¡JULIETA ESTÁ LLEGANDO!

So I'm very excited that Julieta Venegas is coming to play at the Warfield this October 11th. Just so you know, the Güero is not a big fan of concerts; I'm fast becoming an old man and I don't dig on large crowds or loud music any longer, but I feel like this concert is a must-go event. I've loved this woman's music since I first heard it on a Spanish language radio station in 2005, while spinning my wheels in San Diego. I couldn't make the show she played at the Wiltern in LA and I didn't see her in San Diego either, so now this is my chance.

There are of course other, possibly more edgier Mexican singer/song writers, like Ximena Sariñana(also an actress) out there and it's really not wise to compare but I just really think Venegas is at the top of her form. She doesn't sport that "Sabado Gigante"-style sexiness; nor has she starred in any tacky telenovelas. I admire that because it's all about her music. It's her music and intelligence that make her so appealing and attractive. She is sexy to me but not in that obvious way, like Paulina Rubio, shaking her junk all about (Not that there's anything wrong with that!). Just look at the photo (top left)...I think she's hot and looks muy chida with that accordion!

And yeah...it's a God-rotten, pathetic shame that I don't speak Spanish either but it's never stopped me from enjoying her music, and from what I've read, half of her audience in LA were non-hispanic whiteys which tells me that I'm in large company. Yes, yes...I'm half Mexican but my family has been residing in Gringolandia so long now that for all intents and purposes, I'm just another big gabacho. However, I do understand some of her lyrics and what I don't understand, I just Google.

The work for me now is to convince some one to accompany me to the show. My wife could not care less and doesn't want to go and it's difficult to get friends to commit. My son said he'll go so maybe it will be just me and the boy.

Well enough already... so here's a little video from her MTV Unplugged concert a few months back. If you seem interested you should check the whole album out, it's one best live albums for the year...I think.


Julieta Venegas - El Presente (Unplugged) 2008

THE IMPERIALS HAVE LANDED IN THE...CITY!

Just saw this cool video on the YouTube. I likes it cause I likes the Stars Wars AND San Francisco.

SIDEWALKING: THE MISSION STENCILS

The graffiti stencils :anyone that has to walk the garbage strewn streets here in the Mission has probably seen them, or if not, they've seen photos in the local blogs or read about in yesterday's Chronicle. It's not really known who is doing them....I don't don't think it's lower income Latinos...they are busy working and taking care of their families, I don't think it's the homeless people, they are busy collecting cans and doing whatever else they do. So who is it? Political activists? Performance artists? People who hate their parents? I don't know but what's clear is that it is an ineffective attempt to solve the real problems in the Mission.

I think they should put their cardboard stencils and spraypaint cans away and do something more constructive for the neighborhood; for instance, pick up all the trash that sails downwind from Cesar Chavez Street. The amount of coffee cups, plastic bags and paper is incredible.

Do these sidewalkistas want to create some catchy and clever slogans they think will make the ordinary Mission resident rise up and fight against the evil doing gentrify-ers? Do they think we are going to "smoke 'em out" of their refurbished Victorian TICs? It's ridiculous. These are anonymous rebels fishing for a cause and they are as irrelevant as the stenciled statements they spraypaint.

TOTALLY RANDOM: BOLLYWOOD BEYONCE?

Don't even ask the Güero how he found this one. Just sit back and relax as you watch Indian model, singer,actress -Deepal Shah (pictured left) sing and dance with Indian school girls (whilst in the bathroom and sitting on the toilet - for serious!) All this and some of the most horrific rap you have ever heard. How can you resist?







Deepal Shal - Rangela (2004)

THE FOUR HORSEMEN OF THE APOCALYPSE:SUSHI

Yes...it's coming and it's coming soon: sushi on 24th Street! And we're not talking about some swanky joint nestled in Noe Valley. Oh no, no, no....were talking about the corner of 24th and York Streets, the very heart of the Mission! (At least it's the heart of the Mission to me, because I live two blocks away for shits sake!) It's been known for some time as their permit sign has been hanging in the window, but the time is nigh!

A couple of weeks ago, I was waiting for my carnitas torta at La Torta Gorda (whose tortas are just awesome btw), when this aging hipster runs in (I mean this guy was OG, he's probably been living here since the mid 80s at least, back when the hipsters weren't hip at all: they were mostly leftist, intellectual types who wore wire rimmed glasses and tweed). So he's saying to anyone who would listen, "Can you believe it?...they're putting in a sushi bar next door?!! What is this? Noe Valley? Oh this is the end...the end!" He shook his bald head, rimmed with gray hair, in a dire state of disbelief; his wire rimmed glasses- steaming.

I told him that there was another one of these Sushi Bistros out in the Richmond and that I had looked it up on Yelp where it had pretty decent reviews. Obviously unimpressed, he just stared at me blankly, "but come on....sushi?!" and then finally he just muttered in defeat, "...well I guess it's unavoidable." Indeed. It's a slippery slope: after the arrival of vegan omelettes, the smell of spider rolls is never far behind. Oh the horror...the horror...

But...I like sushi. While living in Los Angeles, my wife and I, in better times, would try to go out for good sushi at least twice a month, sometimes more. We used to go to this great place on 2nd Street in Little Tokyo. We had our regular chef, who had Yakuza tattoos on his fingers and who always would get crazy-creative for us; masterfully pushing the envelope of intensly incredible flavors for us to experience. It was always worth the drive, the horrible parking and the aggressive homeless crack-heads. Hey that kind of sounds like...

I know that, to some, it might seem a little over the top to have a sushi restaurant here, I was somewhat surprised too...fearing the inevitable sandwich-like annexation from Noe Valley and Potrero Hill. But if Sushi Bistro opening up is truly the mark of apocalypse, then what better way to welcome in the end of days than by ejoying some toro, salmon skin, yellow tail, Spanish mackerel with sea salt, uni and then washing it all down with a cold bottle of Kirin or warm sake or soju? Oh the possibilities...and we won't even have to drive!

PARALEGAL ALIEN

Since being back in The City, the güero has had to chart a new course in life. I've tried being all the things I wanted to be since I was a güerito but none panned out for one reason or another. I attempted to make a new life in LA but after missing the exit and making a few detours, I ended up taking the midnight u-haul back up to San Francisco.

So what does one do when they're falling on forty years of age and have absolutely zero prospects? One goes back to school of course, and that's just what I have done: I've decided that perhaps developing a marketable skill is probably a prudent move. After a little desktop research, the paralegal field had an appeal to me for various reasons: I like doing research, I enjoy writing and this nation's laws have always interested me. So what the hell...let's give it a go. At this point my interest is in immigration law. I want to have a career that produces some sort of social benefit, as well as an income. Assisting folks to reside here legally, in this great nation, in order to make a better life, to me, is an o.k. thing to do. Let's face it: I need all the good karma I can get. My last gig was selling lead painted trinkets made by Chinese laborers probably for some paltry wage. Or who knows, maybe I'll just end up working at some dodgy personal injury firm that handles slip and trip cases all day long. Who knows?

So here I am back right were I started at CCSF, the junior college that I started attending some 20-odd years ago. It's so surreal to be back. Walking through the campus, brings back a myriad of memories and it's almost as if it's 1990 again, like the last 18 years never happened. Sure there are some new buildings but it still feels and smells the same. This, of course, is an illusion that's disturbingly shattered whenever I walk into a campus restroom and happen upon a mirror. I don't see that skinny awkward kid anymore; instead it's a rather frightening, but still awkward, middle-aged man. I've gained weight, gone gray and lost most of my hair and my nerve: a stranger in a strangely familiar land.

But so far so good, I like my classes and I'm impressed with the City College Paralegal Department thus far. The instructors are friendly and knowledgeable and my fellow students have been great. I'm feeling pretty good about this, though I still choose to remain cautiously optimistic...

¡OBAMANOS! MISSION DEMOCRATS FOR OBAMA!

I've read some people saying on the MissionMission that some events don't get announced soon enough so I thought I would just throw out an event that some folks in the Mission might want to be aware of:

Miguel Bustos, an old schoolmate of the güero from St. Peters' school, right here in the Mission district, is putting on this event along with many others. All are welcome so whether you're a hipster(oh come on, you know you love the term), long-time resident, tenant, homeowner, recent immigrant or just whatever...come on down! This is good opportunity for Mission residents to get to know eachother and find out what we can do and maybe have a little fun in the process.

Here are the particulars or visit the website here!

Party for Barack Obama

Thursday, September 11, 2008

5pm-9pm

El Rio
www.elriosf.com

3158 Mission Street

$3 Happy Hour Drinks

Light appetizers and hors d'oeuvres

DJ

Plus, learn about local progressive candidates and statewide propositions at the info table.


Hosted by

Miguel Bustos • Annie Carmichael • Irving Diaz-Burg • David Edeli • Kathie and Terry Edeli • Kelly Finley • Francesca Gessner • Casey Harrell • Homer Hobi • Marika Holmgren • Nathan Lundy-Gonzalez • John Male • Valerie Orth • Jose Quiñonez • Maria Ramos • Gwen and Alexander Rose • Steve Rosenberg • Lonnie Slugocki • Yakira Teitel


PLEASE RSVP!

For more info and to RSVP, email miguelbustos@comcast.net or check out our website at: http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/gpl98x

Sliding Scale Suggested Donation:

• Students and the Job-Seeking: $10 -$50+

• The Rest of Us: Think about how much you desperately want Obama to win.

And what could happen if he doesn’t.

Any donations above your $2,300 maximum go to the DNC … to help Obama!

1) Send this invite on to your friends!!!
2) Donate online: http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/gpl98x to help us reach our goal!

or print out the below donation form and mail a check (Made out to Obama for America) to:

Our Mission for Obama Fundraiser
48 Worth St.
San Francisco, CA 94114

Coming? Be Prepared Ahead of Time: Print out the below donation form and bring it with you to El Rio.

WEEKEND READING: NO MAN'S LAND

I discovered this book quite accidentally as I was searching for Chuck Palahniuk's books at the library. What a serendipitous find! "No Man's Land" is a collection of translated short stories written by Mexican author, Eduardo Antonio Parra and published by City Lights Publishing right here in San Francisco.

These gritty short stories take place in the cities and deserts of Northern Mexico where humanity is often stretched to its unbearable limits. Poverty, corruption, sex and cold-hearted violence paint a background canvas for portraits of characters who struggle and suffer immeasurably for the chance of a better life.

Parra's hardcore writing style is brutally yet beautifully descriptive, like a car crash in slow motion(in fact, one story is indeed about an auto wreck). No human act of depravity is too taboo for Para to explore in this world where horror and hope are perpetually intertwined. I highly recommend this book if you can find it. It doesn't seem like there is much fanfare but I hope that more of Parra's work is translated soon!!

DON'T CALL IT A COME BACK!

I realise that its been awhile, however, I never really left; I just haven't been doing much posting. Some friends, for lack of better word, suggested that I discontinue this blog until I get job and get settled in; but I came to the conclusion, rather quickly, that things will never be settled....that life NEVER really settles until you stop breathing. Once that point is reached, the task of blogging becomes rather difficult, if not pointless. So that said, I shall carry on with my earnest endeavor to pollute the internet with my worthless thoughts, sorry tales and shallow opinions. After all, no one reads this shite anyway ( my deepest apologies to those who do) and its just more or less therapy for me. It's cheaper than seeing a shrink and its at least possible that it could be mildly interesting.