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.