Outlaw on the run? You’ve got ‘Compadres in the Sierra Madre’ (video)



Like many American songs ostensibly about Old Mexico, this song is really about America. San Francisco’s eclectic The Waybacks, like all smart outlaws, cross the Rio Grande to hook up with like-minded Compadres in the Sierra Madre. Swinging arrangement, cowboy lyrics? Could this be Western Swing?

Here are the lyrics and chords in case you want to swing along:

Mas…Outlaw on the run? You’ve got ‘Compadres in the Sierra Madre’ (video)

American Jews: Maybe your grandparents were ‘illegals’ too (audio)

illegals
In my family, they say that Abuelo Abraham Saenz, wearing his WWI U.S. Army uniform, “smuggled” one of his sisters (photo, above) into the country via the Port of Philadelphia, wrapping the girl up in a fur coat so she looked like a rich lady.

The scheme was “dress to impress” so the MIGRA wouldn’t think to question her bonafides. She was illiterate, the story goes, and that wasn’t kosher for poor Jewish would-be immigrants from Ukraine in the early 1900s. The rich bitch trick worked, my great aunt got through immigration and everyone lived happily ever after.

Our family story, it turns out, isn’t unique. There were poor Jews who sneaked across the Mexican border near El Paso, and families smuggled in the cargo holds of ships packed with illegal Cuban rum during Prohibition.

Tablet Magazine explains:

Mas…American Jews: Maybe your grandparents were ‘illegals’ too (audio)

You won’t believe how much your favorite music act costs

lobosgreekHow much would it cost to hire your favorite act for a show?

How much for Los Lobos (photographed at their Greek Theatre Cinco de Mayo show)?

How much for Christina Aguilera? For Shakira? Justin Bieber? Selena Gomez? Snoop? Los Lonely Boys? Ozomatli?

A Priceonomics report crunched the numbers and here are a few of the uprising results.

Mas…You won’t believe how much your favorite music act costs

Hey, News Channel 8 dude: Where is the REAL news? (video)


On News Channel 8, right before the 5-Day Forecast, there was an impassioned plea for real news. Not that fake news about Miley Cyrus. Or Ñews. Call it an exploration of the through-the-looking-glass world of media making media mocking media, where everything you know is wrong. There’s a signpost up ahead, in the POCHO Zone.

PREVIOUSLY ON TV NEWS:

Mas…Hey, News Channel 8 dude: Where is the REAL news? (video)

Watch: Elise Roedenbeck reads ‘Dinosaur Porn’ (Yes, it’s a thing!)


POCHO amiga Elise Roedenbeck (who is sill on our masthead as NYC Bureau Chief Emeritus the fact of which we are periodically required to remind you of as a result of the settlement order, without admitting or denying guilt and/or culpability) explores the steamy sexy world of Dino Porn. These big hunks o’ meat are horny and your scent is just perfect. Elise is @buttronica on the Twitter. Don’t tell T-Rex we were sexting!

Pocho Ocho upworthy Latino quotes Chipotle should have used

chipotlebabyAs POCHO amigo Gustavo Arellano noted Friday, Chipotle Mexican Grill pulled a boner when it decided to put short stories from ten famous authors on its cups and bags but couldn’t find one Latino with words worthy enough to wrap its burritos.

There’s now a Facebook book group organizing around this issue and the Pochodores have been brainstorming inspirational packaging ideas as well.

First off all, short stories? Srsly? TL;DR, amiright?

Here are the Pocho Ocho more upworthy Latino quotes Chipotle should have used:

8. There’s a reason you separate the military and the police. One fights the enemies of the state, the other serves and protects the people. When the military becomes both, then the enemies of the state tend to become the people. (Commander William Adama.)

7. Repression….Recession. It’s all the same thing, man. (Cheech Marin.)

6. In a way, all of us has an El Guapo to face some day. For some, shyness might be their El Guapo. For others, a lack of education might be their El Guapo. For us, El Guapo is a big, dangerous guy who wants to kill us. But as sure as my name is Lucky Day, the people of Santa Poco can conquer their own personal El Guapo, who also happens to be the actual El Guapo. (Lucky Day.)

Mas…Pocho Ocho upworthy Latino quotes Chipotle should have used

Shoutout to the Pinoys and Yo-Yos of Califas: You’re #3 (infographic)

otherthanenglish
Slate’s infographic mapping magic illustrates what we knew already — across most of the United Estates, Spanish is almost always the most commonly-spoken language besides English.

But after English and Spanish, what’s Numero Tres? Here in California, it’s Tagalog, first language of a quarter of all Filipinos and the second language of most. Pinoys, ruled by both Spain and the U.S., are the honorary (?) Latinos of Asia.

Tagalog? If you’ve got cooties, or play with a yo-yo, or live in the boondocks, you’re speaking Tagalog.

There are also unexpected results in Texas and Florida and New York and Illinois and…. Here’s the spoken language third place map:

Mas…Shoutout to the Pinoys and Yo-Yos of Califas: You’re #3 (infographic)

Did movie monster-maker H.R. Giger make El Chupacabra?

HRGigerThe death this week of artist H.R. Giger — best known for the fantastic creatures he created for films like Alien and Species — has unleashed some fascinating speculation about his role in shaping other people’s realities.

Did his creations inspire the descriptions of face-to-face enounters with El Chupacabra?

Prior to 1995, chupacbras were typically described as dog-like creatures, according to one expert.  The CryptoZoooNews reports:

Mas…Did movie monster-maker H.R. Giger make El Chupacabra?

Brit paper explains how to eat nachos — the exotic ‘titans of trash food’

nachosukNachos are exotic foreign fare in Merrye Olde Inglaterra, so you need someone to explain how they work. We think “trash food” is British for “junk food,” but these people also call cookies “biscuits” so who knows what they mean.

Anyhow, our Limey expert’s first step to acceptable nacho eating is the purchase of Doritos. Ruh roh.

Mas…Brit paper explains how to eat nachos — the exotic ‘titans of trash food’