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)