Comments for Be My Blog

Comment on In Praise of Hipsters by substitute

substitute — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 04:27:34 +0000

I’m glad you like Boyle Heights. I’ve always enjoyed visiting East Los Angeles but I have no idea how it would be to live there.

Moving to a different neighborhood isn’t offensive. I think what sets people off is a wave of privileged young people who bring an entire culture with them suddenly like a new immigrant country. It’s a shock even for those who aren’t financially affected.

Since California has been invaded by everyone including the Natives, the poor old state is used to it.

Comment on In Praise of Hipsters by Meiyin

Meiyin — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 10:42:01 +0000

I moved to Boyle Heights just about three years ago, so I guess I’m one of those evil hipsters. Here’s my story:We hubgot our house from an elderly Japanese lady, and to tell the truth, some people tripped out, and most people were fine with it. Long-time Chicano residents of our street have told me that they are glad we are keeping a little of the diversity the street once proudly had alive, they were not happy to lose one of the last Japanese neighbors, and the last few Russians have passed away as well. The only thing that I’ve seen here that smacks of gentrification might be the ad campaign for Guisados where they proclaim Come into historic Boyle Heights for something different! as if nobody here already would want their food. Frankly, the attitude of that ad IS gentrification. A Latino business, I believe. If gentrification is defined by seeing any white individual somewhere in Boyle Heights, then I guess I’m stinking up the place daily. On the other hand, if there are a bunch of noticeable, noxious Silver Lake type hipsters ruining the place, why don’t I see white people in the neighborhood? Sure, there’s a few, like maybe I see someone white somewhere every three or four days or something. But they are usually old people at the Food for Less! But seriously, el batmanuel has the story straight. That’s what I see here, sadly, is Latino exploitation of desperately poor immigrant people. And as far as what Veronica is saying, that’s pretty much true. It takes a lot of energy to move to a new place, and it is my choice to live in Boyle Heights, because I think its a pretty cool place, just like it is. Yes, I am an outsider, but so what? I like the people here, the art made here, the music made here. I’m in a band with neighbors on my street. The people who live here are a mostly great bunch of people. This is a great neighborhood already. What is needed is improvements for the people who live here already. This is what the author of the article should be working on. Anything that creates real bonds in the community. The strength of any community is its communication and dedication to keeping things right for the kids that are coming up and will be here in the future. The neighborhood is full of vegan kids, as but one example. Why don’t the people with this kind of diet get together and form a co-op? Just one example, but a neighborhood business can donate to the needy instead of profit. People can put their money literally where someone in need’s mouth is, so to speak. But even if this kind of community organization is begun, there is still a lot more to do. It is not a question exactly of who moves into a place, that’s not the whole story. The money tells the story. What is most profitable for those who own land is always gonna be the bottom line. I grew up in Seattle and lived in Portland, both of which have been gentrified into a pulp. Ultimately, if wealthy people decide this place is it, that’s pretty much what happens, and it sucks. Witness Echo Park beginning the slide.But I gotta say, Portland and Seattle were strong, organized communities willing to fight to the bitter end. There is evidence of very strong community in Boyle Heights in the past, witness the history from Community Under Siege, as an example. Inner City Struggle shows itself as a present-day example. But where is the community outrage over the city planner’s concepts for totally replacing 1st and 4th street with condos and shop space that they unveiled a couple years back? Is anybody paying attention? Boyle Heights is in the developers’ cross hairs, and it has been for a very long time. Why do you think the city zoned the whole of B.H. multifamily in the 50 s? It worked, chased out people worried about their home values and reduced the effective economic power of the neighborhood. This is how places are kept down in America, and its done by tightening a vice very slowly over the generations until there’s nothing left. But if there is no voice NOW to demand that any changes that are made to the environs improve things first and foremost for those who live here now, then there will be very little hope, because while you’re worrying about hipsters the real game has been underway for at least half a century.What screwed the people up where I come from in the Northwest is the lack of a Prop 13. People were very well organized, fought each and every b.s. proposal all the way, etc. But that’s not really gonna do much if you just can’t afford to live there anymore. Your property taxes just keep going up every year until you sell. In my case, I’ve been forced into selling TWICE. Taxes went from $2,700 a year to over $10,000 in one jump in Sea-town, and from $960 to $5,700 in two years in P-town. Who can afford to live there? So home town or no, I decided on moving to California. For lots of reasons, like the fact that Los Angeles is mind-blowingly diverse. But they can’t force you out of your home with property taxes here, and that’s a big factor.So why live in Boyle Heights? Take a walk or a drive down Cesar Chavez. A beautiful, thriving street. Why do I want to live here? Places like that, people like that. So if that makes me a gentrifier or a hipster, then so be it. But the future of Boyle Heights is being written by big money interests while you waste your time grumbling about nothing. Me, I’ll worry about hipsters from outside Boyle Heights when I actually see some.

Comment on Are too a feminist. by substitute

substitute — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 19:33:12 +0000

Good point. I was poking at bro culture and may have validated a bit of it there.

Comment on Are too a feminist. by Tim Chevalier

Tim Chevalier — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 19:29:14 +0000

The “sex retail” thing is still a bit rapey.

Comment on On Foot in Los Angeles by lamech

lamech — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 19:58:33 +0000

Have you read Daniel Alarcon’s piece in Granta 117 titled “The Ground Floor”? The depiction of LA there made me think of you.

“Los Angeles – not the real city, but the version of that city that exists in the popular imagination – is a glamorous, glittering place of palm trees and movie stars. The actual city, which I’ve come to know just a bit over the course of many visits, is at once more interesting and superficially much less attractive. I’d go so far as to say there is no glamour at all remaining in the city itself, but only in its reflected image.”

http://www.granta.com/New-Writing/The-Ground-Floor

Comment on Late Additions, SXSW Interactive 2012 by genericus

genericus — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 04:44:00 +0000

BLOWJOBS ALL ‘ROUND!

Comment on Late Additions, SXSW Interactive 2012 by substitute

substitute — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 04:28:24 +0000

YOU ALREADY ARE! SEE MY TEASER ON YOUTUBE AND THEN DIVE INTO THE DVD!!!! COUGHING FIT

Comment on Late Additions, SXSW Interactive 2012 by genericus

genericus — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 04:26:41 +0000

I CAN HARDLY WAIT TO LEVERAGE INTEREST VECTORS INTO MARKET CAPITALIZATION

Comment on A Regular Guy: For Peter Brayman by substitute

substitute — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 08:42:27 +0000

Thanks, Kim. It’s good to hear from you and I’m glad you felt the same way about Pete. He was one of the good guys.

Comment on A Regular Guy: For Peter Brayman by Kim

Kim — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 21:43:31 +0000

I came across this today – I saw an IAMA on reddit about someone with NF type I and immediately thought of Pete. I can’t believe it’s been 3 years, I was very saddened when I heard that he had lost to his disease. He was a great guy, he would give the shirt off his back to anyone. I first met him as a community leader (after the guides were removed) and then I worked for him when he was the manager of the now defunct CareThere site, he sought me out knowing I was in need of a job and was kind enough to give me a chance. I always thought the world of Pete and miss chatting with him, though we had actually fallen out of contact due to some of his family issues. The world is less a great man now and he will always be missed.