Ropa Sucia Only

Pic as found at my friend's house. It's pretty self-explanatory.

Parade Pics

Don't hate me too much. I had wanted to put up these pictures on the day of the big parade, but I have so many other better (jiji) things to do, I had to put it off, until now. I know Feb. is over and the parade has come and gone. Nonetheless, enjoy some simple pics of some Bigwigs at the GW Parade.

TKO Notice

TKO, the bar and grill on San Bernardo, closed down temporarily while they were undergoing some remodeling. They left the following notice on their door for their patrons to read. Enjoy! Drink a shot for each grammar and spelling mistake.

Parade parking (sign)

I had been very busy and could not post anything in the last week. You know how it goes sometimes.

In any case, in the next few days I will post some of the Washington Parade Pics that I was able to take. For some really strange reason, I found myself downtown on the Saturday of the parade, doing some totally unrelated matters, so while I was waiting for a friend to arrive from Nvo. Laredo, I was able to take some snapshots. Sweetbread.com

Parkin
g was tough to spell and to find.

Looking 4 Writers

This is it! This is the chance you have been waiting for. Want to be part of one of the best local blogs? I'm currently taking applications in my search for writers willing to contribute funny, witty or informational posts to my blog. I have a growing number of daily readers. Get your thoughts, ideas and opinions exposed. Want to be a part of our team, write to us at the address below.

Your Love (cover by Dead City Sunday)

"Your Love" by The Outfield is probably my favorite 80's song. Everytime it comes on the radio, I sing along to it.

Surfing around on utube, I stumbled upon an acoustic version of this song by a band named Dead City Sunday. It's not bad at all. Tell us what you think.

Six things I want to do this year

I know that it's a bit late for New Year's resolutions, but heck, I've been busy this past month. I've been here and there, just getting things done. However, there are several things on my to do list this year, that I have been putting off, but no more! Yes sir, its a new me and a new beginning. So, here are several of the things on my list that I will hopefully get a chance to do.

DeLaredo's List of things to do in 2010:

6) Visit the TAMIU planeterium.
I have been meaning to go to the planetarium to take my daughter, but everytime we're on our way, something comes up. When it's not one thing its another. We finally get something really neat and educational, here in Laredo, and we need to take advantage of it. I'm totally going before the end of the moment.


5) Buy a Republic of the Rio Grande flag
As you prolly don't know, I'm very Laredo proud. What other way to show off my Laredo and south Texas pride, than to fly the colors of our Rio Grande republic, the old red, white and black. According to Wikipedia, the short-lived republic lasted from January 17 to November 6, 1840. Good times, I'm sure they were. This year, I'll hop down to the Rio Grande museum downtown and wave the flag, proudly, outside my house. Feel free to do the same. We can start a trend, then a rebellion, cede from the union and elect Sarah as our president. I like tea anyway.


4) Hold a demonstration against WBCA Ol' George Parade
There's just no going around it, the WBCA is plain Evil, with a capital E. WBCA's events are bad history, terrible geography and have a misplaced sense of nationalism. The whole darn spectacle makes Laredo look ridiculous and the inaccurate geography makes us look foolish. Sure it's a great way for the elite to show off their wealth and splurge on overly expensive gowns, but someone has to have a demonstration against this racial nonsense. I love ol' George and I love the US, but I'm not too sure he wouldn't enslave me if he were around today. So, if you want to participate in my demonstration against the WBCA and all its evilness, raise your hand and sign up. I'll pass you a beret.

3) Blog about Laredo's best beer run
I've been meaning to do it for a while now, but I always end up doing something else. I want to drive around town and blog about the local beer runs and drive thru's and review each one. Which has the best selection of beer? Which one has the best hoochie girls in skimpy skirts? Which one are you less likely to get shot at? All vital questions I always ask myself. Stick around and I'll get to it.

2) Go to a Buck's game
I laughed out loud when I first heard hockey was coming to Laredo. "It won't catch on", the skeptics cried. Shockingly, it's still going strong. Too bad I've never been to a game. I'm a terrible Laredoan. In truth, I'd rather go to a Bronco's game, but they just don't win. The Buck's had a winner right out the gate, winning championships and endearing themselves to the fans. I never jumped on the bandwagon, but maybe I'll make time this month and catch a game. Hockey in the desert? Who would've thought?

1) Attend the Great Washington Parade
Don't throw tomatoes at me, but I've never been to the grand parade. The entire thing has always seemed silly to me. But the Washington Parade puts Laredo on the map. It's the event of the season. The entire city stops, just for this parade. Even yours truly, has gotten the day off from work, because of this damn thing. It's a local holy day, a day of reckoning. If the Magi were around today, they'd travel here, specifically for this grand festive day. Sure the WBCA is evil. Sure it's racially divisive and horrendous in its geographical capacity, but its a day of fun, of family, of food. Its a day of floats and ferries, with no need to fight and cry foul. This year I'm going to do it! By golly, this year I'm going to the parade and I'm gonna like it! You with me? Sign up and join me at the tailgate party during the parade. It's time we do some live blogging from the biggest event of the year!!!

Zombie in Laredo (film)

Searching for cool stuff on youtube, I stumbled across a neat little horror video that some local HS kids slapped together. The video has the look as if it were put together, hastily, on some randomly lazy Sunday afternoon. The editing is amateurish, the acting is horrendous and the make-up effects is downright atrocious, nonetheless, this five minute short film does manage to entertain, especially in the first minutes. Toward the end, the film starts to drag and run out of steam, but not before managing to get some chuckles out of this reviewer.

As someone that is trying to make an amateur horror film, I was quite impressed by this little awkward film "Quitate! Ahhhhh" (LOL)

Seconds 35 to 55 are the funniest stuff from the clip. I don't know why it didn't go on a local viral outbreak, like the much beloved 'dale shine' girls, but there are moments of sheer silliness that makes this short zombie-horror-black comedy a surprisingly bearable hit.

Zombie in Laredo

Martin sports fans

I'm a terrible Laredoan

I feel just plain awful. All this WBCA events are happening around me and I'm missing them all. The Jamboozie came and went. I missed it. The Menudo Bowl too, and I missed that as well.

How can I pretend to blog about the events that occur around this town if I'm never attending anything? How can I expect to increase visitors to my blog, if I don't post anything with any substance? Why should I not be surprised that no one cares about my blog? How can I keep up with La Sanbe, Keyrose and his endless army of bloggers? These are questions that will fester in my head. And you thought I didn't care about his town. You were soooo wrong.

the Rad80s (our half-sister blog)

It's finally here. Our ugly step-sister blog has reared its disgusting head. Our unabashed love for all things 80s has finally busted out and ran down the street, naked like a skinny-dipping camper in any Friday the 13th movie. Just don't say you were not warned.

You still have time. Don't go into this blog. You'll throw up bad, like that time in 1986 when you had 4 mister donuts and washed them down with spoiled Hygeia milk. You 'member.


Pos orale, you want it, then, alli te va carancho! Te aguantas.

The Rad 80s. "Life is good again"

Random Lyric of the week.

Out on the road today, I saw a DEADHEAD sticker on a Cadillac
A little voice Inside my head said, "Don't look back. You can never look back."
I thought I knew what love was
What did I know?
Those days are gone forever
I should just let them go but-

Death of JD Salinger

One of my favorite authors, JD Salinger, died yesterday of natural causes. He is most remembered for his novel, The Catcher in the Rye. That novel, with its main character, profane and winy Holden Caulfield, is read and despised by millions of HS kids throughout the nation. There has never been a film adaptation of this novel, mostly due to Salinger's disapproval of it.

(In an interview with Premiere magazine, John Cusack commented that his one regret about turning twenty-one was that he had become too old to play Holden Caulfield.)

See you in the afterlife Mr. Salinger.

Random Pictures of Downtown Laredo (part 2)

Sometimes I need to view pictures of downtown Laredo, and then I feel better again.

CarrotHead (The Movie)

Random picture of downtown

El centro is always fun. Here is a random picture I took on my last excursion. It took me about twenty minutes to find a parking space, but other than that, I had a good time. I even had my first visit ever to "Casa Raul"! Can you believe it? I've been living here since 1992 and I had never been to the local shrine of all things Wranglers and Ropers. Its a new year, and I'm living it up, baby! Go me!

WBCA is almost here.

It's that crazy time of the year again; we all dread it. Its nearing time again for Laredo to be the ridicule of all of south Texas and drag out its yearly festivities (fetishes) with all things George. Its time again for the haves to rub it in against the have-nots and parade themselves to remind everyone of the large disparity between the botas and the guaraches. Dios nos salve.

56 Unique hits

We are hitting the bigtime now! Yesterday, we had a total of 56 unique hits. Paltry figures I know, compared to more venerable blogs, but bliss to us. Pocos pero fieles. Thanks to everyone that returns to this, my little corner of the frontera cyberspace. Vamos pa'adelante.

New Blog on the Block

We have a new local blog, Dale Bola. Please drop by and give them a "smell". Tell them DeLaredo sent you!

Visit DaleBola

Cantina Face-Off

Cantina Face-Off:

Which cantina is better? NCO or 66 Club? Don't you just love that my blog asks all these hard-hitting questions?
What do you think Laredo? Which of these local pubs is better? Leave your comments ( all 4 of you readers out there, jijij).

A day in Downtown Laredo

Going downtown can be fun. One never knows what kind of fun sights can bee seen. I recently had some days off from work, so I ventured to the downtown area in search of things that put a smile on my face. My associate, Mr. Ed, accompanied me on this quest. This is what we found.



Downtown, you have to be careful not to be caught with your pants down. Apparently, these mannequins here are showcasing some 'San Francisco' style clothing, not too often seen here in Laredo, and for good reason. I'm not too sure just what was going on here, but some store downtown, must have a sense of humor. Rule #1, never be caught with your pants down, downtown. Big no, no.


Doors, they can be tricky. One false step and 'POW', right in the kisser. Notice the door in the picture above. A random door above a storefront, no staircase required. You gotta love downtown.

Times are bad! Stores are closing down left and right and downtown Laredo is being affected as well. Flexible entrepreneurs have been forced to showcase their wares on the sidewalks. These shoes look great. Too bad they didn't have my size.

Laredenses overact. We are just not ac costumed to a little cold weather. As soon as the temperatures dip beneath the 70 degrees F, people bust out the parkas. Se salen!

Gotta love downtown. So much energy, so much vibrant hustle, so many things to laugh at.
(Email me if you wanna head out with us downtown next time. )

Cada vez que digo Adios

My current favorite song. My anthem. Autobiographical. It hits too close to home each time.

Enanitos Verdes: Cada vez que Digo Adios


"Por favor no tengas miedo
vos me vas a sostener
y cuando todo sea adverso
pensando en ti voy a estar muy bien
para cargar sobre mis hombros
a este mundo que al fin
reza por la envidia y el odio
de la gente que no puede ser feliz"

Tano for Judge

I rarely get this blog involved in local politics. There are other more informed pundits as well as other local commentators that are more immersed on the issues. But I ran across a political poster of Tano's, then I saw his Twitter page, by random accident, and just now, someone sent me his official website. All in the span of like less than an hour. There has to be something at work here, something mysterious and complex. I just finished reading his biography. Interesting.


I rarely get this blog involved in local politics. But maybe, just maybe, this guy has something. Integrity. Something rarely seen in local politicos (politi-locos).

I'll have my eye on Tano.


Plus, he played baseball and was drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers. I rarely get this blog involved in local politics, but just maybe...

Pinata Guy

Obligatory guy on roof, pulling rope for pinata. Good times. Good times.

You 'member pinatas. Man, I used to love whacking on that damn thing. To be completely honest with you, I still love me a good pinata every now and then. Dulces, bolsitas, palos. The best pinata sticks were those old wooden escobas your ama no longer wanted. Sweet swings, just like Albert Pujols. And the best part was that someone always got hit over the head with that damn stick, and you always hoped it would be your cousin Alex, the cousin you could never stand and always got on your nerves. You 'member.

Dale, Dale, Dale, Whack, Thump, Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa. Good Times. Good Times.

Chela's Fried Pies (part 2)

Several weeks ago, I posted about a south side snack place by the name of Chela's Fried Pies. Well, it seems Chela is going all out with her advertising these days for her fried pie place. Tu echale ganas Chela!!

The Post Christmas shopping blues..and the recession continues.

Christmas has come and gone, and Laredo's high unemployment rate is still here, with all the force of of 99 San Agustin day laborers. In truth, the recession is still biting us hard and, as evident on the face of this Laredense above, 2010 promises to be another gloomy year. Agarranse todos.

CarrotHead: The Making of (part 1)

"What the Hell! How difficult can it be?" I said to myself at the beginning of this project.

Making a movie sure sounded fun, and when I started this venture I had lots of ideas and lofty goals for myself. I wrote the script on a Saturday morning, after having breakfast (chilaquiles, if you must now). It's based on a recurring nightmare that I had as kid. The plot is simple enough. A giant, evil rabid rabbit kills kids lost in the woods with his sharp carrot stick. It's shot POV style as a mockumentary, mostly on a handheld digital video camera with shaky camera work and intentionally awful dialogue. However, it hasn't been as easy as I thought it would be. Even making an amateur, over the top, outrageously bad D-horror film, requires vision. And, I seem to have lost it.

I have re-written the script four times. Getting the equipment was the easy part. Actors forget their lines. Rain nixes our filming plans. Real jobs get in the way. People go on vacation. Actresses expect to get paid. In short, making an amateur horror films takes hard work. Production on my short film seems to have been pushed back several months, but expect CarrotHead to finally get its limited release y Spring (March) 2010. After months of delays, re-writes, strikes, and other general calamities, CarrotHead seems to finally be heading in the right direction. Horror movie fans from all over the state have been patiently awaiting the release of this film, and while I'm sure they will be sadly disappointed, their groans will not be in vain.

How to post Comments on my blog

A while back, I was trying to upload a different template onto my blog, when I did something that caused the entire layout to go on the fritz. As a result, visitors can no longer leave comments as easily as before. I am not sure what I did to cause this or how to repair it. I have searched Blogger forums but I have not been able to find the answer as to how to fix this issue.

For now, if you wish to leave a comment or to read previous comments made on a post, click on the "Links to this post" way at the bottom of each post. There you can leave your comment and read other comments as well. I will try to repair this bug, or I will finally upload that spanking new design that I have been contemplating for a while.

Thanks for continuing to visit this blog. I know I have not been updating as much as I would like to, but keep the faith, and you will be rewarded with three glazed donuts, in the afterlife.

Greeting a new year and a new Decade

"Now everyone is talking about this new decade

Like you say the magic numbers
then just say goodbye to the stupid mistakes you made,
but my memory serves me far too well."

New Years Eve is here, and along with it comes a heap of expectations. Finally, with the start of a new decade, I can start afresh and "say goodbye to the stupid mistakes I made". 2010 promises to be a good year and I brand new decade for me, for this blog, for Laredo in general.

I recall how 10 years ago, with the Y2k scare, right about this time I was loading up on bottled water and Cheetos. With all the hype I though it would be wise to stock up on on essentials, for, "just in case". That was 1999. I was a kid, surfing the web on my WebTV, going to LCC and and eating Dunkin Donuts. But, there is no looking back. The 00's are over. They were not kind to me at all, so now it's time to start over again in the 10's. This will be my decade. Watch and see.

Super S Foods on Santa Maria

Very few stores are as fun as Super S Foods. Here, you can find the total "Laredo experience", especially on Sunday afternoons, when it seems as if the entire west side congregates here to snatch up the required essentials for the obligatory Sunday carne asada reverent feast.

I ventured out to this supermarket, not so long ago, and took some snapshots, just for you my eager and faithful audience. What I found, and what I suspect that half the west side projects are already aware of, is the vast superiority of Super S over other chains such as HEB and Narvaez. Before you begin to throw tomatoes at me and spit out your Bud Light in a bitter rage, take a peek at the evidence below.

Super S has it all: (picture above)
1) Obligatory west side residents giving you hard stares: Check
2) Obligatory Mexican Cd's for sale outside store: Check
3) Obligatory pirated DVD's for sale outside store: Check

Great store, ample parking. Friendly locals. Fast checkouts. Looks like I will be dumping HEB soon.

Guy with big onions (above)

Another great point about Super S Foods is their fresh produce section. This store has no peers when it comes to fruits and vegetables. Consumers from all over the county are well aware that this store is unparalleled in its freshness and authentic selection of exotic fruits and veggies. Just look at the customer above. He has two gi-normous onions found only at the Super S.

Cotton Candy in a Bag (above)

Super S Rocks. They have all the essential groceries. Cotton Candy in a bag. Genius. Fluffy stuff on the go.



Awesome beer selection (picture above)

Super S has all your favorite beer. Their variety is so extensive it's almost scary. Bud Light for everyone. As well all know, Bud is Laredo's favorite and official beer, and Super S is eager to comply to our great thirsts for the good stuff. Some people love to drink piss water. To each their own, I guess.

Awesome beer selection part 2 (picture above)

Besides Bud Light, Super S also carries an extensive amount of the other 'official' Laredo beer, Natural Light. God forbid they run out of this beer; they have a complete refrigerator well-stocked and bursting at the seems, with this drink from the Gods themselves. For your next carne asada, Super S Foods is the place to go to gather the essentials. Don't believe me? Head down there yourself this weekend. But hurry, before they run out of Natural Light!!

Stryper Sucks!

Stryper sucks, but apparently the guy that wrote this in this bathroom stall style didn't get the memo.

Gas station near Laredo, TX

I found this priceless picture on flickr. It has every stereotype in the book. Old junked cars on the side. Check. Mangy dog on porch. Check. Obligatory car seat as porch furniture. Check. The place is priceless.

(note: Go here for original picture as found on flickr)

Shopping Downtown (en el centro)

Its been a while since I have gone shopping downtown. I'm not too sure why I haven't gone either. When I was in my teens, I used to enjoy going to the downtown shops and browsing around, or just hanging out and enjoying the sights and sounds. At the time, I used to ride the Metro. Now that I drive, it's harder to go downtown. Parking sucks. Nonetheless, I made it a point to go downtown this Saturday afternoon and take some snapshots. I'll catch the locals in all their glory. Come back on Sunday for some good pictures of downtown Laredo.

(note: the picture above was found on Flickr)

Iglesia Bautista, Nueva Vida

A couple of weeks ago, I blogged about a church that I spotted over by Malinche and Guadalupe, behind la pulga. The church, Pare de Sufrir, has faced all sorts of criticism and has been called everything from 'charlatans' to outright 'liars and heretics' by other, more conservative groups (read a quick article here, in Spanish).

I had meant to visit this particular church, just out of sheer curiosity, but I thought twice about it after reading some articles on this particular religious group, labeling them a 'dangerous sect'. They belong to a larger group that calls itself, La Iglesia Universal del Reino de Dios, and are based out of Brazil. The more I began to read on this group, the more interested I became in visiting their temple and seeing first hand, just what they are all about.

Now, I believe myself to be a 'freethinker' and I think I have a 'to each his own' mentality. I'm not trying to knock this particular group. I am, however, intrigued, by their infomercials and commercialism. So, I hope to be able to witness one of their 'services' soon.

Across the street from Pare de Sufrir Church, is another church, with a different set of beliefs altogether: La Iglesia Bautista Nueva Vida en Jesus. Its located on Corpus Christi and down the block from the competitive, Pare de Sufrir. I've never been in this one either, but maybe soon I'll get a chance to visit. Maybe they have free sweetbread after service?? I'll keep you posted.

Wings and Mas

I hadn't noticed it, but Wings and Mas is no mas. Sorry to see them go. Let's see what opens there this time.

Laredosun.Us

I stumbled upon El Manana's blog, www.laredosun.us and even though it has lots of shortcomings, I guess its better than not having an online newspaper at all. The blog does leave a lot to be desired, but as El Manana editors state on their site, the blog is "still a work in progress and although we try to bring the latest breaking news from our local frontier, and around the global, we are still working out a few bugs."


I guess then, that I will remain patiently waiting for those bugs to get creased out, as LMT abandoned their online format months ago, and are now on a pay basis only for local articles. In the mean time, I will try to put up with Nuevo Laredo's English version blog. Seems that they are trying to fill that niche of readers that LMT lost when they went to pay-only format. There are a lot of us out there, that are looking for Laredo news online. Maybe in the future, LaredoSun will be that source we seek. Until then, I wait.

Random Laredenses pt. 5

BorderTown Blunder

I was redesigning the blog a week ago and several things were accidentally deleted. Therefore I had to start again on several blog gadgets, and I still haven't been able to fully correct them.

Also, I hadn't noticed that one of my compadre blogs was linked incorrectly. It seems that I somehow goofed on the link for Bordertown Blues blog and it was directing to another page which seems like it belongs to some sort of musical starlet. Oops. In any case, the correction has been made...but hmm, this other page does look interesting. Maybe there is a connection between the two sites. Anyone know of it?


I'm sure this blonde bombshell is also an intellectual. You might be surprised.