30 Mujeres Destacadas, honored by La Opinión

“Honor a quien honor merece.”

On Wednesday, La Opinión, LA’s largest Spanish newspaper, held their 5^th annual “Mujeres Destacadas” luncheon event, to honor thirty amazing women for their achievements and hard work. It was a happy event and a beautiful setting at the Biltmore hotel, a grand place to celebrate these ladies.

The stories of 30 women in different fields- education, arts and culture, health, business, community- were presented, with anecdotes that made you want to GET UP & DO IT. No hay excuses! They are Women (with a capital W) who face daily challenges just as everybody else, but still find ways to make it happen and make their life count.

The sponsors for each category were Macy’s (gotta love Macy’s, they’re always supportive of these causes, and again thank you for the invite) as well as Goya, Wells Fargo, Nielsen, and Metro PCS.  Remember these names and support them when you can. They are giving back.

I like these events where you get a chance to meet new people (network, que le llaman) and also be inspired. It was especially moving to hear Maria Elena Salinas, from Univision, who was the keynote speaker for the event.  She spoke of her mother’s example of love, ethics and hard work; of growing up in LA; of our unique and special bicultural experience as ______ (insert the adjective and demo you wish: latina, chicana, mexicoamericana, nica, tica, etc.); of the women who inspire her, and of the challenges women face and overcome. We can do it just as well, if not better, than  men do, “but we do it in high heels!”

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again:

¡Arriba Las Mujeres!

For more on the honored women and a video of the event click here:

www.laopinion.com/mujeresdestacadas

Video: http://www.impre.com/multimedia/impreplayer.php?pub=portal

30 Mujeres Destacadas 2011 pose for their yearbook picture.

Macy's recognized the category for Arts and Culture. Pictured from left to right: Monica Lozano- Editor in Chief of La Opinión, with honorees: Sonia Maria de Leon, Yolanda Cruz, Dianna Guerrero, Marlene Dermer, Melanie Rios, Patricia Navarro, and Liz Bacca-Lollman representing Macy's.

Ambience at the event.

Maria Elena Salinas from Univision was the keynote speaker. Loved her positive and inspirational energy.

One of the sponsors, the Macy’s Team, along with Monica Lozano from La Opinion.

A great group! Carol Jackson, Henny Marquez-Andress, Milinda Martin, Liz Bacca-Lollman, and Olivia Eng.

Amiguitas del alma: Martha Gildemontes (Macy's) and Yarel Ramos (mun2) at the event.

Love it. Go See It: Bill Cunningham New York.

The marquee at the Nuart, LA. Go see this documentary asap. It's only playing this week.

From the NY Times: On the Street column, video, photos from Bill Cunningham. This alone is worth the new subscription rates!

I love documentaries. One of the best I’ve seen recently is “Bill Cunningham, New York,” which peeks into the life of the original fashion street photographer from his earlier days until now. It is simply a cool, funny, passionate little movie about an 80 something year old man who lives for his art, for his city, for his work.

Here’s the trailer from Vimeo:

It’s only playing for a week in LA at the Nuart (405 and Santa Monica Blvd) on the westside. Hope you get a chance to see it.

(Thanks to Olivia who alerted me about it and made me go last Saturday. She got me out of the house early, which is a triumph! Gracias friend. )

Olivia and the movie poster.

Martes in the morning in LA.

Good morning por la mañana.

(Photos by yours truly.)

Pasadena Hollywood freeway.

Another shot from the freeway.

Cool color combo: Orange and blue.

Waiting for the metro. (Love the L.A.M.B. bag on her.)

Update: Earthquake kit

It’s been 2 weeks since the Japan disaster. The news/situation is still pretty grim for Japan with the nuclear radiation spills, water problems, and millions of displaced people. We’re still praying for them. This evening I went to the 99 cents store (“La noventaynueve” como le dice mi Mama Lilia) y me hice de unos cuantos items para tener listo mi kit. God forbid there’s need to use it. Es más, I never want to use it!! I don’t care how much I’ve spent already.

So here’s a few pix and prices for my kit so far. I still need a krank radio like this one from NPR and more water. But I feel better prepared, somehow. Remember to check out this site for more info: www.72hours.org

Basic stuff for the e-kit.

1.- Water (have 1 gallon per person per day, plus pets) $1.00 per gallon… 2.- Three day emergency kit backpack for 2 people, includes first aid kit, weather poncho, dried food, water pouches, small flashlight, 2 masks. $39.99 at Home Depot… 3.- Extra flashlight and extra headlight kit, $14.99 from Home Depot...4.- Backup Batteries from Costco $8.99… 5.- Extra masks $4.99 from Home Depot… 6.- Gas wrench close thingey (valve shut off ) $4.99 at Home Depot… 7.- Extra set of gloves $3.99 at Home Depot (sometimes you find them at the 99 cents store). TOTAL: About $77.94 plus tax, plus water.

1st aid stuff and hygiene items.

1.- Toilet paper $6.98 on sale at Target…2.- Advil pain tablets, large jar with 345 pills, $10.99 at Costco…3.- Box of kleenex $2.29 at Target…4.- Baby wipes (for baños vaqueros) $.99 cents from 99 Cents store…5.- Rubbing alcohol and hydrogen peroxide (for cleaning wounds) $.99 cents each from the 99 Cents Store…6.- Emergency Vitamin C Vitamin packets, $7.99 from Trader Joes…7.- Activated charcoal (for upset stomach and stomach pain), $12 from Whole Foods…8.- Arnica pomade from Mexico, for bruises y pa’ los guamazos (sold at Mexican supermarkets for about $3 dollars) …9.- Isodine bucofaringeo for wounds and lip bruises (also sold at Mexican supermarkets for about $5)… 10.- Antibacterial Band Aids, $.99 cents from the 99 Cents Store…11.- Latex gloves (5 pairs) from the 99 cents store…12.- Wet Ones antibacterial wipes $1.99 for 12 packets, at CVS pharmacy…13.- Neutrogena sunblock/moisturizer $8.99 at CVS pharmacy…14.- Toothpaste and brush, $.99 cents each from the 99 Cents Store…15.- Remedios mexicanos para cortadas: Merthiolate y Sulfatiazol (2 dollars each at Mexican supermarkets) and natural antiobiotic “Nurtibiotic” to disinfect and clean, $3.99. Total: Approximately  $ 70 dollars.

Basic food stuff.

Almost ALL items from the 99 Cents Store, food that stores easily and can stay put for a while: 1.- Soy Dream Milk…2.-Skippy peanut Butter…3.-Hard sourdough pretzels…4.- Wasa scandinavian bread…5.- Eight cans of tuna…6.- Canned fruit and canned soup…7.-Trail mix with cashews and raisins from Trader Joes, 12 individual packets for $6.98…8.-Beef jerkey ($99 cents!)….9.-Instant oatmeal packets. Total: About $23 dollars.

Comfort junk...

And now, since we’re in survival mode, we must include items to keep our sweet tooth happy, because the more I think about it, the more I know something for sure…como dice Oprah…

If and when the ship goes down, and we (Dios guarde la hora) are facing a disaster of biblical proportions á la Japan, apocalypsis now, THIS IS IT, sálvese quien pueda, believe me when I say I am NOT going to be munching on healthy snacks during the immediate aftermath. I’m gonna need chocolate, sugar and salt to survive, you know what I mean?

(I just thought maybe I should add stiff strong alcohol drinks?)

Everything from the 99 Cents Store: 1.- Chocolate Chip cookies…2.- Doritos ranch chips….3.- Rocky Road in 3 flavor variations…4.- Boing grape juice…5.- Crunch bars (8 pack)…6.- Oreo chocolate cookies…7.- Oreo white chookies.

50 million Latinos and counting…

Puros Latinos. Just like the Census from 2010 says. (Photo from Fiesta Broadway 2010, by yours truly.)

Did you hear? Ya somos más, un montonal.

You probably didn’t need census results to know Hispanics in the USA are the largest minority, but this week’s news makes it more official. 50 million of us is a new milestone. At this rate, nos estamos multiplicando más rápido que cualquier otro ethnic minority (que de minority no le veo nada) en este país.

Analysts, experts, sociologists and politicians will all ponder exactly how this will affect everything from business and marketing strategies, political maps, social services, job creations, you name it. I guess it’s good to be in the news.

Here’s a link you may want to follow up. Link from KTLA in Los Angeles.

Cool anuncio con el Danny Trejo

Heard of this Brisk campaign with Danny Trejo? Maybe you caught his movie “Machete” last fall. So happy he’s getting more recognition, and being animated into this spot with a fun storyline  doesn’t hurt.

Here’s the clip. Love the production value…. Ojo: It’s a little PG 13, even though no se ve nada…digo, por si hay niños chiquitos leyendo el blog (that would be nice.)

Felicidades Danny. Se me antojo un cold Brisk ice tea a tu salud.

Parafraseando las “translations”

Todos los dias vemos más anuncios en inglés y en español a la par, pero sin mezclarse. This is nice for language purists who hate Spanglish and/or consider it an attack on the Spanish language. (You know who you are!)

Pero ayer me sorprendí que Starbucks ahora lo está haciendo, aunque sin dar una traducción literaria. Llegué por mi rutinario latte vespertino y me encontré este mensaje en los dos idiomas, sin ser una “word for word” translation. Como dice Chespirito, “La idea es esa”.

Traducciones parafraseadas, ok with me!

A veces yo batallo mucho para encontrar las palabras que hagan “convey” el mensaje. Pero es bueno saber que se vale el recurso de las traducciones parafraseadas.

Hoy por ejemplo ando muy mixed up con los idiomas. El “switcheo” está to the max. Ahí ustedes disculparán.

Long live “La Liz”

Here’s a great tribute to Elizabeth Taylor by Paul Newman I saw this morning.

Bravo to a great Dame!

Blast from the past: Camilo Sesto is back!

Here’s a little Monday evening tidbit I did not expect to see in my inbox.

Tickets were announced today for Camilo Sesto’s concert in LA. Yes, he’s still around and apparently still milking those late 70′s and early 80′s hits.

Good for him. Todavia me acuerdo de sus canciones cuando las tocaban en FM Globo…those were the days.

The hair is still there! Camilo Sesto comes to LA May 15.

Of course I am dating myself a little bit, pero bueno a las “nuevas generaciones” de repente les gusta lo vintage.

Ahi les va uno de sus exitos pues… Vivir asi es morir de amor…

(Happy Monday people!)

La lección de los japoneses: Be Prepared!

One week ago today, Japan experienced their most devastating event since the atomic bomb at the end of WWII.  It has been a lesson on so many levels for the rest of the world, but especially for us in California. Both shocking and humbling, we must accept the fact que en el momento menos pensado, Mother Nature is capable of wiping us out.

Hemos visto las noticias, pensado en que nos pasaría a nosotros, but we need to do more, we need to heed the warnings and be prepared. We know the dangers, it’s time to make a plan, a kit, a drill, and get involved.

Tengo meses diciendo “voy a hacerme un earthquake kit” y hoy es el día. Encontré este website que se llama 72hours.org and it’s very easy to read and follow. Basically it says that in the event of a disaster, we should not expect any services, state or emergency, to be available to us during the first 3 days. Scary but true. You especially need to see what to do if you have an elderly family member, a pet or special needs to tend to…we need to think of everything.

I highly recommend you visit it and read it, print out the information. It’s in English, Español, even Russian and Vietnamese. Please check it out if you’re a California neighbor and let’s  pray that this ring of fire keeps calm, as we continue praying for the people of Japan.

72hours.org is a great site for information on how to be prepared. See it today and do something about it.

“Questions of science and progress that don’t speak as loud as my heart…”

(Haven’t stopped watching the news since Thursday night, like everybody else. Here’s an interesting opinion from a scientist who collaborates with NPR and his take on the whole reason versus feeling aspect of the tragedy in Japan. And it comes down to this: Sometimes, even for a man of science, there is no explanation to help heal suffering.

Made me remember that song from Coldplay a few years ago- The Scientist. Just food for thought.)

Tragedy and Suffering: When Science Loses Its Appeal

By Adam Frank for NPR

Published March 15, 2011

Science doesn't have all of the answers in the face of suffering on the scale seen in Japanese cities such as Rikuzentakata in Iwate prefecture.

I was just nine years old and already sure I wanted to be an astronomer when my brother died. He and two other teenagers were killed suddenly when a drunk driver swerved across the median and hit their car. I was too young to understand much that my family was going through in the aftermath of the accident. But in the midst of the grief and the loss I found some relief in thoughts of the distant stars and the clockwork regularity of the planets turning in the orbits.

I am not the first person for whom science and its larger perspective of the cosmos served as a kind of foil to the chaos and suffering the world presents. I will not be the last. But this perspective has its limits, especially to those whose immediate suffering is so vast, it renders science’s framework for explanation meaningless.

On Saturday, I posted a NOAA simulation tracking the tsunami’s path across the Pacific. It is a stunning piece of work revealing the planet and its continents akin to a giant pond into which a huge stone had been dropped. In response one of 13.7′s regular commenters, Pete J of Australia, wrote:

“From our perspective, first we had flooding rains that stopped a whole state half the size of the continental US, then we had a couple of cyclones that wiped out thousands of homes and businesses, throw in a few massive bush fires and then the earthquake in NZ, and just as we are all mentally recovering along comes the tragic Japanese earthquake and tsunami.

“It is a very sad day for the Asia pacific nations, it has been a very sad opening to 2011.

“Somehow the science of it all has suddenly lost its appeal.

“Sorry.”

I was deeply struck by Pete’s reaction. One of the comforts of science’s vision is an understanding that the world has its own path. The cosmos and the planet have their own movements whose focus does not rest with us. Those movements can include the path of storm clouds, whether we pray for rain or not. They can also include the abrupt tear of tectonic plates slipping 400 meters to release energies we can scarcely imagine. But there is also a moment when no sense of wider perspective or enlarged vision will help. As Pete J so eloquently put it “Somehow the science of it all has suddenly lost its appeal.”

Science gives us so much. It is the engine of our capacities, forging tools like the life-saving technological capacity to predict tsunamis. It is also the lens of our greatest aspiration, yielding broad narratives of cosmic and planetary evolution that set our personal stories in context.

But at some point we crash up against domains where science, or at least science alone, cannot help. In those moments, when we are numb with the immediacy of great suffering, explanations can become clay on the tongue. In that shattered place, our other human talents often find their place. In poem or paean, in music or metaphor, in silent homage to whatever powers make sense to the heart in that moment, we may (or may not) find our way.

What those moments teach is that all existence is, for us, provisional. They show that we are as much creatures of experienced feeling as we are of rational thinking. They show us the full range of what it means to be human, all too human, in a world alive with tremendous power, unspeakable beauty and, sometimes, shattering terror.

Un Güerito en Lincoln/Cypress

So mellow-yellow, waiting for the morning train.

Another reason why we have faith in Humanity. Y en los Latinos.

From the NYT.com article "The Iron and the Tamale." 3/4/11

Take the time to read this story from the New York Times website. It will bring a smile to your face. It is my personal experience that a paisano will always stop to help you if your car is stranded in the middle of the road. It’s nice to see somebody that is not Latino can appreciate this as well.

Click on the link or read below:

The Iron and the Tamale, by Justin Horner. Published March 4, 2011 from the NYT.com.

Loved the story and loved the lesson. Hoy por ti, mañana por mi.

(Gracias a mi amiguita Rosalba Ruiz por hacerlo “share”.)

The Tire Iron and the Tamale

By JUSTIN HORNER

Published: March 4, 2011

During this past year I’ve had three instances of car trouble: a blowout on a freeway, a bunch of blown fuses and an out-of-gas situation. They all happened while I was driving other people’s cars, which for some reason makes it worse on an emotional level. And on a practical level as well, what with the fact that I carry things like a jack and extra fuses in my own car, and know enough not to park on a steep incline with less than a gallon of fuel.

Each time, when these things happened, I was disgusted with the way people didn’t bother to help. I was stuck on the side of the freeway hoping my friend’s roadside service would show, just watching tow trucks cruise past me. The people at the gas stations where I asked for a gas can told me that they couldn’t lend them out “for safety reasons,” but that I could buy a really crappy one-gallon can, with no cap, for $15. It was enough to make me say stuff like “this country is going to hell in a handbasket,” which I actually said.

But you know who came to my rescue all three times? Immigrants. Mexican immigrants. None of them spoke any English.

One of those guys stopped to help me with the blowout even though he had his whole family of four in tow. I was on the side of the road for close to three hours with my friend’s big Jeep. I put signs in the windows, big signs that said, “NEED A JACK,” and offered money. Nothing. Right as I was about to give up and start hitching, a van pulled over, and the guy bounded out.

He sized up the situation and called for his daughter, who spoke English. He conveyed through her that he had a jack but that it was too small for the Jeep, so we would need to brace it. Then he got a saw from the van and cut a section out of a big log on the side of the road. We rolled it over, put his jack on top and we were in business.

I started taking the wheel off, and then, if you can believe it, I broke his tire iron. It was one of those collapsible ones, and I wasn’t careful, and I snapped the head clean off. Damn.

No worries: he ran to the van and handed it to his wife, and she was gone in a flash down the road to buy a new tire iron. She was back in 15 minutes. We finished the job with a little sweat and cussing (the log started to give), and I was a very happy man.

The two of us were filthy and sweaty. His wife produced a large water jug for us to wash our hands in. I tried to put a 20 in the man’s hand, but he wouldn’t take it, so instead I went up to the van and gave it to his wife as quietly as I could. I thanked them up one side and down the other. I asked the little girl where they lived, thinking maybe I’d send them a gift for being so awesome. She said they lived in Mexico. They were in Oregon so Mommy and Daddy could pick cherries for the next few weeks. Then they were going to pick peaches, then go back home.

After I said my goodbyes and started walking back to the Jeep, the girl called out and asked if I’d had lunch. When I told her no, she ran up and handed me a tamale.

This family, undoubtedly poorer than just about everyone else on that stretch of highway, working on a seasonal basis where time is money, took a couple of hours out of their day to help a strange guy on the side of the road while people in tow trucks were just passing him by.

But we weren’t done yet. I thanked them again and walked back to my car and opened the foil on the tamale (I was starving by this point), and what did I find inside? My $20 bill! I whirled around and ran to the van and the guy rolled down his window. He saw the $20 in my hand and just started shaking his head no. All I could think to say was, “Por favor, por favor, por favor,” with my hands out. The guy just smiled and, with what looked like great concentration, said in English: “Today you, tomorrow me.”

Then he rolled up his window and drove away, with his daughter waving to me from the back. I sat in my car eating the best tamale I’ve ever had, and I just started to cry. It had been a rough year; nothing seemed to break my way. This was so out of left field I just couldn’t handle it.

In the several months since then I’ve changed a couple of tires, given a few rides to gas stations and once drove 50 miles out of my way to get a girl to an airport. I won’t accept money. But every time I’m able to help, I feel as if I’m putting something in the bank.

Justin Horner is a graphic designer living in Portland, Ore. This essay was adapted from a message-board posting on reddit.com.

Revisiting Códice AQ de Abel Quezada.

(De los archivos “perdidos” del DF. Debí haberlo publicado hace tiempo. Aquí está, tarde pero segura.)

Códice AQ está abierto hasta el 7 de Abril en el Museo de la Ciudad de México.

(México, D.F. Enero 2011.) En esta ciudad de 20 millones de gentes, es necesario tener un acercamiento al arte como escape y medio de supervivencia. Gracias a Dios que en el DF hay espacios accesibles y mucho arte que ver para recrear la mente.

En este viaje tuve la suerte de conocer el Museo de la Ciudad de México, localizado en el Centro Histórico (muy cerca del Zócalo) y ver el trabajo de uno de mis artistas favoritos, Abel Quezada. La exposición se llama Códice AQ y está abierta hasta el 7 de Abril.(Gracias a mi Mamá que me lo recomendó e insistió que fuera. Always listen to your Mother.)

Abel Quezada era regio pero más bien parecía ciudadano internacional. Se instaló entre los chilangos y ahí trabajó en periódicos como El Excelsior por muchos años, conviviendo con las élites intelectuales, políticas y celebridades de los años 50′s hasta los 80′s. En la exposición se muestran sus mejores cuadros, obras, murales, pero también vemos sus cuadernos, sus apuntes, sus bocetos y conocemos su proceso creativo. Era una mente extraordinaria, siempre pensando y creando, siempre utilizando el arte para ubicarnos dentro de nuestra realidad mexicana, con humor y conciencia social.  Definitivamente es una de las mejores exposiciones que he visto ultimamente. Si están en México por estas fechas, dénse una vuelta, creo que lo van a disfrutar.

Códice AQ está en el Museo de la Ciudad de México, en Pino Suárez # 40 en el Centro Histórico del DF. La entrada es de 22 pesos solamente. Abierto hasta las 6 pm.

Arte en todos los tamaños.

 

Uno de sus murales. AQ era un comentarista social y caricaturista extraordinario.

Abel Quezada fue amigo de famosos como María Félix. Una foto de ellos en una fiesta y al lado, otra foto de AQ trabajando. Fotos del periodista Hector Garcia.

"Ay como es cruel la incertidumbre" (1986) y "Latin Lovers are the worst". Oleo sobre tela. De la colección de Miguel Aleman.

3 personajes de AQ: el taquero, el Charro Matias, el revolucionario.

Fragmento de uno de sus murales de la revolución mexicana.

Mi acuarela favorita: "El corredor solitario de Central Park" (1978)

“Mi oficio no tiene nombre. No puedo decir que soy “caricaturista” porque no sé hacer caricaturas propiamente dichas. No puedo decir que soy “cartonista” porque esa palabra- bastante fea- viene del inglés “cartoon” y -otra vez- no indica exactamente lo que hago.

Yo hago textos ilustrados. La gente les llama “cartones” pero para definir mi profesión a mi me gusta decir que soy dibujante.

Dibujar para mi es un constante tic nervioso. Comencé a dibujar desde que era niño y lo he seguido haciendo durante todos los días- casi todas las horas- de mi vida. Dibujo cuando estoy solo y cuando estoy acompañado. Dibujo cuando hablo por teléfono y dibujo cuando en los restaurantes converso con una persona. Para mi es más fácil explicar algo si me auxilio con el dibujo. Cuando – como a muchas otras personas- alguien me ha preguntado que me gustaría hacer si volviera a nacer, yo he contestado que me gustaría ser dibujante, sólo mejor de lo que soy. Dibujar es un placer que pocos conocemos. Es un arma secreta que equivale a hablar otro idioma.”

-ABEL QUEZADA, 1985.

Algunos “piensos” al cruzar la frontera.

El regreso a USA via un puente forterizo siempre es un reto: un reto a la paciencia individual; al performance del A/C de tu automóvil y su sistema “anti-freeze“; a la creatividad para pasar el tiempo; a la mente para tratar de borrar todo lo que ve en 2 horas plus de larga espera, mientras hay 10 filas de running cars en estado “idle” consumiendo gasolina inútilmente y contaminando no sé cuántas toneladas de carbono que atacan al planeta. Yes, I feel like venting. And yet, I continue to participate in this mindless but necessary to and fro that crossing the border entails. No hay de otra.

Ayer, en mi análisis del tiempo as I waited to cross, me percaté de las nuevas modalidades en el comercio fronterizo. Piracy is the most common thing in the world. Fácilmente conté 15 vendedores con the newest releases, no sólo en dvd, sino películas que a penas se estrenaron este fin de semana. Por ejemplo, Rango, the #1 movie in America this past weekend, was already on sale for 40 pesos at the border…complete with nice artwork cover and hard plastic case.

Otro ejemplo: “Presunto Culpable”, un recién estrenado documental del sistema judicial mexicano, del que todo el mundo habla en México en estos momentos, y que hoy nadie puede ver en las salas de cine porque fue suspendido (censurado) por algún juez de tribunal, está disponible en versión pirata. Es la primera vez que un documental en México tiene este éxito, y no dudo que los productores y realizadores emplearon todos sus recursos, todo lo que tenían para poder contar esta historia… y dos semanas después alguien la está comprando chueco. Ni hablar de cd’s de música y juegos para los xbox, wii, etc.

Tal vez ustedes conocen a alguien que compra estas cosas, que no piensa dos veces en el daño o en el robo que está cometiendo y no le afecta en lo más mínimo aprovecharse de estas tranzas. En el ratito que estuve en la fila, me tocó ser testigo de varias “transacciones” de gente que de plano se llevaba 3 o 4 cosas. Y me dio coraje y me dio tristeza, que cada vez hay menos respeto por el trabajo y por los derechos de autor. Parece una lucha que no tiene fin.  Yo sé que un simple blog post no contribuye mucho…Pero si lo hacen ustedes mismos, piénsen si les gustaría que alguien les robara su trabajo y su esfuerzo, que se ganara algunos centavos a sus costillas, sin que ustedes pudieran hacer algo al respecto.

Les dejo las fotos de los hechos y algunas de uno que otro comerciante que aguantó sol y calor, fumes and contamination, a Sunday at the border bridge in no man’s land, between Mexico and the US.

Por el retrovisor, una vendedora con "Rango" y "Presunto Culpable" en las manos, y una mochila llena de dvd's piratas.

Vender dvd's y cd's piratas en la frontera es cosa de todos los días.

21st century commerce along the border.

These movies are not even in theaters yet, and here they look like the real thing.

If you're thirsty or hungry, this guy sells water and fruit snacks. Imagine he's been there all day long, inhaling the car fumes.

Need some artwork? There's plenty of posters to choose from. No falta Pedro Infante ni la Virgencita de Guadalupe.

Religious stuff is always available: a "pop" version of the Last Supper, also for sale.

La gasolina is killing my budget

What a way to start the week…

Nowadays, me da miedo ir al gas station. Even as a metro commuter, I don’t spend as much as your average driver. But I still have to take the car some days in this freeway obsessed town. Starting to think that the $5 gallon price is not too far away.

LA gas prices.