U.S. President Charlie Sheen is in big pinche trouble with Mexican terrorist Mel Gibson, and there’s only one vato who can help. Danny Trejo returns in Robert Rodriguez’s Machete Kills.
CHALE KNICKERBOCKER
Unsung Heroes of Hispanic Heritage Month: Yossi F. Berkowitz
They were ordinary people living ordinary lives, until one singular sensation of circumstance conspired with fate to make them UNSUNG HEROES OF HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH.
In 1978, a young Chicano actor from Montebello, CA went to tailor Yossi F. Berkowitz to try on a new suit custom-made for his starring role in a Los Angeles play. Right away, he noticed that the coat sleeves were too long.
“No problem,” said Berkowitz, a long-time shop owner on Whittier Boulevard in nearby Boyle Heights. “Just bend them at the elbow and hold them out in front of you. See, now it’s fine.”
Mas…Unsung Heroes of Hispanic Heritage Month: Yossi F. Berkowitz
POCHO’s Lalo Alcaraz and Al Madrigal debut on Latino USA (audio)
It’s POCHO Jefe-in-Chief Lalo Alcaraz and POCHO Migrant Editor Al Madrigal — on the public radio’s Latino USA. Uh oh — they’re talking about Sen. Ted Cruz.
In Brazil, they call him ‘The Chicken Whisperer’ (video)
The chickens like this guy because he’s telling them (singing in Portuguese, of course) that the lion sleeps tonight, and it’s safe to come out and party. Hell, we don’t speak Portuguese. Maybe he’s singing in Chickenese. Wimoweh, baby — tastes like chicken.
- PREVIOUSLY IN WHISPERERS:
Mas…In Brazil, they call him ‘The Chicken Whisperer’ (video)
[TGIF Long Weekend Music Video] Café Tacvba: ‘Eo’
Get your long weekend off to a fast start with Café Tacvba and Eo (El Sonidero) from 2003.
Cute chihuahua needs new home, poses with ladies in bikinis (video)
Nelson in the 818 shot a video with this cutie chihuahua and some bikini-clad hynas — they call it puppy love. Only the dog is available, however. Click through for Nelson’s phone number.
MX UFO/OVNI Report: ‘Several orbs, extreme speed, stop instantly’
From the case files of the Mutual UFO Network:
Long Description of Sighting Report: UFO incident
Date Submitted: August 24, 2013
Sierra del Cautivo section
Sierra Madre Oriental at the point of the border of the States of Tamsulipas and Nuevo Leon, approximately 30 miles north-northwest of Ciudad Victoria,Tamaulipas, Mexico
The hours between 20:50, 2 August 2013 and 03:00 3 August 2013:
At that time it is usually possible to find me on the west-facing corridor of our little adobe home in a rural area about 25 miles northwest of Ciudad Victoria, Tamaulipas. The west-facing view gives a good point of observation of the complex of the Sierra del Cautivo, which is a cordillera of the general ranges of the Sierra Madre Oriental. The elevations change sharply from our place….at about 1,000 feet….to parallel ridges of increasingly high mountains that rise to over 5,000 feet within 5 miles of our little place and then on up to nearly 13,000 feet within 30 miles as one moves further to the west. These mountains are essentially impenetrable, very rugged.
Mas…MX UFO/OVNI Report: ‘Several orbs, extreme speed, stop instantly’
Miguel Mas is fabulous as JC in ‘Jesus Christ: The Musical’ (video)
Gloria Gaynor provides the music as Jesus walks Hollywood Boulevard. Argentine actor Miguel Mas is the fabulous star of Jesus Christ: The Musical. Video by Javier Prato.
PREVIOUSLY ON HOLLYWOOD BOULEVARD:
Mas…Miguel Mas is fabulous as JC in ‘Jesus Christ: The Musical’ (video)
Elotes! Fresh hot elotes! How to make Mexican corn (video)
Some kids may be back at school but it’s still Summer. And there’s no summer without elotes, fresh and hot from the grill.
Street tacos in Mexico City — guisado for pinches borrachos (video)
Polanco, they say, is the Beverly Hills of Mexico DF, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t illegal taco carts on the street. They serve trendy tacos de guisados to area workers during the day, Daniel Hernandez reports, and to partying pinches borrachos at night.
The best part of waking up is Estaobucks in your cup (video)
Oh, how I hate to get up in the morning!
Help the homeless with this new ThingStarter campaign (video)
Homelessness is hard, especially if you have to solicit money on the street with a crudely-scrawled sign. But there is a way YOU can help. Please take two minutes to watch this video for a new ThingStarter campaign. You’ll be glad you did.
- ALSO ON THINGSTARTER: iNotRacist: Social media app keeps track of your non-racism (video)
‘Tears of God’ or dripping bug poop? Fresno tree has believers (video)
It’s across the street from St. John’s Cathedral in Fresno, CA. Maria Ybarra thinks it manifests a Godly miracle, dripping Holy Water from Heaven. A local tree expert says it’s aphid poop. The Archdiocese has no comment.
Japanese Doritos put a whole new twist on ‘caliente’ (photos)
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Don’t ask us how we found these images. That’s between us and the NSA. Big versions below:
Mas…Japanese Doritos put a whole new twist on ‘caliente’ (photos)
Illegal American and European boat people heading for Peru (video)
They’re coming on boats and rafts from the United Estates and the Eurozone to this country on the Pacific Coast of South America — a representative democratic republic divided into 25 regions — to live The Peruvian Dream.
You can’t un-see this: Celebrity Photoshop ‘makeunders’ (photos)
New York artist Danny Evans uses his mad Photoshop skillz to fight for truth, justice and pinche reality in a series of celebrity photographs artfully reimagined as photos of ordinary people. Here are Johnny Depp and Madonna, for example:
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Not done yet? You can take more, no problem? Meet Brad and Angelina and Jennifer Lopez by herself and pictured with Marc Anthony:
Mas…You can’t un-see this: Celebrity Photoshop ‘makeunders’ (photos)
So you think you can dance? Peep the Magnificent Riflebird (video)
“The Magnificent Riflebird (Ptiloris magnificus) is a medium-sized (up to 34 cm long) passerine bird widely distributed throughout lowland rainforests of New Guinea and far Northeastern Australia. Males are polygamous and perform solitary courtship displays on a ‘dancing perch’. During these displays, the male fully extends his wings and raises his tail; he hops upward while swinging his head from side to side, showing off his metallic blue-green breast shield. Multiple females will observe these displays, and, if satisfied with the performance, reward the male with copulations.” …Wikipedia.
¿Que paso que paso? Dude ‘walks this way’ and scares peeps (video)
For comic magician Andy Gross, it was just a walk in the park. For everyone else — well, let’s just say some chonies had to be changed.
What’s for dinner? Fast tacos with @SaraChicaD (Vine video)
Nopal and eggs and what? That’s what POCHO’s Subcommandanta del Ñews Sara Inés Calderón — @SaraChicaD on the Twitter — was making herself for dinner while she Skyped with the Pochodores Tuesday night. She came up with this video to explain. [With these Vine vids, you need to click on the top left corner of the image to hear the audio.]
Popocatépetl erupts again, threat level raised, and we’ve got videos
National Geographic reports:
Less than 40 miles outside of Mexico City, the volcano Popocatépetl is erupting, sending ash plumes roughly two miles into the atmosphere. Over the weekend, airlines took the precaution of cancelling flights out of Mexico City, even though the airport itself remained open.
Authorities have upgraded the threat status of the volcano from Yellow-Phase 2 to Yellow-Phase 3.
This news report from Canal Estrella TV (video, above) offers an aerial perspective you don’t often get to see.
Here’s the PopoCam video:
Mas…Popocatépetl erupts again, threat level raised, and we’ve got videos
Scary! Mexican students practice riding the school bus (video)
These Zacatecas schoolboys take their school bus practice very seriously. And if this cautionary bus drill looks scary, think about the actual bus rides it must have been based on!
Around Our Town: Where to go, what to do this July 4
FIREWORKS: Mission Pocho Viejo American Legion Post 536 once again presents their Annual Fireworks Extravagonzo Thursday at sunset. This year the pyrotechnics are sponsored by the Japanese-Mexican-American-owned Mexikosher in LA’s Pico-Robertson district. The show, America Such A Country, is a tribute to new Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti who is Jewish, Mexican AND Italian! Such a country! Moms: bring your blankets and sit the kids on the grass at Sotomayor Stadium. Dads: Do NOT bring your own fireworks.
INK AND DRINK: Two businesses in the El Rancho Pocho Downtown Historical District are getting together for a patriotic combo deal that’s hard to beat. Get any flag or patriotic tat at Inky Dinky’s House of Pain on Porciuncula Place Wednesday through Sunday and Inky will slide you a $10 pre-paid bar tab for the Loco Lounge next door. And guys, if you like thick chicks, you’ll love new tattoo artist Salma’s Fernando Botero-inspired portraits of your true hyna, right over your heart.
Around Our Town: Where to go, what to do on St. Patrick’s Day
LUCK OF THE IRISH: Look for a pot o’ gold at the end of the rainbow Sunday at Gustavo O’Grady’s Bar y Grill on East Olmos Boulevard. The popular hangout will serve corned beef tacos, potato-stuffed chiles rellenos and beer-marinated enchilada irlanda sliders at $1 each during Happy Hour. Happy Hour, you lucky leprechauns, lasts all day long, and GO’G’s always keeps 100 bottles of beer on the wall.
For $144 and a signed damage waiver, you high-rollers can try GO’G’s One Night in Dublin Lifestyle Tasting Menu — generous pours of Guinness and Jameson’s followed by a course of impassioned story-telling and poetry, more pours, then a rich hour of melancholy singing, pours again, all capped off by your choice of a bar fight or vomiting in the alley. Wear a wee bit o’ green and Gay Gus O’Grady himself will kiss your Blarney Stone.
Mas…Around Our Town: Where to go, what to do on St. Patrick’s Day
Around Our Town: Where to go, what to do for July 4th
FIREWORKS: Mission Pocho Viejo American Legion Post 536 once again presents their Annual Fireworks Extravagonzo Wednesday at sunset. This year the pyrotechnics come from Zamboni Bros., new to California, with their presentation Hella Hockey Holiday – a tribute to the Estanley Cup World Champions, Los Reyes de Los Angeles. Moms: bring your blankets and sit the kids on the grass at Sotomayor Stadium. Dads: Do NOT bring your own fireworks.
INK AND DRINK: Two businesses in the El Rancho Pocho Downtown Historical District are getting together for a patriotic combo deal that’s hard to beat. Get any flag or patriotic tat at Inky Dinky’s House of Pain on Porciuncula Place Saturday through Monday and Inky will slide you a $10 pre-paid bar tab for the Loco Lounge next door. And guys, if you like thick chicks, you’ll love new tattoo artist Salma’s Fernando Botero-inspired portraits of your true hyna, right over your heart.
Around Our Town: Where to go, what to do on Father’s Day
Father and Son Chile-Eating Contest: Quién es más macho? The East Pocho Optimists Club once again sets up shop at Fernando Valenzuela Field for their annual chile-eating contest, which pits father-son teams against each other to see who can ascend the Picante Podium of Pain. The winning team wins even more chile! Sunday, noon.
Bronche: Angry Bull cocktails (Red Bull, tequila, orange juice) are just $3 and Dads get all the Mexican Meatloaf Sliders they want for free on Father’s Day at TGI Viernes in the Rancho Pocho Mall. Sunday 10 AM – 2 PM. Mention my name, Chale Knickerbocker, for a blank stare.
Mas…Around Our Town: Where to go, what to do on Father’s Day
Around Our Town: Where to go, what to do on Mother’s Day
BRUNCH: Nothing makes for a mellow mom like the All You Can Drink Micheladas Mother’s Day Brunch at stylish Bar Racho at the Ritchie Valens Hilton on East Olmos Boulevard.
Executive Jefe Gustaco Naranjero once again promises his extensive buffet featuring a soft and hard taco station, the always-popular Holy Habanero salsa challenge and the spectacular Flan Fountain.
New this year is the Fusion Fiesta featuring creations like the Banh Mi Burrito, the Tamales de Lox and the Philly Cheesesteak Chimichangas. Don’t miss the free giveaway of the new mini Tapatio espray bottles for when you absolutely, positively need to spice stuff up.
Mas…Around Our Town: Where to go, what to do on Mother’s Day
Around Our Town: Ñews from the Neighborhood
Basketball: The undefeated Pocho High Fighting Santos meet the Chupacabras of Don Fernando Valley High for the state hoops semifinals next week in Rancho Cucamonga. Booster Club president Cal Ifas wants to remind fans the vuvuzelas have arrived and you can pick up your order at his auto upholstery shop weekdays and Saturdays. Califas Tuck y Roll is in the Pocho Industrial Park behind the Tapatio plant.
Tourism: The El Rancho Pocho Downtown Historical District has once again garnered a mention in Zagat’s Off the Beaten Path Travel Guide: “A sketchy tattoo parlor, Lupe’s Mistic Yerberia and a car battery recycling joint take you back to an earlier time, a time that wasn’t really all that good, actually, but if that’s what you’re looking for, the El Rancho Pocho Downtown Historical District has it all.”
Around Our Town: Ñews from the Neighborhood
Girl Scout Cookies: Troop 112, sponsored by the Pocho Estates Women’s Club, will set up a table next Tuesday after school outside the Safeway on Ritchie Valens Drive. Thin Mints are in short supply so quantities are limited, with only two boxes per person. Cash only, no layaways.
Band Concert: The Edward Olmos Middle School Concert Band invites you to their first performance of the New Year Thursday at 3 PM in the school auditorium. The program includes Stairway to Heaven, LaLaLaLaLa Means I Love You and Turn the Beat Around .