Archive for December, 2007
Juan Luis Guerra and Gilberto Santa Rosa: Advocates Against Gender Violence
3:17 pm By Maegan La Mala · Activism|Celebrities|Dominican Republic|Latin America|society · 1 Comment
19 Dec 2007
According to the head of Women’s Issue of the Dominican Republic, 160 women died of domestic violence related crimes in the Caribbean nation between the months of January and October 2007. In Puerto Rico, the figure is smaller: 18 deaths. In order to call more attention to this epidemic, two of the PR and DR’s most well-knowns are coming out on behalf of victims of domestic violence:
Dominican singer songwriter Juan Luis Guerra and Puerto Rican salsero Gilberto Santa Rosa will be, among other artists, protagonists of the serán, entre otros artistas, los protagonistas de la campaña “Pégale a la pared” campaign, an initiative against violence towards women in their respective countries, which was introduced today in Santo Domingo.The first phase of the campaign will be made of up of two 30 second advertising spots starring Guerra and Santa Rosa, which will be shown on television and broadcast on the radio in the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico.
While the initiative is to be applauded, they could have come up with a better name (which was inspired by a song by Reyli Barba). “Hit the Wall”…no, don’t hit anything. Get some help with your violent temperament instead.
Other stars will also participate, among them Reyli himself, puertorriqueño Joseph Fonseca and dominicanos Andy Andy, Wason Brazobán and Raymond Pozo.
Via / El Universal (Venezuela)
Bolivia’s First Foray into Citizen Journalism
1:59 pm By Maegan La Mala · Blogs|Bolivia|Latin America · Comments Off
19 Dec 2007
My friend Mariano Amartino over at the Clarin newspaper’s “Blog about Blogs” reports that Bolivia’s first citizen-produced online newspaper has just launched. It’s called AhoraBolivia.com.
Founded by two young journalists, the project — apparently the first of this kind in Bolivia — has a noble mission:
We want to, in a selfless and free way, create an authentic citizen newspaper in which the voices of the citizens of Bolivia may be heard; free voices and voices committed to freedom. Voices that create unity in a country rich in resources and culture.
As Latin American countries such as Bolivia continue to struggle through political strife, this is a refreshing departure from mainstream media’s reporting of the issues. Let’s hope this is just the first of many citizen journalism initiatives in Bolivia.
Via / Weblog Sobre Weblogs
Last Minute Navidad Gift Idea : The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao
10:29 am By Jennifer Woodard Maderazo · Books|Dominicans|Gifts|literature · Comments Off
19 Dec 2007
Ever since his breakthrough short story collection Drown came out almost 10 years ago everyone wondered what the Dominican writer Junot Diaz would do next. At long last we have an answer via The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao. Released earlier this year with much fanfare, Diaz has become the Latino darling of the literary world, again. The tale of a Dominican geek who gets no play is linked to larger Dominican history. The book is making the must read list of critics and pop culture mags alike.
FARC Offers to Release 3 Hostages to Chavez but not Betancourt
9:17 am By Jennifer Woodard Maderazo · Colombia|Politics|Venezuela · Comments Off
19 Dec 2007
The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) said they were willing to release three hostages to Venezuela’s President Hugo Chavez or someone he designates. The three hostages named are Clara Rojas, who was kidnapped with former presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt in 2002, Ms Rojas’ son from a captor, Emmanual, who was born in captivity, and a former congresswoman, Consuelo Gonzalez. Ingrid Betancourt’s freedom was not offered. Last month Colombia ended Chavez’s involvement in the hostage negotiations.
Garcia Marquez translated into police code
5:47 pm By Maegan La Mala · Bizarro|literature|mexico · Comments Off
18 Dec 2007
Mexico City cops are honoring Nobel Laureate colombiano Gabriel García Márquez in a singular way: they’ve translated his masterpiece One Hundred Years of Solitude into police radio code:
“Muchos alfas posteriores, frente al grupo que hace 44, el coronel Aureliano Buendía hacía 60 de una tarde remota en que su progenitor le hace 26 a 62 el hielo”, are the first lines of the novel translated by police officers in the city of Nezahualcóyotl, on the outskirts of Mexico City as part of a program to promote reading among officers.
You might remember that this is the same program we told you about last year, which looks to promote reading among cops based on “the principle is that a police officer who is cultured is in a better position to be a better police officer.”
Venezuela’s El Universal says that the Neza cops each did a part of the translation, and because of the project the “identify a lot more [with the book] and see it as something that’s our own.”
Via / El Universal (Venezuela)
Image via Alfr3do’s Flickr
Maradona wants to add Chavez to his collection
11:20 am By Maegan La Mala · Celebrities|Cuba|Latin America|Sports|Venezuela · Comments Off
18 Dec 2007
Ever the provocateur, soccer legend Diego Maradona says he wants to add a new face to his tattoo collection — which already features the visages of Fidel Castro and Che Guevara — la jeta de Hugo Chávez:
Diego Maradona said today that he wishes to get a tattoo of the president of Venezuela, Hugo Chávez, after having branded his skin with the faces of Cuban leader Fidel Castro and Argentine-Cuban guerrillero Ernesto “Che” Guevara.“I would really like to tattoo myself with something of Chávez,”said Maradona in the northern province of Tucumán, where he was playing a game of “showbol”, a type of indoor soccer between veteran players from Argentina and Paraguay.
Maradona also told reporters that he’s doing well and wants to extend his radio show from Buenos Aires to other parts of Argentina, and invite people like singer Chayanne on “so that they can be seen by all Argentines”. Something tells me Chayanne is already pretty popular in Argentina without Maradona’s help.
Via / El Universal (Mexico)
Baby Jesus is Yummy
10:41 am By Jennifer Woodard Maderazo · Bizarro|Religion|Shopping · Comments Off
18 Dec 2007
I haven’t bought a Nativity set for my apartment, so this one has possibilities. The Holy Family as marshmellowy goodness? If Chocolate Jesus pissed people off, why is this representation ok?
(yeah I know it has something to do with the lack of a penis but still!).
Via / Boing- Boing
Kaka : Fifa’s Player of the Year
9:21 am By Jennifer Woodard Maderazo · Brazil|Sports · Comments Off
18 Dec 2007
Having a Golden Ball isn’t enough for Brazilian futbol star Kaka. The 25 year old AC Milan player was named FIFA’s world player of the year. This makes him the 5th Brazilian winner since soccer’s governing body introduced the award in 1991.`
`It’s really special for me, it was a dream for me just to play for Sao Paulo and one game for the national team,” Kaka, a devout Christian, said after receiving the award. “But the Bible says that God can give you more than you even ask for, and that has happened in my life.”
Via / Bloomberg.com
Castro Hints at Retiring
8:14 am By Jennifer Woodard Maderazo · Controversia|Cuba|Politics · Comments Off
18 Dec 2007
While many old-timers pack up their bags and retire to Miami, the (still) Cuban president Fidel Castro, in a letter read on Cuban tv last night, gave fodder to the rumors that he is out of active politics.
“My elemental duty is not to cling to positions, or even less to obstruct the path of younger people, but to share experiences and ideas whose modest worth comes from the exceptional era in which I lived,” Castro wrote in the final paragraph of the lengthy letter, which mainly discussed the Bali summit on global warming.
Blogs Turn 10
4:48 pm By Maegan La Mala · Internet|Media|VivirLatino · 1 Comment
17 Dec 2007
This year, our humble online home, VivirLatino turned two years old. And VL wouldn’t exist at all if someone, 10 years ago today, hadn’t come up with the concept — or at least the term:
The word “weblog” celebrates the 10th anniversary of it being coined on 17 December 1997.The word was created by Jorn Barger to describe what he was doing with his pioneering Robot Wisdom web page.
The word was an abbreviation for the “logging” of interesting “web” sites that Mr Barger featured on his regularly updated journal.
How much has the blogosphere changed since then? According to the BBC, the year following Barger’s coining of the term there were only 23 blogs online. Now there are 70 million.And if you love or hate social networking sites like MySpace or Facebook, you have blogs to thank. They paved the way for the social sharing of information and creation of virtual networks.
Via / BBC News
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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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