http://www.immortal-technique.com/

Song: Dance with the Devil

Album: Revolutionary Volume 1

This is one of the streets of Brno where the poorest people live.  According to general definitions. Most of them are unemployed, and almost all of them are Roma.

But many apartments have satellite dishes [cf. the first post on Bronx, two posts back] and many of the families receive social welfare benefits that, if they add up, represent a bigger net income than that of a hard working manual labor worker who lives in a concrete block apartment building.

I am not implying anything. It's just that nothing is as one-sided as it might look from the street...

Google keywords:
Czech Roma, Czech photo blog

A newspaper burns in the sand
And the headlines say 'Man Destroys Man'
Extra extra, read all the bad news
On the war for peace that everybody would lose
The rise and fall, the last great empire
The sound of the whole world caught on fire
The ruthless struggle, the desperate gamble
The game that left the whole world in shambles
The cheats, the lies, the alibies
And the foolish attempts to conquer the sky
Lost in space, and what is it worth?
Huh, the President just forgot about Earth
Spendin multi-billions and maybe even trillions
The cost of weapons ran in the zillions
There's gold in the street and there's diamond under feet
And the children in Africa don't even eat
Flies on their faces, they're livin like mice
And their houses even make the ghetto look nice
Huh, the water tastes funny, it's forever too sunny
And they work all month and don't make no money
A fight for power, a nuclear shower
A people shout out in the darkest hour
Sights unseen and voices unheard
And finally the bomb gets the last word
Christians killed Muslims and Germans killed Jews
And everybody's bodies are used and abused
Huh, minds are poisoned and souls are polluted
Superiority complex is deep rooted
Leeches and lices, and people got prices
Egomaniacs control the self-righteous
Nothin is sacred and nothin is pure
So the revelation of death is our cure
Peoples in terror, the leaders made a error
And now they can't even look in the mirror
Cause we gotta suffer while things get rougher
And that's the reason why we got to get tougher
So learn from the past and work for the future
And don't be a slave to no computer
Cause the children of Man inherit the land
And the future of the world is in your hands
So just throw your hands in the air
And wave em like you just don't care
And if you believe that you're the future
Scream it out and say oh yeah (Oh yeah)
Oh yeah (Oh yeah)
Rrrrhaa!

Beat Street Breakdown, rrrrhaa!

This is the second "Zoo Review" this review will be about the Bronx Zoo. I've been to the Bronx Zoo so many times, but it definitely doesn't have the best lion exhibit I've seen. It's lion exhibit is called "lion island" and is a piece of land in the Africa section of the zoo that is surrounded by a mote, they have two lions(a male and female), although I've heard the female had a cub, and it might be in the exhibit soon, which would definitely add to it. They do have one piece of enrichment, but the lions there rarely use it and are pretty lazy. The tiger exhibit at the Bronx Zoo which was recently totally redone is very cool and, I like it a lot better. If only they could remodel the lion exhibit. The best part of the day to see the lion exhibit is right before the zoo closes, because that is before they feed the lions, and you often see them pacing around. Above is a picture of the male lion at the Bronx Zoo. IF you have any questions, comments, or an article idea please email us at lionsincrocks@gmail.com or instant message us at "lionsincrocks" (no quotes).

Here are the area we covered for the Tri-State area:

1) 5-borough

2) Nassau and Suffolk counties

3) Westchester counties

4) Rockland counties

5) Bergen counties

6) Hudson counties

7) Essex counties

8) Middlesex counties

But where is this secret Japanese district in the Bronx that's perfectly suited for a Japanostaycation? If it's out there, Karen doesn't know it either, because the video makes it clear that her itinerary include such borough-crossing destinations as the Japan Society and East Village ramen shops. I'm still a little unclear on what constitutes "doing stuff where you live" and what's an honest-to-God staycation, but it's good to know that you can at least visit other boroughs without breaking the rules.

Perhaps the next staycation wrinkle will be apartment swaps in the same city. Anyone got a Brighton Beach condo they'd swap for an East Village tenement? We'll leave the Vornados on for you.

HappY HappY FRIDAY!!!

From ArtChiz Studios in NYC!

Guess What?   It's going to be soooooooo hot here in the NYC Today!

Ohhhh Nooo!  :O)

I took this picture minutes ago, so as you can see I am ready with my extra light clothing!!   I am going to run out and try to get back in the studio before the death rays hit my area!

YaY!!!  

It's Dance in the Studio Friday!!!

Great Chizzy News!!!

My Prints will be aviable for purchase at The Bronx Museum of the Arts Gift Shop!!!

God has truly blessed me!! 

YAY!! :O)

   NOW!!! TOO THE STUDIO!!!

That's enough dancing for this week!

SHOUT OUT TO WISDOM!!!

"Be cafeful what you think, because your thoughts run your life"

PROVERBS 4:23

Thank you for spending another week with me!!!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Love

Chiz :OP

I take off my headphones, lower my book, and glower at the guy across from me. He and his friend have been drinking Coors Light from wide mouth cans for the past twenty minutes and their legs kept banging up against my knees. I glance out the window and watch Westchester zip past our train.

"Sorry," he continues. "I hate to bother you. But are you reading that for school?"

I look down at my worn copy of A Separate Peace and raise my eyebrows. "No. I'm reading it because it's a good book."

Now he's caught in a disappointment. "Oh, because I had to read that for school, and I just hated it. I thought it sucked."

"Where do you go to school?" I ask him. His friend laughs.

"Oh, I'm not in school. But I went to school in Scranton." He scratches his knee and sips his Coors. "My name is Peter. And this is Derek."

"Hi."

"Where are you in college?"

"I'm not. I went to Brandeis. Outside Boston."

"Oh yeah? That's a good school. My cousin goes there. She's a sophomore. So I guess you wouldn't know her, would you?"

"Nope."

"What do you do?"

"I'm a publicist for a magazine. What do you do?"

"We're ... in between jobs," Peter says hesitantly. Derek rolls his eyes. "So, I know this is weird, but what are you doing Saturday?" At this point, Derek starts snickering at Peter.

"Saturday?"

"We're actually going to a wedding. Our friend's getting married. He's only 23. It's ridiculous. But he knocked up the girl, you know? So we're going to a wedding in the Bronx. And you should be my date."

"Oh," I laugh and smile. A few strangers in adjacent seats are surrepticiously listening in. "I wish you asked me last week. Because now I have plans."

"Were you on this train last week?"

"No ... I'm going to visit my grandparents for dinner."

"So how could I have asked you last week?" Derek loses it and actually laughs out loud at his friend. Even the strangers start to roll their eyes.

At that point, we reach White Plains. Which is sad, I think, because I really do love weddings. And I bet I could have drank these guy under the table.

The ugliest part of Brno can be found around Cejl [street name]. It is the part of Brno where most empty houses can be found. It is the part of Brno that most people have associated with the Roma minority. And sure enough. During a 400-meter walk 20 people walked in the opposite direction and 17 of them were Roma.

Buildings where they live often have piles of garbage in their back yards but at the same time five out of ten windows would have a satellite dish.

However many houses that were empty last summer now have new windows, scaffolding around the front facade, construction workers running around and a poster saying "above-standard apartments for sale".

Experts are afraid that the "ugly neighborhood" tag will soon go to some suburbs that look relatively good so far.

And since every big town must have its ugly part, I am afraid they are right. I just have a hard time guessing which one it is going to be.

Google search keywords:
Bronx, Czech Roma

Okay, so Tim Lincecum is in the hospital with the flu, but that's no reason not to be able to play in the game this evening! Right? The 24 year old was hospitalized earlier today with dehydration and flu like symptoms. Lincecum missed the All Star Game Red Carpet this afternoon, so I can confidently say that he isn't faking it. Lincecum is 11-2 in his second year with the Giants, he leads the majors with 135 strike outs, and his 2.57 ERA is 4th best among starters. His arm will be greatly missed in this All Star game.

Hope you get better quickly, Timmy Boy!

Today is a historic moment for all the Yankees fans and the team's home ballpark. The all-star baseball game is going to take place tonight, for the last time at the old Yankee Stadium, before it's going to be replaced by the brand new facility just a few yards away. Ask New Yorkers what they are going to miss about the old stadium and they will tell you that it is a historic site, home to so many beautiful wins and memories. Sure, the tradition is great, but we liked what The New York Times did today - they have asked people most affected by the stadium's archaic amenities - the players themselves - what they won't miss.

"When it rains, the smell that comes up through the drainage system is not pretty,” said Jason Varitek of the Boston Red Sox. The Chicago White Sox’ Joe Crede won't be crying over “Hitting my head on the dugout. Every time somebody scored or got a hit, you jumped up and forgot how low the ceiling is in there.”

Well, as much as we are not baseball fans, we'll miss the stadium, too (after all, it was there where we saw our first and only baseball game). But on a cheerful note, the field where Babe Ruth, Joe DiMaggio and Reggie Jackson had scored home runs, will now be a place for the youngsters to learn how to hit that ball right. So wipe your tears and be happy for them. Oh, and don't miss the game - it starts at 8.30PM.

The report explores how to address such concerns by, "raising industry standards, enforcing workers’ rights, and connecting living-wage job opportunities to the local Bronx workforce so that residents benefit from development projects."

The NBCCC is helping make this vision a reality with the redevelopment of the Kingsbridge Armory. As part of the Kingsbridge Armory Redevelopment Alliance (KARA), they are seeking, "living wages and union protections for local residents in the construction and permanent jobs, community space, an affordable recreation center, and environmental protections through the negotiation of a Community Benefits Agreement, a Labor Peace Agreement and a Project Labor Agreement with the developer of the Armory."

Photo of KARA protest at City Hall via the Daily News.

Ages: 2 to 7
Time: 11am-3pm
Cost: Free
Haffen Park

Gunther Avenue and Burke Avenue
Bronx, NY 10469

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Carnival of the World/Carnival del Mundo
Dan Butterworth's intricately hand-carved puppets whirl around the stage and into the audience.
http://www.cit... foundation.org
7/16/08

Time: 11am
Cost: Free

Playground for All Children

Bruckner Blvd and Buhre Avenue
Bronx, NY 10461

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I Scream for Ice Cream
Back by popular demand, a special workshop brings alive the history of Thomas Jefferson's favorite dessert. Following a brief discussion about the production and storage of ice in the 18th century, participants hand-crank a batch of ice cream and sample the sweet results. Reservations are suggested, but not required.
718.543.3344
http://www.nycgovparks.org
7/16/08

Time: 2pm-3:30pm
Cost: $10

Van Cortlandt House Museum

Broadway at West 246th Street
Bronx, NY 10471

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Herbal Delights, Naturally
Kids can go on an herbal scavenger hunt to smell, taste, and touch more than 40 herbs in the garden's collection; sample a healthy herb snack; and pot up an herb to take home.
718.817.8700
http://www.nybg.org
Ongoing Daily except Mon 7/1/08 - 7/27/08; check with location for exceptions.

Time: 1pm-5:30pm
Cost: Free with Garden admission

New York Botanical Garden

200th Street and Kazimiroff Blvd.
Bronx, NY 10458

From GoCityKids.com

The end of an era arrives this evening in New York, as the Yankee stadium will showcase its final All Stars game.

The stadium has an incredible array of memories from days gone by, and the 1976 season's pivotal moments must have been when during the second game of the World Series, Howard Cosell looked around the New York skyline and uttered (amongst other words), "Ladies and gentlemen, the Bronx is burning!"

The words were in reference to the skyline being filled with burning properties allegedly set on fire, due to efforts to recoup high tax rates through the insurance route.

Of course there are many other memorable moments and I would love to hear them via the comments section.

Oh and those stairs... Well i had a lot of pain again with my stuff...

So i went to BK hip hop festival after a while in the bx. It was a beautiful... Between BK bridge and Manhattan bridge, close to the river...

So i saw KRS-one for the second time, nice time, primo too. Beautifuul people, cute kids, good energy. Then i walked on BK bridge... First time !! lol i took a long time to decide to do it... since january haha. It was the perfect weather to do it tho !

The Bronx Dominican parade will be take place on July 27 along the Grand Concourse.

via: Bronx Latino, Photo credit: Palma Mir via Flickr.com

And here I am blogging.  Funny.

I am going to New York City for a few days later this month.  I love Manhattan.  I went there last summer and this time the plan is the same:  very little on the agenda.  I will just walk around.  Last year I walked the length of Park Avenue, for example, from Midtown to Downtown more than once.  There is nothing like wandering around a place like New York.

The agenda I do have includes hitting Govinda's in Brooklyn as well as other Veg eatries; frequenting dive bars; laying on the ground and looking at the sky; and maybe using the Yankee bleacher seat I bought myself on StubHub.  Springsteen is playing New Jersey, but I am not going.  I have lost my extreme passion for Bruce.  He's no Elliott.  Why would I leave Manhattan when I am only going to be there for a few days?  (With the exception of quick jaunts to Brooklyn and maybe the Bronx).

This site needs more photos.  This trip will contribute to that cause.  Any suggestions for what I should do in New York, shoot.  I prefer cheap, veg food, and things having to do with music, beer, bikes, and sociopolitical shit.

Lo cierto es que no estoy excesivamente lejos del Bronx, pero total, voy todos los días a currar a Mirasierra y para eso tengo que cruzar Fuencarral, ¿quién dice miedo?

Voy bien entrenado:

Furgonetas quemadas junto a guarderías:

Caravanas selladas para ocultar a saber qué cosa:

Y estrechos caminos debido a la creciente vegetación (ahora ya no, hace un par de semanas arrasaron con toda la flora):

Me río yo del Bronx :P

Brownstones, water towers, trees, skyscrapers
Writers, prize fighters and Wall Street traders
We come together on the subway cars
Diversity unified, whoever you are
We're doing fine on the One and Nine line
On the L we're doin' swell
On the number Ten bus we fight and fuss
'Cause we're thorough in the boroughs and that's a must
I remember when the Duece was all porno flicks
Running home after school to play PIX * 1
At lunch I'd go to Blimpies down on Montague Street
And hit the Fulton Street Mall for the sneakers on my feet
Dear New York I hope you're doing well
I know a lot's happen and you've been through hell
So, we give thanks for providing a home
Through your gates at Ellis Island we passed in droves
Testi Canzoni
Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens and Staten
From the Battery to the top of Manhattan
Asian, Middle-Eastern and Latin
Black, White, New York you make it happen

The L.I.E. the B.Q.E
Hippies at the band shell with the L.S.D.
Get my BVD's from VIM
You know I'm reppin' Manhattan the best I can
Stopped off at Bleeker Bob's got thrown out
Sneakin' in at 4:00 am after going out
You didn't rob me in the park at Dianna Ross
But everybody started looting when the light went off
From the South South Bronx on out to Queens Bridge
From Hollis Queens right down to Bay Ridge
From Castle Hill to the Lower East Side
From 1010 WINS to Live At Five
Dear New York this is a love letter
To you and how you brought us together
We can't say enough about all you do
'Cause in the city were ourselves and electric too

Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens and Staten
From the Battery to the top of Manhattan
Asian, Middle-Eastern and Latin
Black, White, New York you make it happen

Shout out the South Bronx where my mom hails from
Right next to High Bridge across from Harlem
To the Grand Concourse where my mom and dad met
Before they moved on down to the Upper West
I see you're still strong after all that's gone on
Life long we dedicate this song
Just a little something to show some respect
To the city that blends and mends and tests
Since 911 we're still livin'
And lovin' life we've been given
Ain't nothing gonna take that away from us
Were lookin' pretty and gritty 'cause in the city we trust
Dear New York I know a lot has changed
2 towers down but you're still in the game
Home to many rejecting know one
Accepting peoples of all places, wherever they're from

Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens and Staten
From the Battery to the top of Manhattan
Asian, Middle-Eastern and Latin
Black, White, New York you make it happen

En CelebrityDeath nos hemos especializado en el mundo de la muerte de los famosos. Por eso estamos en condiciones de, antes de presentar a la dulce y maja protagonista de hoy, vaticinar la sorprendente muerte de un famoso en menos de una semana. En Julio siempre pasa, y si no ya veréis. Por cierto, hoy se cumplen 5 años de la muerte de Celia Cruz: ¡Asúcar!

Celia Cruz - La negra tiene tumbao

Úrsula Hilaria Celia Caridad Cruz Alfonso, a.k.a. Celia Cruz, nacida en La Habana en 1925, fue una de las artistas más conocidas en el mundo de la salsa y en el de la música en particular. Debido a la estupidez del gobierno cubano no se le permitió volver a su país tras haber triunfado y haberse afincado en EE.UU.

A pesar de que su padre quería que fuera profesora de español, Celia Cruz comenzó a cantar desde bien pequeñita. Empezó en emisoras de radio locales y cabarets, a los que iba acompañando a su tía. Poco más tarde, en los 50, Cruz se unió a la orquesta cubana Sonora Matancera, con la que comenzó su éxito.

[audio=http://www.goear.com/files/sst3/ba373a08bd356b30349b040d97c90f92.mp3]

Celia Cruz - La vida es un carnaval

Según la Wikipedia, Cruz y su marido Pedro Knight rechazaron volver a su Cuba natal después de que Castro tomara el poder en los 60. Yo, personalmente, pongo en duda que esto fuera así. Me suena más bien a todo lo contrario.

Ganadora de innumerables premios Grammy y Grammy Latinos, Cruz tuvo éxitos como La vida es un carnaval, La negra tiene tumbao, o Guantanamera. Como curiosidad podemos decir que su famosa frase ¡Asúcar! viene de una vez que le preguntaron en Miami si quería azúcar en su café cubano, y ella respondió que si no no sería café cubano. Cachonda la mujer.

Celia Cruz murió tal día como hoy, 16 de Julio, en 2003 por un tumor en el cerebro. Tras su funeral y numerosos homenajes fue enterrada en el Bronx con tierra de Guantánamo.

Celia Cruz, reina de la salsa, R.I.P.

- Celia Cruz en la Wikipedia

But a lot of us were left with a bad taste in our mouths. Yankee Stadium is still in the South Bronx, right? So why did the red-carpet parade only bring the All-Star players and long-time baseball legends up 6th Avenue from 42nd to 59th Street? And why were all but one of the All-Star statues placed in Manhattan? Is Major League Baseball that ashamed of its Bronx neighbors? This New York Times editorial writer seems to think so: the article points out that there are about 1,000 Little League players in the South Bronx who are some of baseball's greatest fans. These local young people, rather than being ignored, could have at least been given a shot at getting tickets to the game, or even to the home run derby the night before the game.

The home run derby on Monday night did, admittedly, have a community focus—it resulted in $370,000 donated to the Boys and Girls Clubs of America, including $50,000 to a branch in Long Island City, Queens.

But many Bronx residents feel they are still being left in the dust. A newly-released report by the Urban Justice Center and the Northwest Bronx Community & Clergy Coalition confirms these feelings, revealing that even though there are efforts to develop the Bronx, unemployment, low wages, and inequality still plague the community to a striking degree. We got word from the West Bronx Blog that youth rallied yesterday afternoon outside of Yankee Stadium to remind the public of the needs of their community, "calling for more and better jobs and emphasizing the stark contrast between the billion dollar new Yankee Stadium and the daily lives of mostly poor Bronxites."