Archive for July, 2009
Report : Sotomayor Not an Activist Judge, More of a Go With the Flow Type
8:44 am By Maegan la Mamita Mala · Justice|Politics · Comments Off
13 Jul 2009I’ve been cramming for the Sotomayor confirmation hearings and just finished reading through a report that statistically looks at some of her court decisions and shows that she’s tended to go with the flow on decisions, rather than be a rogue, activist judge as some have portrayed her, and will likely portray her in the coming days.
I like activists but I understand how in the context of the U.S political system, being called an activist isn’t seen as a good thing. It’s better to be mainstream.
Sotomayor Confirmation Hearings Jump Off Today
7:14 am By Maegan la Mamita Mala · Politics|Puerto Rico|Women · 3 Comments
13 Jul 2009
This morning the Senate nomination hearing of Sonia Sotomayor for the Supreme Court begin this morning at 10.
The first Latina nominee has gotten plenty of press coverage, with more attention paid to stereotypes used against her and her health than her work.
I’m going to try and cover as much of the hearings as I can here this morning before heading off to work (which will likely only be from 10-11 am).
Please also follow VivirLatino’s Twitterstream for updates.
Mujer Missing from Building Where She Worked, Found Dead
6:44 pm By Maegan la Mamita Mala · New York City|Violence|Women · 1 Comment
11 Jul 2009
Sad news for the family of Eridania Rodriguez, who went missing while on the job cleaning an office building in Downtown Manhattan.
Eridania Rodriguez’s remains were discovered at 8:50 a.m. between the 12th and 13th floors of 2 Rector St. after dozens of cops and sniffer dogs spent a second day searching.
The floor where her body was found is under construction.
Police have questioned an elevator operator but there have been no arrests.
Our deepest sympathies to the family.
Via / NY Daily News
287g Programs Expanded, Despite “Revamps” Immigrants Fearful
10:37 am By Maegan la Mamita Mala · Immigration · 2 Comments
11 Jul 2009
Did any of the immigrants’ rights groups have anything to say about the announcement of the expansion and “revamping” of the 287(g) program?
287(g) programs allow local law enforcement agents to enforce Federal immigration laws. The revision of the plan is supposed to calm the fears of immigrants and advocates who say that 287(g) programs encourage racial profiling among other abuses.
From the LA Times:
Local police agencies empowered by the federal government to enforce immigration law must focus their efforts on criminals who pose a threat to public safety, with less emphasis on those who commit minor crimes, Department of Homeland Security officials announced Friday…
…Some police departments check immigration status in a wide variety of crimes. Friday’s directive lays out federal priorities: violent crimes such as rape or robbery, as well as major drug offenses; followed by property crimes, such as burglary and fraud.
All 66 police departments that already participate in the program must sign a new, uniform memorandum within 90 days.
They also must agree to pursue the criminal charges that prompted an illegal immigrant’s detention. In other words, police can’t make an arrest just to find out if someone is in the country illegally…
…The memorandum says that police agencies will be bound by civil rights laws and subject to oversight by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement as they arrest and detain illegal immigrants for possible deportation. Any agency that cannot prove that it is following those standards could lose its federal authority.
Latina Cleaning Woman Vanishes While on the Job in NYC
2:34 pm By Maegan la Mamita Mala · crime|New York City|Violence|Women · 3 Comments
10 Jul 2009
I see many women going to and from their overnight jobs cleaning ofice buildings in Manhattan from my ‘hood. I know some of these women personally. Overwhelmingly they are Latina immigrants, who start their shifts just when the sun starts to set and return in the early pre-dawn before the sun has risen again. Safety is always an issue when they travel via subway, especially when they return home. This is why many travel in groups and are met at the subway by a relative. Eridania Rodríguez never got that far.
Read more…
Foxy Friday
11:24 am By la Macha · sex · 2 Comments
10 Jul 2009Because I generally get caught up in big tetas and sexy curves–today I have named it Man Lover Day. For those who love men, a gift:
Rawr.
The Ultimate No News Moment!
11:04 am By la Macha · Media|media justice · 1 Comment
10 Jul 2009So now we all have a big debate on our hands! Is U.S. president Barack Obama a totally slimy pig checking out a 17-year-old’s ass? Well, the media has *proof* that he indeed, might be!
Or…wait a minute…
Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy
I think it’s awesome that the results of some camera man fucking around with freeze frame controls can make news. My respect for mainstream media has just increased exponentially.
I wonder if anybody else besides me just realized that video about a non story about piggy world leaders is more important to mainstream news than pretty much every story VL has ever covered about coups, military interventions, immigration, violence against women….
Immigration Reform Trade Offs or Sell Outs?
9:56 am By Maegan La Mala · Immigration|Obama|Politics · Comments Off
10 Jul 2009A conversation I had recently with some amigos reaffirmed the fact that pushing legislation is not a game I want to get into. Legislation within the corrupt U.S. political system requires not compromises, but selling people out. I don’t mean to use the word selling figuratively. Within the chambers of Congress and the White House walls the highest bidder wins and moves legislation. And yet many liberals and progressives call these sell outs trade-offs, part of the game in which the people lose.
Take the moves on immigration reform that have gone down this week, approval from the Senate of a Bush started fence on the U.S. Mexico border and E-verify, a system that requires any federal contractor to use this particular system to ensure that employees have legal immigration status to work in the United States, a system that is hugely flawed and inaccurate. The people are being told to calm down, take these moves with a grain of salt. The problem is that while these amendments are being pushed by Republicans, what Democratic senators, hailed as leaders in the push for immigration reform, are pushing doesn’t look much better.
Read more…
Alberto Gonzales Emerges from the Shadows to Teach You a Lesson
7:04 am By Jennifer Woodard Maderazo · Bizarro|Celebrities|Education|Politics · 1 Comment
10 Jul 2009
Just when you thought it was safe to go back to school after summer vacation: ex-Attorney General Alberto Gonzales is back and he wants to be your professor. At least that’s what the fine young men and women of Texas Tech have to look forward to this coming school year. According to Amarillo.com, Gonzales will teach the course “Contemporary Issues in the Executive Branch,” and will also help the university recruit Latino students. Um…yeah…
While he may have been heckled at the University of Florida back in 2007, it appears that Albertito is beyond all that now and ready to take on his new post:
“I am long past the time of worrying about criticism,” said Gonzales, 53, in a Tuesday evening telephone interview.“When you are involved in the most controversial issues of the day, you draw some criticism,” he said. “I am excited to be in an environment where ideas are debated. I will open a dialogue for a discussion about the policies of the previous administration.”
Be sure to check out Andrew Cohen’s CourtWatch blog for some cutting commentary on the new “Professor Gonzales”.
Via / Amarillo.com
Is Michael Jackson Being Overglorified?
10:53 am By Jennifer Woodard Maderazo · Celebrities|Controversia|society · 4 Comments
9 Jul 2009Are we done with Michael Jackson yet? Not even close.
Like La Macha, I also teared up watching his memorial service. But our friend Bill O’Reilly says we’re blowing his legacy out of proportion and that America needs to stop idealizing the man. Check it out:
What else could he say? O’Reilly pooh poohs all gestures of admiration towards any person of color. While he does make a couple of good arguments, the overall rhetoric is meant to be hateful and that’s just what it is.
But I do agree with at least one Fox News commentator on this issue. Geraldo Rivera criticized celebrities who showed up to salute Jackson at his memorial service, but who were silent when Michael was being skewered with child molestation charges.
What do you think? Is the glorification of MJ going too far? And what about those silent celebrities?
Via / Examiner
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