LatinVibe.com

REPUBLICAN TOM COBURN SAYS SOTOMAYOR HAS "ALLOT OF SPLAININ' TO DO"

2009-07-16T03:52:00.000-07:00

Our first reaction to this news was WTF?

In one of the most hilarious moments of a boring and repetitive third day of her Senate confirmation hearing, Sotomayor made the gun analogy after Oklahoma Republican Tom Coburn repeatedly prodded her to explain if the Second Amendment gave every American a right to self-defense.

"Do I have a right to personal self-defense?" Coburn said. Sotomayor said she couldn't recall a single federal law that dealt with that issue. "Most criminal law statutes are passed by states," she said. "The issue of self-defense is usually defined in criminal statutes by state laws."

"Is it okay to defend yourself in your home when you're under attack?" Coburn insisted. "Those are the kinds of things people would like you to answer."

The Bronx-bred Sotomayor wasn't taking the bait. As she has throughout the hearing, she refused to express her opinion on any issue that may come before the high court. New York law, she replied, allows citizens to "use force to repel a threat" but only "if the threat is imminent."

She then tried to placate Coburn with a hypothetical example:

"If the threat was in this room, 'I'm going to come get you,' and if I go home, get a gun, come back and shoot you, that may not be legal," she said. Laughter swept through the audience.

"You'll have lots of 'splainin' to do,'" Coburn retorted. It was an obvious reference to the broken-English phrase made famous decades ago by Desi Arnaz, the Cuban bandleader and co-star of "I Love Lucy."

Ummm... I'm not sure if we should just lighten up and take it as a funny joke (which it kind of was) or take it as an insult meant to ridicule? Share with us your thoughts! PLEASE COMMENT!

By GC

TOP FIVE INFLUENTIAL LATINO CANDIDATES FOR THE 2012 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION

2009-07-16T03:09:00.000-07:00

With the historic election of Barack Obama to the Presidency of the United States, racial barriers in politics have been destroyed. Americans have shown their willingness to break from tradition and elect quality officials regardless of their national origin, color, sex, or religion. Considering this, as well as the nomination of Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court, we thought it would be appropriate to highlight five Latino politicians who could potentially run a successful presidential campaign in 2012.

Antonio Villaraigosa- He is the mayor of the City of Los Angeles. First elected in 2005, he was then elected to a second term in 2009. Born in Los Angeles in 1953 to Mexican immigrants, he has shown exceptional leadership locally and the potential to take his success national. He served as the national co-chair on Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign, as well as part of then president-elect Obama’s economic transition team. With this he has shown an aptitude for national issues and the ability to put his skill to use on a grand scale. During his time as mayor, he has modeled himself after New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg, who has taken strong stances on gun-control, education, and quality of life. He has sought to implement similar policies in Los Angeles. Shortly after his election, Mayor Villaraigosa was featured on TIME Magazine’s list of the 25 most influential Latinos.

Bill Richardson- He is the current governor of New Mexico. He was elected in 2003. He also served as the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations and Energy Secretary under President Clinton. He also served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives where he sponsored legislation for equal rights for Native Americans, a major constituency in his state. He also engaged in solo negotiations with Saddam Hussein in the 1990s. He is the son of a white father and Spanish-Mexican mother. He was nominated by President Obama to be the Commerce Secretary but withdrew himself due to scandal rather than tarnish the President’s image. He has shown exemplary leadership and a commitment to equal rights for all. His various offices and appointments make him uniquely qualified to deal with national as well as global issues.

Adolfo Carrion Jr. - He is currently the Director of the White House Office of Urban Affairs Policy, which is charged with the duty to coordinate and implement policy for urban areas nationwide as well as set urban policy agenda with all the executive departments. President Obama chose him for this position. Before accepting this position, he was the Bronx Borough President in New York City, which is the boroughs chief executive. In this capacity, he was also the States highest-ranking Latino elected official. He was born in New York to Puerto Rican parents. He has dedicated his career to helping the under-privileged. He constantly worked with the Mayor and New York City council to improve the quality of life for New Yorkers and minorities. He would bring a fresh perspective to national politics.

Joe Baca- He is the Congressman from New Mexico. He has served in this position since 1999 when he won a special election. Rep. Baca is a Vietnam veteran, where he served in the Army as a member of the Army’s airborne division. He has spent his career fighting for veterans rights, anti-violence, agricultural issues, financial responsibility, and more Latino representation is corporate America. He was born in New Mexico to Mexican laborers. His experience with national issues and Latino empowerment make him a worthy candidate for the presidency.

Luis Gutierrez- He is a Congressman from Chicago. He was elected in 1992 and became the first Hispanic elected from the Midwest. He was born in Chicago to Puerto Rican parents. He is a supporter of Puerto Rican independence and the rights of Vieques’ citizens. He has spent his career in Congress fighting for immigration reform and immigrants rights as well as financial responsibility and affordable housing for urban areas. His seventeen years in Congress have given him the experience to deal with local and national issues. His experience with immigration issues also makes him qualified to tackle the sensitive areas of our relationship with Mexico and Latin America.

While these politicians may have their flaws, like any other, they would bring diversity and richness of experiences to the office of the Presidency. While their race or ethnicity should not be a determining factor, it would undoubtedly have an affect on how they run the nation and treat minorities nationwide.

By Chris Carrion

FEATURED ARTIST OF THE WEEK: INTERVIEW WITH JAMES DE LA VEGA "BECOME YOUR DREAM"

2009-07-14T02:05:00.000-07:00

“Fuck everybody”, stated the 38-year-old controversial Artist and Philosopher, James De La Vega. Sitting below the capitol cased letters “BECOME YOUR DREAM” painted above the entrance of his art gallery located at 102 St. Mark’s Place in the East Village, he delivered a message.

“Once you allow people to bend you, eventually they’ll break you, so don’t ever change who you are for no one”, commented Vega.

Underneath his aviator like shades and brown fisherman’s hat, he hides behind a façade yet his opinion exhales like the smoke from his cigar as we discussed how to make a difference through art, music and literature. He further explained that when one pursues a goal, one must have the confidence to stay true to their vision without compromising. This frame of mind is partly the reason for his arrest back in July of 2003 when he spray painted a fish jumping out of a bowl on the side of a Bronx warehouse with hopes of inspiring random pedestrians, which indeed won him a favorable reputation in the neighborhood, but hardly any with law enforcements. There after, he served 90 days of community service, yet continued coloring the streets of New York with pieces of chalk. One example in particular is of a bird resting upon his mother’s arm with a message underneath. It reads, “Be Free, My Son, Be Free.”

His unconstrained words of advice definitely matched his liberal lifestyle, perhaps due to his father’s independent influence before he died of A.I.D.S. in the early 90’s. “My father owned a few small business’s… He was always a Boss”, said Vega.

Although De La Vega suffered a great loss in his early teens, today the majority of his art collection pays tribute to Elsie Matos, his mother who was left alone to raise him in El Barrio, better known as Spanish Harlem on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. In an effort to inspire confidence and enlighten the public, he uses his mother’s character in which he refers to as a “strong woman” to portray worldwide celebrities and public figures in various illustrations.

For example, in a 5 x 8 drawing of his mother entitled, “My mother as Rosita Parks”, she is drawn as the only Latin women wearing gold hoop earrings with a slight mustache sitting in the last row of a bus occupied by Black passengers. Thus, the racial slur ‘nigger’ is blatantly crossed out which is replaced by the following statement: ‘Spics not allowed to sit in the front of the bus’. The next canvas also projects a racist concept with its title, “My mother as Amadou Diallo”. Here, her character is covered with 40 bullet wounds excessively dripping blood while aggressively shooting back with two machine guns, one held in each arm. Although these images are drawn in a cartoonist fashion, it conveys a serious issue while keeping the mood humorous. To further create a lively environment, salsa music circulates the room while one gazes upon the universal selection of innovators and world leaders such as pieces entitled, “My Mother as David Blaine breathing in a fish tank”, “My Mother As Fidel Castro In A Yankees Outfit” and “My Mother as John Lennon wearing a T-shirt that says ‘Nueva York”.

Like a kaleidoscope, this square shaped store is three dimensional, offering even more imagination than what was just previously observed and mentioned. There is a rack filled with greeting cards. The cover of one card has a stick drawing of a fish in three separate scenes. In the first he’s swimming with fins, in the second he sprouts legs, and in the third he runs onto land. A fish with legs! Needless to say, the picture speaks for itself.

“You know, all we have is each other”, De La Vega said. “I can honestly say that if I died tomorrow, I would be satisfied with what I left behind,” and he raised his arms to show off his amazing store that is a reflection of his artistic soul. Therefore when I asked him to explain what his personal dream was, since he motivates others to follow theirs, it wasn’t surprising to hear his reply.

“I want people to know that they can achieve anything they want to achieve and become whoever they want to become”. “OK, but what is your ‘personal’ dream for yourself?” I insisted

“I’d like to open up more stores across the country, especially in Los Angeles. A store in Puerto Rico would be nice too.” However as of recently, Vega’s work has been invited to participate inside of several restaurants and venues around Manhattan such as NYC’s Sofritos Restaurant (Puerto Rican Cuisine), The East Side Community High School and theatres throughout Manhattan, making him a highly respected artist in demand. Furthermore, while De La Vega focuses on imbuing a mass public, he proudly makes his Puerto Rican heritage known. “Conviertete En Tu Sueno” is written across a free sticker that he throws in every bag after every purchase. However, although the tattoo on his forearm says “BECOME YOUR DREAM”, The English translation for the sticker means, “Transform Into Your Dream”.

After I left for the evening, pleased at our motivational dialogue, I saw three black chairs in front of his store with individual messages written in white letters. They read, For Black’s Only, For Jew’s Only and For Gay’s Only. And off to the far left, was a fourth chair that read For Fat Girl’s Only. Knowing that De La Vega purposely invokes one to think outside the box through visual concepts, I realized that no one should take a seat and that everyone should stand up for their right to dream.

By Jasmine Clemente

DAILY VIBE: TOP HEADLINES OF THE DAY

2009-07-08T14:14:00.000-07:00

*McNair shot dead in sleep by 20 year old girlfriend who was distraught about mounting financial problems and her belief that he was seeing someone else. - YAHOO.NEWS.COM

*Michael Jackson's daughter touched the hearts of millions when she bid a tearful farewell to her father at his memorial service in a rare public appearance. CNN.COM

*Google challenges Microsoft with new operating system. - WSJ.COM

* Thousands of Chinese troops flooded into this city Wednesday to separate feuding ethnic groups after three days of communal violence left 156 people dead, and a senior Communist Party official vowed to execute those guilty of murder in the rioting in western China. - YAHOO.NEWS.COM

*Barf - GOPers would still vote Palin for prez in 2012 shows poll. If that ever happens, which I'm sure it won't, I'm moving countries. - NYDAILYNEWS.COM

*Oscar Mayer founder dead. R.I.P. - I grew up on those! Mah' mama used to cook them on a fork and feed me when she didn't want to cook dinner. Actually that kinds of sad... - HUFFINGTONPOST.COM

THE UNSUNG HEROES OF THE U.S. WORKFORCE: LATINO IMMIGRANT WORKERS

2009-07-08T13:01:00.001-07:00

Immigrant latinos represent a valuable part of the U.S. workforce. Cheap labor has always been a huge asset to corporations in the U.S. who employ immigrant workers for jobs that need to get done, but nobody really wants to take on. By employing immigrant workers companies save huge amounts of money that would otherwise pay for insurance benefits among other costs that come along with employing a legal worker. In other words, cheap labor contributes to the wealth of U.S. companies and in turn to lucrative earnings of corporations.

We recently came across an amazing photographer by the name of Dulce Pinzon who has captured the lives of these unsung heroes of the U.S. workforce. Dishwashers and other laborers take center in Dulce's art. Dulce Pinzón was born in Mexico City in 1974. She studied Mass Media Communications at the Universidad de Las Americas in Puebla Mexico and Photography at Indiana University in Pennsylvania. In 1995 she moved to New York where she

studied at The International Center of Photography (Pinzon 1).

As a young Mexican artist living in the US, Dulce soon found new inspiration for her photography in feelings of nostalgia, questions of identity, and political and cultural frustrations. In her black and white series “Viviendo en el Gabacho” (a Mexican colloquialism for living in the US) she illustrates the phenomenon of the integration of the Mexican immigrant into the New York landscape (Pinzon 1). The Real Story of the superheroes” comes full circle to reintroduce the Mexican immigrant in New York in a satirical documentary style featuring ordinary men and women in their work environment donning superhero garb, thus raising questions of both our definition of heroism and our ignorance of and indifference to the workforce that fuels our ever-consuming economy (Pinzon 1)

Her work has been published and collected internationally. In 2001 her photos were used for the cover of a publication of Howard Zinn’s book “A People’s History of the United States”. In 2002 Dulce won the prestigious Jovenes Creadores grant in Mexico for her work. In 2006 she won an Honorific Mention in the Santa Fe project competition and she won the 12th edition of the Mexican Biennial of El Centro de La Imagen (Pinzon 1). Dulce was a 2006 fellow in Photography from the New York Foundation for the Arts and is now participating in the 2007 fall session of the Bronx Museum’s AIM program. She is currently a Ford Foundation fellow and lives in Brooklyn New York (Pinzon 1).

Here's a few of the photographs that we found most interesting and compelling.

*Latinas take care of your children, teach them manners AND jump start them with the spanish language skills. Put a price tag on that!

*Some are climbing buildings cleaning the windows with that amazing view from your office.

*Others are washing your underwear and dirty laundry!

We personally find Dulce's work not only inspiring but also empowering. You can read more about her work on her webiste: http://www.dulcepinzon.com. Make sure to checkout the site to view complete series!

- (1) Sources: Pinzon, Dulce. "Dulce Pinzon Biography." http://www.dulcepinzon.com/index.

htm. 8 Jul. 09

DAILY VIBE: TOP HEADLINES OF THE DAY

2009-07-07T07:50:00.000-07:00

*The world says goodbye to Michael Jackson. Jackson's body will be at memorial. More than 1.6MM people registered for free tickets to Jackson's memorial. Only a total of 8,750 people were chosen to receive two tickets each. - NEWS.YAHOO.COM

*Mexico's ruling party, PAN, loses mid-term elections to PRI. - CNN.COM

*Sarah Palin on her political career. Still trying to stay relevant (keyword is relevant). She should just join the cost of dancing with the Stars, that always does the trick. - NYPOST.COM

*Hundreds of protesters in Urumqi, China, defied a government ordered lockdown on Tuesday a day after deadly clashes between Uighurs and Han Chinese. - NYTIMES.COM

*Sarah Palin hit with another ethics complaint. - HUFFINGTONPOST.COM

*U.S. consumers fall behind on loans at record pace. Egh, join the club. - REUTERS.COM

*Obama asks Russians to forge partnership with US. Gulp. - NEWS.YAHOO.COM

FEATURED ARTIST OF THE WEEK: "NAVEGANTE"... YOU'LL BE ROCKING THESE BEATS!

2009-07-07T07:31:00.000-07:00

There’s a fresh tune hitting the streets of NYC, an electric-Latin funk rhythm that could spread as easily as swine flue. Okay, maybe that’s exaggerating, but the King of Rock himself Carlos Santana, describes Navegante as, “the artist that will carry the torch into the future.”

Navegante is led by Puerto Rican/Peruvian vocalista and cuatrista Jean Shepherd, who you might have known as the front man for the innovative group Radio Mundial. Haciendo la banda completa, is Wash Duke, rocking the Afro beat and Latin rhythm mixed with electro beats; and Guillo Colon, providing his bass and synthesizers skills.

So what inspires Navegante to be? The fans.

According to the Q&A we had with Navegante, “The faces of the people that truly feel our music at shows is always moving.”

Besides the band presentandonos with cool and inventive beats, there’s a mensaje that Jean and his co-band members want to comunicar.

“Hope. I want my music to give hope to those people who've watched me work hard steadily throughout all the pitfalls and roadblocks, says Navegante. “I do this for them so they can see the possibilities that are out there. “

What a humble message! They’re down to earth people who won’t let their rock star status get to their heads. This is something we all can appreciate because no one likes a big head.

“Those who have supported from the beginning you know that I love you deeply, and that I do this for all of us,” says Navegante. “My every action is to empower the community, lead by example, and bring as many smiles to you all as possible. None of this Rock star sh#t. I love my people.”

Navegante has many future projects and events.

“I’m touring with Navegante for our Album release, and I'm also working on A Cable TV show called the Flaco Show,” said Shepherd.

If you want to see how awesome Navegante is and view live show listings, check them out on www.navegante.tv. If you’re in NYC, you can experience the sound uptown at Camaradas, on 115th and First Avenue. Now, go rock out to their album Microcosmos!

By Sharon Saint-Hilaire

WELCOME CONTRIBUTING EDITOR: SHARON SAINT-HILAIRE

2009-07-07T07:04:00.000-07:00

LatinVibe would like to welcome our new contributing editor Sharon Saint-Hilaire!

Originally from New York and of Dominican descent, Sharon majored in Public Relations at the State University of New York at New Platz.

One of Sharon's major passion points is expressing her creativity through writing. Her humorous and spanglish latino writing style reflects her youthful and creative personality. She also enjoys keeping up to date with el mundo de entrenimiento and is addicted to her CrackBerry's (of course we mean BlackBerry!) "Google App" which keeps her informed 24/7. Other activities include partying until the sun comes up in New York City! Lol.

LV is very excited to have Sharon on board as a writer... welcome!

BECAUSE LATINOS ARE BILLIONAIRES TOO!

2009-07-03T04:41:00.000-07:00

During these days of financial turmoil, when banks are getting bailed out left and right, unemployment rates have reached record highs and some of us are turning to the dollar menu for our evening dining options, we thought it would be FUN to remind everyone that latinos are billionaires too! This year, 43 latinos out of a total 793 in the world made it onto Forbes's coveted list of billionaires. Behold the top 5:

#65 - Carlos Slim Helu: When the New York Times was in major financial trouble they turned to billionaire Carlos Slim Helu who agreed to lend the company a whopping $250MM dollars!!

- Age: 69

- Country: Mexico!

- Net Worth: $35 Billion

- Industry: Telecom

#66 - Armancio Ortega Goana: Armancio is the founder and president of Inditex Group which owns and operates the well known retail store ZARA around the world.

- Age: 73

- Country: Spain

- Net Worth: $18.3 Billion

- Industry: Retail/Textile

#67 - Eike Batista: This man built his fortune from searching for gold and other precious metals in the Amazon river. I'll grab the canoe and you the get the gold pan ready!

- Age: 52

- Country: Brazil

- Net Worth: $7.5 Billion

- Industry: Mining/Lumber

#68 - Joseph Safra: Joseph is the owner of The Safra Group which is an international network of privately held companies controlled by the Safra family, comprising a banking and financial institutions conglomerate, industrial operations and telecommunications.

- Age: 70

- Country: Brazil

- Net Worth: $7.0 Billion

- Industry: Finance

#69 - Iris Fontbona and Family: Second wife, and now widow, of billionaire Andronico Luksic, who died of cancer in 2005. Family controls copper giant Antofagasta, currently running feasibility study for potential 72,000-tons-per-day mine in Pakistan. Also holds big position in Quinenco, a consumer packaging and beverage maker.

- Age: 76

- Country: Chile

- Net Worth: $6.0 Billion

- Industry: Mining/Lumber

On the bright side, these billionaires will never know the pleasure of ordering something off the dollar menu!

DAILY VIBE: TOP HEADLINES OF THE DAY

2009-07-02T10:24:00.000-07:00

*Compromise is sought to Honduras standoff. A flurry of negotiations began on Wednesday to lay the groundwork for a possible return of the nation's ousted president Manual Zelaya.

- NYTIMES.COM

*Miracle plane crash survivor back in France and reunited with father. - CNN.COM

*Delhi High Court legalizes gay sex. Now its legal to get on with whoever you would like!

- WSJ.COM

*U.S. Marines try to retake Afghan Valley from Taliban. - NYTIMES.COM

*Air France plane did not break up in flight. The plane went straight down, almost vertically towards the surface of the water very fast. - CNN.COM

*U.S. Job losses rise in June as unemployment reaches 9.5%. - The sun will come out tomorrow... right? - NYTIMES.COM

*Don't let the door hit you on the way out! - Ruth Madoff receives eviction notice from Upper East Side penthouse apartment. - NYPOST.COM

*Michael Jackson's memorial to be held at the Staple Center in Los Angeles, CA. - CNN.COM

*I thought I.O.U.'s were a latin thing??? - California starting to pay vendors and taxpayers with I.O.U's. This is the second time the state has adopted the emergency payment method since the Great Depression (gulp). - NYTIMES.COM

SWINE FLU MAY HAVE STARTED IN ASIA, NOT MEXICO

2009-07-02T10:03:00.000-07:00

In the past few months Mexico has taken an enormous economic hit caused by the swine flu epidemic whose origins have been traced back to the capital city. Now new evidence suggest that that swine flu may have started in Asia but traveled to North American in a human. The New York Times reports:

Contrary to the popular assumption that the new swine flu pandemic arose on factory farms in Mexico, federal agriculture officials now believe that it most likely emerged in pigs in Asia, but then traveled to North America in a human. But they emphasized that there was no way to prove their theory and only sketchy data underpinning it.

There is no evidence that this new virus, which combines Eurasian and North American genes, has ever circulated in North American pigs, while there is tantalizing evidence that a closely related “sister virus” has circulated in Asia.

American breeding pigs, possibly carrying North American swine flu, are frequently exported to Asia, where the flu could have combined with Asian strains. But because of disease quarantines that make it hard to import Asian pigs, experts said, it is unlikely that a pig brought the new strain back West.

“The most likely scenario is that it came over in the mammalian species that moves most freely around the world,” said Dr. Amy L. Vincent, a swine flu specialist at the Agriculture Department’s laboratory in Ames, Iowa, referring, of course, to people.

The first person to carry the flu to North America from Asia, assuming that is what happened, has never been found and never will be, because people stop carrying the virus when they get better.

Now ain't that a bitch?

-In New Theory, Swine Flu Started in Asia, Not Mexico

MUST WATCH LATINO FOREIGN FILMS OF THE SUMMER

2009-07-02T09:15:00.000-07:00

Summer is here and what better way to enjoy the blazing (and humid for some for you) heat then to crank up the AC, mix a couple of Margaritas on the rocks and watch a great foreign film!

The following latino films have all been nominated for prestigious film festival awards ranging from Sundance to Berlin. We thought it would be great to give you a short list of some of the most buzz worthy latin foreign films of the summer. Make sure to click on the links to watch the trailers. Our top recommendation is "Sleep Dealer" check it out:

*Sleep Dealer (U.S./Mexico): Alex Rivera's first film in set in a near future in which the border has been sealed and militarized, but Mexican workers still toil for U.S. companies via remote robotics.

*La Teta Asustada (Peru): Director Claudia Llosa won the top prize in Berlin for this magical realism story of a mother who is raped during Peru's civil war and passes on sorrow through her breast milk.

*Gigante (Uruguay): Second prize at the Berlin Festival went to this amusing tale from director Adian Biniez about a gentle security guard secretly in love with a female janitor.

*Emilio (U.S./Mexico): Another immigrant tale you say? In this one, a young man (Walter Perez, starring in the upcoming Fame remake) searches for his sister who has been kidnapped by smugglers.

*Paraiso Travel (Colombia): John Leguizamo and Ana de la Reguera star in this tale of an obsessive Colombian man who follows his girlfriend to New York City.

*Sugar (Dominican Republic): Newcomer Algenis Perez Soto is adorable as a Dominican baseball player struggling to adjust to life in the United States.

*Sin Nombre (U.S./Mexico): Produced by Gael Garcia Bernal and Diego Luna, this story of two teens who falli n love while on a dangerous train top ride to the U.S. - Mexico border is haunting. You can read a previous review by LV here: "Sin Nombre."

*The Headless Woman (Argentina): This Pedro Almodovar produced film about a housewife who may have run over a woman is a first rate psychological thriller.

*Don't Let Me Drown (U.S.): Latino teens living in Brooklyn just after 9/11 cling to love after tragedy in Cruz Angele's first film.

Please feel free to send in your reviews and comments about the films and click on the links to watch the trailers. Enjoy!

DAILY VIBE: TOP HEADLINES OF THE DAY

2009-07-01T01:57:00.000-07:00

*Bernie Madoff is sentenced to 150 years in prison for "an extraordinarily evil fraud" that took a staggering toll on thousands of victims. Hey Bernie, don´t forget to drop the soap.

- HUFFINGTONPOST.COM

*Michael Jackson´s drug use speculation continues. Registered Nurse says she rejected Michael´s plee for sedative Diprivan: "I told him.. If you take this you may not wake up." - CNN.COM

*Miracle - Teams searching the Indian Ocean after the crash of Yemenia Flight 447 rescued a girl who appeared to be the sole survivor of the 153 people on board. - NYTIMES.COM

*Train derailment explosion kills 16 people in Tuscany, Italy. - YAHOO.COM

*Check your wallets - Bailed out bank, Citi, raises credit card rates on millions of consumers.

- FT.COM

*Honduras interim leader Micheletti warns President Zelaya that he will be arrested if returns to the country. Oh damn, this is some quality telenovela shit! - YAHOO.COM

*Al Franken victory bolsters democratic grip in senate: 60 votes and the symbolic ability to overcome filibusters. - NYTIMES.COM

*U2 kicks off its world tour in Barcelona yesterday with a homage to Michael Jackson. - SOME SPANISH NEWS CHANNEL IN MADRID

REMEMBERING AUTHOR & POET MARIO BENEDETTI

2009-07-01T01:31:00.000-07:00

Many may have never heard of Benedetti off hand but when reading his writing you can see Benedetti is the voice of reason and truth. On May 17, 2009, at the age of 88, Mario Benedetti, one of Latin America’s most prolific and renowned writers, passed away. Benedetti was an asset to the world of Latin American literature and journalism. He exposed Latin American tradegies and tribulations that no one exposed in such grace and utter honesty.

Benedetti, born on September 14, 1920 to an Italian immigrant family in Paso de los Toros in Central Uruguay, is considered one of the most prolific and important writers of Latin America.

Benedetti immersed himself in the politics of Latin America. While a military dictatorship ruled Uruguay from 1973 to 1995, Benedetti lived in exile in places like Buenos Aires, Lima, Havana and Madrid. Exile from Uruguay was the source of inspiration for many of his works. Benedetti said that it made him “a different person, more wide awake, more wise to the ways of the world.” When democracy was then restored in 1996, he returned to live in Montevideo, Uruguay’s capital.

Benedetti published more than 80 books during his lifetime—topics ranging from love to frustration with middle class life in Montevideo. Perhaps his best known piece is his novel which was published in 1960 entitled, “The Truce.” His storyline of “The Truce” was made into a movie and then was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Film in 1975. In the 1980s, Benedetti was awarded the equivalent of the Pulitzer Prize in Latin America -- Honors Causa from Universidad de la Republica, Universidad de Alicante in Spain and Univerisad de Valladolid. In 1997, he was a recipient of Premio Menendez y Pelayo Prize.

In addition to writing, Benedetti was deeply involved in politics. He spoke against the U.S., championed Cuba’s revolution and embraced the independence and soverneighty for Puerto Rico. In 1971, he helped establish a left-wing coalition called the Broad Front to challenge the two-party system that has existed in Uruguay for the past 150 years.

Commenting in one of his last books, “It wasn’t an easy life, frankly,” he then added, it was the causes he believed in, even in defeat, that kept him going. “Thanks to them,” he said, “I can sleep tranquilly.”

Below is a link to a poem of Benedetti’s work which is a reflection of his exile. I found his words to be very moving but also captivate a nostalgia that expresses the pure desire to go back to his homeland in Pasos del los Toros and live a life of freedom and expression. I hope you enjoy: "Rostro de Vos"

By Stephanie Mercado

LÓREAL FOUND GUILTY OF RACIAL DISCRIMINATION IN FRANCE

2009-07-01T00:18:00.000-07:00

The French cosmetics giant company Lóreal whose advertising campaigns proclaim ¨because you´re worth it¨was found guilty last week of racial discrimination for considering black, arab and asian women unworthy of selling its shampoo.

France´s highest court was told that the group had sought an all white sales team to promote the Fructis Style haircare product made by Garnier, LÓreal´s beauty division. The word went out that Garnier´s hostessses should be BBR, "bleu, blanc, rouge", the colors of the French flag (note to Loreal those are also the colors of the Puerto Rican flag!). The expression is widely recognized in the french recruitment world as a code for white people born to white french parents in effect excluding the millions of ethnic consumers worldwide.

Districom, the employment recruiment agency hired by Loreal, sent out a fax to its headquarters in 2000 saying that Garnier hostesses should be 18 to 22, wear size 38 to 42 and be "BBR." The deputy managing director who sent the fax later said that she had merely wanted hostesses to be able to "express themselves correctly in French." Riiiiight. The French Supreme Court didn´t seem to agree and said that the policy was illegal under French employment law. The judgement was a significant blow to the image of the company who has spent million of dollars in global ad campaigns featuring stars such as a Eva Longoria, Kerry Washington and Penelope Cruz.

It´s kind of disgusting that a company would spend millions of dollars to hire ethnic celebrities to promote their products and then turn around and deny employment to the very same people they´re trying to reach. If Loreal doesn´t think that women of color are worthy enough to sell their products, then they shouldn´t be worthy of our money. Do these french people even know about the intricate and delicate process involved when it comes to colored women´s hair care??? Lord knows my hair needs a heavy duty conditioner 24/7. Igonorant people, they´re failling to speak to the most relevant demographic to their brand. Imbeciles!! I say we take our business over to P&G! Whose with me?? Go out and buy a bottle of Head & Shoulders people!

-TIMESONLINE.CO.UK

R.I.P. MICHAEL JACKSON

2009-06-26T09:48:00.000-07:00

The world mourns a loss of a legend.

Michael Jackson was an amazing artist. In recent year's his image had suffered due to bad publicity surrounding court trials in which he was accused of child molestation. But many people forget that he was not only a singer but a musical prodigy who inspired a new generation of artist that would follow in his path. We should remember Michael the artist and not the image of a troubled man who was beaten down by the media in recent years. Rest in peace Michael Jackson.

LATINVIBE.COM RADIO INTERVIEW TONIGHT ON URBAN LATINO RADIO

2009-06-25T13:04:00.000-07:00

GENTE! I'll be on the radio tonight to promote LatinVibe.com! I'll be a guest on the "Bochinche Bueno Show" on Urban Latino Radio. So PLEASE log on and listen to the interview on WWW.URBANLATINORADIO.FM tonight from 7:15PM TO 9PM EASTERN TIME.

DAILY VIBE: TOP HEADLINES OF THE DAY

2009-06-25T10:23:00.000-07:00

*Sad news - Farrah Fawcett, sex symbol and actress, dies of cancer at age 62. - CNN.COM

*Iranian President Ahmadinejad demands apology from President Obama for criticism. Three major newspapers in Iran report that only 105 of 290 members of the Iranian Parliament invited to the presidential victory party attended. Damn (awkward). - NYTIMES.COM

*Apple pulls the plug on the first "porn iphone app" called "Hottest Girls." - Thats exactly what the world needs. Mobile porn. - THEBUSINESSINSIDER.COM

*The Senator Finance Committee trims down Health Care Bill down to $1 Trillion. - HUFFINGTONPOST.COM

*Just the world needs... an Ivy Queen doll with big ass nails that sings raggaeton. Now you know what to get the kids for Christmas this year! - PESP.COM

*Air France flight 447 pilot's body recovered. - NYDAILYNEWS.COM

GLAAD IS PISSED ABOUT PEREZ HILTON'S USE OF GAY SLUR

2009-06-24T22:19:00.000-07:00

Is it me or does Perez Hilton kind of look like the gay grinch who stole christmas with a bad hangover?? Anyone? No? I'm just sayin'.

GLAAD has asked Perez Hilton to apologize for calling Will.i.am a "faggot" during a recent altercation. The controversy stems from the fact that Mr. Perez is a gay man himself and positioned himself as an advocate for gay rights. You may recall that he blasted former Miss USA Carrie Prejean for her stance against gay marriage and called her a "dumb bitch." When the media started creating headlines about the use of the gay slur, this is what Mr. Perez had to say:

"Clearly, I am not homophobic. Also, I am not nor have I ever claimed to be a spokesperson for the gay community. I’ve come to terms with all my incongruities and am proud of who I am and what I do. In closing, words can hurt. But words should not provoke someone to violence."

So is Perez basically trying to dodge the bullet by saying that he's never intended to be spokesperson for the gay community? UGH. Absolutely disgusting. A few weeks ago he was blasting Miss USA for her stance against gay marriage but NOW he's attempting to excuse his behavior? Oh wait... last night when he found himself in the cross fire generated by his use of the gay slur... Perez issued the following statement:

The “F” word will never be uttered from my lips again. Just as others use the “N” word to insult and hurt - or as part of their everyday speech - I challenge them to remove it from their vocabulary as well.

I am NOT apologizing to GLAAD. I could care less about them, my former employers.

I am apologizing to the gay community, to anyone who was hurt by my my choice of words, and to all the people who have ever emailed me thank me for all that I have done to fight for gay rights over the last few years. (WAIT... DIDN'T HE JUST SAY IN A PREVIOUS STATEMENT THAT HE'S NOT A SPOKESPERSON FOR THE GAY COMMUNITY?)

I have reached out to Isaiah Washington, someone I incorrectly labeled a homophobe in the past, despite his own public statements that he was not.

I will be donating any money collected from my lawsuit against Polo Molina, road manager for the Black Eyed Peas, to the Matthew Shepard Foundation.

We're starting to think that Perez Hilton stands for nothing other than his selfish behavior and controversial opinions. He protects himself under the first amendments and claims to be fighting for freedom of speech, but yet his statements reveal contradicting opinions that discredit him completely. His use of an offensive gay word that is full of hate towards gay men is completely disgusting. More so is his hypocritical stance on the controversy surrounding his use of the gay slur. We think he's full of caca.

LOVE LETTERS BETWEEN GOV. MARK SANFORD AND LATINA MISTRESS EMERGE!

2009-06-24T22:03:00.001-07:00

When you woke monday morning and had your Cheerios you probably noded your head as you read in the media about Gov. Mark Sanford's mystery trip abroad while leaving the great state of South Carolina with a "will be back in a flash" sign on the front door. What you didn't expect were the juicy developments throughout the week leading up to the details of scandalous love triangle! The man went from, "Ummm... I went hiking" to "My bad, I went away and didn't tell anyone" to "Yeah... I'm having an affair with a hot latina in Argentina." Which bears the question: How horny do you have to be to go all the to ARGENTINA for a booty call??

As the plot of this love affair thickens and unfolds the media is blasting the Governor for being a hypocritical cheater who voted to impeach President Clinton after the Monica Lewinsky affair. Was it right that he lied about his where about's, cheated on his wife, and used tax payer dollars to go on a booty call to Argentina? Absolutely not. But when I read the email letters between the Governor and his mistress my cold stone heart melted a little (just a little bit). What I see is a man who has genuinely fallen a love with a woman and cannot bear to away from her (we just got a little weak in the knees, ugh). Let's face it, people fall in and out of love all the time. Marriage is a wonderful thing but reality is that not all of them work out. What's the point of up holding marital values when the core fundamentals that hold up a marriage such as love, passion and trust are no longer alive? Should we fault him for being a man who.... fell in love? You judge for yourself.

The State newspaper in South Carolina obtained emails between Sanford and Maria last December and is only publishing them now, removing her last name and the names of her children. They are below:

From Gov. Sanford,
Date: Thursday, July 10, 2008, 12:24 a.m.
“One, tomorrow leave at 5 a.m. for New York and meetings. Will think about you on its streets and wish I was going to be there later in the month when you are there. Tomorrow night back to Philadelphia for the start of the National Governor’s Conference through the weekend. Back to Columbia for Tuesday and then on Wednesday, as I think I had told you, taking the family to China, Tibet, Nepal, India, Thailand and then back through Hong Kong on world wind tour. Few days home then to Bahamas for 5 days on a friend’s boat for the last break of the summer. The following weekend have been asked to spend it out in Aspen, Colorado with McCain - which has kicked up the whole VP talk all over again in the press back home …
Two, mutual feelings …. You have a particular grace and calm that I adore. You have a level of sophistication that so fitting with your beauty. I could digress and say that you have the ability to give magnificent gentle kisses, or that I love your tan lines or that I love the curve of your hips, the erotic beauty of you holding yourself (or two magnificent parts of yourself) in the faded glow of the night’s light - but hey, that would be going into sexual details …
Three and finally, while all the things above are all too true - at the same time we are in a hopelessly - or as you put it impossible - or how about combine and simply say hopelessly impossible situation of love. How in the world this lightening strike snuck up on us I am still not quite sure. As I have said to you before I certainly had a special feeling about you from the first time we met, but these feelings were contained and I genuinely enjoyed our special friendship and the comparing of all too many personal notes …
Lastly I also suspect I feel a little vulnerable because this is ground I have never certainly never covered before - so if you have pearls of wisdom on how we figure all this out please let me know… In the meantime please sleep soundly knowing that despite the best efforts of my head my heart cries out for you, your voice, your body, the touch of your lips, the touch of your finger tips and an even deeper connection to your soul.”

——————–

From Maria,
Wednesday, July 9, 2008 8:14 p.m.
“As I told you I shouldn’t have done this trip but I would have felt worst if I wouldn’t have come because it was too over the date, he is a very nice guy, great heart … but unfortunately I am not in love with him … You are my love … something hard to believe even for myself as it’s also a kind of impossible love, not only because of distance but situation. Sometimes you don’t choose things, they just happen… I can’t redirect my feelings and I am very happy with mine towards you.”

——————–

From Gov. Sanford,
Tuesday, July 8, 1:42 a.m.
“Got back an hour ago to civilization and am now in Columbia after what was for me a glorious break from reality down at the farm. No phones ringing and tangible evidence of a day’s labors. Though I have started every day by 6 this morning woke at 4:30, I guess since my body knew it was the last day, and I went out and ran the excavator with lights until the sun came up. To me, and I suspect no one else on earth, there is something wonderful about listening to country music playing in the cab, air conditioner running, the hum of a huge diesel engine in the back ground, the tranquillity that comes with being in a virtual wilderness of trees and marsh, the day breaking and vibrant pink coming alive in the morning clouds - and getting to build something with each scoop of dirt.”

* Exclusive: Read E-Mails Between Sanford and Mystery Woman. - THESTATE.COM

DAILY VIBE: TOP HEADLINES OF THE DAY

2009-06-23T13:34:00.000-07:00

*The bloody death of 26 year old Ms. Agha-Soltan from Iran, as seen on video, has become the instant symbol of the antigovernment movement. - NYTIMES.COM

*Sad - Ed McMahon dies at 86. When I was a little boy I always dreamed that he would show up at my door step with a big ass check. - HUFFINGTONPOST.COM

*Tragic - Washington subway crash kills nine people. - REUTERS.COM

*President Obama harshly condemned the Iranian crackdown against demonstrations on Tuesday, declaring the rest of the world "appaulled and outraged." - NYTIMES.COM

*GUILTY! - Chris Brown pleads guilty in Rihanna assault case. Send his ass to the slammer!

- CNN.COM

*Just your regular, run of the mill liver transplant surgery. - Steve Job goes under the knife.

- CNET.COM

(R) SEN. BOB CORKER BLOWS OFF MEETING WITH SONIA SOTOMAYOR

2009-06-23T13:08:00.000-07:00

**Update: The meeting was reschduled, but still doesn´t change the fact that the blew her off when she was running 10 minutes late.**

Last Thursday Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN) was scheduled to meet with Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor. When Sotomayor was delayed because of her recent injury, COCKER decided that he had more important things to do than wait for a potential lifetime appointee who is temporarily disabled. "I decided to proceed on to the next meeting," he told a Tennesse Press Association breakfast in Chattanooga. Hobbling along with her leg in a cast, Sotomayor was 10 minutes late.

What's most disturbing about this is the blatant disregard for Sotomayor's nomination and also bears the question: if the nominee was white... would he have waited?? Given all the criticism coming her way from conservatives wasn't COCKER at least a bit interested in giving this lifetime appointee a fair opportunity to state her opinions face to face??

COCKER CAN SUCK IT! Sonia should have gone LATINA on his ass. That's right. Y'all know what I'm talking about. You pin your hair up. Take your earrings off. Give you pursue to your girlfriend for safe keeping and start talkin' smack in spanish with completely dilated eyes!

CHE GUEVARA'S GRANDDAUGHTER GIVES UP SAUSAGE AND POSES FOR PETA

2009-06-23T12:47:00.000-07:00

Ernesto 'Che' Guevara's granddaughter, Lydia Guevara, has joined forces with PETA in a new ad campaign that capitalizes on her grandpappy's legacy. In the ad campaign Lydia appears nude wearing the legendary "Ernesto cap" and a trendy top made of carrots resembling ammunition. PETA is attemping to appeal to suburban Latinos to promote the message of starting a "vegetarian revolution." Lydia goes on to say that she carries revolutionary blood in her veins and was inspired by her grandfather to fight for a worthy cause and gave up the sausage (as in meat sucios!) three years ago.

We can appreciate the ultimate goal of the campaign but why does she have to be neked? Why not pose with a basket of bunnies or kitties or the chupa cabra?? Good luck PETA with trying to get latinos to go vegetarian! HA. Latinos love them some MEAT! We'd rather give up our first born child than give up meat, seriously. Just kidding. But thats how much we like meat! Last night for dinner we had a four tacos! Two steak and two chorizo. Yum.

DAILY VIBE: TOP HEADLINES OF THE DAY

2009-06-22T10:52:00.000-07:00

*Iran's most senior panel of election monitors acknowledges that the election was flawed and that the number of votes cast in 50 cities exceeded the actual number of voters. - NYTIMES.COM

*Some white dude wins the U.S. Open. - NYDAILYNEWS.COM

*The media death watch is finally over! - Media stocks are finally starting to score double digit growth gains for a promising comeback. Finally I can go back to work! - NYPOST.COM

*Eleven Air France victims identified. - CNN.COM

*Perez Hilton got beat down, allegedly, by Will.iam from the Black Eyed Peas.

- NYDAILYNEWS.COM

*SJP gets off with a warning for driving at night with her headlights off?! - You know if she would have been latino her ass would have been slapped with a triple digit fine. Ugh.

- NYPOST.COM

*North Korea is talkin' that smack again - Threatening to retaliate if U.S. attacks.

- HUFFINGTONPOST.COM

GEORGE LOPEZ ON THE VIEW; MAKES A CRACK ON SONIA SOTOMAYOR

2009-06-22T10:36:00.000-07:00

Last week George Lopez was on The View to promote his new talk show premiering in the Fall. He pointed out that late night talk needs more diversity with a latin perspective on culture, music, entertainment and socially relevant issues which is exactly what LatinVibe.com is all about!

We're very much looking forward to seeing George Lopez on late night TV. He's absolutely hilarious when it comes to making fun of latinos. When talking about what inspired him to pursue the idea of the show he mentioned that "showing young juveniles that they can get their own talk show too" was at the top of his list. He went on to say that his show will have a fancy couch too but it will most likely be covered in plastic. When asked to comment about Sonia Sotomayor's Supreme Court nomiation he made a hilarious joke by pointing out that "she hasn't even started on the job and she's already on workers comp from her ankle injury." Lol. Gotta love George Lopez.

On Obama he mentioned that latinos connect with the President for many reasons: "He lives in a house thats not his and spends money he doesn't have. Bailing people out... thats mexican! And his mother in law is helping raise the kids."

Checkout his interview with President Obama pre-election win where he asks for a cabinet position as the "Ambassador to Mexico."