Random Thoughts

Anuncio Spot San Miguel Primavera Sound 2010: Piñatas

2010-05-10T16:23:00.000-07:00

Great Ad for the Primavera Sound Festival in San Miguel...

Pinatas!!!!

Bicentinario Mexico 2010

2010-03-21T18:56:00.000-07:00

Mexico's 200th birthday is coming up in September. While doing preliminary research on locations to visit, I came across a few videos that blew me away.

Televisa (a Mexican media conglomerate) is currently promoting the country's bicentintinario by focusing on its many states. Each video focuses on a specific states. and its many ecological wonders. So far only 3 have been release: Tamaulipas, Chihuahua, and Sinaloa. The videos are breathtaking. The visuals, the music, the colors, the cinematography and the models combine to create one of the most beautiful domestic "tourism" videos I have ever seen. Calling them Tourism videos are actually a misnomer. I prefer to refer to them as works of art.

Enjoy:

Chihuahua:

Sinaloa:

Tamaulipas:

Chris Garneau

2010-03-03T21:52:00.001-08:00

Chris Garneau is a singer/songwriter from NYC. Great music, great voice, amazing lyrics.

This song is burning up my ipod.

Back

2010-03-03T21:50:00.001-08:00

Past 6 Months - Went on tour with Verizon. Came back to McAllen. Got a 1930s apartment in the Art District. Hmmm... Starting this blog again. Went through some old posts... great memories.

Chicago

2009-04-13T17:25:00.000-07:00

Chicago

(Taken from the top of Hancock Center during dinner)

Chicago is definitely my 3rd favorite city in the U.S. I stayed at the Hard Rock Hotel for a week. My room had Prince's shirt and guitar enclosed in a glass case. It was pretty pimp. The room had an amazing unobstructed view of the Miracle Mile. After meeting my new roommate, Hector, we headed out for dinner with the entire crew.

(My roommate from Chihuahua, Mexico)

Training week was intense. So much information so little time. But somehow, we managed to cram everything in. I met marketing peeps from Nokia, RIM, Motorola, and LG (which actually stands for Lucky Goldstar.)

We went out almost every night which only added to the long days. On one night, we went to a Brazilian Bar/Club called ñ which happens to have the best mojito I have ever tasted.

On another night we went out to a neighborhood called Wicker Park which is my favorit burough of Chicago. It's the up and coming hip part of town with tons of quirky shops and cafes and an eclectic nightlife. I had so much fun in that neighborhood.

Update

2009-04-13T17:20:00.000-07:00

The past 3 weeks have been pretty hectic. Training for my new job with Marketing Werks... going on a roadtrip from Chicago to Los Angeles. I have a few days off this week so I am going to bombard the blog with everything that has been happening the past few weeks.

Alrighty then..

LETS DO IT.

Shopping

2009-03-21T11:44:00.000-07:00

The next morning we went to eat at a historic restaurant in Barrio Antiguo and I managed to capture a shot of the BG (Hes not very fond of pictures).

After eating, we headed out shopping and sight seeing. Monterrey is known as being one of the shopping Meccas of Mexico. We went to the San Pedro Garza Garcia neighborhood which is considered to be one of the wealthiest regions in all of Latin America. Anywho, we ended up at this small shopping center that didn't look very welcoming at first. It kind of looked like a club. It even had a bouncer at the door. This mall had a very interesting design.

After passing the "bouncer", you are greeted by Spanish pop music and a creepy hallway with a red carpet. What kind of mall greets you with a red carpet?

After the red carpet hallway, you enter another hallway with flashy lights.

After going through the door, you walk into this, one of the coolest designed malls I have seen.

Very modern architecture and furnishings. They carried a lot of Spanish brands that are not found in the states like Bershka and Zara.

After shopping for my new job, we went out to eat and for a night on the town.

Vaquero! Spring Break 09!

2009-03-21T11:25:00.000-07:00

This week I took a mini-vacation into the mountains of Nuevo Leon. Everyone wanted to go to island this week and most of my friends were scared by the media's nonstop attention on the "escalating drug wars" in Northern Mexico. So I went by myself. It was seriously one of the best trips I've had.

First, I went horseback riding with an authentic Vaquero (Cowboy). This guy was sweet, he had chaps on, and a freakin' sombrero! It was extremely exciting. I paid him a couple of bucks to show me around Chipinque and other parts of the mountains that are unknown to tourists.

The view was amazing, my horse wasn't. After a few hours of wondering through the forest, we decided to head back to civilization. After my uncle in Toluca heard that I was in Nuevo Leon, he decided to fly out my cousin and his BG (body guard) so that we can roam around Monterrey. I picked up my cousin later that night and went to the hotel which also had a pretty sweet view.

Volaris

2009-03-21T11:05:00.000-07:00

Everytime I fly to Mexico, I fly Volaris.

Volaris is a "low-cost" airline based in Toluca, Mexico. (My mom's hometown). I have flown every major airline in the states and nothing compares to Volaris. The company opened its doors in 2005. That means that their fleet is brand spanking new. Plus, you get free lunch (no matter how long the flight is) and a free alcoholic drink.

I can get a roundtrip ticket from Monterrey to Toluca for about 90 - 100 dollars. It cost about 6 dollars to get to Monterrey from McAllen (only a 2 hour trip). If I used any other airline, it would easily cost between 250-300.

And if your planning to go to Mexico City, Volaris offers a free shuttle from the Toluca airport to Santa Fe, Mexico City (takes about an hour with no traffic). Volaris recently got permission from the US government to fly into LAX and Fort Lauderdale.

I strongly recommend them. PLUS they have a cool logo.

MÁNCORA

2009-03-18T11:22:00.000-07:00

I'm looking forward to this weekend. Not only is "I Love You, Man" coming out this weekend, I start my new job at Marketing Werks in Chicago. PLUS, I might be able to catch Mancora, while in Chicago since its only having a limited release here in the states. Random Fact: Jason Day (the lead actor) was born the same day I was born.

From director Ricardo de Montreuil comes MÁNCORA, a tender and pulsating road-trip drama that delicately traces the shifting emotional boundaries between three disconnected souls.
MÁNCORA introduces us to Santiago (Jason Day), a 21-year old from Lima who is haunted by his fathers recent and unexpected suicide. Suffocating in the chill of a grey Lima winter, Santiago decides to take refuge in MÁNCORA, a beach town in the north of the country where summer never ends. Right before his departure, Santiago receives an unexpected visit from his stepsister Ximena (Elsa Pataky), a vibrant, sexy Spanish photographer and her husband Iñigo (Enrique Murciano), a brash art-collector from New York. The tranquility of their getaway is quickly shattered by a powerful act of boundary-crossing and betrayal, which threatens to transform their relationship forever and turn Máncora into a paradise lost.

- Mancorafilm.com

Geeky Glasses B- )

2009-03-18T09:58:00.000-07:00

I'm in the market for a new pair of glasses and RX sunglasses (I think its time for me to give sunglasses a try).

For my RX sunglasses, I want a pair of white Wayfarers.

For my regular glasses I want to go a little dorkier. I was thinking of throwing in a little color to my regular glasses, but I'm still undecided. I think basic black is the way to go.

Arisa - Sincerita

2009-03-16T16:50:00.000-07:00

Arisa was virtually unknown until a few weeks ago. She placed first in the 'Newcomers' section of the San Remo Talent competition and won the 'Mia Martini' Critics Award with her entry, "Sincerità".

Great Video.

YUJU Music Fest at South Padre Island

2009-03-14T11:13:00.000-07:00

Seriously,

Why do I have the worst luck? Don't get me wrong, but I am extremely excited about my new job with Marketing Werks in Chicago. But why did they schedule Yuju the week after I leave to Chicago? Seriously?

ZOE --- MODERATTO -- DIVISION MINUSCULA -- LOS CLAXONS -- NINA PILOTS..

All under one stage! At the island. :( This is a show that is impossible to find in the states and It's going to be in my own backyard and I wont be able to go...

PLUS - VIP tickets are ONLY 800 pesos (50 USD)!

Oh Well, For those who CAN go, here's the link:

http://yujufest.com/

Here's a taste of what I'll be missing

Los Claxons - one of my favorite bands!

Zoe - CLASSIC.....

Nina Pilots - Newcomers

Laura Pausini ft. James Blunt

2009-03-13T16:17:00.000-07:00

James Blunt sings in Spanish? Not as bad as you think. His enunciation is actually pretty good. He paired up with Italian singer Laura Pausini to sing "Primavera in anticipo" (Spanish)

(More on Laura Pausini later)

Hola Everyone - Madrid 2016

2009-03-12T12:19:00.000-07:00

So the Race for the 2016 Olympics is own. According to the International Olympic Committee, the current standings for the 4 candidate cities are as follows.

1st - Tokyo - 8.3
2nd - Madrid - 8.1
3rd - Chicago - 7.0
4th - Rio de Janeiro - 6.4

So the race right now is heating up between Tokyo and Madrid. I went over both Tokyo's and Madrid's plans for the Olympics and it seems that Madrid (who has applied 3 times to host the Olympics) is the most prepared and capable, with Chicago coming in a close second. Tokyo is the only city that has hosted the Olympics. However, no South American country has ever hosted an Olympics. Madrid has bid on 3 separate occasions but has never hosted.

My vote is for Madrid, with Tokyo coming in a close second and Chicago third. I would much rather have Lima or Buenos Aires be the first South American cities to host the Olympics than Rio (I'm not a fan).

The decision is going to be made in October. I can't wait to see who it is!

D.A.N.C.E.

2009-03-09T10:27:00.000-07:00

I'm going through an Electro-House music phase.....

This video is by French House duo... Justice.

One of my favorite concepts for a music video....

JD Natasha - Rise and Fall

2009-03-03T12:32:00.000-08:00

The story of JD Natasha always seems to amaze me. JD Natasha, an Argentine-Cuban-American was born and raised in Miami. At the age of 16 she landed a 5 album record deal with EMI and was poised to be the next big thing in the states. There was one problem though. Her record producers, after hearing her sing in Spanish, decided that they wanted to market her to the Spanish speaking market. Mexico, specifically, had not yet seen a rocker chick act that was oh so popular in the US at that time (Avril, Pink, etc.) So the record producers decided to release her CD as both an English version and Spanish Version as the same time. This quickly linked her to Latin Artists who had a considerable Spanish fanbase trying to crossover in the English market. Many of these artists were unsuccessful except for Shakira. In reality, JD Natasha was already an American act trying to crossover to the Spanish Market. She was very successful in Mexico and the rest of Latin America, she was even nominated for 3 Grammys for her debut CD.

However, the US market was not as kind and she went unnoticed. After watching her Spanish interviews, it seemed as if she was unhappy in the position she was. First of all, her Spanish was horrible. Second, it seemed as if she was being forced to be someone she wasn't, a Latin Pop Star. Do you know where this is headed? :)

She walked away from her EMI record deal. WHAT? Apparently, she was unhappy and simply walked away from her record deal. That was in 2006. Today she has a new band called, Fancy Me Yet, an Indie Rock band similar to the likes of Paramore and Flyleaf. Check them out.

Allison Iraheta ....

2009-03-03T11:52:00.000-08:00

A few months ago I posted that David Archuleta was going to be the next American Idol. I was wrong. But he did win second place and got a record deal and a few hits.

My prediction for this season is Allison Iraheta. Her voice is amazing. Allison, like Archuleta, is a Hispanic 16 year old who has been watching AI for years. A few years ago, she competed in a Mexican version of American Idol called Quinceanera. She has a lot of potential. Hopefully she isn't forced into becoming what shes not. That will just leave us with a JD Natasha Part Deux (more on her later). As with Allison, make sure to check out American Idol....

PLUS, unlike Archuleta, she has the potential to be marketed to both the English (300 million) and larger International Spanish (322 Million people) Markets. Although his Spanish language songs are AMAZING, David Archuleta was marketed as an All-American, wholesome kid in order to win over all the young tween girls. None of his tracks in his debut CD were in Spanish, nor are there any future plans to "Cross Over", into the spanish Market.

Kudos

2009-02-27T11:06:00.000-08:00

This isn't an official BlackBerry Ad, But Kudos to the creatives who put this together.

Great Concept..

BUT.... the Copy Writing was WAAAAAAAAAAAY OFF..

"Nothing can touch it" - Really?? LAME

First Published Photograph

2009-02-22T14:25:00.001-08:00

Stone Wood Metal - Monterrey, originally uploaded by marcovald.

Yeap...

So I have my First Billboard in the bag.
Now I can add my first Published Photograph.

This picture, titled Stone, Wood, Metal is going to be featured in a photography book. Not only that, it is going to be one of a select few who are going to be featured as the Opening Photographs for each Chapter.

I'm Excited!

I took this picture while walking throughout the streets of Monterrey, Mexico back in July.

Downtown McAllen

2009-02-22T14:03:00.001-08:00

McAllen Parking, originally uploaded by marcovald.

I've been rather bored lately. Last weekend I decided to venture to downtown McAllen. :/ Formerly known as the bad side of town, It seems to be evolving due to gentrification by younger, hipper peeps. For example, 17th Street has been completely transformed. It now resembles a miniature version of 6th Street in Austin. Plans indicate that the downtown area will only continue to transform into the "hip" part of town. A lot of new Clubs and restaurants have opened shop to cater to the emerging art scene. The Art Walk, held every First Friday of the month, is as strong as ever. Historic Cine El Rey seems to be holding many of the coolest concerts in town. Things are looking good for downtown McAllen.

http://www.mcallenheartofthecity.com/

Demi Lovato en Español

2009-02-21T21:41:00.000-08:00

Demi Lovato has just debuted a new music video, and its called "Lo Que Soy". It's the Spanish version of "This is Me" from Disney's Camp Rock. Lo Que Soy is the featured Bonus Track on Demi's Re-release of Don't Forget (Deluxe Edition). I think we will be seeing a lot more of Demi Lovato in the future, both in the Hispanic and General Markets. The kids love her....

Lo Que Soy:

La La Land:

Something is wrong

2009-02-19T10:53:00.000-08:00

Something is wrong with my blog.

I'm in the process of fixing it

First Billboard

2009-02-18T14:04:00.000-08:00

So this was the final design for my first billboard. The client loved it. Me.... not so much. It just seems to noisy, crowded, and messy. I really went out of my element designing this. Sometimes we have to make sacrifices to make the client happy. :/ The ad was displayed on three billboards all across the Valley.

Thoughts... Comments

Tokyo!

2009-02-16T15:53:00.000-08:00

I am extremely excited for this movie. It follows the styles of Paris Je T'aime and New York, I Love You, two films that I highly recommend. By the looks of the trailer, it seems like the directors are moving towards the Magical Realist artistic route. After taking a course on Mexican film, I quickly became a huge fan of Realismo Magico. Magical Realism has been a strong element in Mexican and Spanish film and literature.

A Magical Realist film I recommend : La Science des rêves - The Science of Sleep (Michael Gondry)

Who wants to go see TOKYO! with me?

Youtube

2009-02-15T14:47:00.001-08:00

Youtube Videos I Watched over the past Three Years: 7,719

How is that possible?

¡Feliz cumpleaños Mariano!

2009-02-09T20:57:00.000-08:00

Este fin de semana celebramos el cumpleaños de Mariano en el Cimarron en Sharyland. Estaba muy divertido, aunque perdi en Beer Pong. Me la pase bien con todos! Esto es lo que resulta cuando combinas 2 botellas de Tequila, una de Vodka, y un poco de Bud Light:

Pastel de Oreos.
Se lo terminaron antes que pudiera agarar un pedaso.

Monica y yo.
Esta chika es muy divertida y de buena onda.

Cake in yo face!
La cachucha tambien fue victima de la mordida.

Los Tres Amigos
Cliche, lo se.

Monica, Andrea y Mariano.

La Gaby

Que Ondeux?
De quien es esa mano?

Donde estoy mirando?
Creo que Andrea tambien estaba tomando una foto.

Fin

Mexico = Best performing economy? Thats Right.

2009-02-06T09:15:00.000-08:00

When the New York Times reached out to Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim for a $250 million loan to keep the newspaper afloat, it became clear to the world what Mexicans already knew: Mexico had been able to avoid the worst of the U.S. economic crisis. Mexico's stock market fell 23 percent in 2008, the "best" performing major index at a time when the U.S. markets fell 38 percent. Here's how they did it.

MERIDA, Mexico – The economic crisis sweeping the globe has spared no nation, but some are showing remarkable resilience. Mexico's economic performance, for example, has shown tremendous strength. When the U.S. Federal Reserve extended a loan of $30 billion each to the central banks of Brazil, South Korea, Singapore and Mexico, Mexico did not touch those funds. It simply reinvested them in Treasury bonds, leaving them in accounts in New York.

This is no accident. It stems from prudent economic policies implemented after the December 1994 devaluation of the Mexican peso that sent the economy into a tailspin. At that time, President Ernesto Zedillo had been in office a few days, and his entire agenda was thrown into disarray by the crisis.

The Clinton administration had to issue an emergency $50 billion loan –- which Mexico paid back ahead of schedule and with interest -– and the International Monetary Fund, or IMF, helped craft a recovery program. It was a painful adjustment as budgets were slashed, fiscal restraint was implemented across the board, and the Mexican people saw their investments and savings diminish.

That was 15 years ago, and the lessons learned the hard way are now paying off: Mexico's stock market fell 23 percent in 2008, the "best" performing major index at a time when the U.S. markets fell 38 percent and Russian markets collapsed by an astounding 70 percent.

Last fall, some feared that the Mexican economy would not be able to escape the turmoil engulfing the United States, and the Mexican peso fell almost 30 percent vis-à-vis the American dollar. It has since recovered, although it has suffered a 20 percent devaluation since the economic crisis began last summer. These currency fluctuations reflect the fact that, because of the North American Free Trade Agreement, or NAFTA, neither Mexico nor Canada have "decoupled" from the U.S. economy.

There are several reasons for Mexico's economic resilience. One is the fiscal restraint that Zedillo initiated and that his successor, Vicente Fox, continued.

Fox, a former corporate executive, made significant strides in eliminating Mexico's foreign debt. Mexico's current president, Felipe Calderon, has kept spending in line, even as revenues have increased. When disaster struck, Mexico had a balanced budget, almost no foreign debt and rising federal revenues, allowing it to intervene to stabilize prices.

Mexico also dodged the housing speculation that brought its neighbor to its knees. Mexico's financial system has always been stringent in extending credit. Americans roll their eyes at the bureaucracy this entailed –- two forms of ID are required to open a bank account in Mexico; when customers request checks, they have to pick them up at the bank, where their signature and ID are verified; credit card applications must be made in person at the financial institution, and not over the phone or through unsolicited mail-in applications. As a result, "identity theft" is almost non-existent in Mexico, and it was nearly impossible for a housing bubble to emerge there.

Another factor is the windfall oil profits – despite the sudden drop in oil prices. When oil peaked at $147 a barrel last summer, there was disbelief around the world: Would it shoot up to $200 or fall back? The conventional wisdom was that $100 a barrel for oil was the new reality going forward, and there was a frenzy to lock in prices through futures contracts. Mexican officials at Pemex, the state-owned oil monopoly, didn't believe that price was sustainable; their economic models indicated that, with slacking demand due to the recession, a price range between $60 and $80 was "sustainable." Other countries -– most notably Venezuela and Russia –- were more ambitious, and reckless. Both countries let spending explode, believing that they could finance anything they wanted. The economies in both countries today are in freefall.

Mexico, by comparison, was prudent, saving the oil windfall, and Mexican traders implemented a strategy that hinged on the price of oil falling below the $60 to $80 range. "They're great traders," Phil Flynn, an analyst at Alaron Trading Corp., said of Pemex futures traders. "If the economy continues to slow, they're looking like geniuses."

The world economy has more than slowed: It has hit a wall. And Mexico is collecting $90 to $110 per barrel today, for oil that is trading in the $38 to $45 range at the beginning of 2009. Having hedged its exports, Mexico is getting a premium, and a significant windfall that will total several billion dollars this year, enough to sustain social spending without massive federal deficits.

Will this be enough to prevent Mexico from slipping into recession in 2009? Probably not, but the fact that it has managed to escape a debilitating slowdown –- the United States is in its 14th month of official recession –- suggests that whatever economic slowdown there is will be relatively mild, considering the global situation.

"The U.S. needs to show some proof they have a plan to get out of the fiscal problem," Ernesto Zedillo told reporters at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland last week. "We, as developing countries, need to know we won't be crowded out of the capital markets, which is already happening.

New America Media, News Report, Louis Nevaer, Posted: Feb 06, 2009

Interview Part Three

2009-02-04T10:34:00.000-08:00

I applied for a job two months ago. Got a call last week. Got an interview last week. Got another interview last week en Espanol. Got my background check done. I have another (hopefully final) interview later today.

More info about the job later. (If I get it.)

But here are a few clues: Chicago, Spanish, Verizon

Estoy emocionado!

The Valley in all its Glory

2009-02-03T14:31:00.000-08:00

I usually cringe when I see local TV ads. They are plain, simple, and not very creative. REGARDLESS! (inside joke.) Today, this spot caught my attention. Its perfectly shot, grabs your attention, and portrays the essence and spirit of the valley.

Check it out.

Audifonos

2009-02-02T10:15:00.000-08:00

Tush <--- Up and Coming Band

Tommy Torres

Moderatto <---- Band from the 90's

Enjoy

Projector!

2009-02-02T09:57:00.000-08:00

So my finally finally came around to buying a projector yesterday. Yes... The super bowl actually played a huge factor in that decision. We have had a retractable screen installed for a little over a year now, but never got around to buying a projector. I guess my parents were waiting for the latest and greatest?

Well, last night the projector was effin sweet!

Can't wait to use that baby for Guitar Hero Parties...

:)

Me llevas?

2009-01-26T15:54:00.000-08:00

Another well thought out and executed ad!

Mom: "Mommy is going to take care of you forever, forever, forever"
Mom: No! Juan, I can Explain!
Mom: Are You There, C'mon Juan don't be so dramatic.

Juan: Mom, Im moving out, Ciao
Juan: Can you take me?

Priceless

Insultos

2009-01-26T15:41:00.000-08:00

This made me laugh:

Translation:

Recent studies show that teenagers are more commonly communicating by using insults. Every 4 words, they insult. They insult in groups, alone, when they get lost, qhen they get together, when they are happy, suffer, and when they breath. They Insult. They insult all the time....(Drinks Coke).... This is "Effin Awesome"

What Im Listening to...(Videos)

2009-01-19T08:26:00.000-08:00

BETO CUEVAS!!! <--- Has been on repeat on my itunes for over a week... ha

Alejandro Acha

Duffy

Amaral

Where I was in 2008

2009-01-02T14:30:00.000-08:00

This past year has been a blast. Being "on the road" (well, more like in the air in coach on flight xxxx) made me learn a lot about myself. To many, 2008 was a crappy year... for me... not so much. :) Here's a short list of where I went in 2008. (This list does not include airports)

Cities Visited:

USA:

Seattle, Washington
Los Angeles, California
San Diego, California
Reno, Nevada
Las Vegas, Nevada
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Denver, Colorado (3 times)
Boulder, Colorado (twice)
New Orleans, Louisiana
Atlanta, Georgia
Orlando, Florida
Charlotte, North Carolina
Virginia Beach, Virginia
Nashville, Tennessee
St. Louis, Missouri
Duluth, Minnesota
Minneapolis, Minnesota
St. Paul, Minnesota
Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin
Chicago, Illinois
Indianapolis, Indiana
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cleveland, Ohio
Providence, Rhode Island
Boston, Massachusetts (Twice)
Worcester, Massachusetts
New York City, New York
Newark, New Jersey

Canada:

Vancouver, British Columbia

Mexico:

Monterrey, Nuevo Leon
Toluca, Estado de Mexico
Distrito Federal - (Mexico City)
- Polanco
- Condesa
- Roma
- Centro Historico
- Las Lomas
- Santa Fe

A rather busy year for me....

Soon I will post my favorite memories of all these places.

:)

Cachetoncito

2008-12-30T09:35:00.000-08:00

I was watching TV this morning when I saw this Spanish PSA for Sex Ed. I changed the channel and saw another version of the same PSA but in Egnlish. Its interesting to note that both versions promote the same website. You would think that the Spanish version should promote a Spanish version of the website. After navigating through the website, I did find a miniature "En Espanol" link on the top right hand corner.

Either way I really like how this ad was executed. It really works well for the Hispanic market as well as the overall general market.

Spanish:

English:

Beer is the beverage of choice for Hispanics.

2008-11-05T08:05:00.000-08:00

Beer is the alcohol of choice for Hispanics in the United States, a new study shows.

"This is important to know, because once we can identify a type of beverage that is more associated with risky drinking, such as binge drinking, then prevention policies can be developed to target that beverage and that type of drinking," study corresponding author Raul Caetano, a professor of epidemiology and regional dean (Dallas) at The University of Texas School of Public Health, said in a news release issued by the study's publisher.

The findings were expected to be published in the January issue ofAlcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research.

Researchers surveyed 5,224 adults from households in Miami, New York, Philadelphia, Houston and Los Angeles about their drinking habits.
ad_icon

Beer was the preferred beverage of all Hispanics, regardless if they were of Mexican-American, Puerto Rican, Cuban American or South/Central American heritage. Of male Hispanic beer drinkers, the beverage constituted 52 percent to 72 percent of their total alcohol consumption. Among Hispanic women who drank beer, it made up 32 percent to 64 percent of their total consumption.

"One difference we found was that wine was closely associated with binge drinking among Cuban American and South/Central American women, more so than beer," Caetano said. "Furthermore, Puerto Ricans and Mexican-Americans seemed to drink more than the other two groups, and thus would be more at risk for alcohol-related problems."

Caetano said this knowledge is helpful, because many people think beer is a "safer or less harmful beverage" than wine or hard liquor.

"It is true that the alcohol content in beer is lower than that of liquor, but what the study showed is that beer is the beverage most associated with binge drinking, which is a dangerous way to drink alcohol because of the impairment associated with such a high number of drinks: five for men and four for women," he said.

More information

The U.S. National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism has more about alcohol abuse.

SOURCE:Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, news release, Nov. 3, 2008

1.95

2008-10-24T18:05:00.000-07:00

That's the price of a gallon of gas here in the valley.....

Probably the lowest in the country....

Premios MTV - Radio

2008-10-19T20:36:00.000-07:00

One thing that I particularly found interesting about "Los Premios MTV", is that it was broadcast live not only on television, but on the radio as well. Here in the valley, we are lucky enough to share radio waves with Mexico. To be honest, most of the radio stations in the valley are based in Mexico.

One in particular, Exa FM, partnered with MTV to broadcast the award show. What I also found interesting was that a lot of the "foul language" was not censored. I wonder if the FCC has control over what is broadcast on American airwaves by stations based out of the country. Hmmm...

Anywho, Exa FM broadcast the show LIVE to 9 countries, in its 56 markets (including Texas, Arizona, and California.) I actually listened to the show while driving home from school. I found it pretty neat and convenient.

I leave you with XIMENA XARIÑANA performing with one of my favorite bands... Zoe...

MTV Latinoamérica - Premios MTV

2008-10-17T13:23:00.000-07:00

Last night was the celebration for the 15th annual Premios MTV for MTV Latinoamérica. The event took place in Gudalajara, Mexico with performances by Katy Perry, Belanova, Tokio Hotel, Metallica, Zoe and Ximena Sarinana.

Unlike other awards shows here in the U.S., Los Premios MTV is broadcasted LIVE to 18 Latin American countries, and the U.S. and Canada. Which makes it one of the largest televised shows targeting the 13-25 Hispanic consumer.

What I found interesting is how each act incorporated a Hispanic custom into their performances. Katy Perry, for instance, opened the show in an elegant Quinceanera dress symbolizing the 15th anniversary for MTV Latinoamérica!

For the first time in it's history, a German "Emo" band (Tokio Hotel) won the best song of the year for "Monsoon". (Mexico has the largest "Emo" scene outside the United States.) This tells a lot about the modern music scene in Latin America and is very valuable information for advertisers.

More to come.

Ari Borovoy

2008-10-09T12:54:00.000-07:00

Esta chida esta canción.

(This song is sweet)

Black Kids

2008-10-08T09:18:00.000-07:00

It's what I'm listening to.

Vote

2008-10-07T11:05:00.000-07:00

Interesting Fact

2008-10-05T16:37:00.001-07:00

$2 Billion advertising dollars were spent trying to reach the 4 Million people on the island of Puerto Rico.

That is the same amount advertisers spent on the 44 Million people in the US Hispanic Market.

What Gives?

BBVA goes mainstream.

2008-09-24T11:12:00.000-07:00

Pop Quiz:

Who knows what BBVA stands for?
Who knows where BBVA is from?
Why is BBVA in the news?

Answers:

BBVA stands for Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria.
BBVA is a Spanish Bank and maintains a leadership position in Spain, Mexico and Latin America.
BBVA will become the fourth largest bank in the US within a few years.

Throughout the past few months, BBVA has begun a push into the American banking system. First they bought out Compass Bank and rebranded their American banking operations to BBVA Compass. After initially focusing on the Hispanic market in the U.S., Spain’s Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria SA is now preparing to go mainstream.

Spain’s second-largest financial company by market value after Banco Santander SA is developing an ambitious push into the Sun Belt region at a time when local rivals are retrenching after the collapse of the subprime-mortgage market.

Following the merger of State National Bank, Texas State Bank, Laredo National Bank and Compass Bank, BBVA's U.S. affiliate ranks as the fourth largest bank in Texas and among the top 25 largest banks in the U.S. based on deposit market share. The company has total assets of approximately $58.6 billion and operates 593 branches across a six state Sunbelt Region including: 328 in Texas, 91 in Alabama, 76 in Arizona, 44 in Florida, 33 in Colorado, and 21 in New Mexico.

Vans Mexico

2008-09-24T10:30:00.000-07:00

Vans, by far, is one of the few American companies that have successfully targeted the young Mexican consumer. Vans are so popular in Mexico that you can even find street vendors selling them at ridiculous prices. Its interesting to note how Vans expanded into Mexico so succesfully.

They are the official sponsors of the X-Games Mexico. By doing so, they are telling the youth that its OK to skate and BMX (activities which are generally frowned upon in Mexico.)

Stores

There are 13 official Vans stores in Mexico. Half of them were built in the last 6 months. Unlike the US, it is rare to see standalone stores for one specific brand. Vans were usually sold by specialty retailers. However, as Mexico becomes more "American", were beginning to see the rise of major shopping malls and plazas. The transition from traditional Mexican shopping to that of American shopping is slowly beginning.

Warped Tour Sponsor

Vans did an excellent job in Branding a Vans Warped Tour Mexico. Very similar to the one in the US, the Vans Warped Tour is a touring music and extreme sports festival.. This year was the inaugural year for the Warped Tour Mexico.

Vans also sponsors a BMX team, a Skateboarding Team, and has a yearly Mexico Tour where the biggest names in skateboarding make their way to the capital and do what they do best, skate.

Recession? What Recession?

2008-09-23T20:49:00.001-07:00

Coming back to the Valley has made me realize that the recession affecting most of the country is non-existant here in South Texas. Everywhere you turn, there is a new shopping center, new subdivisions, and farmland being turned into hip, urban "lifestyle centres".

This is very true in the Mcallen, Edinburg, and Mission area. According to a recent list from CNNMoney.com, McAllen, TX ranked as the #1 Fastest Growing Real Estate Market. The rankings include a twelve month growth projection of 4% with a median home price of $109,000. The second city listed comes nowhere near McAllen and has a projected twelve month growth of 2.7%. The article mentions the state of Texas is not feeling the housing crisis as hard as other states.

Mcallen also Ranked 2nd in the Nation for Income Growth and 1st in Job Growth by Forbes Magazine. The Valley is growing, but is it growing too fast for its own good?

Disney goes Hispanic....

2008-09-04T19:28:00.000-07:00

Demi Lovato

Selena Gomez

The new faces of Disney

Being an Advertising major, I have to keep up with the latest, greatest, and hippest trends, products, and in some cases people. The girls that are blowing up the blogosphere the past couple of weeks are Demi Lovato and Selena Gomez.

They are quickly becoming the new faces of the Disney channel. Many dub these Texan girls as Miley Cyrus's replacement. What I find interesting about this duo is that they are both of Hispanic decent.

With the Hispanic population growing faster than the overall American population, it is very interesting to see how different brands will try to target this newly developing audience. The Hispanic population is also considerably younger than that of the general market. The purchasing power of Hispanics has surpassed many analysts expectations.

Here are some key facts from a Research and Markets report released in May.

- From 1996 to 2006, U.S. Hispanic purchasing power posted a compound annual growth rate of 6.96%.

- Forty-seven percent of the nation's purchasing power and 50% of the Hispanic population are concentrated in California and Texas.

- We expect Income-producing Hispanic households in the United States to represent 13.8% of the population by 2015.

U.S. Hispanic Purchasing Power:

U.S. Hispanic purchasing power surged to nearly $870 billion in 2008 and is projected to reach as much as $1.3 trillion by 2015. During the past decade, the rate of growth was more than two times the overall national rate. We estimate current Hispanic purchasing power to be at 9.3% of the total current U.S. purchasing power and project it to be 12% by 2015.

So lets see what Disney is doing to tap this emerging market.

Demi and Selena seem as if they are highly acculturated into the American lifestyle almost to the point of complete assimilation. (Which isn't a problem since the younger Hispanic population tends to be more assimilated.)

Demi and Selena have both played Hispanic characters in their respective TV and movie roles.

The Spanish language has been used in these shows and movies signaling a wider acceptance of bilingualism.

Disney is doing an excellent job in its attempt to target the Hispanic market. I think Disney will soon be one of the first to successfully target and court the acculturated Hispanic youth.

I leave you with a video of Selena Gomez in her latest music video.

Ciao Dieste!

2008-08-15T20:34:00.000-07:00

So my internship at Dieste Harmel has come to an end. Dieste wouldn't have been the same without a certain few individuals. First off, Joanna. Joanna was the "other intern" that started this journey with me. BUT, she decided to go to Thailand in the middle of Summer and ditched me! She did bring me a Thai flag patch for my camera case or my messenger bag. Jessica was pretty SWEET also. She accompanied me to our favorite food court. In order to get to the food court we had to pass through a series of underground tunnels and through a few abandoned buildings. Lets just say that the journey was very reminiscent of the mall scene in Cloverfield. Brazil. Oh Brazil Brazil Brazil. The only things I understood from this guy was, "Eh Man" (when talking to me" and "Eh Chica" (when referring to any female in our "area". Brazil was fun and entertaining. Especially while singing Over the Rainbow for an entire day. I need to learn a little bit of Portuguese so that I can communicate with him if i ever come across him in the future.

Last night we had the 5th Annual Butterfly Rock Battle of the Bands benefiting the Veronica Leon Scholarship Fund. The event was a huge success. A ton of people from our sister Omnicom agencies showed up. Hopefully the Battle of the bands will only continue to grow as the years progress.

Unfortunately, Ho Downs arestill very popular in Texas.

Pine-Sol

2008-08-13T16:48:00.000-07:00

The following ads were made for Pine-Sol at Dieste (the hispanic ad-agency im interning at). The first ad won the agency a lot of awards. Let me know what you guys think.

Play

2008-08-10T20:28:00.000-07:00

Mademoiselle Juliette - Alizee (France)

Volare - Ximena Sariñana (Mexico) (I think shes my new favorite female singer)

Party Fowl - Andrew Del Torres (US/West Coast)

Oxford Comma - Vampire Weekend (US/East Coast)

Uno Los Dos - Miranda (Argentina) (Real People Used in the video)

Lake Popozao... HA

2008-08-09T15:07:00.000-07:00

I find this rather entertaining.

China is so hot right now.

2008-08-08T15:37:00.000-07:00

'nuff said

La Tour Eiffel.... eat your heart out!

2008-08-06T23:58:00.000-07:00

This tower is located near my house in Dallas. I had no idea what it was or why it was there.

After a little research I found that it is a radio tower for the local High School.

The tower is massive and looks very similar to the Eiffel Tower.

Theres a pretty good view of Downtown Dallas from the top.

107

2008-08-04T23:13:00.000-07:00

Today it was 107 degrees here in Dallas. Apparently its a record high. Its also been 10 straight days that North Texas has had 100+ degree temperatures. The sun set about 4 hours ago, and its still 91 degrees.

:)

I'm a Loaner

2008-08-03T18:50:00.000-07:00

I wanted to let all of you guys know about Kiva (www.kiva.org), a non-profit that allows you to lend money to a specific low-income entrepreneur in the developing world.

You choose who to lend to - whether a baker in Afghanistan, a goat herder in Uganda, a farmer in Peru, a restaurateur in Cambodia, or a tailor in Iraq - and as they repay their loan, you get your money back. It’s a powerful and sustainable way to empower someone right now to lift themselves out of poverty.

So to answer the question that EVERYONE asks me... "What do you do with your money."

This is the answer.

www.kiva.org

Check it out.

For Sale

2008-08-03T10:26:00.001-07:00

Make me an offer.

Stranded at the airport

2008-07-28T09:30:00.000-07:00

I've been stranded at the airport since yesterday. Crappy weather in Philadelphia and Boston have led to the cancellation of dozens of flights. Don't know when I'll be getting back home. Hopefully later today!

Top 5

2008-07-26T16:29:00.000-07:00

"Music is the greatest good that mortals know."
- Joseph Addison

I'm going to start using this blog as a tool to update you guys on what kind of music I'm listening to. Every Saturday I will post my favorite 5 songs of the week for you guys to check out. Hey, you might find your new favorite jam. Listen to them!

Number 1
Antonio Jose "Te Traigo Flores"

This kid has TALENT.

Number 2
Ximena Saridana Vidas Paralelas

Number 3

Chetes "Completamente"

Number 4
中国加油！！北京加油！！韩庚加油！！

Welcome To Beijing...

Number 5
Metro Station "Shake it" (I know, I know WAY too popy .... But hey its CATCHY!)

When in Roma. Do as the Romans do?

2008-07-23T13:04:00.000-07:00

I also got the chance to visit Roma, a unique city known for its amazing architecture, spacious parks, lively art scene and AMAZING food.

No... I did not travel to Roma, Italia. I visited Roma, Mexico.

Roma is a very popular neighborhood known for its picturesque parks and buildings. There is a strong European influence in the way the neighborhood was constructed. Most buildings are of Parisian style architecture.

Roma is largely inhabited by Lebanese and Jewish immigrants as well as young yuppies seeking to revive the art scene the city has been known for throughout its history.

I really like Roma and Condesa and wouldn't mind living there for a few years.

Santa Fe, Distrito Federal, Mexico

2008-07-21T08:22:00.001-07:00

I finally got the chance to upload my pictures from Mexico City.

My familia lives in Toluca which is a suburb of Mexico on the west side of La Marquesa National Forest. It's about an hour away from Mexico City and half an hour from Santa Fe.

Not a lot of Americans have heard about Santa Fe, Mexico unless they are involved with international business or marketing. The reason being is that Santa Fe is relatively a new part of the city. Back in 1985, there was a horrible earth quake near the Centro Historico. This caused a lot of people and businesses to migrate to the west of the city which was largely undeveloped land. The land was perfect for development. It was situated between two high-income neighborhoods and was directly located on the toll road connecting Toluca with Mexico City.

So city planners got busy and created a master-planned business, residential, and educational community. all surrounded by one of the largest malls in North America. Within twenty years Santa Fe has grown from a small town to Mexico City's largest business powerhouse districts.

It has very modern architecture and amazing landscapes. Santa Fe is on of Mexico's fastest growing areas. 8 Million shoppers visit the mall alone each year! I got the chance to tour the city with my familia. We had the family driver give us a tour of the town. A def. must see for everyone who visits the city.

New York City

2008-07-21T08:12:00.000-07:00

Things I like :

Everything you need is within walking distance.
TONS of diversity
A vast array of food
Amazing cheescake :)

Things I dislike:
New yorkers: RUDE
The contaminated air
The congestion
Having to spend 2 hours trying to get to the airport. (I arrived at the airport 20 minutes before my flight departure)
Central Park - Overrated

I didn't have a lot of time to go sightseeing. I did visit Time Square and visited a few comedy clubs with some peeps I met on the plane. I didn't want to carry around my camera so not that many pictures were taken. :( I'll be visiting back in November so I can actually go sightseeing.

New York

2008-07-18T18:21:00.000-07:00

Im in New York, about to head out and explore the city with some girl i met on the plane. Fun

Will update on new york later

Quinceañera

2008-07-15T11:20:00.001-07:00

Last week I traveled to Mexico City for my cousin Alma's Quinceañera.

What is a Quinceañeraa you may ask.

A Quinceañera is much like a mix between the Bat Mitzvah and a Sweet Sixteen here in the states. Families are known to save up money long before the fifteenth birthday in order to make this the most lavish celebration ever. And lavish is sometimes an understatement.

Alma's Quinceañera involved live bands, limousines, flowers, catered food, lavish gowns, and lots of gifts.
The day began with a Thanksgiving Mass (Misa de Acción de Grácias) held a the Templo de La Merced, a former and one of the oldest preserved Spanish convents built in the 18th century.

Alma entered La Merced followed by 4 chamberlains dressed in tuxedos, her godparents and of course, her loving mother and father.

Everyone was dressed formally and the scene resembled a wedding complete with Alma's ball gown and some stunning jewelry. The priest spoke to Alma about the importance of the Quinceanera tradition. Her parents took the podium to wish her good luck and to tell her how proud they are of her.

After the tears are shed and eyes are dried, the true fun begins. Consider the mass as a pre-party for the festivities to come. After mass ended, everyone huddled around the quinceanera for that perfect photo op.

While the photographers and videographers recorded every detail of this makeshift photo-shoot, we (the family) all jumped into our vehicles and rushed to the grand ballroom located in one of the poshest hotels of the city. When we got there, we were greeted by Alma's portrait along with a doorwoman in a bright green coat who sat us in our designated tables and chairs.
Security was strong and only those with an invitation and proper identification were allowed in. After the Alma's entrance she dances a waltz with her chamberlains. The Quinceanera usually selects the song she wants to dance to and in this occasion she choose Jen ai marre by French artisit Alizee.

She then proceeds to dance her with her father as her last dance as a child and first dance as a woman. After the first waltz, the party begins. A 3 course dinner is served waiters. Starting with a cream of cilantro soup, then an alfredo pasta and finally a chicken with pesto dish. Yummy! After the food, Alma popped out with her chamberlains and surprised everyone with a hip hop routine (Boots with the fur anyone?)

After the hiphop routine was over Alma yet again disappeared. By this tie the alcohol was flowing. The smell of tequila began to fill the room. All of a sudden alma reappeared, but this time dressed a salsa dancer. She performed a Salsa routine with one of her dance instructors.

After the salsa routine she went backstage and changed into an arabian costume. She then performed an arabian inspired dance while hr chamberlains (dressed in an aladdin style outfit) stood at attention on the sidelines. She then changed back into her gown and got ready for the cake photo ops.

The party ended at 5 am, and the after party began the next morning at 10 am. We all had a blast!

On my own

2008-07-15T09:24:00.000-07:00

What's New?

A few months ago I bought my first house in Dallas. It's a small 3 bedroom house built in the Rollingwood Hills area of Dallas. I grew up in a small farming town of about 1,000 in South Texas, so the move to Dallas was shocking at first. After I graduated, I moved to Malibu, CA. I lived in what I like to call the "Malibu Bubble", where luxury cars, luxury brands, and luxury living are the norm. Malibu didn't necessarily give me the "street smarts" needed to live on my own. For example, in Malibu, I had daily maid service and weekly gardeners. We had a weekly laundry service that would come to our door, pick up our laundry and have it clean, pressed and neatly folded by the next morning. A trip to the local grocery store meant paying $5.00 for a HALF-dozen of eggs and artisan water flown in from the Islands of Fiji (so the tag says). No other alternatives were offered. $2.00 for a Mango imported from Mexico (which cost 5.70 Pesos a Kilogram in a grocery store in Mexico {.57 cents for roughly 2 lbs.}) A life where the biggest worry was if Malibu FroYo was still open after 5.

Lets fast forward to today. Now I have to do my own laundry (I don't have a washer/dryer yet.) I don't have a lawn mower so I have to pay some neighborhood kids to mow my lawn. I have to buy my own groceries, cook, PAY BILLS. Living on my own is tough, but I'll manage. :)

I Surrender

2008-06-24T14:49:00.000-07:00

This is our new Crocs ad.... Made by our sister Omnicom Ad Agency, Zimmerman. Enjoy

Minneapolis, Minnesota

2008-06-24T07:56:00.000-07:00

Before flying back to Dallas, I had a chance to spend a few hours wandering the streets and parks of Minneapolis. Luckily, Minneapolis has a well planned out transit system which can take you to any part of the city tight from the airport. The tram is safe, fairly new, and takes you to the most popular tourist sites.

When I got to the airport I decided to go to the Mall of America, which was about a 5 minute tram ride to the west of the airport (I think).

Once there, I was surprised by how HUGE the mall was.... although the mall is no longer the largest in America, (that title now belongs to King of Prussia in Penn.), it is known for it's amazing theme park. Nickelodeon now sponsors the themepark and has renamed it to Nikelodeon Universe. The Mall of America is very kid friendy and a must for any family.

After not spending any money at the mall (sorry Vanessa), I needed to go out and get some fresh air. I jumped onto the Tram and headed towards the Minnehaha Falls.

After hiking through the park, I came across the falls. They were amazing. The falls are only active during the summer when the glacial snow melts and pours into the Mississippi River. Minnehaha comes from the Native American Dakota language meaning Water Fall.

After a few photo ops I hopped back onto the tram and headed back to the airport to fly home.

This weekend ----> Denver, Colorado. Stay Tuned.

Duluth, Minnesota

2008-06-21T18:53:00.000-07:00

This weekend I'm in Duluth, Minnesota. Duluth is by far one of the most unique cities I have visited. It seems like your average Midwestern town, but deep inside, Duluth is simply "something else". Besides the faint "awkward" vibe in the air, I fell in love with the scenery, and the location.

Duluth is located on the shores of Lake Superior, the largest of the Great Lakes. As you drive inland, the elevation drastically rises (perfect for sledding in the winter.) The roads are steep, but the homes have amazing views of the lake. Would not mind living here if the temperature would not fall to -30 degrees in the winter.

Duluth is known for having some of the harshest weather in the country. We were lucky to have perfect weather this weekend. We got rained on during the marathon for a few minutes, but nothing major.

The skywalk system in Duluth is known to be one of the best in the country. You can go to any part of downtown without ever stepping a foot outside a building. This is perfect for those freezing days. The longest part of the skywalk crosses over Interstate 35!, connecting downtown with the convention center. Amazing.

I also had a little free time to go geocaching in one of the hills. Pretty nice views. Even caught a rainbow on the lake!

Update..

2008-06-18T12:09:00.000-07:00

Forgot about my blog for a while.

I have been so busy the past few weeks... and I didn't have a camera, so updating my blog would be pointless without any pictures.

I am still on the road with Crocs. I will be in Duluth this upcoming weekend for Grandma's Marathon. After that I will fly out to Denver for a Danskin Triathalon. Then off to Mexico City!

I moved into my new house here in Dallas where I will be spending most of the summer.

I recently bought something that I have unnecessarily put off for the past few months. I got myself a Canon Rebel XT DSLR. Thats dork lingo for a new camera. I love it.

I also have a new Macbook that Dieste hooked me up with. I will be doing a lot of shooting and uploading because of this. So don't worry, my blog will begin buzzing once more.

So what is Dieste ?

During the week (Mon-Wed), I am working at a Hispanic Ad Agency in Dallas called Dieste Harmel & Partners. Dieste is the largest Hispanic Ad Agency in the U.S. and has won numerous amount of awards. I am working as an Art Director for a few months until school starts in the Fall. After I graduate I plan on continuing my advertising career at Dieste.

So basically my time consists of Dieste on Mon-Wed, Fly out Wed night, Crocs on Thursday - Sunday, Fly back to Dallas on Sunday Night. Repeat.

Yea.. hectic, but no complaints here, I love both equally.

Boston (The Freedom Trail)

2008-05-14T18:35:00.001-07:00

After the checking out of my room, I decided to take a solo and in-depth tour of Boston. With the help of my Blackberry, my "Charlie Card" and a sweater ... I plunged head first into this amazing city. I started by leaving my luggage at the Crocs Flagship so that I wouldn't have to make a long trip back to the hotel.

I used VirtualTourist.com to do a little research on Boston's best sightseeing. Fortunately, Boston is a very tourist-friendly city. They developed the Freedom Trail to cater to the many tourist that visit each year (including me).

So what is the Freedom Trail you ask.... My first response would be a simple "Google it", since there is plenty information out there. But that would only lead you away from my blog, and none of us want that happen now do we?. So I will give you a short synopsis of what the Freedom Trail is all about.

The Freedom Trail is a red (mostly brick) path through downtown Boston, Massachusetts which leads to sixteen significant historic sites. It is a 2.5 mile (4 km) walk from the Boston Common to the Bunker Hill Monument in Charlestown and is popular with tourists.

I did about 3/4 of the trail since I had to start at Quincy Market instead of Bunker Hill..

So this is a list of the places that I actually did get to see...And the pictures I took...

1) Boston Common
2) Massachusetts State House
3) Park Street Church
4) Granary Burying Ground
5) King's Chapel
6) King's Chapel Burying Ground
7) First Public school in the US, the Boston Latin School
8) Old Corner Bookstore
9) Old South Meeting House
10) Old State House
11) Site of the Boston Massacre
12) Faneuil Hall and Quincy Market

Pictures to come....

Vampire Weekend....

2008-05-14T18:31:00.000-07:00

While I was in Boston, I discovered a band called Vampire Weekend. They are a group of Columbia students from NYC... but most of their songs are about Boston and Cambridge... they were on the cover of last month's SPIN magazine. They are a pretty sweet band so make sure to Ipod them!

Boston (Day 1 & 2)

2008-04-28T15:36:00.000-07:00

The past few weeks have been amazing! I have been having a blast traveling across the country. During the past few weeks Ive been in Virginia Beach, New Orleans, Boston, Nashville, Indianapolis and just recently, Orlando. It has come to a point where I actually forget where I was the weekend before.

I want to keep you guys in the loop so I will start with Boston.

On my first day in Boston, I had to take the T to my hotel which was located in Somerville. Somerville sounded like a nice neighborhood. Boy was I wrong. I didn't run into any trouble but I knew something was up when there was three security guards on patrol at the entrance to my hotel. Checking in was a hassle... Apparently you have to be 21 in order to check into a hotel. I somehow missed the memo... but I talked them into letting me check in.

Second day was a usual day.... I helped setup for the expo and after a couple of Dunkin Donuts decided that a trip to the Crocs Flagship Store was well deserved. The Crocs Flagship is located in Quincy Market/Faneuil Hall area.

This part of town is known for their amazing food and shopping. I went to an Urban Outfitters which had two separate entrances which connected on the second floor. The store even had an elevator!!! I was standing right next to the elevator (which i hadn't noticed) when the doors opened and some random dude in a business suit stood there. We both stared at each other with a "WTF" look on our faces. I was surprised there was an elevator in the store while he was surprised that the elevator had stopped right in the clearance section of some random store. That moment was priceless.

The Expo was HUGE and fun..... Dunkin Donuts made a lot of money from us :) but the donuts were just oh so good.... goooooood... After the expo, it was tiem for us to go back and rest.. I still had a lot more of Boston to soak up... including Harvard and the Freedom Trail!

FIRST TIME EVER

2008-03-28T21:06:00.000-07:00

Im looking forward to this summer.....

Can't Wait

My Life for the next year...

2008-03-18T16:40:00.000-07:00

Crocs Marathon Tour

Soles United

2008-03-10T14:13:00.000-07:00

One of the biggest and best shoe recycling program in the country.

Soles United.

Heres how it works:

You wear crocs.
You use them.
You donate them when they are worn.
We recycle them.
We donate them.

Plain and simple.

Raising the bar

2008-03-10T10:52:00.000-07:00

Crocs Marathon Tour 2008

2008-02-28T11:04:00.000-08:00

I got offered a Mobile Marketing job at Crocs!

More to come.....

VOTE for him

2008-02-20T10:36:00.000-08:00

David's performance on American Idol Last night in case you missed it.

Tune in and vote for him next week.

Jenny Don't be Hasty

2008-02-20T09:27:00.000-08:00

Paolo Nutini's new single = awesome

David Archuleta

2008-02-18T16:16:00.000-08:00

The next (Hispanic)American Idol...

Im rooting for him....

Motel - Y te vas

2008-02-18T10:40:00.000-08:00

Motel has been a band that I have been listening to for about a year. They just dropped their newe record called 17 and it seems that they have developed a new sound. And I REALLY like it. Kudos to Motel!

This is one of my favorite songs from the album titled "Y te Vas" (If you leave)

They perfectly use alliteration throughout the song with the "j" sound which makes the song even more unique.

Hillary Clinton

2008-02-14T06:37:00.000-08:00

Presidential hopeful, Hillary Clinton, was at the new McAllen Convention Center yesterday. I didn't get the chance to go meet her because I had to go to class. I am more of an Obama guy but rumor has it that Hillary and Obama will visit the valley at least 2 more times before our primaries.

Heres why:

Texas has 140 democratic delegates, second only to California. However, the majority of the state is predominantly Republican. The Valley (South Texas), however, has the largest concentration of democratic voters in the state. (see map)

So its logical for the democratic candidates to focus on this area of the state. Another thing, the around 3/5 of Texas democrats are Hispanic. These voters seem to favor Hillary over Barack. Consequently, Obama has a lot of campaigning to do here if he wants to win the delegates.

Party likea crocstar

2008-02-10T21:59:00.001-08:00

I am a crocstar

Sitting waiting wishing

2008-02-04T17:11:00.001-08:00

I'm at a bus stop waiting for the school shuttle to take me to campus . . . Its very hot . . . Around 90¤ F . . Funny that around a week ago it was in the high 30s.

I've been thinking about summer and what I want to do for my 21st B-day . I really want to go to Europe for the summer or backpack through South America for a few weeks.

Summer is still a long time from now. .

Well see how it goes.

Sunny with a high of 75

2008-01-28T10:28:00.001-08:00

So its been really cold the past few days. This morning I woke up and saw how clear and sunny it was . . . It was about time that we got our good ol valley weather back.

I just got out of class and took this pic. .trying out mobile blogging on my. Blackberry . . Hope it works . .

I am waiting for the shuttle to take me to my car and then I will head down to whataburger to grab a bbq chicken sandwhich and then visit jayme at her apartment. . .

Multimedia message

2008-01-28T08:56:00.001-08:00

Déficit

2008-01-14T12:30:00.000-08:00

I have been waiting for this movie for a few months now........ Can't wait to see it....

About the movie:

Actor Gael García Bernal's directing debut is infused with an infectious, youthful energy, voyeuristically following his complex characters at a house party just outside of Mexico City.

Bourgeois, rich kid Cristobal (García Bernal) is having his friends over for a barbecue at his parents' weekend home. His younger sister (Camila Sodi) and her hippie, pill-popping friends are also staying at the house, and the clash between the two groups of friends, brother and sister, and their childhood friend who works for the family is just the beginning of the story.

Bernal uses subtle undercurrents of tension to seamlessly interlace characters, time and place. Both comic and reflective, DEFICIT is an elegant allegory for current Mexico on the brink of change. Shot in an immediate, improvisational style that emphasizes the class chasms, Bernal elicits layered performances from his young cast, proving himself to be a gifted director as well as a charismatic actor.

----American Film Institute

BlackBerry Curve

2007-12-19T13:04:00.000-08:00

So I just got a new phone a few weeks ago...

It's the Blackberry Curve..

I like it..... But It could be better...

I like how you can download and install different types of applications like Gmail and Google Maps.

It also has a GPS built in to it.

What I dont like is that it is very BUSINESS.... Not very fun... or cool looking...

Its as close as to the iphone as I was going to get...

All in all its a nice gadget that takes some SERIOUS getting used to.....

I wonder if you can blog on it.....

Enrique

2007-12-18T18:22:00.000-08:00

So I was on YouTube today searching random stuff...

I came across this guy from Nuevo Laredo, Mexico ...

Which is a few miles from where I live...

He is an amazing vocalist....

I had to share....

Spanish Speaking Folk:

Here he is Covering Alex Ubago's "Sin Miedo A Nada":

And for you English Speaking Folk

Celine Dion's "It's all coming back to me:

THe Lion King's "Can you feel the love tonight":

Watch all of his videos on his YouTube Channel: Enrique

2007-11-21T10:21:00.001-08:00

Apple says Hola to Mexico by opening up its own online store.

They are also giving away a free ipod every hour and a mac every day.

The strawberries will love it...

I just find the prices a little funny...

$1,999.99 for an ipod nano.... Pesos that is...

Beach

2007-11-21T08:41:00.000-08:00

Today seems like a good day to go to South Padre..... Its in the 80 s right now.... Tomorrow its going to drop to the 40s..... I should go.... hmmmm

New Shoes

2007-11-21T07:54:00.000-08:00

Mark and I have started riding our bikes across town... So i needed some new shoes...

I got a pair of Nike Free 5.0 two days ago.

They are the most comfortable tennis shoes I have owned ( only ones i own :) )

I feel like Paolo Nutini now

IM ON FIRE!!!!!!!!

2007-11-10T11:02:00.000-08:00

These guys rock out.... while waiting for their bigmacs... ha

Rocking out to MOTION CITY SOUNDTRACK

MCDONALDS DRIVE THRU ROCK OUT from DelAOK on Vimeo.

Soulja Boy

2007-11-04T22:41:00.000-08:00

The boy in the front does the best Soulja Boy dance that I have seen so far....

VooDoo Fest: Drunk Lady loves her Crocs

2007-10-30T12:21:00.000-07:00

So this lady was pretty drunk at VooDoo Fest,

she bought her first pair of crocs, Sassaris

She loved them and wanted us all to know that...

Sorry for the Audio

VooDoo Fest 2007

2007-10-30T12:09:00.000-07:00

So This past weekend I went to VooDoo Fest with Crocs...

The first day was pretty fun, Rage against the machine was playing,

Day 2 was awesome, I saw Motion City Soundtrack

And I also got Back Stage Access Passes to Tiesto during his AMAZING performance.
(Video Below)

On day 3, Fall Out Boy sucked, Plain white T's sucked and Cute is what we aim for cancelled.

But I also got to hang out backstage with Paolo Nutini who was pretty cool. Ill upload the video later.

Alcohol + Rock + Crocs = a pretty awesome time.

Backstage with Tiesto!

2007-10-30T12:04:00.000-07:00

So this past weekend I went to VooDoo Fest in New Orleans...

I got backstage passes to Tiesto... and Paolo Nutini...

Tell you guys more about it later..

Pepperdine

2007-10-21T16:18:00.000-07:00

Im pretty sure you guys know this by now, but my previous school, Pepperdine University as well as Malibu is under fire...

I hope that everyone is ok...

I can't believe that the fire actually made its way onto campus this time.

Hopefully firefighters can get it under control and stop it.

I am positive that Malibu can get back onto its feet again.

My heart is with you guys!

Images by: (Genaro Molina/ Brian Vander Brug / Los Angeles Times / October 21, 2007)

JUST A SONG ABOUT PING PONG!!!!

2007-10-16T19:59:00.001-07:00

Australia's Operator Please is sure to..... please!

Hard to believe they are still in High School!