La Martin Nueva

Henry Cuellar attended the rededication of the main building at Martin High School yesterday. Why? He didn't graduate from Martin.

A photo op is a photo op I guess.

Competing Views And Cute Teddy Bears

The store selling the Valentine's Day gifts has framed pictures of the Virgin Mary at the doorway, St. Jude on one side of the storefront, and La Santa Muerte on the other. It's all so confusing. I could've gone inside to ask what their beliefs are but I was getting a bit nauseous from the incense emanating from within.

Quetion

Does anyone own a Flip Mino camcorder?

Super Hookers

Looks like there's more than football, old school baller reunions & mindless interviews going on in Tampa about now. This includes side action for gamblers and folks shopping for strange. Our friends over at The Smoking Gun have assembled this line-up of Tampa ladies so that Super Bowl fans can make well informed decisions.

Llantas

Tires are commonplace in Laredo's barrios.

Once A Tiger . . . Well . . .Nevermind

The Mighty Tigers take the field.

A few days ago KeyRose posted about the possible reassignment from MHS coach Don Davis. Well, Coach Davis has addressed the issue today.

In a mass email sent to various LISD colleagues and other interested parties, Davis takes exception to the scenario of him being fired. In effect he writes:

Mr. Ramirez told me that Human Resources would be contacting me for re-assignment directions. At this juncture I have not been "fired", nor re-assigned, nor asked to resign. It was merely implied that I might want to "consider other options." Currently I am still the Head Football Coach at Martin HS. I do not intend to resign. I will remain as supportive of you, the students and the campus administration as I have ever been.

Wow. Things are going to get a little sticky in Laredo's oldest public school. And if that is not enough, think about Coach Brad Hopkins at Nixon also experiencing the wrath of Laredo politics.

If you want to read the entire text of the message, see below (names redacted to preserve privacy, of course).

Full text of Coach Davis's message.

Clearly, anyone who reads La Sanbe recognizes that this blog covers some of the hypocrisy, duplicity, and flat-out outrageousness that characterizes life in the Gateway City.

However, in the midst of this blog's coverage, nothing really compares to the circus that is Laredo Independent School District, where politics and backstabbing are commonplace. The audacity of incompetence from that district is mind-boggling.

La Sanbe will do its best to keep you informed as to the latest with the school district.

By the way, what is almost equally outrageous is the lack of coverage from the Laredo Times. Scroll down and check out KeyRose's first post over 48 hours ago. And yet nary of a peep out of Laredo's publicity organ.

Makes you wonder how much we really know about this city. Doesn't it?

I'm upset

I didn't get my paper today.  Que paso LMT?

Deep Thought

John Cornyn is a dick.

Lone Palm Tree

Felix Garcia

Laredoan signs with Houston Dynamo

Garcia is coming off his second season with the Laredo Heat

Thanks to Angelmio for the heads up on this story.

NFL stars

Lunchtime

The stimulus bill passed in the House yesterday, no thanks to ten of Henry Cuellar's Blue Dog buddies.

my job is to help make sure that Texas receives our fair share so we can do our
part to rebuild the economy

I can hardly wait for the photo ops with big plastic checks in tow.

A 35-year-old female teacher was arrested for allegedly having sex with a 16-year-old student. The young male also states that he was provided beer by the teacher at her apartment. The defendant's lawyer is trying to discredit the accuser by saying that he's a ne'er do well drug user.
The name of the teacher, and the school, has not been released.

Just as the show LOST was about to begin last night, the screen went blank. It almost seemed intentional since it was only channel 9 that blacked out. My wife looks forward to that show. Luckily it will be re-aired next week.

Reassignments?

Have the football coaches at Nixon and Martin been fired?

Could things get rocky over at LISD?

Will the coaches go away quietly?

Stay tuned on this same blog channel for more details.

Park and San Francisco

Troubling Times

I just heard some very disturbing news. Apparently, Jessica Simpson weighs a whopping 135 pounds! (keyrose curls up in a corner, shivering)

Backstage

Bruce Springsteen's new album was released yesterday. A La Sanbe album review might be forthcoming. Anyway, The Boss is playing at the Superbowl this Sunday, and he'll be in Austin on April 5.

I thought I'd take a small peek at Bruce's concert rider to see what he requests on the road. This is a list of the band's dinner requirements:

Home made soup
Hot meals - Three entrees one to be a vegetartian option
One mixed green salad (no ice berg)
One Caeser salad
Two (2) fresh seasonal vegetables - to be advanced by tour
representative
One (1) appropriate starch - to be advanced by tour representative

Two (2) desserts - to be advanced by tour representative
Fresh sliced fruit platter
Imported and Domestic cheese board - to include bleu cheese

Vegetarian option, sliced fruit, imported cheese -- estan locos!
You'll have tacos and you'll like it.

Monolith Envy

In a GPS system, this thing is filed under tacky, phallic monstrosity.

Counterparts

Nuevo Laredo's Mayor Ramiro Garza:

"You cannt have a city like Laredo without a cartel."

Like peas and carrots.

Camping Invite

Go camping Feb. 7 and 8 at our local state park, Lake Casa Blanca. Lessons for the two-day outdoor event include fishing and kayaking. Fee is $55 per family.

Going Digital

Laredoans prove to be last-minute shoppers.

the percentage of households unprepared for the switch are high in Laredo and El
Paso

Recycle Laredo

I applaud local organizations for encouraging Laredoans to use canvas tote bags when shopping instead of the traditional plastic bag. But the ad campaign characters leave me scratching my head with wonder and disbelief.

First you have a lawman dressed up like a stripper, with pecs and six pack abs in full view. Paying attention to detail, the artist gives the law enforcer a Fu Manchu mustache. Why?

Then you have its female counterpart, colored yellow like a Simpson character. I don't consider myself a fashion expert, but didn't low-rise jeans go out of style like two years ago?

I've seen something similar in a t.v. commercial where the ad discourages littering. The male character appears also but instead of the vest, he's wearing a cape. I'd like to meet the artist to see what kind of fantasy he, or she, is trying to play out.

Monday Midday Mash

2009 has started off with 175 foreclosed homes in Laredo. Last year, a total of 1714 homes were lost to foreclosure. It is now common to see 150 cases, at least, per month where people can't keep up with their monthly payments. Ouch.

County Commissioner Rosaura (I refuse to call her Wawi) Tijerina's car was hit while parked outside the county administrative building. To her surprise, she was told that the building's security cameras weren't working. We can laugh about it now, and Ms. Tijerina will learn to laugh about it eventually.


The jail in San Antonio has a problem of letting inmates go free. The sheriff's office cited a lack of paperwork as a reason. I thought we had it bad down here.

Karl Rove said that Guantanamo won't be closed in a year. Uh-oh, he's doing "the math" again.

And Rod Blagojevich is still insane.

Zapata Highway Bus Stop

If I was running for office I'd have my name written in larger letters, and I wouldn't include a knockoff of the man from Monopoly. That's just me.

Bi-Week Sunday

No football today but it gives me a chance to catch up on some things.

The Cigarroas

They have star power in Laredo.

Dr. Francisco Cigarroa is moving up in the world.

Jamboozie 2009 - Laredo, TX

This year's Jamboozie looked the same as last year's with the exception of the main act, Tito Puente Jr.

Fun Downtown

The family and I ventured out to the Jamboozie Festival in downtown Laredo. The experience got stale quick. All it is is a bunch of food, booze, and music - downtown. After a while, I was walking around like a zombie saying, oh look, another corn-in-a-cup stand.

I had to snap out of it, so I got jiggy with the Marble Slab mascot.

Tour de Taco Bicycle Parade

While bicyclists got ready for a ride down San Bernardo, taco cooks filled the air at San Agustin Plaza with the aroma of tortillas de harina. I wanted to take part in the bike parade but it was too windy and cool. The bike parade started at the plaza, went up La Sanbe to Church's on Lafayette, and back.

I'll be back later today for the Jamboozie Festival.

Webb County Tax Assessor

Patricia Barrera:

I don't know the legal anything

Well said.

Ad Campaign

How's this for a billboard for my blog:

La Sanbe - Google it bitches!

The Lingo Kid

Before:



.. and 2 years after:

Laredo Civic Center

Vendors from around Mexico are showing off their wares to the Laredo public. Food is also available.

A Kennedy, ya know?

Garage

Corvette Summer, where have you gone?

Give Them What They Want

Responding to the effects of a battered economy, Jalapeno Festival organizers are tightening their belts this year by going with (almost) local Tejano group, Intocable.


Okay, they're not my cup of tea but why make things more difficult than they have to be. And besides, choosing Intocable as your headliner is a no-brainer when you consider that Laredo has thirteen Spanish-speaking radio stations on its radio dial. That's just keeping it reals, I guess.


One issue of concern, though, is that participants for the jalapeno eating contest are not being solicited via the Food Network website as was done last year. Organizers want the contest represented more by locals. Great. So now we're lowering the standards of our recreational activities too. Way to go Laredo.


Not only are we trying to keep people out from south of the border, but now even people from the north are not welcome. Stay insulated Laredo!

Carrizo Cane Lovers Strike Again

Rush Limbaugh doesn't want Barack Obama to succeed but he's fat, bald, and an idiot so chusma with him.

Closer to home, some individuals don't want local environmentalists to succeed. Palm trees planted by the Rio Grande International Studies Center staff were stolen.

part of a larger effort to clean up the border of the invasive carrizo

This is not the first time this group has been targeted. Just last year, goats that would help clear some of the brush from the river banks were found dead in their pen. The were believed to have been mauled by a pack of wild dogs.

I'm starting to see a pattern here. Somebody is putting the kibosh on these treehuggers' efforts. Whether it's the work of some juvenile pranksters, or a band of international carrizo mafiosos remains to be seen.

In any event Laredo, keep your goats and palm trees close, and your enemies closer.

The Oceanic 6

ABC had three hours of Lost tonight. That's enough for one season.

Big Bad John

There's too much petty squabbling, he says.

Cornyn is busy filling a void these days.

El Cuatro

Kurtis the Stock Boy

True story.... (got this in an email, thought it be worth posting)

KURTIS THE STOCK BOY

AND

BRENDA THE CHECKOUT GIRL

In a supermarket, Kurtis the stock boy, was busily working when a new voice came over the loud speaker asking for a carry out at register 4. Kurtis was almost finished, and wanted to get some fresh air, and decided to answer the call. As he approached the check-out stand a distant smile caught his eye, the

new check-out girl was beautiful. She was an older woman (maybe 26, and he was only 22) and he fell in love.

Later that day, after his shift was over, he waited by the punch clock to find out her name. She came into the break room, smiled softly at him, took her card and punched out, then left. He looked at her card, BRENDA. He walked out only to see her start walking up the road. Next day, he waited outside as she left the supermarket, and offered her a ride home. He looked harmless enough, and she accepted. When he dropped her off, he asked if maybe he could see her again, outside of work. She simply said it wasn't possible.

He pressed and she explained she had two children and she couldn't afford a baby-sitter, so he offered to pay for the baby-sitter. Reluctantly she accepted his offer for a date for the following Saturday. That Saturday night he arrived at her door only to have her tell him that she was unable to go with him. The

baby-sitter had called and canceled. To which Kurtis simply said, "Well, let's take the kids with us."

She tried to explain that taking the children was not an option, but again not taking no for an answer, he pressed. Finally Brenda, brought him inside to meet her children. She had an older daughter who was just as cute as a bug, Kurtis thought, then Brenda brought out her son, in a wheelchair. He was born a

paraplegic with Down Syndrome.

Kurtis asked Brenda, "I still don't understand why the kids can't come with us?" Brenda was amazed. Most men would run away from a woman with two kids, especially if one had disabilities - just like her first husband and father of her children had done. Kurtis was not ordinary - - - he had a different mindset.

That evening Kurtis and Brenda loaded up the kids, went to dinner and the movies. When her son needed anything Kurtis would take care of him. When he needed to use the restroom, he picked him up out of his wheelchair, took him and brought him back. The kids loved Kurtis. At the end of the evening, Brenda

knew this was the man she was going to marry and spend the rest of her life with.

A year later, they were married and Kurtis adopted both of her children. Since then they have added two more kids.

So what happened to Kurtis the stock boy and Brenda the check-out girl? Well, Mr. & Mrs. Kurt Warner now live in Arizona , where he is currently employed as the quarterback of the National Football League Arizona Cardinals and has his Cardinals in the hunt for a possible appearance in the Super Bowl. Is this a

surprise ending or could you have guessed that he was not an ordinary person.

It should be noted that he also quarterbacked the Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI. He has also been the NFL's Most Valuable Player twice and the Super Bowl's Most Valuable Player.

The Parade Is Coming

The big parade is a month away, complete with marching bands, people on horses, and a Border Patrol float. But instead of being a bystander, come out this Saturday to take part in the Tour de Taco Bicycle Parade.

will begin and end in San Agustin Plaza Saturday morning while traveling along
the shops on San Bernardo Street

And this part should interest most.

All participants in the bicycle parade will receive breakfast taco coupons

I'm there.

Romo Nonsense

Tony doesn't have the Eye of the Tiger.

If I'm never going to win the Super Bowl, I'll be content in life

Yeah, enjoy those millions Tony.

On Patrol On La Sanbe

Another prostitution sting. The cops have to clean up San Bernardo before this Saturday's Jamboozie.

Mugshot slideshow.

Slaughter Park Progress

I got word from the Parks and Leisure Dept. Director, Mike Pescador, that the park will be completed by March. The complex is huge. I've taken the liberty of running sprints on the soccer fields. Think of Rocky running on the beach next to Apollo.

CarlosQ Meets Henry Cuellar

I don't like Henry's answer to free trade.

Obama Day

Everyone's live-blogging today. Al Guevara from 94.9 FM is giving us live updates from Washington. The Laredo Times is not doing that great a job of reporting today's event.

UPDATE: Bush 41 is about to make his way onto the Capitol steps.
Coverage on Laredo's radio airwaves is scant.

UPDATE: 11:54 - It is done. The helicopter awaits Bush. Laredo radio gave us nothing.

Long Day

I was off from work today but spent it shuttling people around. And by people I mean my sweet, beloved, salt-of-the-earth family.

Anyway, the city was pretty much deserted. A couple of our politicos are out in Washington doing official business, I'm sure.

No sightings of people waving flags, chanting U2's Pride, or praising MLK to report on this end.

That's it.

Oh! I did hear on sports radio that the Cowboys have expressed interest in acquiring Ray Lewis. If that happened, it would give Piper Maru one more reason to hate the Cowboys.

Monday for MLK

Will be out and about to see if any MLK tributes pop up.

Heinz On The Mind

The Cardinals are going to the Superbowl.

Now we see who wins the AFC Championship.

Oh gawd!!!

UPDATE: @ 6:20 p.m., Score is 6-0 Pitt.

UPDATE: 13-7 Pitt at Halftime.

UPDATE: 16-7 at the start of the fourth. !!!

Steelers and Cardinals in the Superbowl!!! WooHoo!
Take that Kate Blanchet!

Drug Violence

This little town of mine I consider safe.

Laredo has seen relatively few drug-related homicides in the past two years

Even crossing into Nuevo Laredo seemed harmless this past year.

Boat Spotting

I should put a boat on my next Christmas list. I hear the fishing in nearby Falcon Lake in Zapata, TX is worth the trip.

Campaign Contributions

This story is about a week old.  I came across it at LaredoChameleon.com

State Sens. Judith Zaffirini and Leticia Van de Putte, both local Democrats, were among the top recipients receiving at least $65,000 and $51,000 respectively, records show.

The subject of taking money from gambling lobbyists, and supporting casinos does not make its way into Zaffirini campaign commercials.  In her ads, she's surrounded by kids, and family, all sharing smiles while the voice-over talks about her accomplishments in education, and her strong family values.

She's gotten a bit too cozy up in Austin over the last twenty years.

Again Snubbed

The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame will just have to wait.

Coaching Staff Is In Place

In two days, two teams will find out if they move on to the Superbowl, but in the 956 people are more concerned with what the coaching staff will look like next year in Big D.

Defensive coordinator Brian Stewart was dismissed by Jerry Jones today, and Jason Garrett is in talks with the Rams.

In casually following the Cowboys this season, I thought they did a fair enough job on defense so letting go of Stewart is kinda puzzling, but what do I know. Garrett was shopping other teams last year so it's no surprise he's out weighing his options. On talk radio, everyone is calling out coach Phillips for his non-confrontational demeanor. And team chemistry is being underscored by other players in the league, hinting that the team will not flourish as long as T.O. is on the roster. It's not a good time in the world of silver and blue.

Jerry Jones told reporters that the "coaching staff is in place" yet here we are with two asst. coaches out and one on the fence. I'm not sure if Jones and Nick Sabin have been trading notes. Anything can happen between now and August. Anyway, what awaits us next season is anyone's guess, so do yourself a favor Cowboy fan and dry-clean those jerseys, keep up with those New Year's resolutions, and hope that December '09 is less painful than years past.

Congas In The Bronx

Poncho Sanchez will be rockin' this Saturday night.

At first, he liked Tex-Mex music, but his sisters would dance salsa "and I
would ask them: 'show me how to dance.'"

Terrel's Future

T.O.'s days in Dallas could be numbered.

Stephen Jones is trying to convince his father to part ways with the
controversial receiver

As far as I recall, Owens had more dropped balls than touchdowns, and his sideline temper turned me off early on. I say let him go.

Boredom

I haven't taken any new photos of the Gateway City, so for now enjoy this clip.

Wednesday Night

I told a fellow Sanbe contributor that I really didn't enjoy much of television these days.  That statement was not entirely true.  Damages returned last week on FX but I missed it.  Episode 2 debuts tonight at 9.

For my 40th I'm planning something big, or rather, anything at all.  I've been looking into Big Bend National Park.  From Laredo it's about 450 miles.  A whole day of hiking, photography, and eating nothing but nuts and berries.  I just hope I don't find myself in a situation where I have to saw off my left arm.

Inauguration Day is six days away.  I might make a toast at work with some Welch's Sparkling Grape Juice.  Salud!

Good Times

Aggie college radio is really good.

A year or so ago, Texas A&M here in Laredo discussed the possibility of operating their own station but nothing ever came to be.

Out To Santa Maria

Football

Sunday can't come soon enough.

home-field advantage doesn't mean much in these divisional meetings, but I think the third game favors Pittsburgh

Stimulus Plan

I know the economy is horrible and businesses need some help, not to mention hard-working Americans, but did local t.v. media need to do this piece? I figure they could've focused on other businesses in the area. Take a look.

Everything Must Go

The local Nissan dealer is giving buyers a free Altima with the purchase of a 2009 Armada. So far they've sold 67, 30 of which were sold to Mexican nationals - they paid cash. Last year only 30 Armadas were sold.

Mayor Salinas said that more businesses should follow this model to help boost the economy.

I totally disagree. We can't have people out driving Armadas. Gasoline consumption will increase, driving the price of oil up, thus making it pricier for me to fill up my Corolla. Bad, very bad. And I haven't even brought up environmental concerns, and the wear on roads by these large SUVs.

Mayor Salinas is all too familiar with over-consumption but it's not something to push as a way of life.

Case Priority

A local federal judge laments about having to deal with too many immigration cases.

But Kazen said he was concerned about recent reports of the smuggling of
firearms from Texas into Mexico by violent drug cartels.

Size Matters

This structure is located at a residence near Guadalupe Church. It stands out at night among its dreary surroundings.

It's size was what impressed me. I'm sure I could stand up inside this tribute piece.

I wanted to get a closer shot but after exhausting my keys on the chain link fence for five minutes, I decided to just shoot it from the curb. Enjoy.

Step Right Up

This cartoon appeared in the Laredo Times yesterday.

You can add your own noun to the last two water carriers. I would choose 'degree programs' or college/public radio.

This thing should be put on postcards or on a huge billboard out on mile marker 15 for everyone to see. It gets Laredo just right.

One-Hit Wonders

I don't mind them, but these two have got to go.

A Town Hall Of Sorts

Washington, DC – On Tuesday, January 13, Congressman Henry Cuellar will host a tele-town hall to hear from Texas 28th District constituents about America’s widening economic crisis.
Among the topics expected to be discussed are the renewal of the Children’s Health Insurance Program and the potential role of South Texas infrastructure improvements in the proposed economic stimulus package.
A tele-town hall is a live, interactive conference call between an elected official and his constituents. Tens of thousands of Texas residents will be invited to attend by automated phone call. All attendees will be able to answer poll questions about the economic crisis, and many will have the opportunity to share their opinions and questions directly with Congressman Cuellar.

"residents will be invited to attend by automated phone call." Could those be the people who voted for him?
As long as Cuellar has been in office, I can't recall one instance where he offered himself up for questions in a live setting in front of his supporters. I know these town hall meetings can be brutal for politicians but how can he represent us in Washington when he doesn't even know how we want him to vote on certain issues. This tele-town hall sounds fishy.

Get To School

Justice of the Peace Oscar Liendo is looking to implement an ankle bracelet monitoring system to keep track of truant students.

I'm all for getting kids to attend school, especially after what happened to Ferris Bueller: he still lives with his parents, works on occasion, and does not keep up with alimony payments. Sad.

San Bernardo Spring

Mental Illness

Holy crap! &&&&&&&&&&&&&

Sheriff Cuellar

At The Movies

Bride Wars opens nationwide today.  Yeah, I won't be there.  I'll leave it to thirteen-year-old girls to go watch two young marginally cute actresses duke it out in wedding gear.  

Cheech and Chong will be at the L.E.C. this Sunday.  Great.  Cheech lost the mustache and gained forty pounds.  That's not funny, that's lame.

And the Laredo Bucks have a game tonight.  Hockey in Laredo.  Hahahahahahahaha.  I'm not that bored.

Have a good weekend everyone.

Sooner Killers

As predicted right here at LaSanbe, OU (which REALLY sucks now) predictably went down to Tebow's Gators last night. This marks first time in history a Heisman 'winner' has lost to both runner ups in the same year. What does this mean? It means Heisman voters (and BCS) got it all wrong. Above 2 'runner ups' put their entire teams on their shoulders throughout the year. When it mattered most, they made the big plays on the biggest stages to bring their teams back from near defeat. Bradford, on the other hand, went 3 and out TWICE when put in same situation on college football's biggest stage. Hope voters were watching.

We won't get into how BCS basically gave us a final 4 instead of a champion. How anyone can say Florida is champ over Texas, USC & Utah without any head to head action is beyond me. Who cares I guess. It was a banner year for Texas, OU still sucks, and things only get better with the Colt coming back and new stud recruits like Garrett Gilbert coming on board. Future looks bright..

The New Three Points

Oklahoma v. Florida

The game is close, 17-14, with seven minutes to go.

Blue Dog Cuellar

BREAKING NEWS!!!

I just got word from Henry Cuellar's Press Secretary that he'll be a new member of the Blue Dog Coalition in the 111th Congress.

"To my mind, the Blue Dogs are the taxpayers' voice in Congress," Cuellar
said. "Texans entrust Washington with tens of billions of their tax
dollars each year, and the Blue Dog's sole purpose is to ensure that Washington
lives up to that trust. They have a long record of cutting wasteful
spending and opposing runaway deficits. And I am tremendously honored to
join their coalition."

The netroots have not been fans of the Blue Dogs. It'll be interesting to see what becomes of this.

And let me just say this: if Texans entrust Washington with tens of billions of their tax dollars, why did they vote for Bush in 2004? I'm just saying.

Adam Jones Dismissed

Thanks for the memories Pacman, err, Adam. New allegations have prompted the dismissal of the Cowboys' cornerback.

a piece scheduled to air Sunday in which three Atlanta-area men allege that
Jones arranged for someone to shoot at them

He might've been kept on if he had any interceptions, and more punt return yards. Maybe not.

Chair of Pakistan Studies at UT

Funds are being raised to honor a Texan who helped his Muslim brothers.

"Good-Time Charlie," as Wilson was affectionately known by Afghan warlords
and Texan socialites alike, has the dubious reputation of being the godfather of
what would later be known as the Taliban in Afghanistan.

I saw Charlie Wilson's War a couple of months ago and I have to say that I was disappointed with the ending just because no mention of Osama bin Laden was made. Philip Seymour Hoffman was hilarious in it; his presence made watching Julia Roberts bearable.

Patricia Barrera

Our county tax assessor was sworn-in last week with lesser fanfare than newly-elected sheriff Martin Cuellar. What 2009 holds for Ms. Barrera remains to be seen. We here at La Sanbe expect nothing less than an animated performance from this county employee.

Henry Cuellar Reports For Duty

Press release:

After his swearing-in, Congressman Cuellar noted, "You don't have to look very hard in South Texas to find families who are hurting. They're worried about their jobs, their retirement savings, their kids' college costs. They're feeling frustrated, and they have a right to expect Washington to act quickly."

My brother told me that his big box employer was not importing/buying as much merchandise due to the recent economic downturn. As a result, he is now working a four-day schedule instead of five. I thought he'd be bummed out but he's actually enjoying the extra time off.

Point is, I won't accept the fact that the locals are hurting until Danny's Restaurant lowers its entree price a buck or two. When I can get an enchilada plate for five dollars, I'll know the hurting has begun.

Local Radio

Asia is still in my radio and I don't like it.

Rosca de Reyes

Today is Three Kings' Day, otherwise known as Epiphany, or the day that the three kings brought all those nice presents to baby Jesus.

Rosca picture was taken at Pano's Bakery on Zapata Highway.

Say No To New Baseball Field

I still think the City of Laredo shouldn't build a new field for the Broncos near the LEC.

United Sports Equities, LLC, which owned the league, sent a press release early
Monday morning regarding its sale of the league and its entities.

The Laredo Broncos don't sell out Veteran's Field now. And I don't think a new stadium will help. Other teams in the valley are having their own problems.

the city of Harlingen locked the White Wings out of their stadium due to debt

Not good. There's more.

the San Angelo Colts' home stadium is set to be put up for auction after Wendt
and the league failed to make a rent payment

Just say NO!

More Football

Pittsburgh's James Harrison was named NFL Defensive Player of the Year. Congrats to him. But I'm feeling uneasy about this honor seeing as how other heralded players have fared in the playoffs.


Peyton Manning was named MVP and BOOM! the Colts were knocked out.


Chad Pennington was named Comeback Player and BOOM! the Jets were knocked out.


If the Steelers make it a hat trick, at least I'll have the Golden Globes to numb the pain a bit. Maybe.

Fiesta Pics

Great recap by Alex, I would add a #5 to list of ass teams.. USC (University of Spoiled Children). We'll see how OU/Tebow game and rankings work out. For now, great victory in cool setting. Just a few shots from inside the building for the road.

(and yes, one of the pics features a LaSanbe reader with a big 'ol Texas PIMP boys and girls)

Bended Tree

I'm glad management over at the Guadalupe St. Taco Palenque finally did something about the tree at the drive-up menu. Every time I placed my order I thought the thing would just come crashing down.

Luckily nobody was hurt.

Chicken fajitas anyone?

Fun at the Fiesta Bowl

JJ Binx is probably jumping for joy right now as UT has just defeated Ohio St.

Paisanos Hurry Up and Wait

Crossing the bridge into Laredo this time of year can prove to be difficult.

The need for bathrooms was exemplified at about 1 p.m. Sunday at the Gateway to
the Americas Bridge when a 4-year-old girl got out of a car and urinated on the
street.

I don't blame her. When you gotta go you gotta go. And besides, who hasn't pee'd on a public street in their lifetime?

2009 Resolution

This year I want to give all cashiers exact change.

Game On

Lend Me Your Leaves

I encourage my neighbors to give me their lawn clippings, or leaves. Part of the garden waste goes to my compost pile and the rest I distribute throughout my landscape.

On New Year's Eve I got busy spreading the recent leaf bounty. Then in two days I found another stack of bags on my curb. I take 'em in only to find some more the next day.

I'm sure the end is near. It has to be!

Baby Road Warrior

Turns out James Laurinaitis, standout LB for Ohio State, is son of Road Warrior 'Hawk'. Full story here.

Road Warriors were the coolest tag team like.. ever. Will be interesting to see if Baby Hawk gets a hold of the Colt tomorrow night.

Judith Zaffirini on Tuition

She doesn't mind colleges raising tuition costs even more.

"I don't think it would be fair to freeze tuition without raising state funding."

Little 12&10

While Longhorn and Buckeye faithful were lighting it up around Phoenix, teams from their respective conferences have been getting lit up in bowl games. The Big 10 has been biggest offender losing 5 of 6 bowl games so far this season. Adding insult to injury, USC beat the top 2 teams from Big 10 by a combined 73-27 this year. Along the way, the allegedly weak Pac-10 went 5-0 in its bowl games. One of those wins was a 42-31 Oklahoma State beat down by the Oregon Ducks. Former #2 Texas Tech then went down 47-34 at the hands of 'Ol Miss which is SEC's 4th (as in, behind 1, 2 & 3) best team. SEC should probably restrain from gloating after Utah came in and handed former #1 Alabama a 31-17 shellacking in their own back yard. Results call into question overall 'supremacy' of some of these conferences. The 4 game Longhorn 'gauntlet' that included a close call with Okie State and loss to Tech is also starting to look a bit suspect. There's still some football to be played and bowl games have little to do with anything beyond the two teams playing on the field that day. At the same time, a USC/Utah championship might have been the right call given results so far. Playoffs anyone?

Mayor Martin

"No nobler advice was ever bequeathed by a political leader to his followers."

The Future

I retire in 29 years. Yeah!

Local radio

I haven't bought this record but I love the band's music. This and the nominees for Best Alternative Album won't make it to Laredo's airwaves.

Beck
Modern Guilt
Death Cab for Cutie
Narrow Stairs
Gnarls Barkley
The Odd Couple
My Morning Jacket
Evil Urges
Radiohead
In Rainbows

Valley Sunrise

Deal Or Not

MTV and Comedy Central are still on my t.v.

New Year's Dissolution

While KeyRose went hiding from stray bullets, there were other fireworks going on over here in Phoenix area. Longhorn players were taking in the Insight Bowl in Tempe after practice. Nearby there was a gathering of 100,000 bowl fans to bring in the new year. Over in Scottsdale, former Suns legend El Sir Charles Barkley was busted for DUI. The always colorful Barkley took it up a notch by admitting he was out for some strange. According to police report, Barkley stated: "You want the truth? I was gonna drive around the corner and get a b--- --b," Barkley took a liking to a girl he claims gave him "the best one he had ever had in his life." Barkley later took a step away from the bravado and issued the statement: "I am disappointed that I put myself in that situation". Barkley may be disappointed, but we here at LaSanbe could not be prouder. 2009 is starting off as a banner year.

Police report from incident can be found here.