Archive for May, 2008
Benicio Del Toro a Cannes Winner As Che
11:21 am By Jennifer Woodard Maderazo · Uncategorized · Comments Off
26 May 2008Seems that all that learning about Che Guevara did Benicio Del Toro good, because he won the best actor award at Cannes for his role as Che Guevara in the Steven Soderbergh’s film on the revolutionary.
“I’d like to dedicate this to the man himself – Che Guevara,” said Del Toro, after accepting his second big award under the US director’s helmsmanship.
“I wouldn’t be here without Che Guevera.
“Through all the awards the movie gets, you’ll have to pay your respects to the man.”
Via / You Tube, ABC News (Australia)
Happy Memorial Day
26 May 2008
This holiday weekend is more than just the unofficial start of the summer season, with beaches opening up, at least here in the NYC area. It’s Memorial Day, a day that is supposed to be about remembering those who have fought for the United States. Now, it shouldn’t be a surprise that I am against U.S. military actions , especially as they have been played out in Latin America and other third world countries, like Iraq. I am also against how the U.S. Military purposely goes after young people, especially poor and young people of color, to join their ranks. For example, the 74th Street and Roosevelt Avenue subway station here in NYC has become a de facto recruitment center. That said, I also have to respect the Latinos who have chosen the military as a path in their lives, whatever the reason. My own great-uncle, served and was injured in the Korean War. I have a cousin who served in Iraq via the U.S. Air Force.
So yes, I respect all those today who have served the United States military and I think it’s sad, that a Memorial Day parade I happened upon yesterday, had more people marching than watching. Death brought upon by war is always a sad, tragic thing. But I also respect those who have been impacted on the other side of the gun. Memorials should go both ways.
Colombia Rocked by 5.6 Earthquake
7:05 am By Maegan La Mala · Colombia|Latin America · Comments Off
26 May 2008
11 people are dead and some 54 have been injured in an earthquake in Colombia which measured 5.6 on the Richter scale and hit the region on Saturday. The most affected area was rural Quetame, reports The Washington Post:
Colombia’s disaster-prevention office said on Sunday in Quetame alone around 3,300 people were affected and either moved to safer housing or shelters while authorities checked homes for damage. Other towns suffered less damage.Panicked residents in Bogota fled into the streets when the quake rattled buildings, and one Bogota government office was evacuated after a shower of bricks tumbled off one wall.
At least 430 families have been evacuated so far.
Via / Washington Post
FARC Loses its Leader, Uribe Wants to Negotiate
6:41 am By Maegan La Mala · Colombia|Latin America|Politics · Comments Off
26 May 2008
The FARC has announced the death of its number one man, Pedro Antonio Marín Marín (also called “Tirofijo”), approximately 2 months after it actually happened. Some are questioning the strength of the organization while the Colombian government is offering a “door to peace”, inviting the FARC to put down its arms and give up:
To “Cano”, the new head of the FARC, the minister said that he should take advantage of “this opportunity and the generosity of president Uribe to walk through that door of peace,” but that they negotiate with “seriousness and good faith. That they don’t start a process just to come up for air and get stronger like they have so many times before.”
FARC announced that Tirofijo had died of a heart attack “in the arms of his partner”.
Is FARC losing steam? Last week, an important member of the group, Karina, known for her ability to elude authorities as well as her ruthless nature, turned herself in.
Via / LA Times
Grey’s Anatomy Season Finale : Callie and Erica Besoteando
2:50 pm By Jennifer Woodard Maderazo · Celebrities|GLBT|TV · Comments Off
23 May 2008I was out “galaing” last night, so I missed Grey’s Anatomy (actually, my partner never lets me watch it) but apparently Callie (played by VL fave Sara Ramirez) and Erica, shared a kiss.
I saw this coming after last week’s episode. Of course lesbians always boost ratings, so I’m curious to see how ABC plays this, as a lesbian freak show for male titalation or as something deeper.
(I’m answering my own question: It’s network tv- duh! What should I expect, right?)
Via / You Tube and Journey to Enlightenment
Do These Pictures Make You Think, or Do They Just Offend
12:42 pm By Jennifer Woodard Maderazo · Media|race|US Presidential Race 2008 · Comments Off
23 May 2008
These images were made, allegedly, to make you think. They were not made by right wingers but rather by people in the “progressive” media as representations of what the right wing thinks about Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle Obama. From All About Race:
The second photo appeared on the cover of a Georgia newspaper. The first illustration was created by a liberal, white blogger at Daily Kos named ONECITIZEN – trying to make a point.
The images are meant to depict the fear of a black president and first lady. Now the talk of lynching is out there.
But do we need to see it? Do we need so called “liberal” white bloggers showing us what a lynching would look like, as if these things didn’t really happen, as if we need an imagined image of something that was really real?
I know what I think. What do you think?
Pictures from El Museo del Barrio’s Quinceñero
9:44 am By Jennifer Woodard Maderazo · Celebrities|Events|Fashion|New York City · 1 Comment
23 May 2008
Last night el Museo del Barrio held its 15th Annual Gala. Yours truly grabbed her tiara and headed to Cipriani’s in midtown Manhattan to spot the beautiful people and drink champagne at the Quinceñero. As you can see from the picture, tiaras were provided for those that left theirs at home.
There was music for the cocktail hour.
Designer Angel Sanchez stuck with the black and white theme.
More pictures after the jump.
Argentine Children Murder Baby
2:29 pm By Maegan La Mala · Argentina|children|crime|Latin America · Comments Off
22 May 2008
Some shocking news out of Buenos Aires, Argentina: two children, aged 7 and 9 have allegedly murdered a baby and declared to police that they did so “with pleasure”:
Argentine society is witness to the horror and confusion caused by the revelation of the details around the death of a 2 year old girl. It happened on Sunday…Milagros Belizán [pictured] was first beaten over the head, later hung on the wall and finally beaten relentlessly with wooden boards and suffocated little by little until she died. Medical examiners say she endured “long agony…
The crime was originally blamed on an adult, and authorities had to intervene to avoid the man being lynched by neighbors. Later the bizarre truth came out. Witnesses had seen two boys abusing the baby in the street, the police questioned them, and when they told the story of what they had done, they did so with pride and excitement.
The children accused of the crime reportedly come from a violent family environment. Police are looking to take the boys out of their homes because of death threats from neighbors.
Via / El País
Maybe Lou Dobbs Needs to Talk About the Mexican Donkey Problem
2:11 pm By Jennifer Woodard Maderazo · Bizarro|Funny|mexico · Comments Off
22 May 2008
Forget undocumented immigrants, the real problems are the animals in Chiapas. Apparently donkeys, bulls and other animals need to watch their backs when attacking people or property because they could find their asses in jail (pun completely intended).
A Mexican donkey has landed itself in jail after biting and kicking two men.
The animal was locked up in a holding pen normally used for keeping drunks off the streets after it lashed out at the pair at a ranch in Chiapas state, local police revealed yesterday.
The owner of the angry ass, Mauro Gutierrez, has been told that he will have to pay the injured men’s medical bills before the creature is released from custody.
Who said Mexico isn’t tough on crime?
Via / The Guardian
Berlusconi’s Immigration Laws: Could it Happen Here?
1:24 pm By Jennifer Woodard Maderazo · Controversia|Immigration|society|World · 3 Comments
22 May 2008
Europe is buzzing with praise and criticism for Italian president Silvio Berlusconi‘s [pictured] tough (read xenophobic) approach to immigration legislation.
According to the president’s new stance, being an undocumented immigrant in Italy will become a crime, punishable by up to 18 months in a detention center. In addition, local authorities will have the right to detain and order the expulsion of undocumented immigrants. Families petitioning the Italian government for visas based on reunification will have to submit to DNA testing. Renting an apartment to an undocumented immigrant will also become a crime, punishable by up to 4 years in prison, plus a fine of 50,000 euros. Oh, and they’ll confiscate the apartment.
That’s not all. If you are undocumented and you commit a crime, your sentence will be increased by 1/3 more than if you are Italian. That means if you are sentenced to 3 years in prison, tack on another if you are undocumented.
In response to these propositions — now approved by the Italian government — a few hundred protesters gathered in Napoles, where Berlusconi was at an event, shouting “No racism, no intolerance, equality!”, reports Spain’s El País.
Reading this got me thinking: could this happen in the U.S.? There certainly are bills which are moving our immigration legislation in this direction, but is a complete immigration overhaul of this magnitude possible in the U.S.? That’s a pretty scary thought.
Hola!
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