Cruz Bustamante

more spanish!

2010-07-31T21:44:00.002-04:00

méxico vs argentina

pool = piscina (maybe alberca) vs. pileta

jacket = chamarra vs. campera

t-shirt = playera vs. remera

rivalry - rivalidad

to score a goal - meter un gol

el fútbol es gracioso (funny)

leftovers are sobras

to leave a place is "irse," not salir. salir is more to go out. Por eso, salí de la oficina al kiosko y volví. Siempre me voy de la oficina as las 7.

with infinitives and gerunds, the pronoun can go "por atrás." Vamos a disfrutarlo. Estoy disfrutandolo.

with all other tenses, the pronoun must go adelante.

spanish lessons

2010-07-26T21:12:00.004-04:00

random things learned in spanish class recently:

the verb haber (there is/are, there exist) is used more with tangible things. Hay dos libros en la mesa. Hay mucha gente en la parque.

the verb existir (to exist) is used more with ideas, arguments, abstract things. Existe muchos argumentos en favor del matrimonio homosexual (ahora legal en argentina)

en argentina, to say "to drink," always use tomar. beber is more formal and sounds odd.

because = porque, ya que, o por lo que
therefore = por eso, por lo tanto, o en consecuencia

when discussing rights, es derecho de [verbo], por ejemplo, derecho de casarse, o derecho de vivir libre de la tortura
o derecho al/ a la [sustantivo], por ejemplo, derecho a la vida, derecho al matrimonio, derecho a la igualidad

línea = line, but in the sense of line in a drawing, also lane en una autopista o carretera
fila o cola = line, in the sense of a line of people. hacer fila o hacer cola = to wait in line

suyo/suya = his/hers
tuyo/tuya = yours
cuyo = whose, often used with inanimate objects

here is aquí in Mexico, acá here in Argentina
ahí o allí = there, but there closeby, within eyesight generally
allá = there, but more like way over there

Estoy acá en la oficina, el vino está ahí en la sala, y hay más vino allá en la vinoteca.

I am terrible at the difference between imperfecto and pretérito. typically, pretérito is for actions that happened once and are done. imperfecto is for actions that were 1) habitual, 2) used to describe, eg, ella tenía 30 años, brian era jugador muy malo, or 3) when there are two subjects, such as discurso indirecto, eg, me dijo que iba a ir a la fiesta o me mandó correo diciendo que llevaba a dos chicas.

imperfecto is used much more in telling stories: me dolía mucho la cabeza y por eso no salí a la fiesta. or when one action interrupted an ongoing action: Cuando caminaba a la oficina vi a dos personas.

Interestingly, to say the same, puede ser, Cuando estaba caminando a la oficina vi a dos personas. For most purposes, estaba + gerund and imperfecto mean the same thing, and for whatever reason, the estaba + gerund form seems more common.

but watch out, with mientras, you need parallel construction. mientras caminaba a la oficina, escuchaba una fiesta.

a borrador is a rough draft, but the verb borrar does not mean to draft, it means to erase.

(photo is potrerillos, lake near mendoza)

cool blog to recommend

2010-06-26T22:10:00.003-04:00

Met a couple in Mendoza a few weeks ago, Lisa and Tony. Check out their post on Wine Camp. And now I really need to see the salt flats.

ghost town

2010-06-17T09:10:00.002-04:00

walking to work today at my normal hour (10), I was stunned -- the streets were empty. ghost town empty. where were the meandering abuelas that I usually have to dodge, the cars (that I also have to dodge), the other people walking to work? Is today a holiday I didn't remember? Then I hear a roar coming from a bar and I remember -- Argentina is playing Korea this morning.

try this, you'll hate it

2010-06-14T21:13:00.004-04:00

That's what a friend said to me my first night in mendoza, handing me a fernet con coca. he was right - it was awful.

The SF Weekly, reporting on its popularity with hipsters, had it right.

When you hold a shot glass of Fernet-Branca to your nose, the first thing that strikes you is the physicality of the smell, which, if such a thing existed, is like black licorice-flavored Listerine. Put it to your lips and tip it back, and the assault on the throat and sinuses is aggressively medicinal. For many so-called "Fergins" uninitiated to the drink, it can be accompanied by a feeling that may either bring a tear to the eye or lunch to the esophagus. As a bitter Italian aperitif of more than 40 herbs and spices, it most often gets compared to Campari and Jägermeister, though by measure of accuracy, it's equally similar to Robitussin or Pennzoil.

6 weeks later, I have a bottle in my fridge. Wiki says:

Highly popular in Argentina, it is often taken as a national beverage. The production in this country is around 20 million litres, 35% sold in Buenos Aires province and Federal District and 30% in Córdoba province (with a population of 3 million people). Although originally fernet was mainly served with water or soda, now (since late eighties) the most common preparation is with Coca-Cola: A tall glass with several ice cubes is filled about 1/10 full with Fernet and then Coke is slowly added.

And it's true. They drink it a lot here. And, I suppose, now, so do I. You want to order it, "para preparar," that is, a tall glass filled near the top with fernet and ice, another glass with only ice, and a bottle of coke (if you're lucky it's a glass bottle of real coke).

And because of the exchange rate, you can buy a lot of it, cheap!

por andar detrás de la hormiga

2010-05-28T11:59:00.003-04:00

Learned a new Spanish idiom today:

Por andar detrás de la hormiga, se te pasa el elfante.

"For trying to get the ant, the elephant passes you by/you miss the elephant."

Much like our "Can't see the forest for the trees."

Also, here is a photo of the vineyard.

Happy Birthday Argentina

2010-05-25T21:13:00.003-04:00

Mendoza was pretty fun, but probably BA was the place to be.

Mendoza - sociedad insular?

2010-05-24T17:30:00.003-04:00

At a Mendoza Expats happy hour last week, I met a Scottish neurobiologist who told me he'd lived in Mendoza since 1996. I told him, "So you're a real Mendocino now," and he just laughed. Pointing to his half-Argentinian 12 year daughter, who was born here, he said, "Maybe her kids will be real Mendocinos." That's the reputation -- that for as friendly as Mendocinos are with foreigners, to really get into the culture takes generations.

It reminds me of a conversation I had with a couple I met traveling in Oaxaca. When I asked where they were from, they responded, "Well, we've been living in New Orleans for 20 years now, but, you know, until you're third generation you're not really from there." (Maybe geraldinemander can inform on the truth of that.)

It's an odd contrast. La gente son tan amable -- see my last post for an example. Out for drinks the other night, the waiter asked where I was from and upon learning Texas (this is very interesting to Argentinos), he sat at our table, got us free drinks, and chatted for a half hour. Es típico aca. People are warm and welcoming. Except on Sundays.

Sundays are family day. Everything is closed save a few restaurants. The tradition is to have a big asado with your extended family. And to get invited to one, you've got to be in. I think married to an Argentina does it, but not sure.

As my boss, who's lived here for almost 5 years, put it, "On Sundays I walk around town and I feel like I'm an orphan." I felt the same sentiment today walking around Parque Cívico for the bicentennial celebration (tomorrow is the 200th anniversary of Argentina). Toting around my small bottle of malbec after destroying a plate of ribs (very reminiscent of the Houston Greek Festival crossed with 4th of July, btw), I felt a little orphaned too. It's a culture centered on the family. I know, what culture isn't? But there's a purity to the family group here. In Mexico, a pachanga might be family, friends, business associates of the father, etc, but it doesn't appear so here. Porqúe?

De todos modos, happy birthday Argentina! I'm happy to celebrate it with you, even if I'm only partly invited.

friendliness in Mendoza

2010-05-19T19:50:00.006-04:00

Went to look at an apartment today. I met the owner's husband at his medical office (he's a pediatrician) and he took a 30 minute break to walk over to the apartment and show it to me. The apartment was tiny and weird. I stammered that I would get back to him. And then the doc asked me if he could buy me a cup of coffee to welcome me to Mendoza. I was stunned. Where does that happen? We stopped in a cafe, had an espresso, and chatted for 20 minutes. He gave me tips on how not to get mugged, talked some shit about porteños, said he'd connect me with some of his lawyer friends, chatted some about the wine business. and suggested his son (who's in university) and I get together, to practice English and Spanish, respectively. Told me to call him if I needed anything in Mendoza. I was suspicious the whole time, but I think he's just an avuncular, nice Mendocino.

Also, some wines to recommend:

Lorca Viognier

Malbec de Angeles

Enamore Blend

almohadas de vino

2010-05-02T17:03:00.002-04:00

Cruz se mudó a Mendoza.

periquitos en la ciudad

2010-04-22T20:11:00.003-04:00

Ayer, mientras estaba haciendo ejercicio en mi gimnasio, vi dos periquitos verdes sentados en la línea de teléfono fuera de la ventana -- apenas diez pies de mi cara. En Costa Rica, incluso en la ciudad, hay pájaros magníficos.

(parecen como esto)

There's also some fun tico slang. "Choza de la momia," which literally means "mummy hut," is slang for the house of the girl you're going out with. Choza is all purpose slang here for house. And momia sounds like "novia," meaning girlfriend. It may also be (not sure I heard this right), that a mummy is a monster, and at times girlfriends can be too.

And now, some new spanish vocabulary:
tiquismos - expressions unique to costa rica
retroalimentación/realimentación - feedback
hipoteca - mortgage
vid - vine
viñedo - vineyard
catar - to taste
catación - tasting
arbitraje - arbitration
maletas - suitcases; muletas - crutches
principio - beginning (as in, a principios de, o al principio)
sin fines de lucro - nonprofit
expectativa - expectation

The Ceiba tree of El Castillo

2010-04-18T23:36:00.015-04:00

In El Castillo, Costa Rica, in a meadow near the top of a hill overlooking Lake Arenal, there is a very old ceiba, or kapok, tree.

Ceiba trees can support monuments, grow very large, inspire children's books, and may, according to the Mayans, be dimensional portals.

The Ceiba Foundation describes them as such:

Ceiba pentandra is a majestic tropical tree and appropriate symbol for the complex biological interactions and human connections with the environment that drive our work. The giant limbs of the Ceiba's umbrella-shaped crown are laden with epiphytes (aerial plants) and provide a home for countless species of animals. Birds feed and nest in the tree's high perches, mammals use the enormous limbs as aerial highways, frogs raise their tadpoles in the tiny pools that collect in bromeliads, and insects reach the peak of their diversity in the canopy of giant trees like the Ceiba.

The ancient Maya of Central America believed that a great Ceiba tree stood at the center of the earth, connecting the terrestrial world to the spirit-world above. The long thick vines hanging down from its spreading limbs provided a connection to the heavens for the souls that ascended them.

Seeing the ceiba tree in El Castillo, one understands the thought. We came upon it driving to our hotel Tuesday afternoon. It's tall, really tall, and all by itself, like the rest of the trees back off out of deference (ok, maybe it was just spared a clearing). It's been dead a long time. The inside is hollow and home to a colony of bats. The limbs are covered in mosses, lichen, plants and nesting birds and who knows what. We asked around about its history, and the locals just said it'd been there as long as anyone could remember. I don't know if it's a dimensional portal, but it has an otherworldly vibe.

The morning of Wednesday, March 31, we awoke to some serious rain, and around nine heard what sounded like a soft crash of thunder. Driving down the hill to the Butterfly Conservatory, we saw that the ceiba's tree's large branch had fallen!

That afternoon, we left the car in a ditch on the side of a mud road and passed through a hole in the barbed wire fence to take a look. This demanded much photo-taking.

The fallen branch:

I like moss.

the ceiba tree may have lost a branch, but this is one tree that retains its magic.

some links

2010-03-27T17:14:00.006-04:00

Police: Man tried to revive dead possum; alcohol involved

Terry Gross interviews The RZA

Fonville usually has something interesting

Light Look at Spain is a fun spanish language blog

here's a foto from the san pedro neighborhood in san jose, CR

directions?

2010-03-15T21:23:00.004-04:00

San Jose, the capital and largest city of Costa Rica, home to a third of the country's population, lacks addresses. As in, most parts of the city lack street names. And where there are street names, no one knows them. Which means there are not street numbers. Instead, directions are given like this:

It's 225 meters south of the Mexican Cultural Center and 75 meters east, in the Los Yoses neighborhood. That's the address of my office.

The official MAILING address for my apartment is:

In Spanish:

del Banco Nacional del San Pedro

500 metros al sur, y 100 metros al oeste

Edificio amarillo con dos plantas, apartamento numero 8

San Pedro Montes de Oca, Barrio Roosevelt

San Jose, Costa Rica

In English:

From the National Bank in San Pedro

500 meters south and 100 meters west

Yellow two-story building, apartment 8

In the San Pedro Montes de Oca part of town, Roosevelt neighborhood

San Jose, Costa Rica

as someone who is interested in finding places, this is frustrating. while searching for an apartment I stopped in a restaurant for lunch. not sure where I was, I asked the server what street we were on. She didn't know the name of the street she worked on. very helpful.

but as annoying as san jose is (and there's more), you're never more than a few hours from monkeys.

do not take the unlicensed cabs in san jose

2010-03-10T20:46:00.002-05:00

That's the advice all the guidebooks, and licensed taxi drivers, and everyone here will give you. Which of course I ignored.

The licensed cabs all are red with a yellow triangle on the door and a "maria," or meter, so you know what your fare is. But I found myself getting into a cab outside Raices Reggae Bar one Friday, thinking what the hell? Yeah, he doesn't have a maria, but I know the fare to my apt from here is 510 colones (about a dollar), so whatever (or, in Mexican, "equis").

Quick trip, pulls up outside my apartment (which has a little security guard in a little booth -- this will soon become important). He says 1500 colones. I express genuine shock and tell him that the trip is always 500 colones (silly me has already pulled out a 1000 colone bill and is expecting change). He insists. I tell him that's not right, but hand him the 1000 and tell him that's all he's getting. He starts cussing at me in spanish. I exit the cab and slam the door, hard.

Bad idea.

Cabbies here are super-sensitive about slamming their doors (as I was later told). The large, though overweight, cabbie jumps out of cab and comes at me in the middle of the street, kicking. Wtf? He kicks? I dodge four or five kicks, the security guard, unarmed, emerges from his booth to observe from a safe distance while telling the guy to calm down. Finally (what do we pay him for?) the guard gets between us and stops the kicking/dodging dance we're doing in the middle of the road. The taxista is pissed. Says I owe him 3000 for the damage to the cab (there is no damage). I'm a little unsettled by all this, so I tell him ok, I don't have any more money on me, but I'll go into my apt to get him money for the door.

The smart move here is to enter my gated apt and not come out. The second smartest move is to get 3000 colones (about $6) pay the guy off and get him to leave. The least smart move is to get a handful of 50 colone coins that together add up to about 300-400 colones and take them out to the taxista and tell him this is what his door is worth.

Thankfully all he did was throw them in my face and drive off screaming puta madre, etc. All I could manage was "igualmente a ti, pendejo!" The security guard was pissed, rightfully so, at me, and reminded me that many drivers, esp. of unlicensed cabs, are armed. Anyway, I'm an idiot, a lucky one, but one who learned his lesson.

Photo Shop: The Taj Mahal

2010-03-08T15:21:00.004-05:00

I had one day left over after a work trip in Varanasi, India. I was there to shoot a video for the Global Health Council’s annual conference for my organization. We are an international development NGO and we picked a program in Varanasi because it was compelling and it was a stunning ancient city on the banks of the Ganges. If others were going to do talking heads in offices, we were filming in fields, at temples, and on the Ganges. I have no idea if it will work out, the tapes are all of to London for some producer in a dark room to stuff into a template like the 12-15 other clients they sold on this.

TAKE THE TRAIN: My option was to fly back to Delhi and stay at the plush Hyatt Regency Delhi safely away from anything dangerous or interesting, or getting 204 kilometers south to Agra and see the Taj Mahal. I got a berth on the Bhopal Express out of Nizamuddin Station that I shared with an Indian man who migrated to the US and lived 50 miles from me and a retired colonel in the Indian military who plied us both with whiskey for the three hour train ride. I hopped off in Agra, they were overnighting to Bhopal – an apparently beautiful city with ancient buildings and also the site of the horrible gas incident caused by Union-Carbide that killed thousands (back in 1984). Apparently it’s quite pleasant they tell me. As the drinks continue there are promises of visits to faraway ranches in Dharamasala and dinners hosted in DC. Mobile numbers and emails are traded. They were two of the most interesting people I met on the trip.

GET MET AT THE STATION: I’m proper drunk as I jump off the slowly moving train with my two suitcases and my legs buckle and crash out in front of the hundreds of people I see sleeping at the train station. Nobody seems to notice and I’m met as I stand by a guide sent to me by the hotel to get me from the train station there safe and sound (apparently this doesn’t always go well). I look at the people sleeping and they are well dressed. I mean, shirts tucked into slacks and nice polished shoes. They’re just there sleeping, waiting on a train I guess, but not this one apparently. It still is a large station though as Agra gets a lot of traffic and there are lots of places for you to get lost, a common thought for me on this trip.

I get to the hotel in time to sleep for three hours before waking up at 4 a.m. to get to the Taj before sunrise. I had my tripod handy – that I brought all the way from DC through a week in Istanbul and one week in India – just for this morning.

SUNRISE: Ample Google searches assured me that sunrise at the Taj Mahal was infinitely better than sunset because of many factors including light, fog rising off the reflecting pools, the lack of tourists, etc. I tip the hotel guide hefty to ensure my people are organized in time in the morning (driver and guide). Of course no one is there. They show up at 5:20 and tell me to relax that sunrise isn’t until 6:50 and we’ll be fine. We drive – excrutiatingly slowly – to the parking area where you must get tickets. My driver is still half asleep. Inside, two lines, one for Indians one for non-Indians. As you guessed, the line for non-Indians is much longer. That’s why you get a guide. But, you should get a guide that has some sharp elbows because this dude was getting rolled. We got our tickets after it seemed like every other guide and his little brother hooked up the 50 Swiss and Japanese tourists waiting in line. Then, we start walking to the gate.

GET A RICKSHAW: Scores of fat tourists were zipping past us toward the gate of the Taj as the sun was actually beginning to come up and the dark was beginning to light up. Argh!!! We’re missing it. I’m basically jogging while my guide is 30 yards behind me. By the time we get to the gate we’re maybe the 90th people in line. I was furious until I realized that although we were the 90th, there was at least 200 people behind us. It was busy. But if you want to be there early and get the magic shots without any people in front of you and the Taj, don’t walk from the ticket window!

NO TRIPODS: This one makes sense really, it’s ancient marble that they don’t let you walk on with shoes (you must wear socks, go barefoot, or boot little snuggies over your shoes). They don’t want tripods gouging out holes in that marble. Even so, you won’t get it through the inspection at the gate. A quick list of items prohibited in my short time viewing the screening:
- tripods, cigarettes, lighters, matches, snickers bars, chewing gum, muffin
So unless you know someone special or plan on bribing the right guard, leave the tripod at the hotel. But that leads me to:

GO TO THE NATURE PARK: There is a small nature walk about 5 minutes before you get to the Taj gate on the right. It costs 50 rupees per visitor and if you walk up until the very end, you have a view of the Taj, and the mosque together over some trees. You can set up a tripod and watch the buildings light up as the sun rises behind you and lights them up. Or, at least that’s what I was thinking after I saw that view at noon after I battled with tourists for 4 hours at the Taj. My guide thought that would make up for the rough, earlier start we had.

“You are happy now?”

No, Shebi. I am not happy.

SUNRISE II: But it’s not Shebi’s fault. It’s the whole set up and the fact that the idiot guards at the Taj open the gates at a specific time no matter if the lunar cycle has moved on them and they are keeping you in line during the ABSOLUTE BEST TIME TO TAKE PHOTOS – which is maddening to think that hundreds of people like me traveled hundreds of kilometers and dragged their asses out of bed to take a photo of fog lifting from the Taj, unmolested with people gumming up the view and then be able to brag to friends and enemies about how they were there blah blah blah. But no! The guides must only let you in at 6:45 and then let people through in a trickle.

THE MONEY SHOT: I think the only way you are getting this mythical Google-alleged sunrise shot of the Taj, the fog (didn’t see any), the reflecting pools (were empty), is to do the following:

- Get to the ticket office at 4:30 am (not your lobby, the ticket office about a kilometer from the gate).
- Keep the rickshaw driver who brought you to the ticket gate (or use him to get in the shorter Indian ticket line for your tickets and then he can drive you to the gate).
- Don’t have any of the items mentioned above on you or you will have to take them back to a locker (yup, at the ticket office, one kilometer away) so you can breeze through security.
- Run as fast as you can through the beautiful Great Gate (don’t look, it’s a distraction…focus!!) and run past the first reflecting pool (or pit) and hurdle the first bench and set up for a series of photos before you are greeted by others doing the same. You will maybe have 30-45 seconds so don’t drink a bunch of whiskey on the train the night before.

Or you can take your time, realize that a lot of effort is required for this endeavor and you could leisurely stroll the grounds and soak in the splendor. Ponder the fact that Shah Jahan built this shrine to his deceased wife Mumtaz Mahal. It’s so stunning it is surreal. People or not, it is worth seeing to ponder the work and detail of this place. There were plans by Jahan to build an identical Taj across the lawn, but in black marble – the Black Taj! He was overthrown by his son before the construction could begin. My head would explode if such a thing were to exist. The Taj itself is such a magnificent building – if word can even be used. If an identical one in black was parked right by it I couldn’t even fathom how incredible that would look. Damn you Aurangzeb (his son)!!

Enjoy your trip to the Taj. You will still get some cool shots.

*Oh, and organize this through a travel agency. You will get slaughtered if you try to navigate the Delhi rail stations if you’ve never been to India and don’t speak/read Hindi.

*PPS – Watch out for your guide’s hustle. He’ll take you to “authentic” marble shops where you’ll get the hard sell. Did you know the ACTUAL descendents of the craftsmen on the Taj work in THEIR shop??! What a coincidence, and I’m here talking to him. The salesman tells me since I’ve never been to India “the first time you are not a customer, you are my guest.” He then proceeds to sell me a $1200 USD marble slab that weighs about 200 pounds. “We ship by freight, you get in 12 weeks.” I ended up buying a smaller one because some of them were quite nice (and because they are very convincing salesman!). It’s just the first of many famous jewelry stores, restaurants, general stores, etc. that you will be steered toward unless you are firm up front that you aren’t interested.

At least my marble slab came from kinfolk of Taj Mahal laborers.

words Spanish needs

2010-03-03T11:28:00.004-05:00

In Spanish there is no word for "helpful," as in, "thanks, you´ve been very helpful." You can say "útil," but that´s really more like "useful." "Amable" is more like "friendly." "Me da mucho ayuda," is "you give me lots of help," but the adjective just doesn´t exist. I´m looking at you, Royal Academy of Spanish, get on it.

Second, there´s no way to say, "I am looking forward to... meeting you in person, our lunch, the hearing, spring, etc." "Esperar" is an overworked verb than can mean to wait, to hope, or to expect (which is another problem), but it doesn´t really express the idea of looking forward to something.

Third, Spanish needs a verb for "realize," rather than having to use "darse cuenta de," which sort of means to give oneself account of something. Más venir.

addendum: Mar 7

Spanish has no verb for "to borrow." "Prestar" means to lend but there is no verb for the action of borrowing. You can't say "I borrowed $5 from him." You have to say "He lent me $5."

Siguiente, the verb "gastar" is asked to do too much. It means both "to spend" and "to waste." So, the sentence, "Yo gasté cincuenta dolares en escoces," means either "I spent $50 on scotch" or "I wasted $50 on scotch." Quite different meanings, which the listener/reader has to figure out from context. True, you could use "malgastar" for "waste." Any spanish speakers know which is more common?

Texas

2010-03-02T13:37:00.004-05:00

in honor of the day (and UT´s nice win over OU last night):

"I have said that Texas is a state of mind, but I think it is more than that. It is a mystique closely approximating a religion. And this is true to the extent that people either passionately love Texas or passionately hate it and, as in other religions, few people dare to inspect it for fear of losing their bearings in mystery or paradox. But I... See More think there will be little quarrel with my feeling that Texas is one thing. For all its enormous range of space, climate, and physical appearance, and for all the internal squabbles, contentions, and strivings, Texas has a tight cohesiveness perhaps stronger than any other section of America. Rich, poor, Panhandle, Gulf, city, country, Texas is the obsession, the proper study and the passionate possession of all Texans." - John Steinbeck, 1962

¿por qué no hay notas en Cruz recientemente?

2010-03-02T13:32:00.001-05:00

Has facebook usurped Cruz Bustamante? Is Marvelle too busy globetrotting to share? How much longer can bda use the fact that his laptop got jacked out of a hostel in Guadalajara for not writing (esp. now that he has a new one)?

free poverty

2010-01-05T23:27:00.001-05:00

navidad en el zócalo

2009-12-14T20:47:00.002-05:00

neighborhood cleanup

2009-12-02T16:42:00.005-05:00

walking through a random neighborhood, I saw this sign, which reads:
"All the neighbors are invited to participate in the service day of cleaning and should just show up Sunday the 4th of October starting at 7 am. Meeting point: the little garden of the neighborhood. Bring brooms, machetes, etc.
"This same informs you all that Monday, the 5th of October at 5 pm we will make the delivery of the food pantry. Bring your respective credentials to the little garden of the neighborhood.
"Attention: Comvive y ACO"

advice on facebook for parents

2009-11-26T20:19:00.001-05:00

the capital T knows his shit. and how the mierda is texas down?

secret far-right society infiltrates government?

2009-11-25T22:18:00.002-05:00

Nope, it's not a story of the Bush Administration, but rather El Yunque in México.

A secret organization born in the Cold War and determined to overthrow an authoritarian government outlives the regime and instead begins to undermine a democratically elected administration in hopes of installing a modern theocracy.

Luis Paredes Moctezuma, the former mayor of Puebla in central Mexico, said that very scenario exists in the administration of President Felipe Calderón and the National Action Party, or PAN. He asserted that the party has been slowly infiltrated by the radical group over decades.

boating in xochimilco

2009-11-24T21:36:00.001-05:00

chulo mi coche

2009-11-18T21:01:00.002-05:00

because, why wouldn't you have a car show outside a church?

fotos aleatorias de la ciudad

2009-11-09T21:36:00.002-05:00

batalla de todos los santos

2009-11-09T21:22:00.003-05:00

El segundo de noviembre, 2006 fue la batalla de todos los santos. los estudiantes de UABJO "repelieron" la policia federal -- temporalmente. Este año, fue un demonstración que cerró un gran intersección cerca de la universidad. el graffiti dice "caution, dogs unleashed."

Lo que los maestros en México deben apoyar:

2009-11-09T18:40:00.003-05:00

Más largo días de clase por los estudiantes en las escuelas públicos. En clase hoy, mi profesora les dijo que Oaxaca tiene un mal reputación en México como flojo. La rázon es hay menos días de trabajo y escuela aquí que en otros estados en el país. Según de ella, el requisito es 200 días de escuela más o menos, pero el sindicato aquí -- SNTE Local 22 -- tiene más días sin escuela que sindicatos en otra partes del país.

200 parece como mucho. Ciertamente, en los Estados Unidos, 180 es típico (Obama quiere más). Pero, en EUA, estudiantes son en clase por más horas. Según de UNESCO, (pagina 211), el promedio horas por año de enseñar en escuela primeria en México es 800, comparado a 1080 en EUA. Presumiblemente, es menos de 800 en Oaxaca.

Y, según de USA Today:

At many Mexican schools, there is a morning shift and an afternoon shift, each about five hours long, compared with the seven or eight hours that American students spend in school.

Otros estimaciones son de solo 4 horas por día.

También, interesantemente, maestros en México gana más de maestros en EUA, como un porcentaje de GDP. En México, el salario comienzo para un maestro es $13,834, y $18,200 despues 15 años. (pagina 217) En EUA, es $34,895 y $42, 404.

Pero, un maestro nuevo en México gana 131% de GDP per cápita, comparado a 83% en EUA. (pagina 219). Y despues de 15 años, un maestro Mexicano gana 172% de GDP per cápita, comparado a 101% en EUA.

Apoyo mayor salarias por maestros en general. Pero, todavía no entiendo el apoyo por el demanda for mayor salarias de los maestros por la gente en 2006. Y pienso que quizas, los maestros aquí, y su sindicato, deben pedir más horas de clase en lugar de, o además de, mayor salarias.

2006 and APPO in Oaxaca

2009-11-08T21:47:00.005-05:00

It's very hard to find an objective account of what happened in 2006 in the city of Oaxaca with the teachers' strike and eventual APPO takeover of the city for 6 months. Even the wikipedia entry notes that the "neutrality is disputed." I read "The People Decide," a first person account by Nancy Davies; it's interesting but the author makes no attempt to hide her bias.

The factual account in this essay by George Salzman is a good primer though.

(ps -- all photos stolen from AP)

minor annoyances and a serious gripe

2009-11-08T20:45:00.003-05:00

1. Battle of the bands.

In the Zócalo (main square of Oaxaca city) today there was a free performance of the city symphony under a big tree. Chido. But not 30 yards away there was a tent set up with a PA system and a singer singing along to some cumbia recording. For the most part, the symphony drowned out the singer, but como chingas! Who gives permits for space in the city square?

2. Pinche El Pochote.

There's a small independent movie theater here that plays free movies. Tonight went to see "The Fountain" at 6 pm according to the printed schedule and website. Me, a few other gringos, and a dozen Mexicans waited around until 6:45. They never opened. Como chingas!

3. White privilege in Oaxaca.

In the Zócalo, there are cafes all on sides, with relatively nice restrooms. As a white person, you can walk in anytime and use them, unbothered. But the Mexicans have to use the crappy pay restrooms underneath the bandstand. Yo se, compared to the huge disparities in wealth, impact of NAFTA on poor people, election fraud by the PRI, occasional government oppression, it's minor...

There are also bars/clubs here that search all the Mexican guys entering but let the gringos in unmolested. Wtf?

Now listening to some sort of mexican ska in a bar with wireless and 15 peso draft beers (about $1.20), y más tranquilo.

día de muertos en fotos

2009-11-05T22:11:00.001-05:00

mexicans use 1.35 billion curse words daily

2009-11-05T14:42:00.003-05:00

so says the NYT. why do I know only 5 or 6? better study.

drink specials in oaxaca

2009-11-04T22:51:00.001-05:00

Tuesday- Caffeine: 25 peso whiskey
Wednesday- Coffee Bean: 35 peso 40s of Modelo Especial
list to be updated

chingaderas

2009-11-04T22:12:00.002-05:00

Este noche fui a una exposición de fotos de día de los muertos en Oaxaca (de la fin de semana pasada). Fue a Centro Fotográfico de Manual Alvarez Bravo y fue un selección del Jolgorio. Parece prometedora. La multitud fue “hipsters,” mayormente gueros, pero fue 30 porcentaje mexicanos.

David Alan Harvey es el fótografo que crea la exposición. A la comienza, él introducó la exposición, explicó que era mayormente fotos de sus estudiantes – y dijo que él ha concocido Oaxaca por 25 años y México por 35! Que credibilidad! Excepto, él habló mayormente en ingles. Disculpó por hablando en ingles, pero esto no dejó algunos en la multidud de gritando “Habla español!”

Y yo acuerdo! Como es possible para afirmar confianza en una cultura por mas de treinta años cuando no puede hablar la lengua? Fue corto presentaciones de ocho ftógrafos. Cada duró 2-4 minutos y tuvó música. Al fin, la música fue acreditado. El primer, por una americana, tuvó Cat Power. Nunca conocí ella pero immediamente la conocí. El otro selecciones incluyó Thievery Corporation, Dvorak, y Talib Kweli. No hay cantantes o artistas de México para usar?! Parece a mí que un exposición sobre día de los muertos, un único cosa de Oaxaca y México debe tratar de usar música apropriada. Había uno que usó música en español pero no se si era de México. Al fin, tocó David Byrne! Me doy cuenta que parece áspero. En verdad, algunas de las fotos eran buena, intima, artística.

Pero, eso es un otro cuestión: La intimidad de algunos retratos me molestó. Fue fotos de abuelas lloriando en panteones. Pedó permiso para tomar las fotos? Parece un poco intrusivo o quizas aun explotadora. Especialmente porque nunca de los fótografos eran mexicanos. Si desea mostrar la cultura no hay fotógrafos mexicanos?

Parece a veces que los artistas americanos aquí hace un fetiche de la gente. Pensé de los indios en los estados unidos que creían que para tomar una foto era para robar la alma. Hay distancia entre artista y subjeto. Tal vez es todo el caso con arte, y especialmente con fótografia.

Chingas, quizas no estoy diferente! estoy aquí para experimentar el otro, una cultura diferente, exótica. Hay una razón que no estoy en Washington, D.C. ahora. Pero a menos que estoy tratando de aprender la lengua, y interrelacionarme con la gente. Parece que a veces los artistas está aquí solo para tomar, y tiene nada para ofrecer. Pero, que ofrezco? Y está aun mi papel para preguntar estos preguntas en lugar de los mexicanos? Las personas que cerra el Centro puedan pensarse sin mí.

Mexican horoscopes are harsh

2009-11-04T15:55:00.003-05:00

From today's Noticias, a daily newspaper in Oaxaca (translated, more or less accurately, by me)

Virgo: Possibility of having some disgust with your partner or your family, perhaps by external cause. Things will be much more simple if you try to see the situation from a little distance. Word of the day: Disgust

panteón general

2009-11-03T11:30:00.002-05:00

there was what can only be described as a party at the city cemetery here saturday night. music, free hot chocolate, pan de muerto, gawkers taking pictures of graves. outside, there was a festival -- like a county fair, with rides, games, food vendors. lots of stuff for the kids.

greeting day of the dead

2009-11-02T12:24:00.007-05:00

broke in day of the dead at a bar called Barracuda, drinking rounds of Indio beer and Minera mezcal, listening to a cover band play selections including The Wall, Pink Floyd, and Karma Police, Radiohead, in Spanish, watching Black Hawk Down on the tv above the bar, on mute, with Spanish subtitles. unsettling contrast -- the celebration of death around while for entertainment they play scene after scene of horrible, violent real death.

coincidentally, NYT just had an interesting blog on death. I don't think you could say this about Mexico:

There are two lessons here. The first, and most obvious one, is that death is terrifying. Here in the United States, we have the technology to defer death, so we often pretend it will never really happen to us. There is always another procedure, always a cure in sight if not in hand. But in our sober moments we recognize that we will indeed die, and that we have precious little control over when it will happen.
The harm of death goes to the heart of who we are as human beings. We are, in essence, forward-looking creatures. We create our lives prospectively. We build relationships, careers, and projects that are not solely of the moment but that have a future in our vision of them. One of the reasons Eastern philosophies have developed techniques to train us to be in the moment isthat that is not our natural state. We are pulled toward the future, and see the meaning of what we do now in its light.
Death extinguishes that light. And because we know that we will die, and yet we don’t know when, the darkness that is ultimately ahead of each of us is with us at every moment. There is, we might say, a tunnel at the end of this light. And since we are creatures of the future, the darkness of death offends us in our very being. We may come to terms with it when we grow old, but unless our lives have become a burden to us coming to terms is the best we can hope for.

When I get back to the States, I'm rewatching Six Feet Under. On another note, from my class "Conociendo a la muerte," I have a new favorite expression for the living - "los que todavía tenemos sangre," or "those of us who still have blood."

calaveras, muerte, y posada

2009-10-27T22:07:00.004-04:00

cuando estudiando la historía de día de muertos en mi clase "Conociendo a la muerte," concimos con los mitos de Tezcatlipoca, pero para entender los imágenes de la festividad de hoy (described as Fourth of July, Halloween and Christmas all rolled into one), necesita aprender sobre el artista gráfica José Guadalupe Posada:

Much of his work was also published insensationalistic broadsides depicting various current events. Posada's best known works are his calaveras, which often assume various costumes, such as the Calavera de la Catrina, the "Calavera of the Female Dandy", which was meant to satirize the life of the upper classes during the reign of Porfirio Díaz. Most of his imagery was meant to make a religious or satirical point. Since his death, however, his images have become associated with the Mexican holiday Día de los Muertos, the "Day of the Dead".

Unos de los imagenes son aqui. Fue el Mark Twain y Thomas Nast de México. And his calaveras are cool as fuck.

rezas a santa muerte?

2009-10-27T07:11:00.000-04:00

Con día de muertos llegada, demanda un puesto sobre santa muerte.

Es el dios nuevo? alguna de esta mierda es chinga freaky.

quizas yo necisito un estatua para mi escritorio por cuando yo reunio con abogados contrarios...

in mexico, pigs can fly

2009-10-27T00:21:00.000-04:00

lessons from spanish school:

1. when a police helicopter buzzed low, exclaimed my professor: "in méxico, pigs can fly." oaxaqueños no le agrada el gobierno.

2. Vitamina M (mezcal) cures everything from snake bites to indigestion.

viajar diariamente a la escuela (my commute)

2009-10-26T23:00:00.004-04:00

step out into 60-65 degree weather and stare up at the Santa Domingo,

take a left and head up the Alcalá two blocks. Pass about 8 million statues of Benito Juarez.

Head up Quintana Roo. Look at the mountains.

Cut through Conzatti park. Watch the little Christian prayer group. Possibly get a breakfast torta from La Hormiga. Up Reforma.

Dodge crazy drivers trying to kill me. Pass the Jardín de Niños. One more block up Juarez.

Arrive to find school decorated with flowers for Día de Muertos week.

weather words

2009-10-26T22:48:00.002-04:00

el tiempo- weather
luvioso- rainy
nublado- cloudy
nevado- snowy
soleado- sunny
el termómetro- thermometer
el pronóstico- forecast
la temperatura- temperature
hace calor- it's hot
caluroso- warm
fresco- cool
hace frío- it's cold
helado- freezing
con neblina- foggy
con viento- windy
tormenta tropical- tormenta
huracán- hurricane
truenos- thunder
rayo- lightning
humedad- humidity
mayormente- mostly
clima- climate

rareza (whose monkey is this?)

2009-10-26T22:22:00.006-04:00

méxico can be very weird at times. instance one, I walk out of my apartment on Sunday, un poquito crudo, and there is a stuffed animal, un mono, laying in the middle of the walkway. almost like it fell from the tree and died. whose monkey is this?

instance two, more cool than weird. sunday afternoon, in anticipation of a later wedding party, these guys were sitting up in front of the church:

finally, tonight I'm reading about death (día de muertos is coming up and I'm taking a class called "Getting to Know Death"), with the window open, and I hear one minute snippets of Sister Soul and Beat It very loud. I walk out to the plaza around the corner, and there are 500 some odd high school kids watching some sort of "Bring It On" competition.

información?

2009-10-25T20:35:00.003-04:00

maybe the most frustrating thing about living in oaxaca is the lack of information. an information society this is not.

I think of this because tonight was the America-Chivas soccer game -- big Mexican rivalry. Word was the game was at 6:30. It was actually at 4:30 (I still caught most of it -- America won 1-0). This is typical. You simply can't find shit out here. while generally I've relished not following US news/politics/etc, this morning a bit of homesickness/desire for routine set in, and I decided I wanted to buy a Sunday NYT and sit in a cafe and read the whole thing. this was after going to the local cafe I like for breakfast only to find it inexplicably closed with a sign saying "sorry."

Went to Amate Books, the english language bookstore to see if they had it. No, but the woman there said the newsstands in the Zocalo (main square) sell American papers. So I walk down to the Zocalo, and ask the newsstands if they sell American papers. No. The guy says to come back mañana, which is something people say here when they don't have what you're looking for. It doesn't really mean if you come back tomorrow we'll have it.

that's the way it goes -- wild goose chases for things and information.

one of my first nights in town, friends and I stopped in the Teatro Macedonia, a very cool old theater in town; they were having a free musical performance. thinking I'd like to come back, I asked for a schedule. the woman there said the guy with the schedules had left and I should come back during the day. no website, por su puesto.

this is the rant of a spoiled american (why is there no oaxaca.citysearch.com?!). I'm used to checking the wmata or capmetro websites to find exactly when the bus comes and where it goes. here there is no published bus schedule -- not even at the bus stops. you just sort of wait for a bus to come by. time here is much less urgent. for instance, the lila downs concert scheduled for 9:00 pm started at 11:30 pm.

El Jogorio, a monthly magazine with cultural events said that on a particular Thursday there would be an exhibit of 30 years of political ads in Mexico at the Graphic Arts Museum. Showed up, and it turns out it's not an exhibit, it's a conference; and it's not at the Museum, it's at a town 30 minutes away. Oh well.

hours for stores and restuarants aren't posted. they're open when they're open and closed when they're closed. don't expect consistent hours. no one knows addresses or streets. directions are typically: go to the street by this store, take a left, walk a while.... look for this...

I called SKY, the Mexican cable network, two weeks ago to see if the UT-OU game would be on. No one knew. If it's on, it's on. Just go to the bar and see (it wasn't). This place will either purge my OCD/planner tendencies or cause serious mental illness, espero the former. which could be the best thing gained (in addition, of course, to fluency in spanish).

ok. I'm staring at three liters of beer that need drinking. hasta luego.

ya hoy es un buen día

2009-10-24T18:36:00.004-04:00

ahora sentado a café royal sorbiendo un café olla con mezcal. esta mañana, yo fui al zocalo para desayuno -- huevos con tocino, un clasico americano, ahora con tortillas y salsa. gasté dos horas al café leyendo y terminando "The Power and the Glory," por Graham Greene. yo lo recomendo. no sabia sobre el Calles Ley y el Cristero Guerra. el zocalo es fantástico ver la gente y leer excepto hay mucho niños vendiendo mucho mierda. cada cuatro minutos uno de estos huercos pede dinero. yo desé que yo tuvé un tatuaje de "no gracías" en mi abrazo. de todos modos, fue un bien comienza.

entonces, fui al museo de los pintores oaxaqueños cerca del zocalo. la costa fue veinte pesos (~$1.70). vale. el primer piso fue unas pinches aquarelas, pero en el segundo piso fue un exposición de pinturas por Fernando Aceves Humana. fue asombrosa. mucha obscura. casi de un otra munda. se llama serie en riesgo. fue muy extraño porque yo fui el solo persona en el museo. casi como yo he invadido un espacio donde yo no fue suponiendo estar. un interesante experiecía.

esta noche habrá un fiesta felizcumpleanos para un amigo de un amigo, y iré. pero, no comienza hasta 10:30 en la noche, cuál es un poco tarde para un viejo como mí. pues, no puedo resistir una pachanga!

también, vaya horns! golpea missouri!

prepara por día de muertos

2009-10-23T14:14:00.004-04:00

pronto, el día de muertos estará aqui. un día cuando los muertos regresan a la Tierra. los desfiles comenzaron ayer. me siento la ciudad se vuelve emocionada.

a mi escuela, habrá dos clases nuevos próxima semana. de 2 a 4, haré máscaras tradicionales -- como calaveras. y de 4 a 6, habrá lecturas sobre la historia del día del muertos. yo espero aprender mucho de la cultura y las creencias. pues, este puesto no es suficiente largo, así...

errata: 1) en méxico, cuando tomas sus niños a McDonald's no trayes un "Happy Meal." aquí, es un "Cajita Feliz," lo que traduce como "Happy Box."

2) Una queja. A las cuatro y media en la mañana hoy, había fuegos de artificiales afuera de mi departamento. Muy ruidoso. Soñó como cañóns o escopetas. Claro, yo me desperté enojadamente and grité a nadie en particular. Pinche fiestas o borrachos.

3) Conocen sobre el Mérida Initativo? Es un plan para los Estados Unidos para regalar armas y dinero militario a México luchar los narcos. No todo en México lo apoya. Yo tengo dudas también. Echale su coco -- la historia de fondos de los Estados Unidos por ejércitos en LatinoAmerica no ha estado bueno.

aviso a los narcos:

2009-10-22T19:25:00.003-04:00

este santo no puede salvarles. Jesus Malverde is the patron saint of "los narcos" and criminales in general, pero la policia sabe sobre él.

instead of saving you, the presence of his statue can get you caught.

Indeed, drug enforcement authorities in Mexico and the United States said Malverde statues, tattoos and amulets can be tip-offs to illegal activity.
“We send squads out to local hotel and motel parking lots looking for cars with Malverde symbols on the windshield or hanging from the rearview mirror,” said Sgt. Rico Garcia with the narcotics division of the Houston Police Department. “It gives us a clue that something is probably going on.”
Courts in California, Kansas, Nebraska and Texas have ruled that Malverde trinkets and talismans are admissible evidence in drug and money-laundering cases.

no derecho privado de acción

2009-10-22T19:11:00.002-04:00

hoy empezo un emocionado tiempo en mis estudios. cada día yo escribiré algo en español. A menos que 250 words. pues, tal vez 150 words. pero, el punto es que cada día yo aprenderé nuevas palabras y como conjugar verbos -- pinche desfila afuera de la ventance causó a yo para perdir mi ferrocarril del pienso. hay personas en constumbres, como diablos, y animales feos, etc.

así, en mi clase hoy, mi profesor me dijó sobre tú amigo que trabaja por Pemex. Cuando el amigo pedio por un trabajo, los jefes dijeron que Oaxaqueños son indiginas y flojos. Y su amojo tuvó trabajar gratis por un mez. Mientras, empleos de otros partes del país no tuvieron lo mismo.

"pero, no es discriminación por estado de origén illegal en méxico, yo -- el pronto ser abaogado -- dijé" respondio mi profesor con reirse. por su puesto, dijó. pero, es la manera en méxico. yo pedí cual sea si su amigo fue al gobierno, y respondio, nada, especialmente porque Pemex es un companía del gobierno.

existe un derecho de acción privado yo dijé. en otras palabras, sea posible para su amigo traer un abogado privado y demanda a Pemex? No, el me dijó. pues, es el problema, yo respondí, si no tiene un derecho de acción privado, entonces su ley contra discriminación vale nada.

gracías a dios por los abogados de "plaintiffs" en los estados unidos!

Not a good sign...

2009-10-21T13:54:00.003-04:00

I just saw this on the State Department's travel warnings page. Not the best thing to read before your photo documentation trip to the DRC:

"Photography: Travelers should note that photography in public places in Kinshasa and around any public or government building or monument in the DRC is strictly forbidden. Persons caught photographing such sites will likely have their photographic equipment confiscated and risk detention and possible arrest."

Oh snap, it gets better!

"Travelers are frequently detained and questioned by poorly disciplined security forces at numerous roadblocks and border crossings throughout the country. Requests for bribes in such instances are extremely common, and security forces have occasionally injured or killed people refusing to pay. In the last six months, the Embassy has recorded a number of serious instances where U.S. citizens were detained illegally by government forces. The isolation of the area makes the provision of consular services difficult.

Kinshasa remains a critical crime threat area, and U.S. citizens continue to be the victims of serious crime, including armed robbery by groups posing as law enforcement."

100 most useful verbs in Spanish

2009-10-20T18:12:00.008-04:00

ser - to be (permanent)
estar - to be (temporary)
ir - to go
poder – to be able to
hacer - to do, to make
haber - to exist, also used with past participle
decidir - to decide
cambiar - to change
tomar - to take
tener - to have
traer - to bring, to carry
comenzar - to begin
empezar - to begin
terminar - to end
dejar - to leave behind
pasar - to pass
cruzar - to cross
evitar - to avoid
lograr - to achieve
trabajar - to work
correr - to close
abrir - to open
dar - to give
deber – to “should”
aumentar - to increase
agregar - to add
mejorar - to improve
poner – to put, to place
tirar – to shoot
echar – to throw
tratar – to try (to do something)
probar – to try (a new thing)
quemar – to burn
llenar – to fill
servir – to seve
usar – to use, to wear
utilizar – to use
visitar – to visit
perdir – to lose
escoger – to choose
preferir – to prefer
permitir - to permit
mandar - to order, to send
unirse - to join
mostrar - to show
significar - to mean

thinking and saying
pensar - to think
creer - to believe
hablar - to talk
decir - to say, to tell
llamar - to call
gritar – to yell
preguntar - to ask
pedir – to ask for
contestar - to answer
saber - to know a fact
conocer - to know a person or a thing

motion
llegar - to arrive
salir - to leave
volar - to fly
manejar - to drive
caminar - to walk
cerrar – to run
andar - to ride
venir - to come
parar – to stop
llevar - to carry, take
buscar - to search
encontrar - to find
sentarse – to sit down
levantarse – to get up
bajar – to go down
subir – to go up, to board
quedar – to remain
regresar - to return
volver - to return

perception
ver - to see
mirar - to watch
parecer - to seem, to appear
escuchar - to hear
oir - to hear
tocar – to touch, to play an instrument
sentir – to feel
entender – to understand
comprender – to comprehend

life
querer – to want
gustar – to like
encantar – to enchant
desear – to desire
amar – to love
encantar - to love (a thing), to enchant
preocuparse - to worry
comer - to eat
bebir - to drink
cantar - to sing
jugar - to play (a game)
chingar – to fuck
coger – to have sex
nadar – to swim
seguir - to follow
conseguir – to get, to obtain
reirse – to laugh
sonreirse – to smile
dormir – to sleep
llorar – cry
curar - to cure
sanar - to make healthy
cazar – to hunt
atrapar – to catch
cocinar - to cook
banarse – to bath
vestirse – to dress
lavar – to wash
limpiar – to clean
caer – to fall
ayudar – to help
apoyar – to support
viajar – to travel
divertir - to enjoy
molestar - to bother
agradar - to like, to agree with

school
enseñar - to teach
aprender - to learn
estudiar - to study
olvidar - to forget
recordar - to remember
escribir - to write
leer - to read
explicar - to explain
traducir - to translate
equivocar - to make a mistake

humanity
nacer - to be born
vivir - to live
crecer - to grow
casarse - to get married
pelear - to argue, to fight
luchar - to fight, to struggle
quejarse – to complain
morir - to die

commerce
vender - to sell
comprar - to buy
pagar - to pay
costar - to cost
gastar - to spend
valer - to value, to be worth

note: after preposition, de, con, sin, para, always the infinitive

communication breakdown, dos por uno

2009-10-20T14:47:00.006-04:00

how do you say this:

that was my problem yesterday at the pitico (sort of like a small supermarket). I don't see any 2000 flushes anywhere, so I ask a guy with a pitico shirt on, "se vende [hand motion] para limpiar el retrete?" [blank stare] "la toileta?" "que?" "una cosa para limpiar su retrete? toileta? como when you [hand motion for flush?]

at this point, a pregnant woman in the same aisle mercifully came to my aid, said something very rapidly and the man nodded. I said, "gracias." She said, "you're welcome."

Toilet bowl cleaner acquired. Next mission is to get a haircut.

I can manage "hace seis o siete semanas desde me pasado corte de pelo," and "corto pero no demasiado corto." then the conversation became completely unintelligible to me. lots of questioning "sí's" later, I walked out with shorter hair that looks perfectly fine.

today in class I learn that "retrete," while technically correct, is a very old-fashioned way of saying toilet, sort of like commode. A toilet is a "taza" (same word for cup), or maybe an "excusado", and the above product is a "pastilla para baño," or pill for the bathroom.

more studying, fewer micheladas.

road to tlaxiaco

2009-10-19T19:04:00.002-04:00

música para viaje
de ida:
Explosions in the Sky
Cloud Cult
de vuelta:
Maná
Ibrahim Ferrer
Chingo Bling
Ozomatli

lila downs concert

2009-10-18T21:19:00.007-04:00

Saw Lila Downs in a concert in her hometown Friday. Fantastic show. For Tlaxiaco, this was a big deal (covered in local media). She played a mix of traditional mixteca songs and latin jazz. The locals sang along to the traditional canciones. Favorites for me included the Cumbia del Mole, El Feo, La Cucaracha, the song where she warns the pollos because she heard they were gonna make pollo con arroz for dinner, and Justicia!

For the encore, she brought on the local Tlaxiaco band (looked like middle and high school kids) to play some traditional Oaxaquena songs.

I miss you baby

2009-10-18T20:43:00.006-04:00

I know why mexico has problems -- they don't have bourbon. it just doesn't exist here, and I don't know why. went to a bar today to watch a soccer game; they had the following types of scotch:

Johnnie Walker Red, Black, Blue and Green

Chivas

J&B

Buchanan's

Cutty Sark

and a couple other cheap types

BUT NOT ONE BOURBON.

And this is typical. A bar or liquor store that has 15 types of vodka, 25 types of tequila and mezcals, and 10 types of scotch will lack even a single Maker's Mark.

Yo ha regresado putos!

2009-10-16T15:39:00.002-04:00

Orale!

While not sipping Carta Blancas and deep sea fishing in Mexico, I am a founding member of this blog and am delighted to see its return. I wholeheartedly support its transition into a travel log since a) one of us lives in Mexico now and b) the other thinks his travels are more exciting than penning posts about life in DC.

Coming soon:

- Poop-related panic on a Kenya Airways flight
- Subtle authoritarianism in Madagascar
- Cosmic musings in the world's oldest desert (Namibia)
- Getting lost in the Muslim quarter in Stone Town, Zanzibar
- Child mining in the Congo

Cruz Bustamante lives! Que fantastico!

with all your power

2009-10-15T18:25:00.005-04:00

while watching the mexico-el salvador soccer game last weekend, a powerade commercial came on featuring the flaming lips' "yeah yeah yeah song."

gender (género) benders

2009-10-15T18:20:00.004-04:00

pinche palabras que no tienen lógica:

el mapa

el problema

el sistema

el agua

el día

la mano

also, no me gusta que asistir significa "to attend" and atender significa "to pay attention"

palabras para saber

2009-10-14T11:43:00.000-04:00

noticias - news
negocios - business
periódicos - newspapers
revistas - magazines
anuncios - advertisements
campaña - campaign
campana - bell

ps, learned today: nike's slogan in spanish is "sólo hazlo."

also learned today: "primo" doesn't just mean cousin. tambien puede ser un churro con mota y cocaina.

atención Tejas fans en México

2009-10-13T22:52:00.004-04:00

the place to watch the Texas-OU game on Saturday in Oaxaca de Juarez is Pan y Natural. They have a big flat screen tv, serve cheap beer, and have agreed to show the game. It's on calle Allende near the Santa Domingo church. Am checking on when the game will be shown on Sky (the Mexican cable network). Hook 'em! Even in México, OU sucks!

UPDATE: game is at 6. Pan y Natural is on Calle Allende, one block west of Alcalá.

música del viaje

2009-10-13T22:24:00.005-04:00

the van ride back from puerto escondido to oaxaco is harrowing and gorgeous. it's about 120 miles, but it takes 6-7 hours because it's a windy road through the mountains. the sort of windy road where they recommend dramamine and barf bags. thankfully, Cruz held his stomach.

playlist for the drive through the mountains:

Luna- Rendezvous

Jenny Owen Youngs- Batten the Hatches

Railroad Earth- The Good Life

Robert Earl Keen- Walking Distance

Control Machete- Mucho Barato

Masta Killa-Made in Brooklyn

at one point, Cyndi Lauper's "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" came on the Mexican radio station the driver was listening to, and there may have been a sing-a-long. yo confeso nada.

random spanish and a blog

2009-10-13T22:21:00.004-04:00

meterse con -- to pick a fight with

hence, "no te metas con Tejas" = "Don't mess with Texas"

atrapar - to catch, as in a pez vela

for dive bar aficionados en todo el mundo, check out the powder room.

pez vela

2009-10-13T21:50:00.003-04:00

Cruz spent the weekend in Puerto Escondido and caught (or at least helped catch) a very big fish. This is a 40-50 kilo Pez Vela (sail fish). Highly recommend Omar's Sportfishing. This guy is a bad ass.

Watching Dr. Zhivago in Mexico

2009-10-07T15:25:00.002-04:00

last night at a small cinema called el pochote I saw Dr. Zhivago for the first time, or rather, the last hour or so of the movie, because first we got lost and couldn't find the cinema and then the old dvd they were playing skipped so much they had to skip past the middle third of the movie. I think I liked it. Every month they do a theme -- this month is "the body". Free film screenings include Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Sicko, Misery, Abre los Ojos, and Gattaca.

seriously, don't park here

2009-10-06T18:14:00.007-04:00

as in any city, parking downtown in oaxaca is a bitch. and apparently it takes more than a simple no parking -- no estancionar -- sign to get the message across don't park in front of my driveway.

So there's "If you respect my driveway I respect your car!" (above)

And if that doesn't do it, "We slash tires for free."

new favorite expression

2009-10-06T14:49:00.002-04:00

"me vale madres"

literally, "it is worth mothers to me," but colloquially, "I don't give a shit."

and, my new favorite word, "pollazo," meaning the act of being hit with a chicken.

mensage a las hormigas en mi departamento:

2009-10-05T09:43:00.003-04:00

"orale! yo les mataré y sus familias totalmente."

more photos

2009-10-03T22:28:00.004-04:00

-someone likes the Doors

-my apartment door

-wedding (blurry) outside Santo Domingo

-Santo Domingo church

so far the political advertising here has not been that inspiring

2009-10-03T22:23:00.003-04:00

on a lighter note...

2009-10-03T22:13:00.002-04:00

I almost bought a live turkey (guajolote) at the market today. They were only 100 pesos, which is about $7.50. At that price, why not?

graffiti spotted on the cathedral today:

2009-10-03T22:05:00.005-04:00

"2 oct no se olvida"

Don't forget October 2.

It was Mexico's Kent State, except they killed 200-300 student protesters. Lots of remembrances here yesterday.

more spotted today:

Mezcal a la tres y media en la manana lo siguiente por fuegos de artificio en mi techo a la once en la manana = malo

2009-10-03T21:33:00.003-04:00

mejor ahora

lessons from spanish class

2009-10-01T19:35:00.003-04:00

To help teach the pretérito and the copretérito tenses and to give an example of the expression "not yet," my teacher used the following as an example:

"Bush afirmó que iban a encontrar las armas de destrucción masiva. Todavía no."

Fantastico.

photos

2009-09-29T00:35:00.002-04:00

-where I (try to) learn
-street in oaxaca. tree in the background with the orange flowers is called "tulipan de los indios"
-hills
-the lady who gives away chocolate samples in the market. I will see her again soon.
-the biggest palm tree I have ever seen; the picture cannot convey its massiveness. in fact, it would only fit on the page sideways

these are not the hollywood hills

2009-09-28T23:23:00.006-04:00

driving into oaxaca from the airport at night, you see lights up on the hillside. in los angeles, the higher up the hill, the richer the houses.
me to friends who picked me up: "oh, how pretty, is that the swanky part of town?"
them: laughter, followed by explanation that people squat on the hill in shantytowns until the city extends utility service.

Cruz Bustamante will be publishing from Oaxaca for the fall

2009-09-26T15:55:00.004-04:00

aprendiendo español. mas despues.

Two Things You Should Check Out

2007-08-16T15:47:00.000-04:00

A friend's new blog: Backwards from 30

As he describes himself: "I write. Begrudgingly. I think. Excessively. I hoop. Infrequently. I drink. Occasionally. I wear the dopest t-shirts. Proudly. I wander. Endlessly?"

For a good video post on abortion and BF30's commentary, check here.

Then go read about Blelvis. Black Elvis, that is. WP covered him today. He used to hang out around Marx in the MtP. He is even more impressive in person. One of those reasons to love DC.

Elvis recorded 1,112 songs. Blelvis tells you this. He knows the words to them all.

Who should the next President appoint to the Cabinet?

2007-08-01T17:23:00.000-04:00

Some ideas-

State: Bill Richardson
Defense: ?
Justice: Eliot Spitzer, and for Deputy AG Morris Dees
Treasury: Paul Krugman
Interior: John H. Adams (former NRDC president), and for EPA Director, Robert Kennedy Jr.
Homeland Security: Richard Clarke
Labor: Andy Stern
Commerce: ?
Education: Marian Wright Edelman
Agriculture: Charlie Stenholm
Energy: Al Gore
Transportation: ?
HHS: Ron Pollack (Families USA)
HUD: Henry Cisneros
Veterans Affairs: Chet Edwards

Suggestions?

"It's like grown-up summer camp"

2007-08-01T17:10:00.000-04:00

The other night I went to a law firm recruitment reception. There were mini-cheeseburgers, bacon-wrapped scallops, pâté, a chocolate fountain, beer, wine, and margaritas. So before I criticize big firms, let me admit I enjoyed their food.

This is a (perhaps typical) big firm, but I walked in more pre-disposed to like them because some of their pro bono work is on issues close to my heart. I walked out more certain that I do not want to work for a big corporate firm. I talked to summer associates there, working attorneys, and the director of the pro bono program. They seem to really like where they work.

But after an hour or so, I got weirded out and had to flee (even leaving half a beer – sacrilege!). Something was off about all the conversations. Walking back to the metro, I realized – in all the talk with people at the firm – not once did anyone mention a case, or a client. Who do these people work for? Does it matter? Do they care?

All the positives about working for the firm were about the working environment and firm culture itself, completely divorced from any substance about the cases for which you might advocate.

One lawyer touted that the firm is full of really smart, fun people. That it’s very family friendly, that attorneys often leave at 6 pm. Another lauded the firm’s transparency – you know how many hours everyone bills on every client, and what their bonuses are (apparently this is a very big deal).

A summer associate, bright guy, worked in liberal politics before going to law school, told me he really enjoyed the firm: the partners work together, there’s “transparency,” the people are fun to work with, etc. Not, let me tell you about this one case where we righteously defended client X.

I shouldn’t have been surprised. This firm’s recruiting website touts that every associate gets a window office.

But it bothers me that not once did someone tell me about a case they liked working on. A client who they enjoyed advocating for. A worthy cause. The only time a client was sorta mentioned was in response to a question for a litigator about whether she worked all on one case at a time or on many. She responded that typically she worked on many, but one month she billed only one client because they needed a lot of work. Why? They were under investigation for “allegedly” defrauding the federal government.

I used to think law was advocacy. You have a client. You vindicate their rights, not yours. But now I think, at least at big firms, law is a game. A way to make bank. It doesn’t matter for whom you advocate. Your only client is you.

Need more proof? Check out this nauseating WP story on "summers".

Prominent firms have hit a controversial high: about $3,100 a week for summer associates, or what would be just over $160,000 a year for fresh law school graduates. Perks are plentiful and full-time job offers all but guaranteed.

"I feel like I deserve it," said Vincenza Battaglia, 25, one of the students spending the summer at Steptoe & Johnson. "We work really hard in law school."

Indeed, it is a summer filled with schmoozing and glass-clinking. The summer associates — knighted as "summers" and never called "interns" within their subculture — sail on the Chesapeake. They go-cart in Virginia. They get taken out for lunch by mentors.

"It's like grown-up summer camp," said Felicia Carter, 25, a Steptoe summer associate, riding in a bus on her way to the Kennedy Center for dinner and the Phantom performance. "My friends are jealous."

Ugh.

Rising from hibernation

2007-07-19T14:28:00.000-04:00

Our namesake may be down for the count, but we're not. After a hiatus, we're coming back because we got some shit to say. It's not shit you really want to bore your friends with over cocktail conversation, and it's not smart enough to get published anywhere for real. In other words, it's perfect for a blog.

As for Cruz. Pobrecito. How the hell does a Latino sitting Lt. Governor lose a race for California Insurance Commissioner by 12 points to a Republican in an election cycle in which every statewide Democratic candidate won (save the poor soul who challenged Arnold)? Well, that's Cruz for you. It could have also had something to do with this.

Taking a break

2006-09-11T20:01:00.000-04:00

As loyal readers of CruzBustamante.com have by now surely noticed, we're going on hiatus for awhile. Inspired perhaps by our namesake Cruz, we're not gonna be doing much. But like the guy who kicked Cruz's ass in the recall election, we'll be back.

"Don't Mess with Texas"

2006-07-17T12:38:00.000-04:00

From a friend:

We need your help. Don't Mess with Texas has been nominated as one of the best slogans of all time. The slogan is nominated right alongside Nike's "Just Do It" and Wheaties' "The Breakfast of Champions."

Winners are selected American Idol style with online voting. There was a great story in today's Austin American-Statesman (pasted below). Basically, our goal is to get as many Texans to vote as possible. And with 22 million real Texans, how can we lose?

Here's how you can help.

1. Most important, go to http://www.votedmwt.com and vote for Don't Mess with Texas . One vote per computer, so you can vote at work and at home.
2. Forward this email or the http://www.votedmwt.com link today to all your friends, family and coworkers and ask them to vote for "Don't Mess with Texas ." Send it to anyone who loves Texas .

Thanks everyone.

Statesman Story:

'Don't mess' with this campaign
Austin agencies looking to mobilize thousands of Texans to give anti-littering slogan a click of the mouse.

By Lilly Rockwell
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Tuesday, June 20, 2006

It's arguably the most well-known slogan to ever come out of the state of Texas, used as a battle cry by athletes and politicians alike, worn on T-shirts and bumper stickers, and repeated by President Bush on the campaign trail:

"Don't mess with Texas."

The slogan was nominated alongside 25 others for the third-annual favorite slogan contest hosted by the sponsors of Advertising Week at the industry's premiere convention in New York .

Austin-based GSD&M (who created the slogan more than 20 years ago) nominated "Don't mess with Texas ." To win, the slogan needs to earn the most votes online by Sept. 28.

To prove it's the best of the herd, the creative minds behind the slogan are launching an aggressive nationwide campaign designed to get as many current and former Texans as possible to give the anti-littering slogan a click of the mouse.

EnviroMedia, which currently holds the "Don't mess with Texas" advertising account, plans to use a flash mob technique (where people contacted via e-mail or text message gather at a designated time and location) during today's official announcement of the nominees.

The agency is looking to gather together hundreds of Texans in New York 's Times Square at 11 a.m. Next, EnviroMedia plans to send e-mails to thousands of Texans over the next two months.

"That slogan, although it is about litter prevention, carries with it a certain amount of Texas pride," said Doris Howdeshell, the director of the travel division for the transportation department. "It reaches the heart and soul of true Texans."

But it faces an uphill battle. Last year's winner, General Electric's "Imagination at work," used an aggressive internal get-out-the-vote strategy aimed at its 300,000 employees. This year, heavyweights include Burger King, with more than 360,000 employees, and Cingular, with more than 70,000. In comparison, EnviroMedia has 30 employees and the transportation department has 14,800.

The slogan wasn't always so popular, said Tim McClure, the creator of "Don't mess with Texas " and the M in GSD&M. When McClure pitched the idea to a panel of state officials in 1985, one person requested it be changed to "Please, don't mess with Texas ."

McClure stuck to his guns, saying the message would resonate with men ages 18 to 34, the worst litter offenders.

GSD&M won the account, and when the first TV advertisement aired in 1986 with Stevie Ray Vaughan strumming his guitar and reminding people to "Don't mess with Texas," people started calling TV stations to request the song, McClure said.

"It actually reached into the Texans' DNA," McClure said. "They got it."

And if the slogan is among the top two vote-getters, New Yorkers will get a permanent reminder of that Texas pride: a bronze plaque of the slogan installed on Madison Avenue's Advertising Walk of Fame.

The competition

Among the 26 catchphrases nominated for this year's favorite slogan contest are:
'Have It Your Way' (Burger King)
'Got Milk?' ( California Milk Processors Board)
'What Happens Here, Stays Here' ( Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority)
'When It Absolutely, Positively Has To Be There Overnight.' (FedEx)
'Raising the Bar' (Cingular)
'Only You Can Prevent Forest Fires' ( U.S. Forest Service)
'The Breakfast of Champions' (Wheaties)
'Good to the Last Drop' (Maxwell House)

How to vote

To cast a vote for your favorite slogan, go to http://www.votedmwt.com . You can also vote for your favorite advertising icon.

Winners will be announced in New York City on Sept. 29. Winners get a bronze plaque on Madison Avenue Advertising Walk of Fame and a permanent place at the Advertising Icon Museum in Kansas City .

"The greedy truth about media consultants"

2006-07-17T12:34:00.000-04:00

Great article in Salon about the cut media consultants take:

Think you know where your campaign dollars go? Think again, sucker. Political image-makers skim off percentages that would make Exxon execs envious -- and the public never knows about it.

[...]

But have you scrutinized the financial arrangements and consultant contracts of this campaign the way you would skeptically analyze the balance sheet of your favorite charity? Would you feel ripped off if you discovered that about 15 percent of everything you donate goes right into the pockets of the media-consulting firm?

What we are talking about is one of the biggest secrets in politics, right up there with debate briefing books and sealed divorce decrees. In this fate-of-the-nation political year when more than $1 billion will be given to Senate and House candidates, there is just one certainty about the outcome -- the true winners in November will be the leading media consultants in both parties.

For more than a quarter-century, media consultants have been paid not in fixed dollar terms, but as a percentage of the campaign's television buy. The more often a candidate goes on television, the more the media consultant makes, even though the actual cookie-cutter commercials may have all the originality of a Harvard undergraduate's coming-of-age novel. Small wonder that in virtually every free-spending political race in both parties, the campaign manager (who is paid a salary, which is publicly disclosed) and the pollster (who is usually compensated by a flat rate per poll) start gazing enviously at the media consultant as they conclude, "We're in the wrong business." Remember, we're not dealing with chump change here like FedEx charges or gassing up the campaign van. We're talking about an off-the-top rake-off of campaign funds that might make Exxon executives envious. As Leslie Kerman, a Democratic campaign lawyer and a leading behind-the-scenes crusader against the inflated fees paid to media firms, puts it, "These same consultants love to run ads about out-of-control compensation for CEOs, but they don't think about their own compensation."

I never knew DNC demanded a flat rate. Good for them. I will be asking campaigns I contribute to that question from now on. If they want my $50 contribution they better have the right answer!

Pansyass Democrat suckasses

2006-06-29T12:24:00.000-04:00

Yeah, it's an inarticulate headline, but it represents the unformed rage about all the Ds who voted for the flag-burning amendment.

from a friend:

Max Baucus, Evan Bayh, Mark Dayton, Dianne Feinstein, Tim Johnson, Mary Landrieu, Blanche Lincoln, Robert Menéndez, Ben Nelson, Bill Nelson, Harry Reid, Jay Rockefeller, Kenneth Salazar, Debbie Stabenow

Assholes.

Who's worse? Harry Reid, who couldn't even stand strong, whereas vulnerable Daschle spoke out eloquently against the amendment (did I really just praise Daschle?).

Or maybe Hillary Clinton, who tried a compromise bill to ban flag burning, but not through a constitutional amendment. That really tells you everything you need to know about her doesn't it? She's awful. No way will that political panderer ever be elected president.

Before the final tally, the Senate voted 64 to 36 to reject an alternative measure designed to provide political cover for those who opposed Hatch's legislation. The measure -- a proposed statute, rather than constitutional amendment -- was offered by Sen. Richard J. Durbin (D-Ill.)
and was strongly endorsed by Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.), a possible presidential candidate who has sought a middle ground in the flag-burning debate.

ugh!

Hell, Mitch McConnell voted against this nonsense. What's wrong with the Ds!?!

Anyway, for more on this burning issue, check out this guy's primer on:

Cracking the Flag-Burning Amendment

I've gone on before about why any Constitutional Amendment to ban burning or otherwise desecrating the flag of the United States of America would be cracked the very second it was passed, but apparently asking the members of the House of Representatives to read is too much to hope for. So for the members of Senate, who vote on the proposed Amendment soon, and the members of the 50 state legislatures here in the US, allow me to offer this visual primer on How to Crack the Flag Burning Amendment.

And finally for a ton of interesting history and perspective on the issue, check out the Flag Burning Page. As its author describes it:

Allright. Now you know how I feel. I have put this site together as a resource for people who are doing research for school about Texas v Johnson, flag desecration, or the Supreme Court. It contains a lot of history, a bibliography, some essays and editorial cartoons, and a bunch of
other stuff. It's for people who are interested in flag burning laws, the actions of the Senate, and whether they can legally throw away those little flags they bought for their car windows.*

If you're OK with that, and you want to know more, and you promise not to send me death threats, you may enter the site now.

* No, you can't throw those little flags away. The only "respectable" way to dispose of a worn or soiled flag is to give it a ceremonial and dignified retirement, preferably by burning it. Ironically, the American Legion and Boy Scouts burn thousands of flags every year in respectful retirement ceremonies. The only difference between their actions, and the actions of a long-haired hippie protestor are the thoughts in the minds of the two. Do you want to live in a country that arrests people for "anti-American thoughts?" I sure don't.

Actually, there is no justice

2006-06-29T12:14:00.000-04:00

DeLay may have to stay on ballot, but did you know it is still legal for the state of Texas to execute an innocent person (which they have, you know).

Court May Revise Rule On Death Row Appeals
Washington Post

The issue before the Supreme Court, however, is not whether House is guilty, but how strong his case for innocence must be to win a new hearing in federal court.

The court has never quite said it is unconstitutional to execute an innocent person.

Yes, you read that right.

For more detail about how truly fucked up criminal law is in the US, check this article:

It's Legal to Execute a Person Who May Be Innocent

Barnabei is asking for DNA tests on the scrapings from Wisnowsky's fingernails that might prove that she scratched the real murderer in her struggle to live.

But under Virginia and U.S. law, Barnabei has no further right to argue his innocence. Virginia insists that any new evidence that might cast doubt on a guilty verdict must be submitted within 21 days of the trial. After that, the condemned person is out of luck.

Furthermore, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in a 1992 Texas case that proof of actual innocence is not grounds for a federal appeal against a guilty verdict - so long as the original trial was free of error.

In that case, Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy asked Texas Assistant Attorney General Margaret Griffey: "Suppose you have a videotape which conclusively shows the person is innocent and you have a state which as a matter of policy or law, or both, simply does not hear new evidence claims in its clemency proceeding. Is there a federal constitutional violation in your view?"

Griffey: "No, you honor, there is not."

Kennedy then asked if it would be unconstitutional to execute the innocent person.

Griffey: "No, it would not be violative of the Constitution under those circumstances." This wacko Texas logic is now the law of the land.

Perhaps there is justice

2006-06-29T12:10:00.000-04:00

June 29, 2006, 7:05AM

Judge says DeLay 'withdrew'
Statement may spell trouble for GOP, but 22nd District issue still awaits ruling
By JANET ELLIOTTCopyright 2006 Houston Chronicle Austin Bureau

AUSTIN - A federal judge hearing a ballot dispute Monday involving former U.S. Rep. Tom DeLay said he thinks that DeLay withdrew from the November election, indicating potential trouble for Republicans who want to name a replacement candidate.

"He is not going to participate in the election and he withdrew," said U.S. District Judge Sam Sparks, who did not issue an official ruling after a daylong trial regarding DeLay's status as the GOP nominee for the 22nd Congressional District.
[...]
Under cross-examination by attorney Cris Feldman, representing the Democratic Party, DeLay said he doesn't know where he will be in November.

Not much to say other than 1) awesome, 2) how badass would it be to get to crossexamine DeLay? Of all the people to get to do it, nice that it's Feldman, a properly outraged damn good lawyer.

Supremes: Politicians Can Now Pick Their Constituents

2006-06-28T11:04:00.000-04:00

I love America Brand Democracy, it's much better when politicians get to pick their voters instead of the other way around.

With its unsurprising ruling upholding Tom DeLay's filthy redistricting ploy in Texas, The Supremes have said that states can now redraw their congressional maps as many times as they want -- removing the quasi-reasoning that a new census was cause for redistricting.

So hear that state legislatures? Game ON!!

Anytime a house or senate switches parties (even by one seat) -- REDISTRICTING TIME!!

Sick of those whiny fucking minorities?? REDISTRICTING TIME!!!

Do you have Republicans in your district with the audacity to vote for a Republican president but a Democratic congressman? REDISTRICTING TIME!!! Just stick a bunch of Jesus Junkies in the district and take that option away from them!

Does your community oppose your congressman's vote on a particular issue? You better not piss him or her off because they'll just carve you into some obscure district where your loudmouth won't be heard. REDISTRICTING TIME!!!

I think it's great that voters now have to appease their politicians rather than having them worry about your vote. What a joke we've become.

You asked for him East Texas, you got him!

2006-06-27T15:43:00.000-04:00

Houston area voters made a conscious decision last year to oust successful and honest congressman Nick Lampson for the fiery and foul-mouthed judge Ted Poe.

While a judicial lunatic, Poe has held his tongue for the most part during his freshman year in Congress.

Well. . . ladies and gentlemen, TED POE!

(From a one-minute speech on the House floor):

Mr. POE. Mr. Speaker, news from the front. The border war
continues.

Generalissimo Fox and the Mexican media have taken a
setback in the illegal invasion of the United States. Illegal
border crossings and detentions have dropped 21 percent in just 10 days. The
reason: 55 National Guardsmen on the border. Even though the Guard was sent to
the border in a support role and as a publicity stunt to appease Americans, they
are deterring illegal entry into the United States.

The Mexican media, taking a page out of the New York Times and
their hatred for the U.S. military, has so exaggerated the truth and
alarmed the Mexican illegals about the National Guard, the crossings have
decreased dramatically.

The fear that the National Guard is portrayed like their own corrupt
military has slowed illegal entry, you know, that Mexican military machine that
is on the southern Mexican border that reportedly ``rapes, robs and
beats Hondurans and Guatemalans that are just trying to do jobs that Mexicans
won't do.''

If 55 Guardsmen can reduce the number of illegals by 21 percent, just
think what would happen if we used more Guardsmen on the border front.

Those who say we cannot stop the invasion so we ought to surrender our
soil are underestimating the American National Guard.

And that's just the way it is.

all you need to know about what's wrong with Congress

2006-06-26T10:27:00.000-04:00

the Senate schedule for the week:

Senate
MONDAY
Reconvenes 2 p.m.
No roll call votes expected
S J Res 12 — Flag burning
REMAINDER OF THE WEEK
HR 5638 — Estate tax overhaul
HR 2830 — Pension overhaul

And while we're on the subject, screw the American Legion.

Instead of focusing on shitty health care for vets, real attacks on American liberty, or the fact that soldiers get paid so little they have to go on welfare, the American Legion's top priority is -- and always has been -- flag burning.

These guys represent veterans about as much as PETA does. Somebody needs to get them a large-print version of the Bill of Rights, and a fucking newspaper.

final thought for the weekend

2006-06-23T17:18:00.000-04:00

"It takes only one drink to get me drunk. The trouble is, I can't remember if it's the thirteenth or the fourteenth." - George Burns

Friday!

2006-06-23T12:40:00.000-04:00

How appropriate is it that Friday is named after Freya, the Norse goddess of beauty?

Who do I sue for being poor?

2006-06-22T16:21:00.000-04:00

John Edwards to end poverty in 30 years.

While I am dubious it is infinitely more inspiring than anything that ever emerged from the first lady of pandering, Hillary Clinton.

GYWO is back

2006-06-22T15:52:00.000-04:00

guess it never went anywhere, but he's had some good ones lately I missed.

I

Remember District Bar & Grill?

2006-06-22T15:45:00.000-04:00

6th and Lavaca with a few pool tables in back and a great comfortable bar bar feel. Now it's some Swedish shithole.

Seton, the bartender at District, who you just have to know, has re-surfaced, as the editor of Seton Motley's NewsoftheDay.org A Publication of the Less Government Foundation. Seton's a nut, but a good guy, and great bartender. We at CruzBustamante may even have to link to him.

Once a Bush. . .

2006-06-21T13:32:00.000-04:00

More from that treasure trove of Bush-ness, Pierce Bush (ahhh, Leslie and the good old days at UT):

More party pics of young Pierce "Know What I'm Sayun" Bush from Wonkette.

meow

2006-06-20T10:58:00.000-04:00

The Company You Keep

2006-06-20T10:54:00.000-04:00

Fuck that useless dinosaur James Carville. After a two week hiatus, that's all I can say about his house party for Scooter Libby in my return post:

Conservative political strategist Mary Matalin will host a reception Tuesday night at her home in Alexandria to help augment the defense fund of indicted Cheney aide I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby according to an invitation read to RAW STORY. Barbara Comstock, a spokesman for Libby's fund, declined to comment. No one answered the phone at the RSVP line. Libby has been indicted for obstruction of justice and other charges in connection with the CIA leak investigation.

It's worth remembering that Libby obstructed a formal FBI investigation into the illegal leaking of classified information that blew the cover of a CIA agent working in deep cover on nuclear proliferation issues with regard to Iran (maybe she knew too much and they fragged her ahead of time).

But hey, politics is politics right?? What's a little fundraiser to help defend a national security threat between friends? Oh yeah, and don't forget to buy James's new book on how Democrats can win back the White House and Congress (apart from having those who purport to support them hosting fundraisers for apparatchiks of the opposition party who circumvent our nation's security solely to discredit Democrats and those who agree with them).

Next up for dinner? Ann Coulter?

Laugh, then cry

2006-06-19T11:21:00.000-04:00

A must see: Colbert interviews Stephen Colbert vs. Congressman Lynn Westmoreland (GA) about posting the 10 Commandments in public buildings.

Check it out.

It's hilarious, but I kinda wonder, Westmoreland sounds like he might have a mild mental retardation. Don't know whether that's inspiring that he managed to get to Congress, or sad that's the best Georgia has to send to DC.

ok, now for the tears, from Frank Rich's column this week.

What's most impressive about Mr. Rove, however, is not his ruthlessness, it's his unshakable faith in the power of a story. The story he's stuck with, Iraq, is a loser, but he knows it won't lose at the polls if there's no story to counter it. And so he tells it over and over, confident that the Democrats won't tell their own. And they don't — whether about Iraq or much else. The question for the Democrats is less whether they tilt left, right or center, than whether they can find a stirring narrative that defines their views, not just the Republicans'.

What's needed, wrote Michael Tomasky in an influential American Prospect essay last fall, is a "big-picture case based on core principles." As he argued, Washington's continued and inhumane failure to ameliorate the devastation of Katrina could not be a more pregnant opportunity for the Democrats to set forth a comprehensive alternative to the party in power. Another opportunity, of course, is the oil dependence that holds America hostage to the worst governments in the Middle East.

Instead the Democrats float Band-Aid nostrums and bumper-sticker marketing strategies like "Together, America Can Do Better." As the linguist Geoffrey Nunberg pointed out, "The very ungrammaticality of the Democrats' slogan reminds you that this is a party with a chronic problem of telling a coherent story about itself, right down to an inability to get its adverbs and subjects to agree." On Wednesday Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid were to announce their party's "New Direction" agenda — actually, an inoffensive checklist of old directions (raise the minimum wage, cut student loan costs, etc.) — that didn't even mention Iraq. Symbolically enough, they had to abruptly reschedule the public unveiling to attend Mr. Bush's briefing on his triumphant trip to Baghdad.

Those who are most enraged about the administration's reckless misadventures are incredulous that it repeatedly gets away with the same stunts. Last week the president was still invoking 9/11 to justify the war in Iraq, which he again conflated with the war on Islamic jihadism — the war we are now losing, by the way, in Afghanistan and Somalia. But as long as the Democrats keep repeating their own mistakes, they will lose to the party whose mistakes are, if nothing else, packaged as one heckuva show. It's better to have the courage of bad convictions than no courage or convictions at all.

I couldn't agree more. And here's a case in point: Tony Snow's comment about "it's a number," referring to 2,500 US deaths in Iraq. And the Democrats respond? Sort of.

Harry Reid gave a speech.

We should have fucking pounced. From Reid to Pelosi to Kerry to Murtha to Dean to every member to every blogger to every state party chair to the DNC veterans caucus to Cleland, there shoud have been a unanimous call for a formal apology from the White House or for Snow's resignation. You know that's what the other side would have done had McCurry said a dumbass comment like that.

Callie Houston at CHB blog has the right take:

Just when you think the assholes who control our government can't possibly get any more callous about the escalating loss of human lives as a result of their failed policies, along comes Presidential mouthpiece Tony Snow to tell us that 2500 American military deaths in Iraq is just "a number."

Just a number?

[...]

Yes, I'm mad. Damn mad. Goddamned mad. I've lost two relatives in George W. Bush's illegal Iraq invasion and far too many other Americans grieve lost loved ones because a mass murdering President sent them off to die in a useless war that had nothing to do with his so-called "war on terrorism."

Of, course, why should we expect unanimous strategic messaging from Dems about a Tony Snow comment when we can't even do it on a war resolution?

At first I was tempted to say "screw you" to the 42 Dems who voted to say Iraq is part of war on terrorism and they support Bush's position

But the bigger screw you is to the Dem leadership that led themselves get stuck in this position. How about the Ds 1) it's ridiculous to have a resolution in which you cannot be in favor of the troops of but against the absurdity that this is part of war on terror and Bush's idiotic war plan, 2) refuse to vote on this. yes, seriously, walk out, don't show up for the vote -- it's a resolution!, 3) hold press conference blasting Rs for a) wasting time on politicking while "numbers" mount, and b) trying to force a false choice. 4) At this press conference, issue (near) unanimous resolution from Ds on Iraq. Say what you want to say the D plan is.

This would force press to cover contrasting resolutions, and moreover, I think, highlight the waste of time the resolution is. Why do we agree to play their games?

Instead, we play their games by their rules and get headlines like this:

House supports Bush on war policy

By Jill ZuckmanWashington Bureau
Published June 17, 2006

WASHINGTON -- Following a day and a half of emotional debate, the House voted overwhelmingly Friday to affirm President Bush's policies in the Iraq war and to reject a specific timetable for withdrawing American troops.The vote was 256-153, with 42 Democrats joining 214 Republicans to support a non-binding resolution that declared the war in Iraq is a central front in the war on terrorism.

Even some in the GOP better managed to article how dumb this was:

Not everyone thought it was worthwhile to hold a debate about an issue that is causing GOP lawmakers great difficulty with voters.Rep. Ray LaHood (R-Ill.), for example, repeatedly called the debate a "dumb idea" and did not participate. "I don't think it served any purpose except to pontificate about the war," he said.

Three Republicans, Reps. John Duncan of Tennessee, Jim Leach of Iowa and Ron Paul of Texas, voted against the resolution, while Reps. Walter Jones of North Carolina and Thaddeus McCotter of Michigan voted present.

McCotter called the resolution "strategically nebulous, morally obtuse and woefully inadequate."

Somebody buy McCotter a drink.

Murder now legal in Virginia*

2006-06-14T13:13:00.000-04:00

*if you are a cop:

ALEXANDRIA
Officer Who Shot Teen at IHOP Not Charged

This is the cop who fired wildly into a moving car trying to stop teenagers from fleeing a $26 tab, and killed an Eagle Scout.

And in Fairfax County:

In Virginia, the Death Penalty for Gambling

According to press accounts, police affidavits, and the resulting investigation by the Fairfax prosecutor's office, Baucom called Culosi that evening, and told him he'd be by to collect his winnings. With the SWAT team at the ready just behind him, Baucom waited outside Culosi's home in an SUV. As Culosi emerged from the doorway, clad only in a t-shirt and jeans, SWAT officer Deval Bullock's finger apparently slipped to the trigger of his Heckler & Koch MP5 semiautomatic weapon, already aimed at the unarmed Culosi.

The gun fired, releasing a bullet that entered Culosi's side, then ripped through his chest and struck his heart, killing him instantly.

[...]

The incident didn't deter the Fairfax police department's anti-gambling crusade, either. As the NCAA tournament was about to tip-off, the police department issued a poorly-timed, insensitively-worded press release declaring, "Illegal Gambling Not Worth the Risk."

Given that the Culosi case was over the media at the time, the release carried the troubling, if unintended, implication that said "risk" could well mean a fatal visit from the Fairfax SWAT team. Meanwhile, the state of Virginia continued to spend the $20 million it allocates each year toward marketing and promoting the state's lottery.

Last month, Fairfax County prosecutor Robert Horan announced that he would not press charges against the officer who shot and killed Culosi. That's no surprise. In his 39 years as a prosecutor, Horan hasn't brought a single charge against a police officer. Not only that, but both Horan and the Fairfax County police department have yet to mention the officer's name in public. We only know Officer Bullock's identity due to the perseverance of a Washington Post reporter.

I'm not a fan of criminal negligence laws, but if we're going to have them, certainly our law enforcement officials should be among the first we require to follow them. In this case, Officer Bullock improperly had his finger on the trigger of his weapon, and improperly had his weapon pointed at Culosi. Somehow, he improperly fired, and improperly registered a direct hit. Tests show there was nothing wrong with the gun.

Were any citizen to accidentally and fatally discharge a weapon in the same manner, it's difficult to believe that Mr. Horan wouldn't be quick to file charges, and release the name of the suspect to the public. One wonders why he doesn't hold police officers to a higher standard than average citizen, much less why he holds them to a lower one.

Alright, off to listen to a little NWA.

QOTW

2006-06-14T10:47:00.000-04:00

"If we're going to have a state zoo, let's not have a sucky one" -- MN Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R)(Eden Prairie News)