The last time I read El Norte, I suppose I was somewhat suprised to skim over a graph that listed Mexico as the 10th wealthiest nation in the world; well ahead of most European countries. But not that surprised. The problem is, we’re accustomed to measuring wealth by metrics like minimum wage ($4 a day in Mexico, $7 an hour in California) and property value., But, if you were to measure something like purchase of $40,000+ cars per capita, I bet you’d be surprised. In fact, per capita, I’d be willing to bet that Mexico would “win out.”

I’ve been a bad blogger and badder blogger picker upper, but most my online time lately has been wrapped up in becoming the ultimate, baddest-assest, Latin American media eating machine. And my friends, I be gettin phat.
My good man Hipocratico asked me last week what I think about “Memingate.” I think (just like supreme court [...]

This post is the second in a series. You can find the first here.
My father is a notoriously difficult person to shop for. Three times a year - Christmas, birthday, and Father’s Day - I am faced with the same conundrum: what in the hell could I possibly give this guy that I haven’t already [...]

I write from Blanco Y Cafe in San Pedro. Coffee shop cum art gallery cum artists studio cum internet cafe. It’s a shame the United States won the revolution or we’d still use the word cum. And what a beautiful word it is. I wonder who’s jack-assed idea it was to get rid of it. [...]

Sucker, sucker is my girlfriend’s new all-encompassing catch phrase. I know not what it means or when she’ll use it, but use it she does at least once every five minutes or so.
Y’all. I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I’m pretty sure it’s the heat - easy scape goat. Anyway, I’m totally stuck in [...]

Happy Cinco de Mayo. So many people get this wrong. They say Mexicans spanked the French, down with Mister Max, freedom fries, don’t buy french wine, etc., etc., but take it from someone living in Mexico, Cinco de Mayo is to celebrate the existence of Fred’s in Pacific Beach. A favor for my friends at [...]

There is a saying, or dicho, I hear often in Mexico. And I hear it most often when I am talking with my girlfriend’s grandmother:
Si Dios Quiere
Which translates to, “if God wants,” or “God willing.” Equally common are “primeramente a dios” which also sorta translates to “God willing” and perhaps the most popular, “gracias a [...]

They canceled my class at the brewery. Walking up and down Alfonso Reyes, I look for a place to buy a phone card. A thirty peso phone card. 30 pesos to the richest man in all of Latin America who will charge me 40 cents American per minute to speak to my girlfriend on her [...]

Some say excessive sunshine softens the brain (repulsively soft already)
Tom Robbins, Even Cowgirls Get The Blues
Go ahead, kid with me if you would like, but I admit, I once came up with a pet theory - part economics, part meteorology - to explain why so much poverty seems to follow the equator. The theory came [...]

I don’t expect you to read this entire post, but I do have a favor to ask. Will you - all of you - please leave a comment with the link to what you think is the best post you have written so far? Thx.
I was reading an article in MIT’s Technology Review today when [...]