they find other people from the same state or at least more understanding of this experience. In Chicano circles we are too busy talking about Ruben Salazar and East Los and they don't feel at home at all. Until we recognize their community and its experience, we are going to unofficially estrange them while waving Mexican flags just like them. <br /><br /><br />Most Chicano Studies seems only interested in indoctrinating Mejicanos into our worldview instead of respecting theirs. True the Mejicano world view coming in from Mexico today is not the most respectful, but it nonetheless is truly Mexican. It is rooted in Mexico and to treat it as ignorant and demanding it surrender itself to the Mexican American view robs it of its equality. Their experience and view (no matter how degrading we might find it) needs to be incorporated into Chicanismo, otherwise we will further ignore and alienate a huge segment of the community. Chicano Studies needs to sincerely acknowledge the Mejicano population that exists and shares spaces with us. We need to include their experience and beliefs (including those about us) in our curriculum. We can disagree while approaching the exact same concept, term or history from both of our experiences in a way that respects and acknowledges both. <br /><br />While Chicano Studies programs vary from campus to campus, the movement still seems to be more focused on the Mexican American rythmn and experience. The experience of Paisanos is not included or even acknowledged to exist by Chicanismo. We treat them as someone to absorb into us instead of recognizing them and absorbing ourselves into them. True, Mexico has a different way of thinking than the U.S.A. and Chicanos dont approach everything the same way Mexico does. We have gotten influenced and acculturated by things Mejicanos are only now coming into contact with. Even how they respond to such things show a difference between our communities. Where as Chicanos resisted asimilation into anglo and black culture, many paisanos that decided to Americanize have scorned Chicano Culture and embraced either white or black culture in a way that many Chicanos would consider to be selling out! Where as many parents remain Paisanos, the children end up becoming what many refer to as "mayateros" in a derogatory manner. They learn to talk, walk and even think like blacks they share communities with in their attempt to find an identity in a new nation. Chicanos usually find this appalling. To Chicanos this is considered selling out and losing your identity, but many Mejicano youth do not respect or acknowledge Chicanismo. So they aren't interested in becoming vatos or cholos or anything else from our experience because it is equally foriegn to them and some even look at Chicano styles with disgust; prefering to imitate blacks before they imitate Mexican Americans. Both communities have shown themselves to look down on the other. This unspoken, unrecognized face off is rarely acknowledged openly but I've seen it consistent. Mejicanos still go about things differently than Chicanos even when they are assimilating into American Culture. They still assimilate differently and practice American culture differently than many Chicanos. <br /><br />My observation is that while some find a home within the Chicano Movement, a large majority do not feel at home in it. Instead of blaming them I am going to blame us. We have failed to sincerely incorporate and respect their experience and POV as equals within Chicanismo. Until we restructure the Movement to include and recognize the Paisano Experience equally, we will have a biased movement that discriminates against a huge part of our community. It means things will change but that is normal even if it is uncomfortable.<br /><br />The Chicano Experience and the Paisano Experience might disagree but no more than other factions within the movement do. Chicana Feminists, Chicano Marxists, Indigenistas, Intellectuals and Activists all disagree with each other within the movement and no one can even agree on the definition of the very term "Chican@" much less surrender to the fact that different groups have different experiences within our vast community. The Mejicano community has had to create a homebase outside of the Chicano Movement although they reside in the same home as us. Somewhere along the way our Movement failed them because many dont relate to it, dont employ it and quite a few dont even respect it. I wore a Brown Pride T-Shirt once on the bus and it was Paisanos that made insulting remarks behind me about it, not blacks or whites. The only insults I listened to about my shirt was from Mexicanos speaking in Spanish. My shirt said "La Raza" and he said "Chinga tu Raza" because he didnt consider Chicanos to be the same raza as Mejicanos. We were not real in his eyes, and he did not consider our la raza to be part of his raza. Our two communities have alot of bridges to build for multiple reasons. My point at the moment is that our movement is not seen by many Mejicanos the same way we see it or wish they would see it. Many seem offended by it and by us. Although this lack of recognition can be degrading and suprising. Instead of rioting like some Paisas and Chicanos do against each other in prison, we need to figure out how the Chicano Movement can embrace the Mejicano Experience as equal to that of the Mexican American experience. Until their experience and POV is reconciled and included equally with our own, Chicanismo will fail to offer this part of the community a true home in the United States respectful of them.<br /><br />There is so much more I would like to ponder but I need to go so perhaps later...Los Angeles Timeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07152065451741679853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6938944230984545355.post-23306233457877283712008-11-23T08:31:00.000-08:002008-11-23T13:24:13.442-08:00Economic TractorMy rabbit is unsusually energetic this morning. I dont want to get rid of her but the landlord says she has to go so I dont have much choice. I'm going in on the 12th as well and no one is going to be able to feed her while I'm serving my sentence. My max is 111 days although I doubt I will do the max. I'll still be gone long enough for her to starve to death if I try to hide her in my room though so I need to do what is best for her. <br /><br />I miss my lady. She went out of town but we keep in touch so it helps.<br /><br />Lately I've pondered all the gentrification taking place in my community. Real estate and rent prices have risen to amazing heights in our simple community. I think the city hall wants to make our town into a more cosmopolitan suburb type place so it has been systematically running low income people out of the town and setting prices so high that only middle class can afford to buy houses in it now. My family is lucky. We bought our house a long time ago when houses were still cheap. If we were to atttempt to buy a house here today we wouldnt of been able to afford it and would of ended up living somewhere else. So City Hall is selling us out when I really ponder it. I've seen alot of veteran residents forced to relocate out of town after living here for generations. Neighbors lost and houses put up for sale. The city hall is running the veteran residents out and replacing them with more wealthy replacement residents. City hall is selling the real community out to cater to the new community that has more wealth. I dont feel particularly represented by city hall when I see them gentrificating the real residents out of our neighborhoods. They should be protecting them, not running them out. They seem to think raising real estate costs is the way to progress and are doing it at the expense of the real community that I've seen relocate to everywhere from the Los Angeles Harbor Gateway to Victorville. Once I have to move I doubt I'll be able to afford living here anymore. I'm going to have to move to another town also. Running us out of our community doesn't seem to bother city hall. They are on a paper chase and willing to sacrifice the very people they are supposed to be serving. They will eventually succeed in making our town a nice little upscale community, but I wont be able to afford to live in it. <br /><br />So much for memories... All that remains of the original community are the trees we planted and the buildings.Los Angeles Timeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07152065451741679853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6938944230984545355.post-54932695022316986082008-11-19T09:09:00.000-08:002008-11-19T10:16:09.585-08:00Morning PoliticsDrinking my cup of coffee waking my brain up... Read some articles on Obama to start my day.<br /><br />I read that GM is going to go bankrupt and is asking the Federal government for a bailout package in the billions. Personally I don't mind but I think they need to mandate certain conditions in order to receive one. I realize that our economy is doing very badly. Everything is connected like the web of life, except this is an economic cash flow version of that interconnected web. Every time something goes wrong (i.e. petro prices rise overnight, housing prices skyrocket, etc...) it sets off a chain reaction that hurts everyone. All these big big banks are collapsing like Freddy Mac and Fannie Mae which is pretty big. So although I don't really have any partiality toward GM, I realize that they might help them to prevent further economic repercussions. However I would only help auto manufacturers under one condition:<br /><br />They have to agree that by 2016 every car they produce needs to be a hybrid .<br /><br />...at the least.<br /><br />We need to get off petro for a variety of reasons (i.e. global warming, unreasonable demand internationally for oil, etc...) and the sooner we make this inescapable transition the better. If we want Detroit to remain strong internationally it needs to become cutting edge and that means petro powered rides gotta go. I can understand if trucks remain gas powered and diesel but that's it. People don't need to drive around in escalades or suburbans and automakers should cater to such excess waste on their own dime. Other than actual truck trucks like full size pick-ups and big rigs, everything needs to become hybrids or better. Otherwise we will be investing in a failing system that is already outdated and going obsolete.<br /><br />I don't know how battery powered and natural gas powered cars would do, but the bus and many county vehicles are natural gas or ethanol powered and they pull their weight just fine. I've read some impressive stats for battery powered cars as well. The only problem is refueling. There is no grid of gas stations nationwide or even city wide for people to utilize to refuel. Until this changes, alternative powered cars will never make it. Other than local governments with set routes, no one will want them due to their worthless state of existence without places to refuel.<br /><br />I remember learning in high school how Roosevelt rebuilt the entire national infrastructure to boost the economy after the great depression. He helped revive the economy and modernized the nation at the same time. He poured heavy amounts of Federal Dollars into paving and building roads, bridges, walkways, and other much needed infrastructure nationwide. We take having paved roads to drive almost anywhere for granted but many of these paved roads cutting through unfavorable locations we owe to his presidency.<br /><br />The economy is falling apart layer by layer on itself right now and President Obama is going to enter a Capitol that is in serious need. I am wondering if building a nationwide infrastructure to make travel by natural gas, ethanol and battery power is feasible to both boost the economy and begin weaning the population off of petro powered automobiles.<br /><br />I realize alot of people might pout and kick and scream but our nation needs to grow out of petro already. Not just for automobile use but for everything. I learned other places such as the E.U. are using wind, wave and solar power to power cities. Domestic infrastructure over there is actually powered by cleaner more efficient energy sources while we remain in the steam powered era polluting the earth excessively and wasting much needed funding on it. We really need to power our homes, schools and transportation with cutting edge clean energy sources like many other emerging nations are doing.<br /><br />I don't mean to be on a soap box but our nation has become stuck in the rut of this way of life and we need to get rolling again or we are going to fall further behind these emerging superpowers in the world surrounding us as well as suffer from the dilapidated system we currently are under.<br /><br />Science is amazing, but as long as it is ignored or hidden to keep business running as usual... the people, earth and economy will suffer so that a small handful of tycoons will profit from the infrastructure we are locked into.<br /><br />The video <strong>Zeitgeist: Addendum</strong> explains this concept beautifully. Just as long as we are not using science as an excuse to live recklessly, it could provide alot of solutions.<br /><br />I feel bad for this new president. He is inheriting some serious crisis problems that we are going to look to him for solutions to. Hopefully he encourages many suffering industries such as automobiles and housing to lower their prices. Homes where I live are becoming too over priced. This neighborhood is not that deserving of the prices I'm seeing, but since it is Southern California they want to raise prices due to location to greedy amounts. I see cheap apartments for ridiculous prices, simple houses for appalling prices, houses for sale everywhere while they are building houses on every field left in my community that they set insane values on! It is obvious greed is behind this and not a humble practical policy to serve the people looking to attain homes.Los Angeles Timeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07152065451741679853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6938944230984545355.post-51277724306528484982008-11-18T17:39:00.000-08:002008-11-23T09:22:41.462-08:00Lookin up!Things with my lady are going well. We talked and got through alot of confusion. I'm very happy with how today went.Los Angeles Timeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07152065451741679853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6938944230984545355.post-11079312284759836442008-11-17T13:31:00.000-08:002008-11-19T10:37:11.657-08:00"NO"My car is sitting in a dirt lot and this place is still charging trumphed up daily storage fees. After it rained I had to carefully walk through the mud to avoid slipping and yet they are still charging me these exagerrated fees. My care has barely been there for a few weeks and they want over a thousand. They say if I want to sign the car over to them that I can only pay 500 but I have to pay it today. They dont offer a payment plan. You have to pay the entire 500 upfront. If you dont have 500 then you cannot sign the car over and until the lien company takes it and it goes into collections, I cannot do much but get stuck with a 1,000 + dollar bill and ruined credit when this happens. I dont understand why the impound is so ridiculously overpriced and why it costs so much to store a car in the mud (yes mud) It is so obvious that the City of Los Angeles is merely price gouging people on any little thing so that they can profit on us. I would like to sign the car over and get on a payment plan to pay the 500 but since they ironically refuse to allow us to pay through installments, I have to instead wait for the bill to go into collections in order to get a payment plan, which does me no good by then since they will be charging me the maximum fines at their ridiculously overpriced rates.<br /><br />They designed this to put us into collections on purpose. We are forced to pay ridiculous fees to attempt to avoid collections but if you dont have large sums of cash laying around then you end up getting exploited by them as they double the bill sending it into collections. The system is designed to prevent us from having a fair chance so that it can profit as unscrupulously as possible. I'm on Social Security. I live on a very limited income. Yet the County and City want to over charge for every little thing as if I somehow am going to have extra money magically, doubling or tripling the bill, issuing warrants and sending it into collections when I am unable to do what is mathematically impossible.<br /><br />These guys are really trying to generate revenue the wrong way. They are really hurting low income people with this revenue scheme that targets the poorest and most hurting.<br /><br />I'm really losing respect for city government, county government and the State of California government. It doesn't give a damn about helping me to become a self reliant functioning member of society. If I didnt have family to live with at low rent I would be homeless because of these stupid over inflated fines. Then they would prosecute me for vagrancy. Or I could live in a bording care with my credit destroyed knowing I'm going to die there due to never being able to crawl out of the hole on an even more limited income once the bording care confiscates my SSI check.<br /><br />This system is not looking out for me as much as it claims. It is crippling me instead to make a few extra bucks.<br /><br />I dont know where the money is but I dont have it. The City, County and State need to send the bill to whoever is actually doing well, not low income people like myself struggling to succeed.Los Angeles Timeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07152065451741679853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6938944230984545355.post-66112223000172075532008-11-16T16:00:00.000-08:002008-11-16T16:11:35.107-08:00A Supportive Woman in my LifeI'm realizing that I really could use a supportive woman in my life. I'm in a very dysfunctional relationship that seems to be more a source of pain than anything. I guess it just wasnt meant to be. I want to believe but I have to check myself and keep my feet on the ground. What I wish would happen and what really is happening are not the same. I'm looking at how she responds and reacts, how unreliable she is, and how mean she has become and I am realizing this is just going to go from bad to worse. I need to wake up and face the music. She is not going to change and I'm not happy. I really was hoping that she was going to be the one but as painful as it is to face directly, I'm seeing that she isn't.<br /><br />I'm sick of walking thru life alone, and now I have to go back out on that same fucked up blvd and stroll through it all over again knowing that nothing is promised.Los Angeles Timeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07152065451741679853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6938944230984545355.post-87219865994817800662008-11-16T10:29:00.000-08:002008-11-23T09:23:21.506-08:00Brandy Presidente<a href="http://www.klwines.com/images/skus/680027x.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 225px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 540px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://www.klwines.com/images/skus/680027x.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />I did some research and found out that Brandy is made from grapes(uvas).<br />I honestly did not realize that grapes could produce something so strong. They can do a whole lot more than mere wine it appears. I also found that Mexico has a long history of Brandy production. Actually, Mexico has an extensive history of liquor production. I never realized such a wide variety of liquors are produced in Mexico for the world to enjoy.<br /><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-size:78%;"><strong>DRINK RESPONSIBLY</strong></span><br /></div>Los Angeles Timeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07152065451741679853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6938944230984545355.post-12421390707862422982008-11-14T14:20:00.000-08:002008-11-23T13:25:32.113-08:00My Master PlanI scheduled my appointment for my DUI program. I scheduled the wrong day and afterward remembered that I have a court date in Pedro the same day, so I had to reschedule immediately after hanging up the phone, which was embarrassing.<br /><br />I've been arguing <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">alot</span> with my lady. We both lost our cars and it is making it hard for the two of us to see each other. She has been trying to keep in touch over the phone when she can but she still disappears for large periods of time leaving me clueless as to what is going on with her. Her work schedule is all over the place and she has so much going on that it just makes it more difficult. She is a very <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">independent</span> woman. She kicks it with who she wants, does what she wants, and I feel neglected <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">alot</span>. Some of the stuff she does just <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">doesn't</span> look right. She says one thing but then does another. I catch her covering up shit and lying too much. She hides so much stuff from me that it is getting insulting. She says she <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">doesn't</span> have time but then I find out all this other stuff going on with her and I realized she does have time. She just uses it in a way that <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">doesn't</span> make sense to me. I'm really frustrated with her flaking on me and she <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">doesn't</span> even call to tell me. She just leaves me waiting and ignores my calls if I call to ask her what is going on. I have to leave angry messages to get her to finally pick the phone up to tell me that she is flaking on me, and she always gives stupid excuses that really show her lack of priorities. I am starting to feel like a fool. I wish I had it good where I could just dump her and move on to some other <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">jaina</span>, but the reality is I'm not much of a people person so if I do I'll probably be doing a stretch before my next functional opportunity to be with someone. I just <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">don't</span> got it like that. Wish I did but I <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">don't</span>. I'm not a very sharp mind, my conversation skills are very bad, I realize I'm not the sharpest tool in the shed. Maybe I'm just doubting myself and need to try harder, but I try pretty damn hard. If you <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">don't</span> know what to do then you <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">don't</span> know what to do. We live in a society of no <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">explanations</span> and high expectations. If you <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">don't</span> understand the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">rhythm</span> you <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">don't</span> really get to benefit from it. I'm walking the streets but I feel like I'm still doing time. I <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">don't</span> understand and I tend to be locked out of my own <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">environment</span>. Simple basic things <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18">don't</span> come easily to me. I <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19">don't</span> understand this place, I just pretend like I do to avoid upsetting people.<br /><br />Well I am making plans for the 12<span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_20">Th</span>. So far this is what I have on my list:<br /><br /><em>-charge phone battery</em><br /><br />this way when I power it up when released it might work and I'll have a phone.<br /><br /><em>-get a haircut the day before</em><br /><br />this way I can still look decent while in there for as long as possible<br /><br /><em>-take change</em><br /><br />this way I can catch the bus home or use a payphone if my phone <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_21">doesn't</span> power up<br /><br /><em>-have a list of phone numbers</em><br /><br />this way I know peoples numbers if my phone <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_22">doesn't</span> work<br /><br />I hope my lady goes to court with me but she cant seem to do anything unless someone gives her a ride. She says she will visit me but I <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_23">don't</span> know how without a car. If she cant even send a one sentence text message to tell me she is canceling plans then I <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_24">don't</span> know how she is going to write me entire letters much less mail them on time.<br /><br />Its sad because part of the root problem is a lack of money. Without money everything becomes extra frustrating and complicated. A simple trip to the store becomes an ordeal without a car. If we had money everything would flow so much easier and be less stressful. I could get my own place and she could visit. I could pick her up and we could do more. Without funds everything becomes a challenge, even simple things and the strain kills the chemistry after a while. I guess if you've known someone for a long time then it wont matter but it prevents potential relationships from making it.<br /><br />You can only work with what you got, so this is my plan:<br /><br /><strong>-Spend as little money as possible.</strong> This way we can save as much as possible. I need to save money<br /><br /><strong>-Fix my credit.</strong> I only owe a couple hundred bucks but still, I was denied a chase card because of it. I'm really stressing over my tickets though. They can go into collections so I hope I can serve time for them instead to clear them.<br /><br /><strong>-Graduate the University.</strong> I only have 1 semester left after this one. Then I just have to pass the exit exams and I will have a Bachelors Degree.<br /><br /><strong>-Network with people.</strong> I need to force myself to talk to people to get to know more connections. I am surrounded by connections and I can just waste them by silently passing <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_25">thru</span>.<br /><br /><strong>-Expunge my record.</strong> Once I graduate I can request a court date to reduce my convictions to a misdemeanor. They are non-violent felonies so as long as I demonstrate that I'm trying hard to make it I think they will show me love as long as I can pay the fees. No more being a Felon! Employers will never know...<br /><br />The fact that I need to save is frustrating because I am in so much ticket and court debt that I <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_26">don't</span> have much to save sadly. I try to budget my funds wisely but they are limited after all. However, I still need to plan for what I am saving for:<br /><br /><div align="left"><em>1. A car.</em> Nothing great just a decent <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_27">lil</span> bucket with a good motor. I have to start off humble. </div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"><em>2. My own place.</em> I priced <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_28">apts</span> and they have several singles for 8-900$ -I just need to have the security deposit up front.</div><div align="left"><em></em></div><div align="left"><em>3. Emergency money.</em> I <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_29">don't</span> want any <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_30">surprises</span> to cripple me.</div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"><em>4. Relationship Money.</em> Because without a lady to celebrate life with, I <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_31">don't</span> see a reason to even try.</div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left">I need to force myself to do things that I <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_32">don't</span> want to do and learn to enjoy them. </div><div align="left"></div><div align="left">Figuring out things on my own is not easy, so I need to try to be receptive.</div><div align="left"></div><div align="left">It is very important to walk with dignity . I need to find more places to plug in.</div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="right"></div><div align="left"></div>Los Angeles Timeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07152065451741679853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6938944230984545355.post-74864159968772691352008-11-12T09:19:00.000-08:002008-11-12T10:47:36.422-08:00A better lawIf I had the power to change things this is what I would do:<br /><br /><strong>1. Find the cheapest towing service in town, instead of the most expensive.</strong><br /><br />The towing costs the police impound bill us are 3 times higher than the cost of towing on the street privately. They need to stop giving contracts to overpriced tow companies and find a new one that doesnt cost so much.<br /><br /><strong>2. Lower ticket costs drastically. A ticket should be 60-70$, not 280$</strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong></strong>Ridiculously overpriced tickets are not a civilized deterrent. The punishment does not fit the crime (if you want to call forgeting to use your blinker a crime) Putting people more in debt does not help the public, it hurts the public.<br /><br /><strong>3. Ticket instead of towing.</strong><br /><br />Towing should only be used as a very last resort because the car is in the middle of the road or something.<br /><br /><strong>4. Give Warnings instead of tickets if it is something minor.</strong><br /><br />If I forget to use my blinker or dont come to a dead stop at a stop sign, I dont deserve to get a 300$ fine. A warning would be more reasonable unless I have a history of doing this.<br /><br /><strong>5. DUI fees should fit your income.</strong><br /><br />They are too overpriced for low income people to pay. They should assess our income and then fine us accordingly to avoid crippling us. Likewise higher income people could be billed more so that the fines are not a joke to them. The hospital assesses our income when billing us, why doesnt the court system?<br /><br /><strong>6. Stop abusing enhancements to make any 1st time offense treated like a 2nd or 3rd.</strong><br /><br />Unless someone got hit or hurt, the course should be the appropriate one. Longer courses are too expensive and 1st timers dont deserve to get punished like 3rd timers.<br /><br /><br /><strong>7. You should be able to fight your ticket even if you cant afford to first pay it.</strong><br /><br />The current California Law mandates I first pay it in order to get a trial to fight it. I cant afford to do this due to how overpriced tickets have become. So I cant afford to excercise my right to fight it. I am supposed to be innocent until proven guilty. I should not have to pay the ticket until after I am convicted, not before. Unless I plead no contest and waive my right to a trial, I should not have to pay the ticket before the trial but after the trial. This is unconstitutional.<br /><br /><strong>8. Community Service and Jail time should be lessened for people that are forced to take those options since they dont have the money to buy their way out of this by paying the unfair fines off.</strong><br /><br />Low income people should not have to suffer so much more for the same trivial misdemeanor. I did not commit a felony so stop treating me as if I did. The time needs to fit the crime.<br /><br /><strong>9. License suspensions should be shorter.</strong> <strong>Debt should not be a reason to suspend a license.</strong><br /><br />Los Angeles is huge and has one of the slowest and worst transit systems in the nation. When other metropolises built subways and trains all over them we tore them out and instead built freeways. I cannot get a job or do anything without a car in this freeway county. I might be able to use the subway to do everything in New York or Oakland but not in Los Angeles. Our system is more spread out, slower and much less user friendly. The politicians sold us out to the oil and automobile industry and built freeways instead of rail lines. They are the reason why everyone needs a car to get around in a place as sprawled out as Los Angeles. Now they want to turn around afterwards and tell us that driving is a priviledge and not a right and to go take the bus after helping tear out the rail system and purposely designing our community to be a freeway transportation system requiring people to have cars here. The politicians caused this public trasnsportation mess so for them to be so unsympathetic shows how ignorant of their history they are or how unreasonable they are.<br /><br /><strong>10. Find the cheapest DUI programs possible for people to be ordered to attend.</strong><br /><br />It seems they picked these ridiculously overpriced DUI programs to do what AA manages to offer the public for free. How is it Victory Outreach and Alcoholics Auynonomous offer similar services to the public for free and it is not even their damn job to provide the publis with services! Yet the government that is <em><strong>supposed</strong></em> to provide these services cant and sends us to the most over priced programs. Its as if the court system went shopping at Macy's for DUI programs instead of shopping at the swap meet or K-Mart. Why are they abusing courtroom jurisdiction to make profit off of people that dont have the money? <strong>This is the wrong way to make revenue.</strong> It is the reason why I began voting NO on every law enforcement measure and bond that I see on my ballot now. You dont need extra money for court and law enforcement as far as I'm concerned; you are overcharging us too much for every little thing as it is for me to have the same sympathy I used to when I looked at your requests on the ballot for more funding.<br /><br /><strong>11. Allow people payment plans to get their car out of impound.</strong><br /><br />Currently unless you can pay the 150-260$ impound fees up front all at once, you cannot get your car out of impound. Without a car many people are less able or unable to work. What is upsetting is that if you cant afford to pay the overpriced impoud fee upfront, they keep your car and bill you for each day it is held there. The bill adds up so quickly that many times we end up losing our car to the impound because the bill gets to high for us to possibly pay. It becomes cheaper to buy another used car instead. The system is designed to put us further into debt fast. Once again, low income people end up in a bunch of debt and still losing their car whereas a higher income person can merely pay the fee and drive out of there. This policy does not treat us the same. These scales are not balanced. I should be able to drive out of that impound lot with only a downpayment paid on my bill. I should not be required to pay the entire cost first since they overcharge us so badly for this.<br /><br />_________________________________________<br />Apparently screwing low income people over through the legal system is big bucks in California. Wealthy people dont really feel the sting. Middle Class hurt, but<em> low income</em> people are bankrupted by it. The system does not treat us equally. Does the police department issue the same size uniform to every single police officer? Or does it first measure them to give them the appropriate size that fits them individually? I dont understand how other government agencies like hospitals have programs in place to lower costs or eliminate costs for people that dont have money, but the court system doesnt have one. This Rambo approach to law enforcement and court sentencing is not fair. What is the point to even having a justice system if it is not fair? Isnt that what the court is supposed to be all about? How can these judges and lawmakers be so ignorant to the people they claim to serve? Or did they just give up on doing their job because they dont care? Either way this is a very disappointing system. I find it very primitive.<br /><br /><em>" But it's a deterrent "</em><br /><br />^^^^^^ This is why I find it primitive. <strong>Anything</strong> can be a deterent. If we personally executed every politician federally indicted, I'll bet political corruption would drop drastically and we would have all of these big statistics to point to and gloat over. But when you choose such a primitive way of deterring people - Fear because of ridiculous and unconstitutional punishments- well you havent really done much but take the lazy way out of addressing the problem.<br /><br />We should consider more fair punishments.<br /><br />We should also consider more incentives.Los Angeles Timeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07152065451741679853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6938944230984545355.post-9229231194485377362008-11-10T23:08:00.000-08:002008-11-12T10:54:01.946-08:008LT04600Another Day, Another Dollar.... lost that is. I called around to price the DUI classes. <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Jeez</span> they want around 1,000 bolas for the 9 month class. The whole reason why I took the jail time is because I <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">don't</span> have the money, and these guys give me the 9 month class instead of the usual 3 month class for first time offenders. What part of "I am on a limited income" do they not grasp? 12 units at Cal State University Dominguez Hills costs around 1,300$ and this is 4 classes that run for about 4-5 months. So comparing a single 9 month course that costs almost the same as an entire full 12 unit semesters <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">tuition</span> at the university... I've done my 3rd grade math and realized this is a very over-priced course. Unless we are using diamond studded clip boards and using pens filled with the blood of Jesus, this is a sincere rip off. This class is ridiculously over priced. I have a feeling it is going to cover a bunch of stuff I could learn on the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Internet</span> for free or buy in a textbook for 60-100$ and teach myself. There is no excuse to over price a class this much. I seriously doubt this DUI class is really deserving to rival an entire semesters <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">tuition</span> expenses. These guys are just ripping us off to make money for profit. I guess they think regular people have big money to burn. I can understand if they want us to attend classes and see a counselor but I could see a counselor at school for the cost of the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">tuition</span> as well. My point is this course is not necessary in length and price for a first time DUI. They are just gouging me financially for money I <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">don't</span> have that I could use elsewhere.<br /><br /><br /><br />This is why I am losing faith in my system. How am I supposed to get ahead and become a functioning, contributing member of society when I have to bankrupt myself instead on overpriced court costs and court ordered programs? Its as if they are saying they want one thing while taking action to inflict the exact opposite. I cant afford the 1,700$ court fee or the 1,000$ in enhancements so I'm going to jail. I cant afford the 1,000 court program that is <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">trumped</span> up to 9 months but I guess they think I'm going to shit money while in jail to pay it.<br /><br /><br /><br />The system is really gouging low income people. I have looked at tickets I got, and they are ridiculous in price. I rolled through a stop sign without making a complete stop and they gave me a 300$ ticket. I was going 65 on the Terminal Island Freeway and they gave me a speeding ticket because it turned out to be one of the few freeways that has an unusually low 40 mph speed limit. These tickets are also over priced. I can understand tickets not being too cheap, but when every ticket over every little thing is 3-4 hundred $ minimum; this is ripping us off. Where is this money going? Do they realize over priced tickets like these really cripple low income people? When I <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">couldn't</span> pay they doubled the amount owed and issued a warrant for my arrest. It will go into collections and end up damaging <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">my credit</span> later causing further long term crippling of my ability to become self sufficient.<br /><br /><br /><br />If I want to fight the ticket I still have to pay it first. So according to the law only wealthy people can fight their tickets because only they can get a case by first paying it. If you are low income you do not have the right to fight your ticket because you cant get a case scheduled until you first pay it which we cant afford to! So I actually do not have a right to fight my case unless I can first afford to pay the ridiculous fine . Low income people are supposed to have the same rights as high income, but apparently California Law <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">doesn't</span> care. My ticket went to warrant and now I have a chance to go to court but for a warrant which most likely disqualifies me from fighting the case now. The ticket has doubled in fines as well. Who designed these laws? They <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">don't</span> hurt high income people but they prevent low income people from having the same rights in court.<br /><br /><br /><br />I wish I could of fought my DUI enhancements because the police lied in the report and made me out to be <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">Rambo</span>. But I cant afford a private lawyer so I took the plea bargain to avoid getting my sentence maxed out. Once again, we supposedly have a right to a fair trial, but if we dare ask to enforce that right then the government that brags about protecting that right comes after us and retaliates against us for daring to <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">exercise</span> it. They try to throw the book at us and max our sentence out to teach us a lesson, that lesson being -You dared to enforce your rights and now you will suffer the maximum punishment we can inflict to teach you and others to surrender your rights to us and take the plea bargain we "offer" you." So do I really have a right to safely go to trial free from retaliation and increased attack????? NO. It is an <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">unsafeguarded</span>, ceremonial, cruel joke towards low income defendants such as myself.<br /><br /><br /><br />I had a public defender, I got screwed by my last one and I <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">wasn't</span> too trusting of this one. I doubt he is going to really put the time and sacrifice into my case that a private lawyer would. So I took the plea bargain to avoid getting hurt worse by the system. If I was higher income I could actually <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">exercise</span> my right to a fair trial and feel safe about it. I probably could of dropped almost every enhancement and only had a 1st time DUI through a trial. But the reality is the America on paper and the America in real life are not the same. Only the wealthy can safely <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18">exercise</span> their right to a trial or even request a trial because only they can pay the fine first as mandated and only they can afford a private attorney that will fight tenaciously. If you are low income you cannot safely <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19">exercise</span> your rights although supposedly we have them. They are ceremonial myths. I <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_20">don't</span> have the right to contest my ticket or fight my DUI case because I cant afford it. Its too expensive for me. Low income people do not have the same chance in court. Financially wealthier defendants can pay their fines and walk out the door with summary probation, a suspended license and merely take the classes. I have to go to jail cause I cant afford to pay the ridiculous fines. I get treated like a 3 time DUI offender and maxed out with enhancements and a 9 month DUI course instead that will hurt me <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_21">financially</span>. I dared to <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_22">exercise</span> my right to refuse a breath test and they tripled my sentence because I dared to <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_23">exercise</span> that right to say no to the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_24">BAC</span> . Once again I have rights on paper but I am not safe to <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_25">exercise</span> them. The very government that brags about safeguarding these rights punishes me for daring to <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_26">exercise</span> them.<br /><br /><br /><br />What is the point to having rights if it is not safe to <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_27">exercise</span> them safe from retaliation?<br /><br /><br /><br />It makes them a lie.<br /><br /><br /><br />I <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_28">don't</span> know why the court, tickets, and sentencing is so ridiculously over priced, but low income people such as myself simply cant afford this price gouging. It is bankrupting me. I can understand paying a fine but this is ridiculous. The fine does not fit the crime. Someone is getting greedy and it is very cruel and unfair towards low income people. I cant afford much with these crazy fines. How am I supposed to actually get ahead in life under such extreme penalties? I cant. This <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_29">doesn't</span> just punish me, it cripples me by causing my entire life to get put on hold and leaves long term side effects that will prevent me from having decent credit. Why are they ruining my life so much over a misdemeanor? It is because I am low income. Standard fines and penalties that will discipline decent income people <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_30">cripple</span> low income people such as myself and carry much longer negative side effects on us legally and fiscally. The law does not treat us the same.<br /><br />I would of designed a law that first assesses our income and then fines us according to our income. They instead placed a flat rate penalty that cripples low income and tickles high income. Middle Class are the only ones that probably feel the sting the way the framers meant for it to inflict. All of this over zealous hefty fines and punishments strikes me as a very lazy way to write legislature and get results. Any extreme penalties will get results but it does not mean they are fair and balanced. It just means someone was either very emotional or lazy and they wrote a bunch of ridiculous laws <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_31">that</span> were legislated into action.<br /><br />I did some research on the DUI and traffic court system and found that it is very cruelly designed to gouge people and sabotage any attempts to contest anything. It is not designed for the people, it is designed to effectively gouge the people. Everything is overpriced. I had my car towed less that 2 miles and instead of the 50 dollar fee that I paid privately, they charged me about a hundred twenty dollars to literally tow it a couple blocks away. Twice I have had my car towed and the price was so unreasonably high that It made me wonder why the unusually high fees? Private towing is 3 times cheaper. but whenever the police have your car towed they must have unicorns towing the damn thing in because the same tow now costs a ridiculous amount of money. I thought maybe they used a flatbed truck but I found out it was the same old standard tow truck. They raise the price and gouge us on everything they possibly can get away with.<br /><br />I <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_32">don't</span> know what to do. Do I have to become a bank robber to survive these ridiculous costs and fees? I'm on Social Security and sort of locked into poverty due to the stupid laws their system has, I can pay the court in Pedro and let Long Beach go into collections or vice <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_33">versa</span>. I cant pay both. I <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_34">don't</span> know how they expect people to go to school, pay bills and become functioning members when they inflict so much debt over any trivial excuse. It makes it impossible to get ahead in life and makes me want to give up. This is impossible with my current financial situation. Unless I win the lottery I <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_35">don't</span> think I can legally find a true solution and I'm already bracing for more collection agencies to come after me.<br /><br />It seems that the only only thing the courts or government is good for is hurting us and making things extra impossible and frustrating. It is almost as if they are performing <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_36">acupuncture</span> on us to hit pressure points hoping to get us to explode. I'm sick of the court saying "the people verses blah blah blah..." They do not represent me at all. They need to say "The systems verses blah blah blah..." because the people are overwhelmingly in the other side of the court room getting gouged by the court and the system is who the suits and ties really represent.<br /><br />Its as if a faction of indifferent, ruthless, tyrants took over our court system and they use it to just inflict ridiculous pain and punishment on the people they brag about serving. Its like we are held hostage to this faction that took power of our court system. I hate going to court. I think I would rather go to a funeral than go to court. I never feel safe there or like I have a voice at all. I just sit there and wonder <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_37">what</span> crazy story and verdict they are going to agree on to each other and how much it will hurt me. I never get a chance to explain ever. Most of the time I <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_38">don't</span> even know what the fuck is going on. Complete strangers on the street are more willing to listen to me explain myself than the court is. I'm sick of these courtroom clowns claiming to represent me while unfairly gouging me, <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_39">exaggerating</span> and blatantly lying. But once again everyone plays the role of P<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_40">ontius</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_41">Pilate</span>, everyone is a victim to the system and their hands are tied. No one can do anything because "I just work here and these are the set rules." No one is truly empowered and can do anything to make things more reasonable or fair. The way this system is so hopelessly aloof to the people it is hurting upsets me. This is not how a democratic free <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_42">system</span> is supposed to be. It is supposed to be user friendly and flexible so that it can serve the individual needs of the people. Instead it is very rigid and cold. There is no reasoning with it and no where to complain. No one cares or the people that care <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_43">don't</span> have the power to do anything except still screw you so their concern is of very little value. This <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_44">bureaucracy</span> reminds me of a steam locomotive. It is stuck on a track and uses us for coal to move. It can do very little except stay stuck on the track it is on and takes forever to even slow down much less change course.<br /><br />What gets me upset is the reason why I was so rude to the police and refused to exit my car was because I was so sick and fed up with cops pulling me over and stopping me. I've had so many cops pull me over to search my car and to search me that I was getting sick of it. They never find drugs or guns in my car ever. Yet I get stopped and searched more by them in a period of 6 months sometimes than most people do in their entire lifetime. I had been getting stopped by cops so routinely at that time that I was reaching my limit and getting really fed up with it. When the cop pulled behind me in the parking and shined their spotlight into my car all I could remember was me thinking, "Not this again, I want to eat the hamburger I just bought. I dont have time to go through this song and dance right now." I'm not a violent or suicidal person. But I did tell the cop off because I was so sick of cops bugging me. I snapped. Now they are prosecuting me in court posing as a victim due to my not being a strong enough person to put up with all of their constant harrassment. I seriously doubt that if anyone had had the consistent bad luck getting stopped and searched I was having that they would of been able to keep their cool and calm either. Most people would of refused and been rude. Most people would not have been tazered. I can only take so much and finally lost it. Usually I do comply with police searches.<br /><br />Now the court is consistently screwing me over. Its as if they designed this system to overload and break people. Almost as if they are purposely hitting pressure points on us to attempt to get us to break and lose our composure. I dont know who designed this system with its ironic timing, but it seems designed to get under peoples skin and get to our nerves in hopes of getting people to explode. Then it punishes us for it afterward by adding increased penalties.Los Angeles Timeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07152065451741679853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6938944230984545355.post-47712201769729245252008-11-10T09:49:00.000-08:002008-11-23T13:26:53.372-08:00...Rising with the sun...The sunrise seems to give me a boost of vitality. I might go to bed feeling lethargic and obsolete but the sun hits the horizon with <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">alot</span> of juice that I notice my body taps into. (In other words I feel more optimistic in the morning.)<br /><br />The Los Angeles Times is facing some serious debts. It seems the harder I try to pinch my pennies the more bad luck I end up with financially. I just lost my car to the impound, stupid collections is billing me for bills I already paid, and now I have to serve an extended jail term for something I <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">didnt</span> do. (Supposedly I <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">committed</span> battery on a police <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Sergeant</span> but in reality I got <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">tazered</span> by him.) I'm not too happy with how things are going at the moment, but I need to keep my spirits up.<br /><br />Obama won the democratic presidential election! I cant wait until he gets sworn in. Hopefully he chooses a good <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">cabinet</span> for his administration. More importantly I hope he nominate more judges to the supreme court after all the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">neo</span>-cons that the last president helped place there. The reach of the supreme court's judicial power is far longer reaching than the President or Congress. Luckily Obama has a favorable Congress that won the elections so hopefully they wont be stale-mating his attempts to repair everything both domestically and internationally. Having a good <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">cabinet</span> to keep him informed and help him will be crucial; I'm curious who he will appoint once he is in the White House.<br /><br />1 semester away from a bachelors degree. I'm finally about to walk the stage and I'm only 1 decade late. I hope I get released from jail in time to still make the spring semester. I am looking into getting a teaching job for one of the school districts. I still have to take all the tests though.<br /><br />My lady lost her phone. Our relationship is very frustrating. I cant visit her and I cant call her. I try to visit her at work and the staff is tripping now. Something really needs to change but the root problem lies in a <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">decision</span> she needs to make. I'm not too happy about the situation although she does treat me very good when we are able to see each other.Los Angeles Timeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07152065451741679853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6938944230984545355.post-62529468444082560902008-11-09T16:33:00.000-08:002008-11-09T17:00:51.708-08:00The L.A. Times is back in business...Finally I have blog to sort my thoughts.<br /><br /> Wonderful,<br /><br />Now please go away.Los Angeles Timeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07152065451741679853noreply@blogger.com0