Accidents do happen

When you here about the waterfront or the mention of the name longshoreman (and women) in the media it is usually connected with the economy, a labor strike, hiring opportunities, etc. but very rare when an occurrence or accident happens. Like any other blue collar job in America where man/woman works closely with machines accidents are bound to happen and some of the time may result in the unfortunate death of a working bother or sister. The images provided are of an incident which occurred but blessed with good no one was injured, even the operator of the machine, known as a Top Handler (Top pick depending which dock system you originate from), was fine. The machine toppled over a stack of 40 foot shipping containers creating a domino effect to the stack. It was a stroke of luck no one was on the other side of the container pile. 

The reality of the docks it is a very dangerous place to work. It may not be on the "top 10 most dangerous jobs" like crab fishing in the Arctic but if something happens to an individual they will not just get a bump on the head and go home fine. One will end up seriously injured or may not survive at all. The long shore community has been advantageous that the death statistics have not been higher throughout the years but it must be seen that even one death a year is still a tall price to pay. This is the real battle that the longshore community faces, helping to create a safe work environment, making sure that individuals don't become complacent on the job, etc. and all this is on top of the huge list that most jobs in complicated times are fighting to maintain: higher work wages, medical benefits, etc.

So next time you run into information dealing with the waterfront or longshoreman/woman and they are being demonized realize that what they fight for is a small percentage of what is owed to work in a dangerous work place.

New images on lovemarks (lovebruise)

Some new images have been uploaded to the Lovemarks (lovebruise) blog. Please take the time and check them out (jump over using the link lovebruise.blogspot.com  ). Also if you cannot take the time to take part in the blog with an image/s please take the time and spread the word about the blog to everyone you know. Keep an eye open more images will be posted soon. 

Scooter ahoy!

Well its finally happened, i've joined the eco friendly green traveling masses (or did i associate myself accidentally with the hipster crowd) and bought a scooter. My new migrant pony is a Kymco people 150 and i'm very pleased with its performance/mileage. It manages a little over 70 mpg and in a world with erratic gas prices it sure does come in handy. I won't be taking it cross country but it will do just fine for some everyday short trips and commuting, i only hope that it fits my personality. I know it is not common for a wilmero to be seen on a scooter let alone own one but someone has to be the first to break the stereotype. Maybe if i pimp it out it will be accepted on the ghetto streets of my hometown of Wilmas. Could you imagine my new little machine all chromed out in some elaborate candy high gloss color with some form of hydraulics? Nah, i like it the way it is so roads, streets, boulevards, avenues, etc. here i come, scooter ahoy!

How late is too late to post something: Halloween

This post is two things at once, the very late Halloween (hala-me-la-weenie) post and the question: how late is too late to post something? Let us start with the latter, as most people events in life have keep me from posting images and a description of happenings of October the 31st. Since some time has past from that day is it still worth posting something that has past? If an event, moment, etc. can still be posted what should be the expiration date or time when something is too old to post?  These are the questions i pose to the Internet blogging community. Now it is common that not every instant of everyday can be posted and undated (that depends on if blogging is you occupation) for most of us, so is this the excuse that should allow late posts. Worse case scenario nothing is added to the web based archive and the moment is not shared, and lost into the ether of memory but even that thought should be seen as unacceptable. Well, onto the second part of the post.

As stated in a past post, i love vampires or more the myth of them. So even thou my costume is not very creative, complicated or traditionally cheesy i dressed as a vampire for All-hallows-eve. As you can see i'm about to feed on my vampire girlfriend. That evening of custom silliness and celebration we ended up on the outskirts of San Diego, i mean nothing was out there. The further we got out the bigger the property of the homes got, more like ranchos. When we reached our destination it was at a very large home and the numbers of the participates was also very large (i believe the hosts placed a myspace announcement to the open local community). It was fun, full of laughs and very interesting. The last image is a group shot of some of the individuals we knew at the party. What a group of weirdos: a vampire couple, a pirate, a hoochie Dorothy and two not so attractive hairy women (excuse the quality of the pic). I feel bad for the men who tried to pick up on them.

Estacion Tijuana: California Biennial

This post is a little late but must be done. Last saturday was a great and big event in Tijuana, the California Biennial, and Estacion Tijuana was host to one of the many exhibitions on that night. Here are some photos of the festivities filled with art, DJ ing, friends and lots of fun.
Some of the participates in the pictures are the famous Omar and his wife, friends Tambor and Gabi, and my girl Melly. The first image i have no idea what has disgusted Omar, maybe he didn't like a piece in the show... the last image is becoming one of my favorites of my girl and i. She seems naturally photogenic on the contrary it is really difficult for myself to not only come out well in a picture but for me to like it.

media election camera perspecive

By now every type of media is buzzing with the historic hopefully world changing event of last nights election result. As i watched last night as the events unfolded channel to television channel and the exciting result was coming into focus i was noticing an interesting perspective being taken up by the TV news, more and more black individuals where being centered on by the election coverage cameras.
Now i do not deny that this is a great moment not only in history and also to the black community but isn't it really a grad moment to all people of color. As Obama mentioned in his pre election win speech (which i found very touching and hopeful) anything is now possible in the eyes of the young no matter their race or background. We now have our first president of color which i myself am shocked about. Please don't misunderstand i personally believe that now President Obama maybe our messiah but in my lifetime i thought i would see a female white president than a person of color in the white house (which as the political rap group Public Enemy has mentioned i believe in an 80's song "we should paint the white house black").
As the numbers were becoming more certain i just noticed the change in media crowd attention. Like mentioned before more black individuals were being pictured in the frame, black commentators were appearing more at the anchor desks for comments. At one point i was surprised to see that one channel decided to ask a Latino governor (i believe he was a governor) of New Mexico to comment on the events. This is really a comment on how quick the media is to catch on a situation and present to us what we think is proper imagery, and exploit that imagery.
Channel after channel showing the emotional change in power by a close up of a black persons face in tears. Would it be less powerful to see say a white individual in tears over the happiness of Obama being named our 44th president (is it really 44th?)? I as a person of color am happy and moved that we now have someone that will inspire hope for our future and am especially ecstatic that that individual who will lead us into a new era is a person of color.

Support independent cinema: Let the right one in

Call me a geek or a nerd but i have a thing for the mythology of the being known as the vampire. Let it be through movies, books or just independent research (and yes i own a vampire encyclopedia) i cannot get enough of the multiple portrayals of the vampire. I have digested a plethora of vampire movies (even the 70's movie titled Blacula and its sequel) to the Anne Rice novels and yes i'm looking forward to the release of twilight.

The vampire is a creature that has existed or is mentioned (in some interpretation or another) in numerous cultures and is the number one character that has had the most cinema made about (let us not mention the written word). Which brings me to my title of this post, the novel by John Ajvide Lindqvist "Let the right one in" has been made into a very good film and is currently on limited release (Lindqvist also wrote the screenplay). This independent Swedish well crafted film of suspense, limited horror and young love is not only sure to satisfy the vampire enthusiast but anyone who enjoys a great film. It is rare to find a film that is tender and unnerving about loneliness and companionship, let alone a movie with a vampire in it. I am not sure how true the film is to its source material but it deserves your support. 

The following link This Just In: 'Let the Right One In' is Ten Times Better Than 'Twilight' - Cinematical will give you a schedule list on when it might be playing in your town. The same site will also provide a review on the film. Please remember that this is an independent film on limited release and will probably not be in reach to all locations, and will not remain in theatre for long. Hope you enjoy the film, it has made my list of top 20 movies with vampires.

Birthday Shout Out: Dr.Pepper

I'm a few hours late writing this but I had to give a birthday shout out to a good friend, Omar Pepper. This young man is not only a very talented visual artist but has a way of manipulating words that also makes him a great poet and writer. Known to few as Dr. Pepper or Pinche Pimienta he is a very giving person in knowledge and his personal time when one needs help. His favorite pass times are eating shrimp tacos, dressing in woman's clothes and talking about his dying car the "Super Volvo"(has to be spoken with a Mexican accent). I have seen his future which contains his mad spinning beats as a DJ (DJ Pepper) and his highly praised novels "No estoy solo en Libertad" followed by "Wearing a dress to el Dandy: an autobiography". Happy Birthday Omar, I'm glad I can call you friend.

Wilmero in Tijuana: 2008 Festival Impulse

Last Monday was the 15th of September. For those who don't find significance in that date it is Mexican Independence Day and this Wilmero found himself over the border in Tijuana celebrating with the masses. My girlfriend and I celebrated this years Independence Day at the 2008 Festival Impulse with many of Tijuana's young residents. The unifying event was filled with heart thumping beats and music that I'm sure lasted into the late hours of the morning. I personally left the adrenalin inducing mixes around 2 am and there seemed to be no slowing to the festivities, I guess I just can't hang anymore.

Mad beats were dropped, some accompanied by eye catching visuals, by a number of DJs, such as Etcheto, Bostich and Fussible associated with Nortec Collective and the Rapture. There was a singing music performance by Glass Candy that I found more ear pleasing than eye pleasing but i guess the ear part is the point. I personally super enjoyed the set by Nortec Collective and to me it seems that many others did too. I guess the crowd hopping was a good signifier of that. I had a great time with amazing music surrounded by Mexican national pride, happy anniversary Mexico. Que viva Mexico!   

Wilmas + Farmers Market = Curiosity

When the idea of a farmers market comes to mind the location of Wilmington, California (Wilmas) would not be one of the first places associated with that idea. On Thursdays from 10am to 1pm off of the major street of Avalon on L street there it exists in all its one block glory. The small section is blocked off from traffic and tents are erected to provide to casual shoppers fresh fruit and vegetables, varying types of eats to even jewelry.

Now I would like to be one of the first individuals to admit that I enjoy the idea of a farmers market in Wilmas and would love to know how this came to be. However if the idea were presented to me or many other Wilmeros over 10 years ago we would think you were not all there. For myself this has to do more with economics. Many individuals in Wilmas live under the poverty line, in fact for sometime Wilmas was considered as a low income community ( a ghetto to be exact ). This does not mean that the city has not improved for this weekly event to happen but it does bring into question who exactly shops at this market.

To be exact sections of Wilmas can be considered to contain ghettos but the real estate landscape is quite vast, meaning that different classes do live in Wilmas but are these the individuals that the farmers market is catering towards? I did notice many items for sale that the everyday Wilmero could afford but a few things seemed out of place. Now i am sure that the average Wilmero would enjoy some of the jewelry being offered but probably not at the prices being offered. Organic fruit and vegetables are something that many would pay more for but why when there are a number of markets that offer them for considerably less.

The one thing I can agree on is the offering of prepared foods. This is where i believe the farmers market really provides. There are not as many choices as I remember when i first attended the market, probably due to the high price being asked and lack of demand, but there are still many things to enjoy. Like in so many other farmers market kettle corn has its presence, Salvadorian food, and so many others.

Above is a picture of one of the yummy eats I personally enjoyed from the market. A hot dog wrapped in bacon covered with grilled onions and pepper with a generous slathering of condiments, very tasty, and this can be accompanied with an Agua Fresca of a variety of flavors.

Like I stated before I would like the Wilmington farmers market to succeed and continue to develop a long history with this community, however i feel this lies in the farmers market ability to adapt to the community, to be able to understand the people it is providing for.