Downtown El Lay pick up your...

Okay so over the last 10 yrs the downtown Los Angeles area has experienced a very positive transformation- with new housing, retail and restaurants- in the historic core, little Tokyo and south park among them.
The last couple days that Ive been on my commute into work i have almost stepped on dog doo doo aka as feces aka dog sh*t.
I really don't mind the urine smell early in the morning or afternoon- i can overlook it because i tell myself it comes from people that are homeless due to some substance abuse or mental issue.

(Los Angeles St sidewalk near corner where Rite Aid use to be)

But dog doo doo on a sidewalk is unacceptable!

I m not even talking about the small neat piles but actually the trail that some leave of little pieces or just plain caca smeared for half a block.

I totally completely blame the owners of these animals.

On Wednesday i was walking on 8th street past Broadway- on my way to the Fashion district. If i had not looked down to see where i was walking, i would of gotten some of that so aromatic fudge.
You know we all like to think we got it going on, we look slamming and cool- so we walk with that swagger of confidence.

(the glass squares of the underground building cellars that let in sunlight and can be lit at night)

So sure we have lots of uneven and cracked sidewalks but its the dog feces that we have to watch out for.
Then today as i was walking on Spring street headed towards 5th st- i almost step on some dog feces that was smeared on the sidewalk.
I did notice that both times the feces was on the side of the sidewalk that is closest to the street and not near or next to the buildings.

I think i will print up some small business cards that say- please pick up after your dog or else i will take a picture of you and report you.

- better yet, put a diaper on your dog. They do that to dogs that have explosive diarrhea.

(now a furniture store but i remember seeing "Leaving Las Vegas" on its 2nd run in 1995 there)

(building on Los Angeles St.)

(its the statue of liberty in tile on downtown LA building)

Check where the "recovery" money is going...

the website is Recovery.gov and it lets you-the people, check online to see how the "recovery" money is being used and spent- awarded as a contract, grant or loan.

You can search by state, county, district or zip code:

Of course the curious citizen that i am- i looked up my city: 90640... Montebello.

So the city of Montebello received almost $7 million and also the Montebello Unified School District got $21,386,343 .
I checked around at other surrounding cities and noticed that community based organizations such as Altamed received $4 million and saved 102 jobs while Maravilla Foundation got $1,533,319.

-check it out for yourself.

Watch this...and starting at 1:30...cute and funny!

- anyone from 6 to 60 will enjoy and love it!

opening date moved up to- Wednesday, December 23,2009

*(my personal opinion-not getting paid for this endorsement)

Saw on a T-shirt here in Los Angeles

(click to enlarge)

Music Friday...

Sharkira on ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live filmed in Hollywood next door to the El Capitan Theater.

I love the Spanish version of the song- Lo Hecho Esta Hecho its more sensual and passionate.

The English version below is a bit more dry and stilted in my opinion.

- I love music, it is another form of storytelling: expressing emotions and feelings.

Life and Death in LA...

So yesterday evening there was a Spring Street suicide jumper <--click to read story. It got me thinking about life and how short it really is. I mean we are born, we live and then we die. I like walking down Spring Street in downtown LA better than Broadway, its got trees for shade and its a bit less busy traffic wise.

After reading the story, i realized that i had walked by the area on my way home not even 2 hours before the time of the incident.

It is truly sad to think that things must of gotten so dire and hopeless to get to that point to consider suicide as the only option.
We all experience highs and lows in life. For me the fall and winter time makes me a bit more depressed. Must be the colder weather and shorter days, that i want to cocoon and hibernate.

As my shrink once told me, "this is only one chapter in the book that is your life".
There are the sayings: "this too shall pass" and "what does not kill you makes you stronger".

Growing up as a kid i remember going to 2 very memorable "open casket" wakes, that scarred me emotionally for a bit. Since then i have never gone to a wake or burial. I will visit the grave site when its all done, to pay my respects. Part of me wants to remember the person as they were, alive. I also don't like horror or scary movies- i don't find them entertaining in the least.

On the other hand, having already cheated death a few times myself- I am not afraid of it or fear it. I mean in the end we can't avoid it or escape it.

Death is easy, its Life that's hard.

A very wise person told me a few years back and i always share it, and i know Halloween and Dia de los Muertos have passed, but it applies in this instance.

We Die 3 times

1.) When you stop breathing.

2.) When you are buried or cremated.

3.) and this is the saddest death of all--> When they stop remembering, talking and thinking of you.

-Remember there is a solution to everything except death.

Downtown LA in "Lopez Tonight" promo...

Its great to see George Lopez back on television. Its about time we have someone we brown people can relate to and identify with on late night TV. After all there's over 40 million of us Hispanics in the United States.

The show tapes at Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank.
For tickets click here.

He joins this seasons new batch of late night talkers: Mo'Nique on BET, Brian McKnight on syndication and Wanda Sykes on FOX

Moenia coming to Conga Room@LA Live

The electronica/ synthpop group Moenia known to some as the Mexican Depeche Mode will be playing at the Conga Room @ L.A. Live Wed.- November 25, 2009

Sorry if you don't know Spanish- you can groove to the beats and sounds which are universal.

Tickets are on sale now: general admission- $38.50 and VIP-$55.00

Last time they played Los Angeles was in May at the House of Blues Sunset Strip.

Its interesting and weird how a song can take you back instantly to a time and a place. Must be that sense memory and maybe my internal, cerebral hard drive isn't that messed up.

Here is some videos of my favorite songs...


















- Que Siga la Fiesta

I Voted...

(2008-www.treasureimage.com)

I live in Montebello, a city 8 miles from Downtown Los Angeles.
It is part of Los Angeles County which has a population of over 9 million people.
I voted by mail- its fast and convenient for me.
The city of Montebello use to be known as the Latino Beverly Hills in the 80's.
As time wore on the migration of well to do Latinos headed towards the city of Whittier.
Today we are a middle class community in the north and working class on the south, i am on the east- the best of both worlds, suburban living yet urban adjacent.
With an estimated population of close to 70,000 people (sure to be confirmed and verified with the 2010 census coming up in March).
We have had our share of scandals, especially lately-the police dept being sued by a group of their officers and the 3 council members that voted to award a "no bid and exclusive 15 year contract" to Athens Disposal for trash removal.

This is how i voted....





related link- Montebello Chamber of Commerce

River Phoenix died today 16 years ago

in L.A.'s Koreatown @ Wilshire & Western

Solair: 22-stories high-rise condo living and retail at street level

Partial list of retail: Verizon wireless, Edible Arrangements, Haagen Dazs, HSBC bank, Samsung Express, Aroma Cafe, Palace Beauty Supply, Solair Cleaners, Hair Day Salon, Optical Boutique, Shabu Ya restaurant.

The Wiltern theater (before as Warner Bros.) opened as a cinema in October 7, 1931. Building Architects were Morgan,Walls & Clements. Theater architect was G. Albert Lansburgh, along with theater decorator Anthony Heinsbergen. The 2,344 seat theater was remodeled and re-opened in October 2002 as a concert venue.

The Mercury: high-rise mix of condo living and retail at street level.

retail includes: Bagelworks Cafe, Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf, Jamba Juice and Yogurberry.

And its all easily accessible via Metro Purple line

- i LOVE it!

A Michael Jackson Tribute

a cappella medley you have to see...wow...made me tear up.