Don't miss LA's 11th Annual Greek Fest!

Greeks and American-Greeks aren't the only ones who can enjoy L.A.'s exciting Greek Fest at Saint Sophia Cathedral on Normandie.  This weekend-long  festival starting friday, Sept. 11th through Sunday, Sept. 13th features delicious, traditional greek food, live entertainment and carnival rides and games for the kids.  Friday, Sept. 11th kicks off the festival weekend with  "Zorba Night"--a night-long dance party where seasoned dancers will participate in a "Zorba dance contest." Admission is free friday night from 5pm-11pm.  Happy hour will be in full swing friday evening featuring specialty greek beer and wine.  The festival also features greek cooking and greek dancing workshops on saturday afternoon. 

Soundtrack to September : cha-cha-changes

So as summer comes to what seems a screeching halt, September brings for some—a new school semester, new friends and new loves.  For those still hanging on to the carefree and blissful summer days, or those breaking open the overpriced and overwhelming textbooks..here is a September soundtrack for the smitten, budding new romances, the love-torn and confused, the rebellious class-ditchers, and those hopeful for some fun this semester and much needed change:

1) Michael- Franz Ferdinand

2) Whistle for the Choir- The Fratellis

3) Bodysnatchers- Radiohead

4) I Wanna be Your Boyfriend- The Ramones

5) The Comeback- Shout Out Louds

6) Time of the Season- The Zombies

7) Who’d Have Known- Lily Allen

8) Kissing the Lipless- The Shins

9) Boys Don’t Cry- The Cure

10) I’m Not Gunna Teach Your Boyfriend How to Dance with You- Black Kids

11) I Want to Hold Your Hand- The Beatles

12) Wake Up- Arcade Fire

13) Meet Me in the Bathroom- The Strokes

13) Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want- The Smiths

14) We Don’t Need No Education- Pink Floyd

15) Changes- David Bowie

Summer Nights at Dodger Games!

The Los Angeles Dodgers have had an amazing and successful season thus far, despite the short suspension of our great Manny Ramierez.  Our current standing is number one in the National League with 70 game wins.  GO BLUE!!! Dodger games are perfect summer, inexpensive outings. You can get fairly decent seats for $20-23.  

        

 Here are some insider tips for enjoying a game from a seasoned regular:  

• Order your tickets online before hand at www.ladodgers.comThe best seats at the best price are located in the "Lower Reserve" section--located right behind home-plate, and close enough that you won't get altitude sickness
  
• Tailgating is forbidden BUT, locals go early to "Short Stop", a nearby bar in Echo Park 
• Just a warning to those rooting for the other team: you will be confronted by devout, rowdy dodger fans!

Venezuelan Conductor Gustavo Dudamel comes to LA!

Venezuelan music conductor, Gustavo Dudamel comes to Los Angeles to serve as the Music Director for the 2009/2010 season of the LA Philharmonic at the Walt Disney Music Hall in downtown.  Dudamel is currently the Music Director of the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra and is entering his tenth year as Music Director of the Simón Bolívar Youth Orchestra of Venezuela.  At the mere age of 28, Dudamel has become world renouned for his ability to lead, unite, and inspire an orchestra with this exuberant passion for music and electric personality.  Ladies, he is definitely worth checking out this fall. His music is  powerful, but his dashing good looks are worth seeing in person =).  

For more information about Gustavo Dudamel and his upcoming concerts with the LA Philharmonic at the Walt Disney Music Hall visit:  http://www.laphil.com/music/artist_detail.cfm?id=2226

Bienvenidos Amigos!

Oraleeeeee Los Angeles! 

To officially kick-off my very first posting on my very first blog, I'd like to give a short recap of some summer art, music, and political happenings in my beloved Los Angeles City as well as the nation.  

August was a good month for Latinas in Washington. Remember this crowning moment on August 6, 2009?

Manhattan prosecutor Sonia Sotomayor from the Bronx, NY was confirmed at the 111th Supreme Court Justice on August 6, 2009.  After an overwhelming 68 to 31 votes in the Senate, Sotomayor became the first ever Latino and third woman to serve on the Supreme Court.  However, her journey to the federal court was not a walk in the park.  As expected, republican opponents fired against her abilities, claiming her past decisions and verdicts have favored disadvantaged minority groups.  Some opponents even went as far as calling her a "racist."  Sotomayor courageously responded to such offensive claims by stating that her judging is shaped by her life experiences--which happen to be those of a Latina woman.

Yo Pienso:  Finally someone has the guts to say that race still matters!!!  This "wise Latina" stands up for all minorities when she says that her life experiences as a Latina are far different than those of a affluent, white woman--and that these differences matter!  It is ignorant to believe that one can remove all traces of socialization once they become a judge.  While objectivity in the Supreme Court is ideal, human beings living amongst disparities in race, religion, socio-economic class and gender will always be subjective.  Our ideologies and values, formed partly by our own life experiences and surroundings most definitely influence our viewpoints.  With that being said, the Supreme Court is far behind in representing all racial view points.  For years the Court's justices only represented affluent white men until Thurgood Marshall, a black man was appointed in 1967.  For hundreds of years the Court's decisions (while "objectively upholding the constitution") reflected a white, male bias as seen in this famous following Supreme Court ruling:

• The Dred Scott vs. Sandford case in 1856: the court ruled that the "Bill of Rights" didn't apply to African Americans, and therefor Dred Scott--a brave slave petitioning to the court for his freedom--was denied his freedom.

I highly doubt that had African Americans been serving as a Justices on the court in 1856, this ruling would have occurred. 

Bottom line- We all carry personal life experiences based on our race, socio-ecomonic status, religion and gender, Sotomayor is the only one to admit that these experiences affect our values and decisions.  The white male justices that, in history and still today, dominate the Supreme Court are no exception.

Que piensas?