Hester Pantsed, Assitopes Released, Global Warming Forecast Reversed

What seemed like a harmless incompleted pass may hold greater implications on a worldwide scale and has the Gore people clammoring for a worthy rebuttal. Amazing a single pass could spark the high point in the, "Is so" vs "Is not" dilmma. Coincidence or otherwise, this is

not another Black Hole.

Tia Ana and Her Bus Stop Ministry

Tia Ana as those who know her affectionately call her is dealing with a serious case of intestinal cancer. The outlook is beyond grim. If you stop by her bedside at the Van Nuys Presbetarian Hospital you would never know it.

She has a constant group of visitors, few family, mostly aquaintences she has made by travelling the Los Angeles transit system for the past 25 years. She never learned to drive. She has always worked as a domestic in the best of neighborhoods. Chances are if she saw you at a bus stop and your eyes earned her trust-you were befriended.

Yesterday a group of fiver women were visiting and another three waited thier turn in the lobby. She received all with the same enthusiasm one would come to know of her. "Why the long face?" she would ask them in Spanish in reference to the way they came in with their emotioal baggage.

She told me a few days ago that she was unable to take any solid food and had been connected to an I.V. since her arrival. She said the morphine helped curb the pain from a 9 to a 7 but a bowl of chicken soup would sure be welcomed. The best they could offer was a few ice ships and a lemon swab.

Draw a triangle between her apartment in Van Nuys, the deepest part of Beverly Hills and Los Angeles proper and that would be the target of her knowing an awful lot of the women who did what she did. That is, commute to the well to do areas to make a living as housekeepers, nannys and live-ins for the wealthy. They are the ones who were there to raise the children when the too busy parent were out making a living.

on going....

Plight of One Man to See His Mother

I had the opportunity to sit down with "Carlitos" who recently made the journey from an unnamed city in Guatemala to the Los Angeles area through the back door.

In the next few paragraphs I will neither condone nor condemn the act of crossing illegally. As one will see there is a series of networks from beginning to end. The story as told through a less than efficient translator unfolded like some surreal Pirates of the Carribean ride at Disneyland. I could not help thinking how Slumdog Millionaire this sounded.

My first question was not entirely answered but started a good line of thought. I asked " What were the warnings you received when preparing to depart your hometown?"

There may have been a breakdown in the translation but his answer mentioned there were several "Betas" along the way which were per his description were manned stations that I surmised were like tourist information booths. Routinely the white people that worked these centers would warn of the dangers of going north illegally. They would also offer information on what one would need to make such a trip.

Carlitos is a youthful 23 year old school teacher. He was wearing Levis and a soccer shirt that I did not recognize. He has been trying to obtain legal access to the country for close to 10 years. Typically his interviews would end with the interviewer stating that his status was short of the requirements. Some of the reasons were that he was not a property owner, did not have enough savings to sustain such a trip or lacked enough time on the job and so forth. He last saw his mother when he was less than two years old. They spoke by telephone on weekends most of his life. She here in southern California and he in his native Guatemala. She would send money to support him. I did not ask if there were other brothers and sisters.

Three nights of walking for eight hours through the Mexican deserts and trying to sleep by day were described . Signs were posted that stated in Spanish "500,000 people have died making this trip..." The Slumdog reference came to mind when he said they lived atop a moving train for two days. When in the vicinity of the US border he said there were drones with red lights that they were warned not to look up during their presence because they, as he was told, were programmed to pick up the human eye. If so, this sounded like insider information to me if ever there was. Maybe it was trial and error? Maybe an inside job.

When he told of pirate like characters with guns travelling in cars my in-cahoots alarm went off. The gunmen confronted the coyote and demanded money. The coyote gave in and later made the travellers call home for additional funds to compensate for the loss. Along the way, they would study and drill Mexican trivia questions in the event they were confronted. Not only the obvious, "Who is the president?" but more obscure details about the president's wife and her tastes or preferences. He answered all the pop quiz questions I asked of him although I cannot vouch for their correctness.

He described dodging the searchlight of a helicopter by following the instruction he's received earlier from his guides- the coyotes. He also said there was a Guatemalan guide in his country, a Mexican once the border was crossed and white people were there to receive them once they crossed the Sonora desert into Phoenix. From sometimes primal-like conditions to a gated community in the Phoenix area. My original question was half expected to receive an answer I'd heard before that the streets of America were filled with gold.

I asked Carlos if his estimation of the trip came close to the magnitude that he imagined it would be. He said it was at least twice as bad as he expected and that he probably would not have made the $5,000.00 trip had he known of the perils that he encountered. I told him that I doubted most legals would not make the trip if it was a prerequisite to enjoy the fruits of freedom that many of us take for granted.

to be continued.............

San Fernando Valley Veterans Day Parade 2009

Once again a job well done by the parade committee amounted to a fine parade honoring all who served. Some pictures are included (they enlarge nicely when clicked on). This could be anywhere USA but it happens to be here in the San Fernando Valley, California. The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (graduated froma SFV high school) was slotted to be the Grand Marshall but current circumstances forced him to reschedule.

We do things a tad differently, I say without resignation or bravado, but one can be assured there is no shortage of patriotism. We have our more than fair share of Gold and Blue star families to hold up- but that's our cross to bear.

Ask anyone from around the country that has served with the soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines from this neck of the woods and rest assured one will find we are held in the highest esteem because we inherit true warrior spirit from those that served before us.

This picture is our local Natuional Guard unit that showcased three up-armoured Hummers fresh from theater. Damn right we're proud.

Alana and Grampa on Halloween

Recently it was reported here that Alana had kidney surgery at the young age of 1.5 and that all was well. All is still well and here she is in full bloom enjoying an ostrich ride with grampa.

Louisville Slugger or a Knife?

Here's a discussion- part of one- where Recon Marines casually discuss weapons of choice in a hand to hand situation. "Can't Stand Losing You" by the Police plays in the background.

Donna Georgiow Remembered

We buried and memorialized our cousin Donna today in Whittier. Donna passed as a result of a near eight month battle with complications from breast cancer. Though somber at times, we were able, as a group, to keep to the wishes of Donna and celebrate her short fifty years with us.

I graduated with Donna same school and same Pioneer High class of 1977. We both learned not to speak Spanish so it came as a bit of a surprise when one of her neighbors confided with us that she was a Pepe Aguilar fan. Later it occurred to me that Donna always spoke with a unique sort of musical meter that may have echoed Latin music. She was always quick to compliment or encourage and it was delivered in a manner that could well have been a song.

The younger generation of our family looks startling like the older but- who else could we ? Many of us cousins look like we are brothers and sisters. With so many of our parents having passed, we are the older generation to the younger folks that were there.

This was an opportunity to reacquaint ourselves with friends and family and see if we can keep our promises to either stay in touch or get together for something other than a life culmination event.