Messi League Soccer

Have y’all heard about this guy named Messi? He’s pretty good at this soccer thing.

Messi and Inter Miami came to Los Angeles over the Labor Day weekend and I got to witness it first-hand for LA Taco.

EXCERPT:

Although Messi had already been presented to the Inter Miami faithful during a tropical storm more than a month ago and made his sporting debut in the Leagues Cup against historic Mexican club Cruz Azul, it wasn’t until this game in Los Angeles that the full-weight of the moment came to fruition.

The new iteration of Major League Soccer, with an assist from tech and media giant Apple, as the beacon leading the world into the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the main competition with Saudi Arabia and the Saudi Pro League for players, fans, and soft power, was officially here and shepherding the new age of modern football.

Read it all here: https://lataco.com/messi-mls-history

Haiku Collection #1 – #7

Here are seven haikus I wrote. I wrote the first three during the pandemic in 2020. The rest are more recent, spread out over the years since 2021.

I learned about haikus years ago in…elementary school (?) but did not learn how to truly appreciate the process of writing one until I took a course in Philosophy at San Diego State University. I am thankful for the tutelage of Prof. Wawrytko in Non-Western Aesthetics. I have found that the creative process of writing a haiku, for me, is a type of meditation that calms and heals me.

Haiku #1

Waves attack the shore
The next morning’s sun will also
Shine on the same sand

Haiku #2

She rests while I write
A moment shared like flowers
Sharing the sunshine

Haiku #3

A photograph
The memory of kindness
Remains eternal

Haiku #4

Serenity floats
as a miniature blue dam
What are emotions?

Haiku #5

A life unchosen,

possibilities deterred;

Alive in my dreams

Haiku #6

Titan of knowledge

Pages become memories

I am a master

Haiku #7

A universe died.

Implosion; A Silent Scream.

Can stars be reborn?

LA Taco’s LAFC Hat-Trick

The Leagues Cup has finally come and gone after what felt like an eternity. I have plenty of thoughts about the Super League style tournament (and they’re not positive ones either) but I’ll save that for another day. For now, my hat-trick of articles (sponsored content, actually!) of coverage of three of LAFC’s four Leagues Cup games will suffice.

First story: It’s a Must-Win for LAFC, Facing Mexico’s FC Juárez On Wednesday to Advance Their ‘Leagues Cup’ Dreams

Second story: LAFC Face Real Salt Lake After Demolishing FC Juárez, Advance One Step Closer to New Trophy

Third and final story: It’s Los Angeles vs. Monterrey as LAFC Get Ready For Their Toughest ‘Leagues Cup’ Match Yet

Less Is More? Sometimes It’s Less!

I have been a fan and reader of The Objective since it’s launch in 2020 and enjoy their coverage, interviews, and critiques of the journalism and media industry. Unsurprisingly, I leaped (metaphorically speaking!) at the opportunity to contribute to their organization when it arose.

That opportunity came late last year and is now available for everyone to enjoy/hate on/be ambivalent about!

My article for The Objective is a critique on the old adage of “less is more,” the warning of the dangers of superflous writing a la Marcel Proust but more “meaningless, uncomfortable meandering” than “poetic pretentiousness.”

My critique stems from a book review of “Smart Brevity: The Power of Saying More With Less” published last year by the creative trio that founded Politico and Axios. The latter media company prides itself on carrying the “less is more” trope into the digital age.

From my piece:

Smart Brevity is the name the trio gave their company’s version of “less is more.” It’s also the title of their 2022 book, subtitled The Power of Saying More With Less. The trio spends a little over 200 pages explaining what smart brevity is, how it came to be and, more importantly for the purposes of growing their brand, how everyone can utilize it in multiple settings. Apparently, every TED talk, boardroom, classroom, email newsletter, and presentation can benefit from speaking and writing with as few words as possible!

The unexamined problem with brevity in this case is who suffers, and how, when important information is oversimplified. The act of curating information for an audience is also the act of gatekeeping information. The more information is simplified, the more an audience should ask itself what information has been sacrificed for their convenience and why.

Though Marshall McLuhan I am not, there are much juicier quotes in there (I promise!) concerning the oversimplification and gatekeeping of information based on perceived audience expectations and the medium through which it receives that information.

Read my critique/commentary in its entirety here: Smart Brevity: Who suffers when information is oversimplified?

50 Years of Coras USA

My latest article for KCET is available to read and enjoy. It’s a deep dive into Coras USA, aka Coras de Los Angeles, a local soccer team that existed for 50 years in southern California. The team was a cultural umbilical cord for Mexicans in Mexico and the US and later became a gateway for young players hoping to become professionals.

What began as a fun ritual for the weekend grew into a family legacy of community-building that lasted half a century. During its existence, Coras USA united working-class, immigrant families from Nayarit and other regions of Mexico in Los Angeles and provided youth players a pathway towards a professional career during its final years in the city of Riverside.

“Its original name is Deportivo Coras USA,” explained Lopez of the team founded by his father and uncles. “The first name that it had was Coras de Los Angeles. Along the years, it had a couple of name changes like Deportivo Nayarit [and] Deportivo Coras Nayarit. It’s always been Coras but it’s been known for Coras de Los Angeles because it branched out of Coras de Tepic.”

Read the story in full here: https://www.kcet.org/arts-culture/50-years-of-coras-usa-how-two-generations-built-community-with-soccer

Sad Boy Anthems in a Cemetery

Another October/November brought another Día de Muertos festival at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery. This year’s edition was my first time attending since 2017. The event was packed with people, but not as dense since it was split in half:a daytime festival focused on cultural, family events and a nighttime festival focused on live music.

As in years past, the altars were amazing, the food was delicious and the music was incredible. It was great to finally watch Ed Maverick perform live in concert after years of being a fan of his work. Here is an excerpt I wrote about Maverick and the festival:

Maverick didn’t have too much to say between songs and let his music do most of the talking. However, when he did speak to the crowd, he had to pause with a smile and wait for the lull between screaming and cheering fans to be heard. He ended the night with a lengthy guitar solo that cemented his newfound status as a rock star and new king of the sad boys.

Read the story in full + enjoy photos of the event here: https://showbams.com/2022/11/04/dia-y-noche-de-los-muertos-returns-to-hollywood-forever-creating-a-cathartic-experience-with-ed-maverick-hermanos-gutierrez-more/

La Chilanga Banda En Los Ángeles

Café Tacvba arrived to town this past weekend and it was one of the best concert performances I’ve seen in my entire life. I wrote a short recap of the night for LA Taco.

Here’s an excerpt:

After eight songs, all classics re-envisioned for acoustic performance, Jerzaín Vargas (trumpet) and a brass band joined them on stage for a trio of songs, starting with “La Muerte Chiquita.” Gustavo Santaolalla also made an appearance to play a charango during “Olita de Altamar.” The gasps and applause that emanated from the audience when the stage lights revealed his face would have one believe that royalty had mysteriously coagulated from mist.

Read it in full here: https://www.lataco.com/cafe-tacvba-la-phil/

Canelo Tells TACO: “I Plan To Knock Out GGG In The First Round”

La tercera es la vencida. The third time’s the charm. 

As all the paisas know, this Saturday, September 17th will mark the third and final time Saúl “Canelo” Álvarez will face Gennadiy Gennadyevich Golovkin, aka GGG, in the ring. For Canelo, la tercera needs to be a statement win: either by knockout or a clear victory through 12 rounds, as he clearly put it during a media day at the House of Boxing in San Diego two weeks ago.

“My objective is to win by knockout starting in the first round,” he told L.A. TACO. “My goal is to end the fight before the third round. It’s going to be a difficult and complicated fight, but that’s my goal and what I intend to do from the first round.”

Read the rest at L.A. Taco!

Howler Magazine Returned in Time to Welcome Gareth Bale to Los Angeles

And that’s thanks to your truly! Yes, Howler has returned from the ashes in a web-only format for the time being and I was invited to write up a fun story about the most famous Welshman’s arrival to California.

For example:

[Imagine] Bale behind the steering wheel, his family in tow, checking his options on Google Maps as to whether he should take the 405 south to the 10 to the 5 or head further south on the 405 to the 91 to the 5.

Read the rest here: https://www.whatahowler.com/gareth-bale-in-los-angeles/