NO BACON DOGS?!!

After studying at the library last evening, I didn't have time to get something to eat before catching Bart to get to school, so I thought I might go gets me a bacon dog from a local street vendor. Yes! The wonderful, wonderful bacon dog; that sweet smell of grilled bacon and mystery meat hot dogs along with those golden caramelized onions, conjure up memories for me of late-night revelry and ribaldry in the streets of Tijuana, the happiest place on Earth!

The bacon dogs here and in Los Angeles aren't as tasty as the ones the ones in Tijuana,( isn't that how it always is?) and they cost 3 times as much but that's okay because it's still the perfect street nosh to keep you on the run; hopefully not to the toilet. But such is the risk and rewards of street eating and I'm no dandy from the burbs to start fussing about all those pesky health codes and such. I just want something that's going to satisfy the rumbly in my tumbly and taste damn delicious at the same time. It's the street vendor versus McDonalds so pick your poison.

I hoofed it to 23rd and Mission, where I saw the cart last week, but alas he was gone! I walked another block north but no...he was not there! So.... I just had to settle for some tacos at Taqueria Altena, which is usually my back up for El Farolito. Oh how disapointing....but it's ok...I will live another day to eat another bacon dog. I just hope the bacon dog doesn't suffer the same fate as in Los Angeles, where the city is cracking down on the street vendors and throwing their carts and food into garbage trucks....yes it's horrible but true. Write your congressperson! BACON DOGS ARE NOT A CRIME!!!

TIJUANA VIOLENCE : ART NOT SACRED

"Chivaca", originally uploaded by Isha.Net*.

Everyone knows that violence in Tijuana has escalated to terrible new heights this past year. The citizens there have had to endure rampant kidnappings and street shoot-outs that make the awesome scene from Michael Mann's Heat look like a water gun fight. As if having to tolerate disrespectful and drunken gringos wasn't already bad enough, but now it seems even the cows are no longer sacred...well not real cows but cows as art. Yesterday, a fiberglass cow named "Chivaca" was burned to the ground by villainous vandals.

Last May Grupo Lala, Mexico's Dairy conglomerate, sponsored "CowParade Lala Tijuana 2008" which is really an international public art exhibit that's been around ten years and has been to cities such as Chicago, New York, London, Tokyo and Barcelona. It consists of 70 fiberglass cows painted by local as well other Mexican artists. The pieces have been set up at different popular areas around the city. For some great photos of these cows, you can visit this photo pool from Flickr.

So far, eight cows have been damaged since the exhibit opened in Tijuana with "Chivaca" being the latest victim. Although the three vandals have been apprehended. It's unknown whether they are also responsible for the others. Also unknown is whether these guys are art vandals, trying to make their own statement, just plain idiots or since it was "Chivaca" after all, if they are just die-hard fans of Club América!

Whatever it is...it's a major downer that the people of Tijuana have to yet again, deal with another ugly stain on their civic pride.