RGV Life

It's damn hot in the Rio Grande Valley. Somebody splash some water on the sun. Did you know that air conditioners are only supposed to lower the temperature of a house by about 20 degrees? If you push the thermostat lower, your AC unit will not shut off. It will just keep running. So, if it's 100 degrees outside, your AC's effective cooling range is around 80 degrees. That's what I heard.

In the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, it appears that the United States has received a couple of hard punches to the gut. We have had destruction of property and loss of life. We face the challenge of rebuilding a major American city and the areas in Alabama, Mississippi, and Texas affected by the hurricanes. There are long-term concerns about what to do with all the displaced residents. If you look at what we have lost, you may forget to look for what we have to gain. Despite projections about the cost of rebuilding and the difficulties that lay ahead, I believe this will prove to be a good thing for America in the long-run. We stand to gain from changing the status quo in some areas. We also stand to gain by the benefits of massive reconstruction. And we stand to gain from the release of cash into the production of assets. You will see why, precisely, we should spend billions of dollars to rebuild our battered cities. This article will rely on some of the basic economic le...

Last week we discussed the custom of eating barbacoa on Sunday mornings. There is another traditional Mexican food that can be eaten Sunday mornings, although not exclusively. As the title says, Menudo is such a dish. In case you are new to the Rio Grande Valley and have never experienced the delight of eating menudo, let me explain what it is. Menudo is a spicy soup. The spiciness varies from family to family. The menudo contains beef tripe, hominy, and menudo mix. Menudo mix is simply a blend of spices that gives the menudo its spicy flavor. In appearance, menudo is a reddish orange. Some families add pig feet to the menudo to add something on which to gnaw. When you think about it, menudo sounds disgusting. Beef guts and pig feet are hardly commonly eaten parts of the animals. Comedian Paul Rodriguez jokes that menudo contains parts of the pig the pig doesn't want back. In fact, a buddy of mine who went to Minnesota on an internship tells me that slaughterhouses up there throw a...

Listen to Rio Grande Valley news as recorded live. Notes prior to a bike ride that would take us from Dove in North McAllen to Military Hwy, by the STC campus, via Ware Rd. The ride took 2 hours. Total distance was 22 miles.

Rita is turning North a little sooner than expected. The RGV will be OK. Joe Bastardi of Accuweather gives us 0% probability of precipitation this weekend and highs in the 100 degree range.

Listen to Rio Grande Valley news as recorded live.

I was just over at http://www.wunderground.com where Dr. Jeff Masters wrote the following: The latest runs of two key computer models, the GFS and GFDL, now indicate that the trough of low pressure that was expected to pick up Rita and pull her rapidly northward through Texas will not be strong enough to do so. Instead, these models forecast that Rita will make landfall near Galveston, penetrate inland between 50 and 200 miles, then slowly drift southwestward for nearly two days, as a high pressure ridge will build in to her north. Finally, a second trough is forecast to lift Rita out of Texas on Tuesday. If this scenario develops, not only will the coast receive catastrophic damage from the storm surge, but interior Texas, including the Dallas/Fort Worth area, might see a deluge of 15 - 30 inches of rain. A huge portion of Texas would be a disaster area. We'll have to wait for the next set of model runs due out by tomorrow morning to know better.

Listen to Rio Grande Valley news as recorded live. I got gas early while the price is still low. Last hurricane, we went up almost 50 cents overnight. I don't fear a shortage, I fear the price increase. Tonight, there were lines at gas stations in Mission, Edinburg, and McAllen. There were probably lines elsewhere in the Rio Grande Valley too.

I have a business friend who refuses to join a chamber of commerce because she sees them as an adult version of High School. It's all for show and popularity, or so I am told. I was in the Mission Chamber of Commerce for a while, so I know that this is partly true. Overall, though, chambers have useful functions that are difficult to impart on a mindset like that. The opinion carries over to politics as well. Only the popular kids do it; and, they do everything to look good and be more popular. Of course, politicians have uses. Sometimes, in this rarified air of popularity contests, you will see cliques form and do some of the most vicious things to those out of favor. In today's paper, we are seeing the reinstatement of Irma Elizondo as Place 6 Commissioner in Pharr, Tx. The story is generally that Pharr Mayor Leo "Polo" Palacios did not like Irma Elizondo, so he and former city attorney Michael Pruneda orchestrated her removal. They essentially coached a local cont...

The Rio Grande Valley is preparing for long-term disaster prevention. Work is underway since last hurricane that grazed us. I'm nervous.

It is customary in the Rio Grande Valley for families to buy a pound or two of barbacoa on Sunday morning for breakfast. You generally eat barbacoa in tacos with salsa or pico de gallo. I personally like salsa and plenty of salt. Although it sounds like the word barbecue, it's not quite the same. Barbacoa is shredded beef. When you look at it, you'll see shredded beef in whatever container it is sold. Depending on where you buy it, barbacoa is either greasy or really greasy. Sometimes it will have fat, other times it will be all meat. Barbacoa comes from the head of the cow. It's generally the meat around the head and the best is tounge meat. Just don't think about it and it will be delicious. Of course, you can always add side dishes. If you want to keep it ethnic, have beans for your side dish. Most places that sell barbacoa also sell salsa or pico de gallo. If you just moved to the Rio Grande Valley and have not had barbacoa, give it a try.

I missed this posting for McHi Class of 71, but I will list it anyway. Maybe it's not too late. Reminder to all 1971 McHi Seniors in this area and beyond. We are meetingSaturday, Sept. 17, 1 PM, to discuss plans for our 35th reunion. Anyone have a particular time of year you want to meet?Nuevo Leon's Restaurant1501 E. 6th Street (easier if you go east on 7th street, and then turn right to get to 6th street. Call me if you get lost. Cell # 512-466-0207.I hope to see all of you there!!!Carmen

It's probably been over a year since I crossed the border. I don't have any business or family in Mexico. After having lived there on and off as a kid, the whole tourism thing really isn't so appealing. So, why did I go? Well, I took my wife to Nuevo Progreso to see a dentist. Dentists over there are superior to U.S. dentists in that they will attend to you right away and you don't have to deal with insurance issues. Dentists on this side of the border will set you an appointment 1 month in advance, pain or no pain. Our dentists also charge so much money that insurance is necessary, except that dental insurance, at least the dental insurance plan Hidalgo County offers its employees, does not cover surgical procedures. So, if you are in pain from a bad tooth, you have to wait 1 month to see the dentist and have to pay a great deal of money for relief. Crossing over to Nuevo Progreso, which has a large population of dentists, doctors, and pharmacies is an alternative to t...

Rico Politico is right. I had not considered that oil from the middle east may contribute to terrorists. I was carried away with the disappointment that Citgo funds a communist in our back yard. I am running out of places to fuel up. I think Valero, locally known as Diamond Shamrock, is Canadian. I'll have to check into that. Given the choice between terrorists and communists, the commie would be a lesser evil. Actually, communists are not evil. They are simply wrong about human nature and are generally corrupt anyway. So, I'll be fueling at Circle K again.

Vicente Fox got a little heat in the US a while back for stating that Mexicans love their tacos and their families. He's right. I consider myself an expert authority on taco consumption. In the family and Mexican part, I only have eyewitness accounts of my own from observing my Mexican family. In the Rio Grande Valley, you will see restaurants such as El Zarape, Taqueria La Mexicana, El Pato, and, yes, even Taco Bell. There is also the Laredo Taco Company, which is in most of the local Circle K convenience stores, in addition El Tigre and Aziz convenience stores. All of these places sell tacos. Even Texas' greatest restaurant, Whataburger, sells breakfast tacos. You would think, why are there so many places to get tacos if you are a bunch of Mexicans in the Rio Grande Valley and can make your own? The problem is that there are many variations in tacos. If you are not from this area, you may think that tacos are spicy ground meat in a tortilla shell with salad and cheese sprinkl...

Years ago, there used to be a DJ at B104, a local radio station. Until recent years, B104 had a large audience. They played pop music. The Mad Mexican used to do the morning show with Gary Rodriguez, who is now involved in McAllen politics. Well, the Mad Mexican is still working, but on a national level. I heard him this morning on Aguila, XM 92. Aguila is the Mexican music station on XM Satellite Radio. It's great to hear from him again. He's still pretty wild. Gary Rodriguez? He worked for 107.9 for a while before going to KURV and then entering politics.

You should keep an eye out for Rumbo del Valle, a Spanish language newspaper. I had recently heard an interview at KURV with the guy who runs the newspaper. So, I decided to check out the newspaper. It's not available everywhere. I found my issue at the Circle K at 10th St and 107. The newspaper is a meager 25 cents and contains a good amount of Valley information, provided you can read Spanish. If you speak Chicano, beware. This paper is written in good Spanish, not Texmican. You will recognize Rumbo because it is printed on tabloid size paper versus the long sheets of the Monitor . This makes it easier to manage Rumbo. If you can read Spanish, I recommend you check it out. Or, you can also visit their website.

I recently found out that Venezuela, home of the communist Hugo Chavez, owns Citgo. Citgo is the brand of gasoline offered by Circle K gas stations. Most Americans don't know who Hugo Chavez is. To summarize, he's a communist who does what most communists do. They get elected promising that he and all citizens are equal. Once elected, he lets people know that some people are more equal than others, and then goes on to make himself above all others. For a full story, read Animal Farm. In any case, we should probably buy gasoline at non-Citgo locations. Just a thought. Every gallon you buy contributes to the corruption in Venezuela. I love Circle K, but I think I will buy another brand of gasoline.

Reprint from the Progress Times - September 2, 2005©Progress Times 2005 - All Rights Reserved County Decides To Keep Same Tax Rate Of 59 Cents By BARBARA KING Expect the Hidalgo County commissioners to receive congratulations at their meeting next week. They voted, 4 to 0, at the Tuesday, August 30, meeting, to keep the same tax rate of 59 cents per $100 valuation for 2005. County Judge Ramon Garcia was absent (out of town) but he indicated recently he favors the action. In his absence, Precinct 1 Commissioner Sylvia Handy presided. This year, if the tax rate exceeds the effective rate (56.80 cents), two public hearings are required. The court set them for September 13 and 20, both Tuesdays, at 9 a.m. in the administration building. This rate is estimated to generate $115,801,176 from the property tax levy at an estimated 92 percent collection rate. Other revenues add $14,924,560 and after $12,933,790 is deducted for debt service, the net total is $117,791,946. Before the matter was br...

I don't know how widespread this is. At least in the Mission and McAllen area, today, we are witnessing a massive population of butterflies. If you are not driving, you will see that they are all traveling North. There are swarms of them all over. It's nice to see so many of nature's more beautiful insects. Driving around, you see bunches of them fluttering around with no end in sight. On the down side, even a short drive will cover your windshield with butterfly guts. While driving, you would like to stop somewhere for a moment to see if maybe you can just catch one and hold it for a moment. I wonder how long the butterflies will be with us. This is definitely a display of natural beauty that brings a smile to your face if you stop and enjoy the sight.