Luis Rocks » Local http://luisrocks.com/blog Implementing Sound Ideas --Measuring Results Mon, 12 Jul 2010 07:45:09 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 Did KGBT 4’s Larry James get sacked? http://luisrocks.com/blog/2008/05/05/did-kgbt-4%e2%80%99s-larry-james-get-sacked/ http://luisrocks.com/blog/2008/05/05/did-kgbt-4%e2%80%99s-larry-james-get-sacked/#comments Mon, 05 May 2008 08:51:21 +0000 Luis http://luisrocks.com/blog/?p=224 Continue reading →]]> If you’ve ever lived in the Rio Grande Valley or, like yours truly, was born and raised down here you absolutely know who Larry James is. He’s been doing the weather on KGBT 4 since November 1964.

On Tuesday, after 43 years with the station Larry left with a simple, “I decided to retire. Effective today.”

Like allot of people on the comment section on The Monitors page about this, I too think something isn’t quite right. If he was ill I’m sure there’d be a proper goodbye, if he was retiring willingly I’m sure there’d also be a proper goodbye.

Why do I give a damn? Well honestly, for as long as I can remember I thought Larry was great as what he did, in fact my first career choice, at the whopping age of 5, was meteorologist… because it not only seemed cool but Larry seemed to have fun doing it.

I could go on and on but I won’t. If Larry left willingly I hope he had a great time, if he was tossed out I hope he kicks some ass and gets a nice retirement package if anything… I’d raise hell.

FROM Larry’s Bio on KGBT’s Site -Which probably wont be online much longer- http://www.kgbt4.com/about/bio.aspx?id=434

I was born and raised in Louisiana, but I’ve called Harlingen home for nearly 40 years.

Now nearly all that time I’ve been with KGBT.

While I do the weather at Noon and on weekends, I also get to spend a lot of time out in the community with different organizations and Winter Texans. It’s a great way to put my experience in the valley to good use.

Aside from my wife, daughters and grandchildren, probably one of the closest things to my heart is the Muscular Dystrophy Association. I’ve taken part in the annual MDA telethon for decades and enjoy being able to help valley children who need that medical care.

If I’m not at work, there’s a good chance you’re going to find me in the yard working on the garden, or on my boat fishing somewhere near South Padre Island.

I may have been doing the weather for many years, but I still get excited about giving the forecast to folks across the Valley.

I work with some great people at KGBT and I’ve watched some great young people grow their careers here. My job is very rewarding.

Oh, The Valley Morning Star also had some great comments.

Poet Laureate says: Larry James is no more, Channel 4 is a bore, For news to the core, Channel 5 has more.

HA.

Even Wikipedia got in on it.

On April 29, 2008, KGBT-TV’s 43-year veteran weatherman, Larry James, announced a sudden retirement. He refused to comment on the reasons, referring all questions to station management. Those in charge of the station have refused to comment. James was the last of the on-air personnel from what many Valley residents consider the station’s “glory days” during the late 1960s and 1970s when it had studios in central Harlingen and the top-rated newscast in the Rio Grande Valley.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KGBT-TV

]]> http://luisrocks.com/blog/2008/05/05/did-kgbt-4%e2%80%99s-larry-james-get-sacked/feed/ 5 Whataburger TOTALLY Kicks Ass! http://luisrocks.com/blog/2008/02/25/whataburger-totally-kicks-ass/ http://luisrocks.com/blog/2008/02/25/whataburger-totally-kicks-ass/#comments Mon, 25 Feb 2008 06:51:15 +0000 Luis http://luisrocks.com/blog/2008/02/25/whataburger-totally-kicks-ass/ Continue reading →]]> Whataburger texas treasure

Take a trip outside of the WONDERFUL state of Texas and you’ll notice a key difference, the lack of Whataburger! Yes I know Whataburger is in 11 states but it is truly around every corner down here in Texas.

Whataburger has been serving up great burgers since 1950 (way before I was born), but ever since I’ve been alive I’ve had a Whataburger location a tasty 5 minutes from me. In fact, I’m sure it’s partially the reason why I’m constantly dieting to keep my weight steady. Tasty burgers are so damn tempting!

I constantly work Whataburger jokes into random-ass conversations –having a dry sense of humor helps folks understand them. Hell, I just can’t help but be a dork sometimes.

I’m sure you are wondering if this rant will have a point by now… the answer is NO, it will NOT. But ok, here I go again.

Whataburger in the Rio Grande Valley is particularly good. Every single restaurant is always in tiptop shape; totally clean and of course, welcoming. Hell, ever visit Whataburger on E. Jackson in McAllen? You’ll get a “Welcome to Whataburger!” within the first 2 seconds of your visit. Oh yeah, touching on the cleanliness; Whataburger locations in The Valley are often featured in Action4 News’ Food 4 Thought segment as a “Top Performer”.

I could go on and on with this rant but I’ll end it with two lists and some facts.

Favorite Whataburger locations in the Rio Grande Valley:

1419 S 10th St – McAllen

1412 E Jackson Ave – McAllen

7101 N 10th St – McAllen

201 E Griffin Pkwy – Mission

450 Highway 83 – La Joya

613 Ed Carey Dr. – Harlingen

Random Luis Loves Whataburger weirdness:

Luis wrote a song about Whataburger, the title: “Whataburger I love you” (It was a joke at the time)

Luis orders a Whataburger (#1) with only mustard and pickles, occasional cheese, ALWAYS with toasted buns, an occasional cup of gravy.

Luis also is quite fond of their chicken strips (#6) –total hotness.

Facts, junk, and stuff:

King of the Hill sometimes features Whataburger in episodes.

Sales total more than $1 billion annually

Whataburger’s breakfast menu is served from 11:00 p.m. through 11:00 AM 7 days a week. (Instead of the typical few hours at other places)

Their slogan is “Just like you like it.”

You can visit their site at www.whataburger.com

For the geek in you, the data center that hosts its sites and information is located in Austin.

]]> http://luisrocks.com/blog/2008/02/25/whataburger-totally-kicks-ass/feed/ 9 Won’t Stop Rainin’ Around Me. http://luisrocks.com/blog/2007/07/20/deep_south_texas_flooding/ http://luisrocks.com/blog/2007/07/20/deep_south_texas_flooding/#comments Fri, 20 Jul 2007 14:18:11 +0000 Luis http://luisrocks.com/blog/2007/07/20/deep_south_texas_flooding/ Continue reading →]]> RGV RAIN WONT ENDWell, It’s be wet everywhere I go. Went on vacation, it rained all the way over there… and back. While I’m beautiful Tennessee, it rained, for the first time in a while… annoying. Got home, it’d been dry all week [while I was gone] started raining the next day, and every day since then. Bleh, the Valley is saturated and any amount of rain seems to jack things up.

The news is full of more of the same. Not that I don’t feel sorry for the folks that aren’t lucky enough to live on a nice big hill, like me. :-D

Its just the same story over and over all over the media. Everyone’s know about flood issues for years, if you want something done elect people willing to help, HELLO RGV PEOPLE, if they [politicians] aren’t doing something to help y’all out, boot them out for someone willing to help fix this problem.

On a bright note, some sun has made it through the clouds for a while every day, nice to see… but humid as hell.

]]> http://luisrocks.com/blog/2007/07/20/deep_south_texas_flooding/feed/ 0 Site 5 – The Paper of South Texas http://luisrocks.com/blog/2007/04/30/the-paper-of-south-texas-why-i-think-the-site-stinks/ http://luisrocks.com/blog/2007/04/30/the-paper-of-south-texas-why-i-think-the-site-stinks/#comments Mon, 30 Apr 2007 08:15:59 +0000 Luis http://luisrocks.com/blog/2007/04/30/site-5-the-paper-of-south-texas/ Continue reading →]]> ThePaperofSouthTexas.com screenshotThe Paper of South Texas, is a truly great news source. It’s a weekly deal, but boy-oh-boy do they love touching the good topics no one else does. Their site, on the other hand… is weird. It looks alright but its not very user-friendly.

Layout sucks, article organization stinks, colors don’t really rock my socks. And that sums it up… the most important part of any site is the layout and navigation aspect. ThePaperofSouthTexas.com seriously needs work.

Oh, also… they should be using AdSense and making some cash damnit! It’s a free paper, they need it.

]]> http://luisrocks.com/blog/2007/04/30/the-paper-of-south-texas-why-i-think-the-site-stinks/feed/ 2 Site 4, The Newbies. http://luisrocks.com/blog/2007/04/30/site-4-the-newbies/ http://luisrocks.com/blog/2007/04/30/site-4-the-newbies/#comments Mon, 30 Apr 2007 07:47:02 +0000 Luis http://luisrocks.com/blog/2007/04/30/site-4-the-newbies/ Continue reading →]]> XHRIOHRIO FOX Rio is our local FOX Station, they recently got a news cast (which they didn’t have for years) and the site is trying to deal with the change. I have a feeling who ever is working on the site has no idea what he or she is upto. The layout is SLOPPY to say the least, the header and footer aren’t even the same size!

I guess I’m going to take on this one with a list of pros and cons.

Pros:

  • I like the header…

Cons:

  • No local news!
  • Most of the other news is OLD!
  • The Weather page is broken!
  • Crappy sized footer! WTF?!?
  • Layout is odd.
  • Menu’s absolutely stink.

Ahh whats the use, I can go on and on, I’m not even reaching far this time. XHRIO needs a NEW web person/team (I have a feeling a lonely old school graphics designer is behind the making of this site.)

Thats it for now, I was tempted to render a re-design but realized I’d be starting w/ a 98% blank canvas…

]]> http://luisrocks.com/blog/2007/04/30/site-4-the-newbies/feed/ 0 Site 3- KRGV.com – Plus I break a promise, kinda. http://luisrocks.com/blog/2007/04/30/site-3-i-break-a-promise-kinda/ http://luisrocks.com/blog/2007/04/30/site-3-i-break-a-promise-kinda/#comments Mon, 30 Apr 2007 07:34:38 +0000 Luis http://luisrocks.com/blog/2007/04/30/site-3-i-break-a-promise-kinda/ Continue reading →]]> KRGV KRGV5′s site is always changing, the people behind the site, MPC Studios, a local design big shot. Simple designs and great looking [SEO Friendly, thats important] work, MPC produces great stuff.

News Channel 5 has to have one of the simplest designs around and the best looking, every local story has a video and they follow extra stuff online like Video Diary: Search for Kidney Donor, no one else around does anything like this. It’s interesting -to say the least.

KRGV used to have a boring static site that was almost never updated, for YEARS it sucked and was rather useless, now its always fresh and changing. Once again, I just don’t like the menu, something about it makes me think “bleh”, and yes… NEWS SITES NEED COMMENTS, why can’t people take the extra time [which isn't much] and work in a comment system.

The design changes a pretty lot, a look at http://web.archive.org/web/*/http://krgv.com shows the progress. Overall its gotten better, some things suck, other don’t… and the spot under the menu is often very messy. The footer is also BORING… :-| I’m sure someone can come up with a better use of the space.
MPC tried to jump into “Custom Website Development for Television Stations” with webdev.tv which seems to have been left behind at some point. But thats WAY off topic. ;)

Put simply, KRGV.com is by far the best local tv news site, which is why I thought I could bring in stuff about one of the only local design firms I have nothing bad to say about.

And now its time to end the MPC link love.

]]> http://luisrocks.com/blog/2007/04/30/site-3-i-break-a-promise-kinda/feed/ 2 Site #2, The Monitor aka the big boys. http://luisrocks.com/blog/2007/04/29/site-2-the-monitor-aka-the-big-boys/ http://luisrocks.com/blog/2007/04/29/site-2-the-monitor-aka-the-big-boys/#comments Sun, 29 Apr 2007 10:42:13 +0000 Luis http://luisrocks.com/blog/2007/04/29/site-2-the-monitor-aka-the-big-boys/ Continue reading →]]> The Monitor Re-DesisnThe Monitor is the largest paper around, it recently updated its old website design with a TOTALLY new one. They actually did a decent job besides the fact that the COLORS SUCK. If I could have it my way the site would go from its current design to something close to My Version.

Yep, thats what I’d like it to look like. Looks aside I love the blogs [would love more posts but I shouldn't be saying much about that ;) ], the comment feature is perfect, and overall layout is close to perfect.

What I SERIOUSLY hate is… the Popups! They manage to get past my Firefox-ness and annoy the hell out’a me. Why on earth use popups? It’s annoying, pushy and just sets an unfriendly tone. Sure they can get away with it and not lose many, if any, visitors, buts its mainly something that sites should stay away from based on the annoyance level alone.

Another thing I can’t help but hate is allot of the crappy clipart stuff, the “Homes” and “Classifieds” links w/ grainy old-school clipart just wont cut it!

Overall, the redesign brought in some new stuff, some good, some terribly bad.

BTW when they introduced the new design they wanted feedback, I sent them a link my re-design, while asking for RSS, they hadn’t rolled that out yet. Point being, they wrote back, and didn’t mention my suggestions… nice! :-D

]]> http://luisrocks.com/blog/2007/04/29/site-2-the-monitor-aka-the-big-boys/feed/ 0 So I Took a Few Days Off, Bite Me. Here’s Site #1 http://luisrocks.com/blog/2007/04/29/so-i-took-a-few-days-off-bite-me-heres-site-1/ http://luisrocks.com/blog/2007/04/29/so-i-took-a-few-days-off-bite-me-heres-site-1/#comments Sun, 29 Apr 2007 10:38:33 +0000 Luis http://luisrocks.com/blog/2007/04/29/so-i-took-a-few-days-off-bite-me-heres-site-1/ Continue reading →]]> KGBT ScreenshotAhh site number 1, What better way to decide than a Google search for “Rio Grande Valley News” top spot goes to KGBT4, not exactly what I wanted to start with, but why not.

For years KGBT4 kept the lead when it came to local news and weather, up until the ‘web2.0′ stuff tinkled down to the Valley, but to their credit they were the first ones to give viewers —urm, readers? more power online, they dished out vids before anyone else and always let you send in your thoughts with a little form. Nice…-ish, but at this point, even after a re-design they seem a bit blahhh.

I really didn’t plan on starting with this site so I don’t EXACTLY know what to say, sure I visit the site almost daily, but it’s a bit tough. I guess the major downfall, in my opinion, is the video. Not all stories come with a video. This is pretty annoying, all local news has been on TV so why not post the video online? Bandwidth isn’t exactly expensive, and tossing in an ad would surely offset any costs. Another thing I don’t like is the layout, the menu looks boring and dated and the site in general just doesn’t flow like other major news sites’.

I’d like to see more vids, and COMMENTS under articles, I seriously believe every news site should give visitors the chance to sound off. Reading comments is ALWAYS half the fun, sometimes more.

I can’t bitch more, and I wish I could. Damn, this media site thing just might come back n’ bite my arse.

*Update* Since this post sucked, I’m not gonna cover a site a day, I’mma toss um all out ASAP.

]]> http://luisrocks.com/blog/2007/04/29/so-i-took-a-few-days-off-bite-me-heres-site-1/feed/ 0 Lets Play BEAT THE LOCALS! http://luisrocks.com/blog/2007/04/14/lets-play-beat-the-locals/ http://luisrocks.com/blog/2007/04/14/lets-play-beat-the-locals/#comments Sat, 14 Apr 2007 08:36:09 +0000 Luis http://luisrocks.com/blog/2007/04/14/lets-play-beat-the-locals/ Continue reading →]]> I meant to touch a few local web topics but am a bit uneasy about pointing out local web screw-ups and such, [for gods sake they still use 'hidden' text] so I’m taking it down a notch and simply messing with local MEDIA (news media) sites. Pros and cons about all the local players’ websites, plus some touch ups. A site a day for the next couple of days, just to keep things fresh. I’m a TOTAL news junkie so this is my stuff!

Site #1 should be on a bit later ;)

]]> http://luisrocks.com/blog/2007/04/14/lets-play-beat-the-locals/feed/ 0 Advertising safety equipment… the fun way. http://luisrocks.com/blog/2007/01/20/advertisement-for-safety-equipment-the-fun-way/ http://luisrocks.com/blog/2007/01/20/advertisement-for-safety-equipment-the-fun-way/#comments Sat, 20 Jan 2007 15:32:08 +0000 Luis http://luisrocks.com/blog/?p=39 Continue reading →]]> billboardA dummy wearing a hard hat and strapped to a harness was hanging from a local billboard. They were advertising SGS safety equipment and about 20some idiots called 9-1-1 not realizing it was an ad.

SGS executives brainstormed the idea for the billboard with designers at Lamar Outdoor Advertising. Lamars creative director AJ Ferrara told local news papers “It created a good buzz”.

Well duh! But seriously… If people would have glanced at what the billboard actually said… they could have saved some time.

“I couldn’t believe it. I really thought it was a person,” says William Rivera, a resident of an RV park near the billboard. “I still think it might be a person.”

The words of a crazy old man being interviewed by local media.

]]> http://luisrocks.com/blog/2007/01/20/advertisement-for-safety-equipment-the-fun-way/feed/ 0