Small Businesses Hit Hard By The Recession - VIDEO | Neon Tommy

Love that Neon Tommy has an eye on the fundamentals of the American economy.

Small Businesses Hit Hard By The Recession - VIDEO | Neon Tommy

Amor a la patria

I'm a salad bowl of cultures - I remember an intercultural communication class that posed the question of whether the melting pot concept was inaccurate, and even, derogatory.

But days like today make me love the land that I call home, for the salad or soup of wonders it has to offer. In fact, the city offered me a delicious sandwich from the Grilled Cheese Truck yesterday. :)

In between a lame 2-minute Gold Line photo shoot and a city council meeting (and the beginning of an awesome new project I can't disclose yet), I found one of L.A.'s most inspirational spots.

If you ever have an extra half hour in downtown, please do yourself a favor and climb up to the 27th floor of City Hall. 

Dia de los vivos

While Guatemalan/Salvadoran Dia de los Muertos is a much-celebrated remembrance of the dead, not to mention a holiday (check out this Prensa Libre package), mom ventured out of her typical candles for her difuntos (deceased) to experience a Mexican/American version of the celebration with me. I think this is the beginning of a hybrid tradition of our own. :-)

I'm working on a story about the "underground" economy behind Latino holidays to show how commerce in the immigrant community is often unaccounted for. Help me out, what do you buy the most for Dia de los Muertos? Flowers? Pan dulce? What other Latino holidays come to mind? Do you celebrate modified versions of American holidays? Tamales instead of chumpe (turkey)? How do these holidays affect your spending habits?