The H"el"l Train Chronicles

Living in Chicago tests a person's ability to cope with human contact.

Every inch of space is either occupied by a human body or will be within two seconds. 

Those of us who have cars will consider murder in order to obtain a parking spot while 

the rest of the population is forced to use public transportation.

 

I ride the "El" Train.

 A trip on the "El" Train is the equivalent of receiving an education in humanity. 

It is known that people modify the customary actions of their personal lives to conform with what they believe will be acceptable when conducting their public lives. 

The minute people step on the "El" Train they neglect to censor their actions and tend to reveal their true nature. This revealing can be attributed to the idea that the train is filled with bodies that a person will never come into contact with again. A ride on the "El" is merely a moment in between life. There is no need to impress and the minute the ride is over, the individual can move on with the show. 

In the following blog entries titled "The H"el"l Train Chronicles," I will illustrate my observations of humanity through the use of various "characters" that I encounter while riding the train.

Please let me know if you have had similar experiences or have come into contact with these "Characters."

So Cal to Chi Town

I was surprised to find that the City of Chicago has a skateboard scene that is both welcoming and burgeoning. Chicago has a ton of undiscovered spots to offer along with people that are willing to show them to you. The skateboarders that inhabit the city streets can sense one of their own. There is no need to demolish the barriers that exist between a local crew and an outsider in order to provoke a session. A display of mutual devotion to skateboarding and its culture is enough for acceptance. I am invigorated by skating in Chicago and the locals have shown me that the exclusion of real skateboarders only detracts from the overall skateboard experience.

Real skateboarders embrace individuality yet band together in order to further fuel their own ideas of originality. 

If you are not a true skateboarder you cant even feign an understanding our intricacies.

In the end, we can only relate to each other, as COMPADRES.

DISREGARD THE LAST POST

Operation Phoenix no longer has the resources nor the willingness to cooperate in the project stated in the last post. 

Compadre Clothing is actively searching for another charity organization that will appreciate and display a true willingness to help the disadvantaged children in their community through the Compadre Clothing "economic and college experience" project.

Operation Phoenix Foundation To Sell Compadre Clothing T-Shirts at Local Southern California Colleges

How can anyone expect a kid to attend an institution of higher education if he/she has not physically seen a college?

How can somebody expect kids who have not been given the opportunity to engage in economic activity to be successful in seeking employment or making money?

Compadre Clothing has decided to address these questions.

In a proposal to the Operation Phoenix Foundation, Compadre Clothing devised a program that would allow San Bernardino Community Children to engage in a real economic activity at a real college campus. 

Compadre Clothing has proposed the idea that when kids are exposed to institutions of higher learning at a young age, they are more likely to attend college.

Compadre Clothing has also proposed that kids who handle money and engage in economic activity at a young age, have a greater likelihood of being financially successful.

The proposed Program is as follows:

Operation Phoenix Foundation Community Children will be bused from the San Bernardino area to local universities in Southern California where they will sell Compadre Clothing/Operation Phoenix Foundation branded t-shirts to real life college students on campus.

A portion of the sales will be given to the Operation Phoenix Foundation with a percentage ending up in the pockets of the children. 

San Bernardino kids will be able to visit college campuses, meet with college students and sell t-shirts in an amiable environment. The kids will not only be supporting their community, they will be receiving compensation for doing so.

Exposure to Higher Education at a young age+engaging in economic activities at a young age+youth supporting the community=PERSONAL AND COMMUNAL BENEFITS AND SUCCESS

Compadre Clothing hopes that this program will be adopted by Community Charities and Youth Programs across the United States.

Owner of Compadre Clothing Colin Commito Designs San Bernardino's New Skateboard Park

The fact that San Bernardino is facing extraordinarily challenging economic and social obstacles is not a secret to Southern California locals. The number of the residents of San Bernardino depend on Federal Assistance, the dropout rates of school children are on the rise and crime and violence continue to be significant problems. 

The good news is that the Citizens of San Bernardino have responsive elected and unelected officials working for them in City Hall. 

A stroke of fate and a meeting with an Operation Phoenix Board member at a skateboard shop in Redlands, CA created a relationship that would bond Compadre Clothing to the San Bernardino City Charity, The Operation Phoenix Foundation, and set into motion, a project that would encourage kids to engage in the activity of skateboarding.

I listened carefully as the Secretary of The Operation Phoenix Foundation, Kent Paxton, riffled of statistics about kids and crime in San Bernardino. The meeting was initially about selling Compadre T-shirts to raise money for charity, but the statistics sparked an idea. The idea that kids in San Bernardino needed to start skateboarding as soon as possible. Compadre would still sell t-shirts for the foundation but the main focus shifted to the construction of s skateboard park in San Bernardino. I explained to Kent my background in skateboarding and why I thought that skateboarding could mitigate problems in San Bernardino and keep kids busy. Kent picked up the phone at 8:00 at night and called the Mayor. I had a meeting the next week.

At the meeting with Mayor Morris, I explained the concept that skateboarding could serve as a viable alternative for kids to a life of crime and violence. Skateboarding inhabits a unique space in society. Skateboarding is on the brink of acceptance but is still considered rebellious anti-establishment and is considered criminal conduct in cities across America. A perfect activity for a rough group of kids. The Mayor accepted my proposal and fast tracked the project. 

After budget shortfalls and a PATHETIC DENIAL OF FUNDS FROM THE IDLE TONY HAWK FOUNDATION, the Team of City Officials, Kent Paxton, Mayor Morris, and I, with the gracious assistance of THE SAN MANUEL BAND OF MISSION INDIANS allocated 756, 000 dollars for the "East Side Skate Park" in the worst economic environment since the Great Depression.

The "East Side Skate Park" will open late October as a symbol of the City's dedication to the the idea that skateboarding can serve as a viable alternative for kids to crime drugs crime and violence.

The negative, age-old reputation of skateboarding is changing.

The success of the San Bernardino/Operation Phoenix Skateboard Project is a testament to the fact that governmental views in respect to skateboarding are changing. 

I encourage every city to embrace skateboarding as a positive activity and hope that the benefits associated with skateboarding will become obvious.

Video Footage of The Fourth of July Skateboard Demonstration/GroundBreaking Can Be Found Soon at www.compadreclothing.com

COMPADRE REPRESENT

Testing

This is a test of our new Compadre Clothing Blog.....