FrontPage Stories

Luchador Poetry, Paintings and Piledrivers in Balboa Park

By Michael Klam

In wrestling, as in life, you can be a rudo or a técnico… and sometimes both. A técnico is the good guy who plays by the rules, sort of like the shimmering, spur-jingling cowboy in the white hat.

And the rudo does not play fair. He can be the underhanded evildoer. He cheats and is both hated and loved for his devilish deeds: Try to imagine something like fellow luchadores, The Flea and Dr. Terrifico, employing the “Super Rudo Under the Cheek Sneak” move, which makes a POOT noise in your spine!

Lou Chalibre and Pocha Peña

Or imagine your boss making you work on your day off, while she goes to the beach to sip cocktails and bronze in the sun.

Each of us, according to Chicano political satirist and performance artist Victor Payan, could have within us, at any time, both rudo and técnico. And when you have elements of both, you are “crudo,” he says.

Payan and his creative co-conspirator, Pocha Peña (aka the Chicana writer/producer, Sandra Peña Sarmiento) will present RUDOS Y TECNICOS: AN AZTEC GOLD EXTRAVAGANZA on Wednesday, Aug. 16 at 6:30 p.m. in the Museum of the Living Artist, Balboa Park.

The seasoned veterans of the culture wars will pose the fundamental question, “Are you a rudo or a técnico?” says Payan.

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SD Police will evict 300 workers from canyon camp
By Pablo Jaime Sainz
Imagine that your wages are so low that you need to live in open air camps. Imagine that in order to take a bath, you have to do so in the nearby creek. Imagine that to have clean clothes, you have to wash your clothes in that same creek. Sometimes you even have to drink water from it, too. Imagine there’s a group of people who don’t want you near them, even though you wish them no harm, nor are you a criminal.

Policía de SD desalojará a 300 trabajadores de campamento
Por Pablo Jaime Sainz
Imagine que su sueldo es tan bajo que necesita vivir en campamentos al aire libre. Imagine que para poder darse una ducha, tiene que hacerlo en el arroyo cercano. Imagine que para tener ropa limpia, tiene que lavarla en ese mismo arroyo. A veces hasta tiene que tomar agua del arroyo. Imagine que hay un grupo de personas que no lo quieren cerca de ellos, aunque usted no les ha hecho nada malo, ni es un criminal.

Comienzan recuento de votos en Baja California
Por Luis Alonso Pérez
El recuento de los votos de los 149 distritos electorales que mostraron irregularidades durante las elecciones presidenciales mexicanas del pasado 2 de julio dio inicio de forma pacífica la mañana del miércoles 9 del presente mes, después de un largo y controvertido periodo de resistencia civil encabezado por el candidato de la coalición Por el Bien de Todos, Andrés Manuel López Obrador.

¿QUÉ CAMBIOS QUIEREN LOS CUBANOS?
A raíz de la enfermedad de líder Fidel Castro, tanto Washington como el exilio cubano de Miami buscan cambios en Cuba de acuerdo a sus intereses, pero no todos están de acuerdo.
Por Eduardo Stanley
BARCELONA, España —A las pocas horas de anunciarse que Fidel Castro había sido sometido a una delicada operación quirúrgica el pasado 1ro de agosto, las fuerzas opositoras al gobierno de la isla caribeña, ubicados en Estados Unidos, iniciaron especulaciones y declaraciones de lo que debe ser —a su entender— el futuro político y social de Cuba.

Enfoque
La decisión
Por Dagoberto Márquez
Como se esperaba, la determinación del Tribunal Electoral del Poder Judicial de la Federación colocó la situación de crisis por la que atraviesa la elección presidencial, en un impasse de pronóstico reservado que sólo habrá de resolverse con el paso del tiempo. La determinación, política más que jurídica, se ajusta a lo correcto pero sólo en parte y en apariencia porque no desahoga la cuestión de fondo y sólo pretende la conducción del estado de cosas para llevarlo a terrenos más o menos manejables, de menor incidencia y crispación social aunque los magistrados del caso se alineen con el sistema panista o de plano se equivoquen frente a su responsabilidad histórica y frente a la sociedad en su conjunto.

Stories

Tijuana police plan to turn tourist zone into the safest area in town
By Luis Alonso Pérez
Tijuana’s police chief, Luis Javier Algorri Franco, announced the implementation of a police operative in the city’s tourist zone and financial district called “Safe Zone: Rio Zone/International border crossing”.

Empleadas domésticas enfrentan riesgos
Por Pablo Jaime Sainz
Raquel trabaja limpiando casas en Chula Vista. Ella utiliza su visa láser para cruzar la frontera. Cuando el agente de inmigración le pregunta, “¿A qué va?”, ella contesta, “De compras”.

Domestic workers face risks
By Pablo Jaime Sainz
Raquel works cleaning houses in Chula Vista. He uses her tourist visa, or laser visa, to cross the border from Tijuana. When the immigration officer asks her, “What’s the reason for crossing?” she answers, “I’m going shopping.”

Jacob Blasts SDG&E Powerlink as Cal-ISO Endorses Project
By E.A. Barrera
Even as the California Independent System Operator (Cal-ISO) was giving their approval to San Diego Gas and Electric’s massive Sunrise Powerlink project, Supervisor Dianne Jacob continued to denounce the project as unnecessary and too expansive for the unincorporated backcountry of San Diego.

México del Norte
Por Jorge Mújica Murias
A paso de cangrejo
Las marchas y desfiles se prestan para destacar el tipo de paso con que se avanza. Así tenemos el “paso veloz”, el “paso redoblado” y “el paso de ganso”, ese sofisticado paso al que son aficionados algunos ejércitos en el mundo desde la Segunda Guerra Mundial, cuando los ejércitos hitleristas lo volvieron famosos.

CHULA VISTA ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR PORT COMMISSIONER
The City of Chula Vista is accepting applications for Port Commissioner to fill the vacancy created when Bill Hall resigned July 31. At its regular meeting August 8, the City Council accepted Hall’s resignation and agreed to move forward immediately to fill the position. The current vacancy expires on January 2, 2007.

National Latino Peace Officers Association (NLPOA) Presents: Memorial Benefit in honor of David Moya
August 17, 2006 at 7:30 p.m. at Sycuan Casino Showtime Hall
NLPOA-San Diego Metro and County chapters will host a fundraiser for the surviving family of recently deceased San Diego Police Officer David Moya. Sycuan Casino is sponsoring the event at the Showtime Hall (5459 Sycuan Road, El Cajon). Sony Mariachi Artist Jaime Limon, Ballet Foklorico en Aztlan and comedian Ernie G. will perform at the show, which begins at 7:30 p.m. The tickets are general seating, $30.00, and can be purchased via Pay Pal at NLPOASanDiegoMetro.com or NLPOASanDiegoCounty.com

LA COLUMNA VERTEBRAL
Por Luisa Fernanda Montero
¡Tome el control! no permita que el alcohol lo maneje
El ambiente festivo, la alegría y la música están y estarán eternamente ligados a nuestra herencia cultural hispana; eso está muy bien, siempre y cuando sepamos alejar nuestro júbilo innato del licor.

Community Notes:
Fiesta Del Sol Celebration Sizzles San Diego
San Diego will experience its First Annual Fiesta Del Sol, celebrating the rich history, diverse culture and good works of the people of San Diego. The two-day celebration, August 26 and 27, in the heart of the historic barrios of Barrio Logan and Sherman Heights, seeks to entertain while enriching the community… A Fiesta Del Sol

Editorials

Editorial:
$20 Million Just Doesn’t Buy Much Anymore!
After 18 months, with the city being held hostage to the tune of $20.3 million dollars, the Kroll Report was finally released this week and after all the anticipation, the report did not really tell us anything new. Much of what was in this report had already been released in City Attorney Mike Aguirre’s “interim reports,” on the pension debacle.

Editorial
National City, Chargers out of your league, so to speak
National City City Manager Chris Zapata has a “Field of Dreams” vision for the city as he talks up the idea of bringing the San Diego Chargers to the poorest city in San Diego County. But this is not Hollywood, and there will be no Hollywood ending for this dream!

Editorial:
Democratic Message Starting to Come Through Loud and Clear
For years now the Democratic Party and its leadership have struggled to come out with a message that resonated with the people of its own party and with the voters. In the last Presidential election this lack of a coherent message, more than anything else, torpedoed John Kerry’s election bid.

Commentary:
Saving The Children So They Can Save the World
By Ernie McCray
To me the saddest aspect of what’s going on in the Middle East is that national and world leaders don’t appear to care at a deep level that children are constantly being killed.

Commentary:
SB 1489 Provides Blank Check to AG
By Andy Kotner
Frivolous lawsuits already cost Californians millions of dollars each year. You’d think that would compel our legislators to reform our legal system. Instead, some California legislators want to write a blank check to the Attorney General (AG) and open the door for even more lawsuit abuse.

Comentario:
¿Tantas veces subestimado?
Por Humberto Caspa, Ph.D
Desde que Andrés Manuel López Obrador se convirtió en candidato a la presidencia de México, el gobierno de Vicente Fox ha subestimado su voluntad política. A más de un año del primer atentado contra el proyecto económico de López Obrador, a Fox se le unieron Felipe Calderón y su partido político, el Consejo Coordinador Empresarial, Luís Carlos Ugalde del Instituto Federal Electoral y recientemente el Tribunal Electoral del Poder Judicial de la Federación.

Commentary:
Triumph Of The New Moral Center
By Robert L. Borosage
Ned Lamont’s stunning upset of incumbent Sen. Joe Lieberman in the Connecticut Democratic primary race on Tuesday sends shock waves through the dead sea of American politics.

Commentary:
Lieberman’s Folly — What If You Hold an Election and No One Accepts Defeat?
By Sandip Roy
There is not a hanging chad to be seen. But Joe Lieberman is probably having horrible flashbacks to the 2000 presidential election, when all the liberal bloggerati and MoveOn-ers lambasted Al Gore for conceding too early. Still, perhaps it’s not just Florida 2000 post-traumatic stress disorder that keeps the Connecticut senator from gracefully accepting defeat. This could be a sign of the times, when losing is simply not an option.

Etc. Etc. Etc.
Entertainment, Reviews, Sporting news, and other tid bits

First Person:
Too short for my weight
By Al Carlos Hernandez
There is one thing that irrespective of race, gender, or political affiliation we as Americans have in common, we all gain weight after 35, deal with it. Latinos call plump people Gordos, meaning shaped like a gourd. Being a Gordo is a good thing, because to get here a la Brava you need to be a fast flaco.

The Huicholes at the Border
An essay by Heriberto Escamilla
Part 1
The revolving metal doors that separate San Ysidro and the United States from Tijuana Mexico are quite heavy. I’m tempted to describe them in detail, but that would take too much time and effort. Let me just tell you that you should discard any image of the word “door” that comes to mind and instead imagine a thick, metal pole with a series of smaller tubes welded in a perpendicular fashion from top to bottom. The entire structure creates four compartments that revolve in one direction. You enter the huge turnstile on the American side and exit onto Mexican soil.

Ritos y regocijos: Dos importantes exposiciones fotográficas de Mariana Yampolsky en el CECUT
Por Luis Alonso Pérez
Los muros del Centro Cultural Tijuana (CECUT) hacen gala de una colección invaluable de las tradiciones indígenas y expresiones culturales de México capturadas a través del lente de la fotógrafa Mariana Yampolsky en su nueva exposición Ritos y regocijos.

Celebra con Gran Programación su XI Aniversario “El Lugar del Nopal”
Por: Paco Zavala
Se dice fácil pero ya transcurrieron 11 años, de la fecha en que se corría para acá, se corría para allá, ultimaban detalles para realizar la apertura de “El Lugar del Nopal”.

El regreso del son: el tradicional ritmo mexicano renace en California y en la frontera
Por Luis Alonso Pérez
El son veracruzano forma una parte importante de la tradición musical mexicana y ha viajado en los corazones de miles de migrantes que han cruzado la frontera en busca de una mejor vida.

VAMOS AL CINE:
La llamada de los héroes, Oliver Stone hace un profundo y emotivo film sobre 9/11
Por Jose Daniel Bort
Lo primero que escuchamos todos los vecinos asomados en las azoteas de nuestros edificios cuando el segundo avión se estrelló contra la torre sur del World Trade Center fueron las sirenas de la estación de bomberos de la cuadra, apurados a encontrar su destino.

VAMOS AL CINE:
Amor en el baile
Step up va mas allá de lo convencional de la historia a fuerza de puro carisma
Por Jose Daniel Bort
El mes de Agosto significa una sola cosa para los estudios: Adolescentes fuera del high school. Y para entretenerlos, piensan en las mismas formulas utilizadas una y otra vez a través de los años. Más de lo mismo sin posibilidad alguna para la originalidad.

Touching Story About Childhood Friendship
While Essentially a Childhood Adventure Movie, VIVA CUBA Also Touches On Subjects of Emigration and Cuban Bureaucracy
The Media Arts Center San Diego is proud to present VIVA CUBA an audience favorite at the 2006 San Diego Latino Film Festival, for the August installment of Cinema en tu Idioma. This adventure about a childhood friendship threatened by parents of different backgrounds will enjoy a one-week exclusive run at UltraStar Mission Valley Cinemas at Hazard Center August 18 - 24.

Women In Film & General Motors Announce 2006 Acceleration Grant for Emerging Filmmakers
The second annual Acceleration Grant for Emerging Filmmakers competition was announced by the national organization of Women In Film (WIF) and the General Motors Corporation (GM). The grant, awarded annually, is a program of the WIF/GM Alliance, the goal of which is to support talented filmmakers from under-represented communities.

SDSU’s 2006 Men’s Soccer Recruiting Class Ranked No. 17 in Nation
College Soccer News also names Ortega and Toft as 100 freshmen to keep an eye on in 2006
San Diego State’s 2006 men’s soccer recruiting class has been listed among the top 20 in America by College Soccer News. The publication ranked the Aztecs’ incoming class No. 17, and two recruits, Daniel Ortega (San Diego/Eastlake HS) and Evan Toft (Aurora, Colo./Centennial HS), were named in the 100 freshmen to keep an eye on list for 2006. SDSU moved up 22 places, the largest jump of any school, from last year’s ranking of No. 39.

Bullfight World
By Lyn Sherwood
Jorge Gutierrez Did Everything, But Triumph
Matador Jorge Gutierrez demonstrated to Tijuana bullfight fans, last Sunday, why he is considered one of the most pure, honest toreros in Mexican bullfight history. He turned in two remarkable performances, but bad luck at the supreme moment denied him greater rewards.

Registration For NFL Punt, Pass, Kick, Competition Starts Aug. 21 in Chula Vista
Local boys and girls who enjoy football will want to start practicing for the NFL’s Pepsi Punt, Pass & Kick Competition. The free Local Competition is scheduled in Chula Vista on Sep 29 beginning at 5:30 p.m. The event will be hosted by the Community Youth Center, 465 L St., and held in the Chula Vista High School Football Stadium adjacent to the center.

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