By Andrew Ramirez It’s that magical time again. Suck it all in. In two months a pretty stage will be prepared. PA systems will rise out of the earth like monstrous rectangular lollipops. A blanket of folding chairs will have been laid out just for you, and the grass—dark green and freshly cut—will be outlined by clean hedges, flecked with the entire color wheel of … [Read more...] about Graduation, or How Your Aunt Doesn’t Care About What You Majored In
Happy Presidents’ Day is just a mean way of saying: And How’s Your Hangover?
By Andrew Ramirez * I don’t care about the Presidents anyway. I’ve never daydreamt about Van Buren or Polk. The only Lincoln I’ve got an affinity for is red and busted in my gramps’ driveway. Or animatronic and plugged into a wall at Disney Land. President’s Day, for several reasons, is something I’ve never experienced firsthand. But I’ve always imagined that in the big … [Read more...] about Happy Presidents’ Day is just a mean way of saying: And How’s Your Hangover?
Notes from the Morongo
By Andrew Ramirez * It’s only an hour and a half drive east on the I-10, onto the California 60 and past the flare of car dealerships and outlet malls pulsing in the dead Riverside air before you get to the Morongo Casino in Cabazon, California. Inside the cigarette smoke is sucked up by wide-mouthed ventilation units hanging from the ceiling. Waitresses stride by with trays … [Read more...] about Notes from the Morongo
What We Talk About When We Talk About Los Angeles: Weekend Report
Weekend Report By Andrew Ramirez * This weekend, Egypt remained under a close mother goose-type watch by the CIA and CNN, among others. * In Camarillo, California, a couple of kids (maybe young-looking adults) were reported stealing Wild Tiger bubblegum cigarillos from Rocket Fizz Candy and Cola—the thieves, upon exiting the store, stepped into a red Yukon and were not … [Read more...] about What We Talk About When We Talk About Los Angeles: Weekend Report
What We Talk About When We Talk About Los Angeles: Chong/Trong
Chong/Trong By Andrew Ramirez * The Pasadena library was closed because a bullet was found lodged in the wooden door. It got people nervous. A couple of cops were walking around, talking into their radios. Since I couldn’t go in I was sitting on the concrete steps, trading words with a homeless guy bundled in sweaters and sweat pants and talking through his … [Read more...] about What We Talk About When We Talk About Los Angeles: Chong/Trong