Archive for January, 2007
It’s the most depressing day of the year: cheer up!
2:53 pm By Jennifer Woodard Maderazo · Health|Media · Comments Off
22 Jan 2007
Today is supposedly the most depressing day of the year. Experts have discovered that the Monday of the last full week in January is the most horrible depressing of all of our 365 days:
It has been singled out by Dr Cliff Arnall, psychologist and former tutor at Cardiff University, who has used mathematical equations to reach his verdict.He worked out that people are most likely to get the blues in the final full week of January because of the combination of bad weather, Christmas debts and broken New Year resolutions.
If indeed you are feeling especially down this Monday, maybe a few of these compelling stories will help get you through the rest of the day:
Chavez to United States: Go To Hell!
2:52 pm By Maegan La Mala · Politics|Venezuela · Comments Off
22 Jan 2007
U.S. State Department deputy spokesman Tom Casey announced that the recent increases in lawmaking powers that Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez received “have caused us some concern.”
Chavez has had enough of the United States’s ‘meddling’ in Venezuela and its affairs and has no qualms about his feelings. On a live television show, Chavez said “go to hell, gringos,” and requested that the United States mind their own business.
Oh Hugo, you’re such a charmer. Classy!
Bill Richardson announces candidacy
12:15 pm By Jennifer Woodard Maderazo · Politics · Comments Off
22 Jan 2007
A while back we buzzed about the possibility of New Mexico governor Bill Richardson running for president, and wondered if the U.S. was ready for a Latino candidate. Since then, both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama — a woman and a black man — have revealed that they will run and the same question is being asked about them. Is the U.S. ready for a woman president? An African-American president? A Latino president? Who knows, but what is clear to me is that for many of us (those of us who contemplate race and gender on regular basis) the next presidential elections have potential for being the most exciting ever.
Como se dice Wal-Mart?
9:36 am By Maegan La Mala · Marketing|Shopping · Comments Off
22 Jan 2007
Sure, the relationship between Wal-Mart and Latinos may be somewhat tainted, but The Waltons are trying to make amends.
The ever-growing Hispanic community in South Nashville, Tennessee has become so prominent that the new Wal-Mart in the area is specifically catering to them. The store’s signs come in both English and Spanish and they will even carry empanadas, tropical juices, pupusas, and other ethnic foods.
This is all part of the scary sounding strategy to ‘target’ Latinos. Wal-Mart executives say that they are proud of the store’s diversity. (Then they all paused for a moment, looked at each other, and exploded into laughter.) In all seriousness, I applaud them for making these changes and challenge them to update their other stores, because guess what? We’re not just in Nashville…
Supermodel says families to blame for anorexia
5:56 pm By Jennifer Woodard Maderazo · Brazil|Controversia|Health|Women · 1 Comment
19 Jan 2007
Sadly, posts on VL about Latina models or aspiring models dying from eating disorders are not uncommon. Now a supermodel (otherwise known as Leonardo DiCaprio‘s ex) from a hotbed of these deaths, Brazil, is speaking out and pointing the finger at families, not the fashion world:
Supermodel Gisele Bundchen says weak families are to blame for anorexia — not the fashion industry that has been widely criticized for promoting waifish silhouettes.“I never suffered from this problem (anorexia) because I had a very strong family base. Parents are responsible, not the fashion industry,” she said in the Friday edition of O Globo newspaper.
I think that the fashion industry is to blame in the first place, for centering the universal ideal of beauty around impossibly thin models. Families are to blame as well, of course, but in many cases the victims hide the disease, and loved ones don’t find out until it’s too late.
Who do you think is to blame?
Via / Yahoo! Entertainment
America Ferrera and ‘Betty’ mentioned in Congress
2:31 pm By Maegan La Mala · Celebrities|Politics|TV · Comments Off
19 Jan 2007
Ugly Betty star America Ferrera is being praised by members of congress. That’s right, a day after America won the Golden Globe award for best actress in a TV series, Congresswoman Hilda L. Solis from California announced the following:
“Madame Speaker, I rise today to congratulate America Ferrera for winning the Golden Globe for best actress in a comedy for her work in ABC show Ugly Betty. Through her work, Ms. Ferrera is breaking down barriers for Latinos in prime-time television. I commend America and everyone involved in Ugly Betty for helping to break down stereotypes and provide a role model for young Latinas.”
We couldn’t have said it better ourselves.
No love lost between Chavez and RCTV
11:06 am By Jennifer Woodard Maderazo · Politics|TV|Venezuela · 2 Comments
19 Jan 2007
A while back Maegan told us that Venezuela president Hugo Chavez was trying to pull the plug on Caracas’ oldest broadcaster, RCTV. The Washington Post reports that the hate that festers in the President’s camp was spurred by many things. One of them happens to be an apparent aversion towards telenovelas.
Government officials openly disparage RCTV’s daily programming — seeing its soaps as akin to pornography. The president has accused RCTV of “poisoning the souls of children with irresponsible sex.”
I’m sorry, living in a Latin American country that doesn’t allow me to view telenovelas does qualify as totalitarian. One government organizer is quoted as saying:
“The children are the ones affected for many years by the sex, by the violence of these programs that go against the morality of children, that go against the morality of the Venezuelan people.”
Hispanic families in the city of Pontiac, Michigan are being warned about three men that, police say, are targeting Hispanic families.
Leeatrice Williams, Lartis Mosley Jr., and Marquelle Warner are suspected of breaking into a half-dozen homes in the Michigan city and authorities warn that their locale of crime may extend to the Detroit area.
Police have noticed that all of the victims of the three men are Hispanic and believe that they will strike again. If anyone knows the whereabouts of these men or has any tips to provide, please contact the police immediately.
Undocumented immigrant fashion show
5:13 pm By Jennifer Woodard Maderazo · Fashion|Immigration|Spain · Comments Off
18 Jan 2007
In liberal Barcelona, Spain, one of the country’s top designers, Antonio Miró, has decided to incorporate the topic of immigration into his appearance at a top fashion show, using undocumented immigrants from Senegal as the models:
Miró placed a makeshift raft and some freight boxes as the only stage dressing to show his designs for the next winter season which, like his show from last year did by incorporating prisoners from the Modelo prison [in Barcelona] has a “solidarity” angle.
In Spain, the word for “trendy” in popular argot is “fashion”. Could this just be a “fashion” fashion show? Like it’s trendy to adopt African babies or go help with Katrina cleanup?
Professional soccer player or bust
18 Jan 2007
Victor Alvarez Nieto, a serious soccer fan in Mexico, threatened to kill himself if he was not given a chance to play the sport on a professional team. He climbed a billboard advertisement and was apparently ready to jump fifty feet to a most certain death.
It seems that Alvarez Nieto played for a subdivision of Cruz Azul, but in order for him to be moved up to pro status in the league he had to pay approximately 1,400 USD. He supposedly paid the fee but was then asked for more. Since he had no more funds he felt he needed to take an alternative route to get the attention of the officials of the league.
Hola!
VivirLatino is a daily publication published by Mamita Mala Media, dedicated to featuring all the latest politics, culture, entertainment of interest to the diverse Latin@ diaspora.
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