Deer have been coming down the foothills

And I hope they don't need to go as far as the river.

With Paisano in construction mode, I've not driven on it in a while. However, during an NPR news-brief today, I heard that El Paso's border fence segment is one of the first locations to be "modified, "added to," or "changed." I shudder to use the words, "improved," "strengthened," or "walled."

Railroad Bridge at Executive and Paisano near El Rio Bravo

Why begin such work here?  It is always the "vast" areas along the Arizona border and the unfenced lands towards Big Bend that people feel the need to "demand" a wall or fence instead of consistent patrolling as is done here. All this is quite idiotic to me and know that will harm native animals more than any other creature.

How is it possible that people having nothing to do with these lands see fit to grab hard working, vulnerable people, along with our tax dollars stolen from healthcare, education, environmental protection, and alternative fuel research to build such an ugly and sad wall/fence? Slicing families apart while claiming "their" immigrant elders came here "legally" when in fact there was no legal or illegality in that quotient of the time. Only specific groups were allowed to enter at certain times. Immigrants hustled themselves into a ship and prayed they would be allowed into this country. Hoped they could stay healthy enough to pass inspection. At least that was how my great gran Jacksons did it during the pre-Revolutionary era Massachusetts from Yorkshire via White Chapel, just as likely for the same reasons my Gonzales/Gonzalez great grans who came here from Aquascalientes, Mexico in the 1880s for ASARCO—for work, for industry, for capitalism, for a better life.

Such a waste of stale air emanating from this spawn of immigrants, spewing infuriatingly and nasally xenophobic speeches. This kleptocrat. This con. This racist. This man who brags he would sexually assault women who pass his orange muster. His karma wall is mounting high, and i hope it falls on him soon.

O hurry. Set a course now to impeach this narcissistic thief of vulnerable lands, frightened people, and ecological fragility.

Another one will bite the dust, but not by fire

Sadly, it will take a few of these to disappear and become a blot on downtown and elsewhere in town before people finally become aware of just who and for whom council serves...because it sure doesn't serve historic buildings that's for sure. Note the following blog entry, on the El Paso Development News site. Dated in October after the Historic Landmark Commission (HLC) denied approval for the demolition of the Trost building, the entry provides a good backgrounder on the location of the now fated Muir building (ironic in what the name of another John Muir evokes) and images of its original façade and what it looks like today.

According to the entry on the El Paso Development News site:

The application for demolition was submitted by the Borderplex Community Trust, a Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) originally created to facilitate the City's original Downtown 2015 Plan which was announced in 2006. Since then, the REIT has focused on purchasing properties, such as the Wells Fargo and Chase buildings downtown, but has made few moves in terms of revitalization. If approved by the City Council, this would be the first major construction project put forward by Borderplex in El Paso's downtown.

However, today we know the result. And, given the history in this town of developer influence (and their cronies on council, ad nauseum), of REITs, Razing, and Resurfacing for flat parking lots, be on the look out for just that on this space soon. Now be sure to thank the Borderplex Community Trust, et al. for this bright spot on the horizon. 

Lincoln Park murals: Pachuca

Lincoln Park murals: Pachuca
Originally uploaded by chacal la chaise.

A couple of weeks ago, there was a terrific car show and gathering beneath these I-10 flyovers at Lincoln Park. Sadly, I missed it, but yesterday I was able to capture a few quick shots of new Chican@ murals. Like Chicano Park in Los Angeles, the murals depict important people and events in Chicano history and feature visual topics pertaining to Aztlán, the Guadalupe, folk art/rascuache and social-political themes and history important to Latin@s as the Mexican Revolution, the murder of Latino journalist Ruben Salazar, President Kennedy, brown pride--topics pertaining to La Frontera's culture, art, and people.

In the Pachuca I see all the defiance, strength, and passion of a young woman--she wears a stripped down version of the zoot suit and carries a daggered sacred heart, while wrapped in the flags of her land, family, and culture. Strong, proud, brown, and armed with what signifies her strength. Ready to battle anything that comes her way or tries to harm her family and friends, this Pachuca stands tall.

New Tumblr website: ¡fuckyeahguadalupe!

Canutillo:: Laundry with Nachos and Guadalupe on the Side

For a while now, I've been experimenting (OK, using to a greater extent) the Tumblr web ap. My first site is here, with a new one here. The later is solely devoted to all things Guadalupe because it seems El Paso contains a large collection of urban art, etc., about whom Wikipedia explains is the Queen of Mexico, Empress of the Americas and Patroness of the Americas.

What I enjoy about posting to this new Tumblr is how I can publish new images about Guadalupe (and other topics) in a more timely manner than I've previously be able to do with Blogger. However, I don't see me abandoning this site anytime soon; this site should be about general El Paso images and the occasional (!) picture of our cats. But back to the Guadalupe.

I've located many instances of beautiful urban art that transcend the original meaning of rascuache--the common, the wretched, the poor--in El Chuco and elsewhere. This is all quite intriguing as she embodies so much about mestizo identity and the affect colonization has had on out indigenous psyches. Above all else, people seem to have an inordinate need to capture her, which in turn, makes others happy--all this wellspring of creativity brings out the best and most artistic in those who try to create her image.

While I have not forgotten this blog (as seen by the many spontaneous posted images from my camera phone), a lot of my online writing and research is now divided between three blog sites and my twitter account. And if that isn't the way to push out web content I don't know what is. Cheers!