Tortilla Sandwich

Moving

2005-07-29T18:10:00.000-05:00

Well guys, we all knew the time would come when I would say goodbye to this place. I was too lazy to figure out that whole blog publishing on my own, so I jumped at the chance when my local newpsaper offered me a chance to be one of their resident bloggers.

You should be redirected automatically to my new location, if not, you can find my musings here from now on:

Victoria Advocate: Blogs

Thanks for reading!!!!

Home again

2005-07-24T21:09:00.000-05:00

Central Park
Originally uploaded by tortillasandwich.

Well I'm back from our fabulous road trip, and what can I say, I had a blast.

I was sad to come back, sad to leave family and friends behind. But grateful to be back at home at the same time, happy to see all my family back here in Texas.

New York was a different experience for me this time. The last few times I went I was just a kid, in awe of everything, gazing at all the tall buidings and crowds. But this time I went back as an adult, sizing up the people and the city they belonged to, wondering to myself, "could I make it in this city?" Only time can tell.

All I can say was the day we walked through the city, it was HOT. And that is coming from a person who has experienced Texas heat all of her life.

In closing, some lyrics from a U2 song, appropriately titled "New York."

In New York summers get hot, well into the hundreds
You can't walk around the block without a change of clothing
Hot as a hairdryer in your face
Hot as a handbag and a can of mace
In New York, I just got a place in New York
New York, New York

Check out my photos from the trip on Flickr(click the photo above to go to my photos), they are all in the photo set called "Road Trip to NYC."

On The Road Again

2005-07-21T09:15:00.000-05:00

Well what a wild fabulous ride it has been! After 6 days in the NY metropolitan area I can say I really would like to live there one day. But I am lazy and hate walking so I don't know how that will fly. I also don't like the subway, and I tend to get angry at slow walkers on the sidewalk. Maybe it just wasn't meant to be.

When I get back home I will post some pics of my travels. For some reason while in Manhattan I didn't take a whole lot of photos, maybe it was because I had been there twice before and had seen everything already, or maybe it was the heat and humidity that made me just want to pass out on the sidewalk instead of worrying about photos.

We went to midtown on Monday, I had scored some tickets to a taping of the Late Night with David Letterman show(which will air this Friday!), so before the taping began we just walked around, went down to Central Park West. Of course I had to take a photo of the Dakota apartments, and once you take a photo of that you are obligated to walk through Strawberry Fields, sit by the "Imagine" mozaic, and reflect on life. Good times...

After a few delays we are on our way back to Texas now, I am typing this in Greensboro, North Carolina. Tomorrow we leave and will probably drive as far through Tennessee as possible then crash somewhere for the night, then wake up and should arrive in Texas on Saturday. Did I mention that when we left last week from Texas we drove straight through to North Carolina? Crazy things start to happen to your mind after being awake for more than 24 hours so we decided to not do driving non-stop again.

Remind me later to tell you all about my experiences in NYC, including the celebrity gawking I did while walking on Broadway.....

Road tripping

2005-07-12T11:24:00.000-05:00

We are off to experience the highways and bi-ways of this great nation. I may be blogging along the way, it depends on how many wifi spots I can find, and if I don't get mugged or something. (Yeah, keep a positive attitude, that's the way I roll.)

A rough estimate of our travels.
(Yes I know my car is hideously large compared to the rest of the states. I am not good at figuring things out to-scale; my car appears to have crushed Austin and the rear end is in Mexico.)

TS-Out!!

London Calling

2005-07-07T09:39:00.000-05:00

OK
Originally uploaded by Happy Dave.

This is a photo posted on Flickr by Happy Dave, letting his friends know he was fine after the horrible explosions in London today.

Update: I sent an email to Dave telling him I used his image on my blog and got this back from him :

"I meant it as a general message, not just from myself, but all the people who are in London trying to contact loved ones to reassure them."

Here is a comment he left on my blog

"Thanks for blogging me! As I've said in the update to the original pic, it was simply the fastest way I could think of to let my Flickr mates know I was okay. Still shaken up here. About to try and get home."

Update(July 8,2005): Seems like Dave is getting a lot of attention from his Flickr pic, here's a quote from Dave posted on Flickr:
Unbelievably, the Washington Post has just asked if they can use this image in their Sunday supplement. Wow. Just, wow.

New information about the explosions and bombs in London are being released every hour, and it seems that each time we get more news the fatality count rises. For more information on the happenings, check out Londonist. There is also a Flickr group called the London Bomb Blast Pool, has a lot of photos including the one I posted here.

All I can say is that I am sick to my stomach as I see this happening. I've been watching it unfold on the tv screen in front of me this morning and the only question that keeps running through my head is "why?" But we all know the answer.

Those responsible for this don't care about the people they hurt, they don't care about those people on what they thought was a fun and carefree time on a double decker bus in London, or the person on their way to work in the morning. They don't care if it's a bus in London, a train in Madrid, or at a car dealership in Jbala. They don't care about people, all they care about is their "message." A message which I don't care to repeat here, I refuse to be their beacon of intolerance. You can probably see that message on any of the links provided here and I'm sure it will be repeated time and time again as news unfolds on this story.

I wish I could come up with something meaningful or insightful to say on a day like this, but the words seem to fail me. The only thing I can say is quite obvious: violence should not be used as a form of communication.

Our thoughts will be with those in London today.

Quite a menace

2005-07-06T10:37:00.000-05:00

You know, back when I was a kid it sure was nice going on road trips. All I had to worry about was making sure I had enough Judy Bloom books to suffice 8 hours on the road, a bag of Cheetos, and a comfy blanket. Things change when you are an adult.

Now you have to worry about making sure the car is tuned up, getting new tires(yes, all four! auugh!), and this crazy little thing called weather.

Let me tell you a story about these two storms called Cindy and Dennis, which it seems are putting a kink in our travel plans next week.

First Cindy passes through, saturating up the states we are driving through, making them flood-worthy and all.

Now we have to worry about Dennis too, driving through whatever remains of him next week. Early predictions have Dennis hitting the panhandle of Florida (as if those poor people needed that again), so that means there will probably be a lot of storms around the area if Dennis continues on a northward path.

(The line I drew in red from Texas to NC is a rough estimate of where we will drive)

You may wonder why I am charting out these storms like some sort of mad meteorologist..well the thing is I have been terrified of storms since I can remember. It's almost a phobia of sorts. Since I was a kid I had nightmares about tornadoes and bad storms. I don't know how it started, guess I can chalk it up to living in south Texas and having to go through a lot of bad storms once summer comes around. That and probably watching Places in the Heart when I was young didn't help either.

Road trip essentials

2005-07-03T22:53:00.000-05:00

This cat has serious attitude
Originally uploaded by tortillasandwich.

As I prepare for our roadtrip to NYC next week, I have been loading up the iPod with songs and podcasts. Thirty hours on the road requires a lot of songs I am finding out.

Speaking of music, I recently ordered a CD by this local Austin band called, Ghostland Observatory. I ordered their CD last week. I would like to put up a link to their website, but it seems their site has been suspended. I'm not worried about them though, these guys are moving on to bigger and better things so they probably don't have time to mess around with silly things such as websites. They recently played in New York City to rave reviews.

While I continue with my listening list for the road, I'd appreciate any suggestions you have as far as interesting podcasts I can download.

Fun with Flickr

2005-06-29T13:31:00.000-05:00

More Flickr fun
Originally uploaded by tortillasandwich.

I made this cool mosaic with some of my Flickr photos. It kind of sums up who I am...how sad. I think I need to upload more pictures.

Road less traveled

2005-06-27T13:44:00.000-05:00

Photo taken by me that has been "updated" thanks to Polaroid-o-nizer.

Well the countdown has begun and there are only 15 days left until we embark on our journey to New York City! Yikes, how time flies, I need to figure out what I need on the trip and I have yet to pack. Yes, I am one of those obsessive types that packs weeks in advance of a vacation.

We are going to do a straight shot to North Carolina from Texas, spend a night there before going to our destination the next day.

So far I have the essentials in mind:

iPod
Red Bull
sunglasses
maps
change for the tolls
magazines
books(both print and audio)

Anything else you suggest?

Rebel yell

2005-06-20T22:12:00.000-05:00

In my neck of the woods there has been a lot of running lately...running done by illegal immigrants who have been caught trying to make their way from Mexico to the U.S.

The reason for all of this "traffic" is that close to here is a major artery of travel for those coming from Mexico to Houston, Austin, San Antonio.

It seems like at least once a week now there has been a vehicle caught transporting these illegals.

These events have garnered so much attention and concern from the locals, that today the leader of the Minuteman Civil Defense Corps came to speak to the residents of nearby Goliad, a town that has seen a lot of this human smuggling recently.

Some want different solution to immigration
June 19, 2005
ROBERT WILCOX
Victoria Advocate

Bennie Martinez doesn't know much about the Minuteman Civil Defense Corps, so he plans to change that by attending Monday night's Goliad meeting.

Maritsa Baxley doesn't know the minutemen either but hopes for a better solution to the problem of illegal immigration.

Martinez, of Goliad, is president of LULAC Council No. 21. He hears the stories about the civilian patrols for illegal immigrants and wonders how they will differentiate between Mexican-Americans and illegal immigrants from Mexico.

"How will they tell the difference?" Martinez asked. "I mean, I'm Mexican-American and I look the same."

Martinez doesn't mean to say illegal immigrants have a right to cross the border.

"If it's legal, it's legal - don't do anything wrong," but legal immigration is in the roots of the United States.

"America is made up of immigrants," he said. "If it weren't for them, America would not be what it is today."

Still, he sees the cost paid by illegal immigrants.

"I do have compassion for them who try to enter the country and end up dying," he said. "They have sacrificed their lives.

"LULAC will be watching the activities of the Minutemen and I know the situation will be discussed at our annual meeting this coming week in Little Rock, Ark.," Martinez said.

Baxley, of Victoria, emigrated from Peru 32 years ago. She shares Martinez's concerns.

"They are human beings and need to be treated with dignity," Baxley said of illegal immigrants. "I mean how do we really know why they are coming to the United States. It's atrocious that immigrants pay people to bring them across the border who later abandon them in the desert."

Baxley wants a better solution than civilian patrols to the problem of illegal immigration.

"The government should give visas to people who really need them," she said.

I have to say I'm a little worried about this group.

Why? Just as the gentleman mentioned in the article above, how are they going to tell me apart from the rest of these illegal immigrants? As part of my job, I travel a lot on these backroads, and make frequent visits to the town of Goliad. If I were to be stopped by these people, what rights would I have? Say I refused to show them my ID, what would they do to me?

Even though members of this group say they are non-violent, it doesn't make me feel better when I read this:

Courtesey of www.kavutv.com
In fact, public records at the district clerk's office in Tuscon, Arizona, revealed Simcox was found guilty in January of 2003 of carrying a loaded firearm on national park property and of knowingly giving false information to a federal park ranger...both misdemeanor federal violations.

Court documents report that Simcox was at the Coronado National Memorial when National Park Ranger Deborah Girard approached. According to the court documents, Girard said Simcox had a radio and a global positioning device. She also testified she found a handgun in Simcox’s waistband even though she stated she had asked three different times if he was carrying a firearm, to which he answered “no”.

What will become of this? Only time will tell, and you can be sure I will keep you updated.

I hate you

2005-06-17T00:11:00.000-05:00

Ok, I just made this great post, something that happens once in a lifetime, and Blogger messed it up. All it posted was the title, no content whatsoever...sort of like the rest of my stuff here.

As soon as I gather the strength I will post it up again. It's a good one I promise.

A year of the Tortilla

2005-06-15T10:39:00.000-05:00

Today I got to thinking, "Gee Tortilla Sandwich, (that's what I call myself because I'm cool like that), it sure does seem like you have been writing on this blog for a while now, you think it's been a year already?"

Sure enough I looked up my archives, and today is the one year anniversary of Tortilla Sandwich!

When I first started this blog, I was but a wee babe in blog-land, I didn't know what I was doing...not much has changed since.

Why blog? I don't know, maybe due to boredom, self endulgence, the need to reach out to a broader audience and see if maybe, just maybe, there is another person out in this world who gets you and understands your need to document and take photos of grocery stores, your shoes, or what you had for lunch.

Who am I kidding, I do it for the hits.

Speaking of hits, check out the keywords that have brought people to my site:

tortilla sandwich
pilsen hipsters
non mexican actors replacing mexicans
tortilla ladies
sandwich for crowds
concession stand nacho recipes
fajita meaning
dish jay leno spanish subtitles
enchilada tortilla controversy
olivia morgante
custom made fajita bbq pit

First of all, "tortilla ladies", what the heck is that all about? Second, I am disappointed that anyone would look for any Jay Leno subtitles, Spanish or not. Then again, maybe subtitles are needed to make his jokes funny.(Hiss!) I also did not know there was a enchilada tortilla controversy, I'm sure Geraldo is all over this dastardly story.

Geraldo: Iconic Mustache at your service.

Anyway, happy anniversary to me and here's to another year of great nothingness.

New addition to the family

2005-06-13T10:27:00.000-05:00

New addition to the family
Originally uploaded by tortillasandwich.

(This is a break from the NY-related stuff for a special announcement)

I have always had a cat at one time or another. I never quite became one of those crazy cat ladies, but I came close once after adopting nearly 7 strays that came around my house when I was a kid. Talk about wild times.

Lately I had gone a few years without having any sort of pet, but I've come to realize that when living out in the country (with mice, snakes, other critters that scare the heck out of you)cats can come in handy having around the house. Not to mention they make cool pets(for me at least- no offense dog people).

Anyhow, I'd like to introduce you to our our new kitten, Bessie. We adopted her from a no-kill pet orphanage. The shelter had named her "Bessie", not really my style but I guess I'll call her Bes for short or something. She is a cool cat and has plenty of attitude as you can see.

Notice: I will really try hard not to make this blog into one of those crazy cat-obsessed blogs (not that there is anything wrong with that), but you must understand I am weak to the cuteness of this cat. Expect to see many cat photos.

Start spreading the news

2005-06-09T17:09:00.000-05:00

...I'm leaving next month.

I am going on a road trip, destination: New York.

We are driving from Texas to the East Coast, and I can't wait.

The last time I went to NYC was in August of 2001. Things have changed greatly since that time. Back then things were innocent, I was naive, younger, and the only thing I had to worry about were the pickpockets in Chinatown. Even though I'm sure everyone has tried to move on since that day in September, it's going to feel weird going back and not having those landmarks come out in just about every photo you take of the skyline.

As I prepare for my trip, expect to see a lot of New York related items in this blog (unless Tom Cruise gets all wacky, then I will have to break in with a special report).

I also would like a little advice: aside from the common tourist places(Empire State Bldg, Statue of Liberty, etc) what places do you recommend to visit in New York City?

I like going to quaint, cool places...if that makes sense. I would like to go to The Strand, even though the last time there we encountered a rude employee who belittled us because we did not know that the Faerie Queene was an English work of poetry. Only in New York...

What is family?

2005-06-02T11:29:00.000-05:00

This article caught my interest. As the Hispanic population rises, and the borders are kept as they are, I think we are going to see more and more of this in the future.

Cultures clash in the courtroom
Custody fight centers on immigrants' rights
June 2, 2005
ROSE FRENCH
Associated Press

LEBANON, Tenn. - A juvenile court judge in this town near Nashville startled many when he issued an order to a Mexican immigrant mother: Learn English or risk losing your child.

The case involving Felipa Barrera has evolved into more than a custody dispute - it's also putting a spotlight on how Hispanic immigrants are treated by the legal system.

Barrera, who came to the United States in the mid-1990s, is in the middle of a trial to try to regain custody of her 11-year-old daughter. A judge now has to decide if it's a case of neglect and abuse, or a cultural misunderstanding.

Her attorneys are asking a judge to set aside a decision by Juvenile Court Judge Barry Tatum that gave temporary custody of the child to an unrelated couple, Emily and Warren Patterson. Testimony resumes June 7.

Tatum had told Barrera in October that she would need to show basic English proficiency when she returned to court in April, although he backed down on that order in the later hearing.

But lawyers for the Pattersons say the case isn't merely about language. The child, Linda Barrera Cano, has said her mother yanked her ear and her brother's wife hit her with a large stick.

Barrera said she loves her daughter and denies hitting her. Her lawyers say their client would not even be in court if she were not a poor immigrant, one who speaks only an indigenous Mexican language, Mixteco. Many Mixteco-speaking immigrants remain isolated when they reach the United States because they don't speak Spanish or English.

"A lot of courts and hospitals don't realize just because someone is from Mexico, it doesn't necessarily mean they know Spanish," said Konane Martinez, an anthropologist at the National Latino Research Center at Cal State San Marcos. "It's a completely different language."

Like other Southern towns, Lebanon has seen a sharp increase in Hispanic immigrants. Their numbers in Lebanon have more than doubled from just 500 in 2000. Mixtecos, who come from poor regions of southern and northwest Mexico, account for nearly a third of that increase.

At one of her first court appearances, Barrera did not have an interpreter. When her daughter was initially placed into foster care with one of Linda's elementary school teachers in March 2004, Barrera was not able to tell her side of the story within 72 hours, as required by law, said Jerry Gonzalez, one of Barrera's attorneys.

She did not get her first court appearance until 21 days later, and she was not given a lawyer until August, he said.

The Pattersons' attorney, Amanda Crowell, has argued that Linda has no bond with her mother because she lived most of her early childhood with her grandmother in Mexico.

At the time Linda's teacher filed for custody of the girl, Barrera was living in Virginia, and Linda lived with her brother, his teenage wife, their children and other relatives.

Several months after Linda was taken from her brother's home to live with the teacher's family, she was placed with the Pattersons, who want to adopt her. Emily Patterson is a guidance counselor at Linda's school.

Gonzalez said Tennessee law does not consider it neglect if a child is left with a family member. He also explained that Mixteco culture has an expansive view of what constitutes a family.

"Mixteco concept of family is different than our concept of family," Gonzalez said. "If I sent my child to go live with my sister and her family in Delaware, to me that's a different family. In their culture, that's not a different family. So her mother never gave her up."

Both the Pattersons and Barrera declined to comment for this story.

But the Pattersons have said that when Linda came to them, they had to instruct her about hygiene such as brushing her teeth and taking a shower.

"She was like a hopeless little puppy," said Danny Hill, Linda's school principal. "I saw a hopeless little girl. Her eyes were hopeless."

Now, the Pattersons say, Linda is flourishing in school and is fluent in English. To send her back to a non-English speaking household would set her back, they say.

Hardy Turner, whose two daughters are friends with the girl, said Linda believes the Pattersons are her family. "She's had a taste of love and she doesn't want to go back," Turner said.

I don't know about that second to last paragraph. I know a LOT of kids that have learned English after coming to this country, yet live in a Spanish only household. That hasn't set their comprehension of the English language back any. Even if this girl and her mom speak Mixteco, I think the girl would be able to speak both. However, it seems that this case has a lot of more issues at hand than just language.

Cake

2005-06-01T10:42:00.000-05:00

Cake
Originally uploaded by tortillasandwich.

For no particular reason (aside from my laziness to think of something else to write about) this post is dedicated to Cake, the edible and audible versions.

The Distance by Cake

Reluctantly crouched at the starting line,

Engines pumping and thumping in time.

The green light flashes, the flags go up.

Churning and burning, they yearn for the cup.

They deftly maneuver and muscle for rank,

Fuel burning fast on an empty tank.

Reckless and wild, they pour through the turns.

Their prowess is potent and secretly stearn.

As they speed through the finish, the flags go down.

The fans get up and they get out of town.

The arena is empty except for one man,

Still driving and striving as fast as he can.

The sun has gone down and the moon has come up,

And long ago somebody left with the cup.

But he's driving and striving and hugging the turns.

And thinking of someone for whom he still burns.

He's going the distance.
He's going for speed.

She's all alone
In her time of need.

Because he's racing and pacing and plotting the course,

He's fighting and biting and riding on his horse,

He's going the distance.

No trophy, no flowers, no flashbulbs, no wine,

He's haunted by something he cannot define.

Bowel-shaking earthquakes of doubt and remorse,

Assail him, impale him with monster-truck force.

In his mind, he's still driving, still making the grade.

She's hoping in time that her memories will fade.

Cause he's racing and pacing and plotting the course,

He's fighting and biting and riding on his horse.

The sun has gone down and the moon has come up,

And long ago somebody left with the cup.

But he's striving and driving and hugging the turns.

And thinking of someone for whom he still burns.

Cause he's going the distance.
He's going for speed.

She's all alone
In her time of need.

Because he's racing and pacing and plotting the course,

He's fighting and biting and riding on his horse.

He's racing and pacing and plotting the course,

He's fighting and biting and riding on his horse.

He's going the distance.
He's going for speed.
He's going the distance.

Life imitating art: Brokedown Palace

2005-05-27T07:54:00.000-05:00

BALI, Indonesia (Reuters) - An Indonesian court sentenced a young Australian beauty therapist to 20 years in jail on Friday for smuggling marijuana into the holiday island of Bali in a verdict that could put a strain on ties.

Lawyers for Schapelle Corby, 27, said they would appeal the ruling, which triggered outrage from her family. Australian callers to radio stations in the country urged an end to aid to the world's most populous Muslim nation.

"The panel of judges declares the defendant legally and convincingly guilty of the crime of illegal importation of narcotics," chief judge Linton Sirait told a hearing that was watched live in Australia.

As soon as Sirait read the verdict, Corby's mother, Rosleigh Rose, shouted at the three judges on the panel: "Liar, liar. Honey, we are going to take you home."

Wearing pink trousers and a black blouse, an emotional Corby turned to her mother and pleaded with her to calm down. "Mum, stop, it's okay," she cried.

Standing for the verdict, Corby kept mouthing the word "20" in Indonesian, clearly stunned by the sentence.

Prosecutors had demanded life in jail for Corby, who has argued the 4.1 kg (9 lb) of drugs found by Bali airport officials in her unlocked bag last year were planted.

This case has made national news, because the young woman in the case claims someone put the drugs in her bag without her knowledge, and Thailand has very strict laws, she could have been sentenced to death. The case has caused a great stir of emotions, one witness who was to testify on the behalf of Corby was stabbed to death shortly before testifying, and people in Australia are urging a boycott of Indonesia.

When I first heard about the Schapelle Corby case I immediately thought of the movie with Claire Danes and Kate Beckinsale, called Brokedown Palace. In the movie, Danes and Beckinsale play Alice and Darlene, best friends that decide to celebrate their high school graduation with a trip to Thailand. There they meet an Australian guy who convinces them to travel to Hong Kong, but unbeknownst to them this guy is using the girls to smuggle drugs. The two girls are sentenced to decades in prison and the movie highlights their struggle to claim their innocence.

Some days are better than others

2005-05-26T09:58:00.000-05:00

One of those days
Originally uploaded by tortillasandwich.

This week is brought to you by the U2 song:

"Some days are better than others" - from the Zooropa album.

The photo to the right explains it all.

Some days are dry, some days are leaky
Some days come clean, other days are sneaky
Some days take less, but most days take more
Some slip through your fingers and onto the floor

Some days you're quick, but most days you're speedy
Some days you use more force than is necessary
Some days just drop in on us
Some days are better than others

Some days it all adds up
And what you got is not enough
Some days are better than others

Some days are slippy, other days sloppy
Some days you can't stand the sight of a puppy
Your skin is white but you think you're a brother
Some days are better than others

Some days you wake up with her complaining
Some sunny days you wish it was raining
Some days are sulky, some days have a grin
And some days have bouncers and won't let you in

Some days you hear a voice
Taking you to another place
Some days are better than others

Some days are honest, some days are not
Some days you're thankful for what you've got
Some days you wake up in the army
And some days it's the enemy

Some days are work, most days you're lazy
Some days you feel like a bit of a baby
Lookin' for Jesus and His mother
Some days are better than others

Some days you feel ahead
You're making sense of what she said
Some days are better than others

Some days you hear a voice
Taking you to another place
Some days are better than others

Blogger woes

2005-05-24T22:44:00.000-05:00

Don't know what is going on, but my blog has been acting wacky. I blame Angelina Jolie, she seems to be the mastermind behind all of our traumas nowadays.

Update: Seems like Blogger was having issues yesterday.
Blogger Status
Tuesday, May 24, 2005
Due to a hardware error, a percentage of Blog*Spot users will run into intermittent trouble when trying to access their blogs. We have people in the datacenter working on the problem and anticipate that this will be corrected during the next two hours.

Posted by Jason at 13:30

Leave it to Texas

2005-05-23T23:32:00.000-05:00

Geez. I thought the memories of my junior high mullet forever emblazened in my yearbook was embarassing, this takes the cake.

Yearbook listing 'Black Girl' will be corrected
Sources: Associated Press, KHOU.com, Houston Chronicle

WAXAHACHIE – A North Texas school district is having four pages of its high school yearbook reprinted to correct a photo caption that identified a student as “Black Girl.”

All white students are identified by name in the photograph in the Waxahachie High School yearbook, which was distributed on Friday.

Shadoyia Jones, identified as "Black Girl," is the only black student in the photo.

The label apparently was meant to be a placeholder until the yearbook staff could track down the student's name, district spokeswoman Candace Ahlfinger said in Sunday's edition of the Waxahachie Daily Light.

She said using that label was a poor choice, but it was not meant maliciously and was not meant to be printed.

School board president Joe Langley said a student made the mistake. "I'm sure the student is very sorry," he said.

District spokeswoman Candace Ahlfinger said Monday that administrators have asked the publisher to reprint the affected page, its companion page in a two-page layout, and those two pages’ back pages.

“We will never be able to minimize this damage, but this will change it so that it is not a constant reminder, so it won’t be a forever,” Ahlfinger told the Waxahachie Daily Light.

The logistics of replacing the pages in the yearbooks are still being worked out, Ahlfinger said.

The district apologized for the mistake Saturday, a day after the yearbooks were distributed.

Students will be asked to bring in their yearbooks so the old pages can be torn out and the new ones glued in, Ahlfinger said. The district expects to have the reprinted pages by Wednesday. The last day of school is Thursday.

Here is a link to a Houston news station with a report on this story, KHOU.com, it has a video of the report; subscription may be required . The school in question,Waxahachie High School, also has a website.

America - the world's scapegoat?

2005-05-19T14:39:00.000-05:00

I'm wondering if this is a hoax:

Lake disappears, baffling villagers
MOSCOW (Reuters)
Yahoo News

A Russian village was left baffled Thursday after its lake disappeared overnight.

NTV television showed pictures of a giant muddy hole bathed in summer sun, while fishermen from the village of Bolotnikovo looked on disconsolately.

"It is very dangerous. If a person had been in this disaster, he would have had almost no chance of survival. The trees flew downwards, under the ground," said Dmitry Zaitsev, a local Emergencies Ministry official interviewed by the channel.

Officials in Nizhegorodskaya region, on the Volga river east of Moscow, said water in the lake might have been sucked down into an underground water-course or cave system, but some villagers had more sinister explanations.

"I am thinking, well, America has finally got to us," said one old woman, as she sat on the ground outside her house.

That last line is pretty funny. Wonder if some kid perhaps did accomplish the feat of digging all the way to China, but then took a wrong turn. Shoulda used a GPS.

Crowd control

2005-05-17T11:27:00.000-05:00

Well finals are over, and now it's back to work.

I am looking over the class schedule for next fall, and I am still undecided on what classes to take. I really want to finish up with my degree already, it seems to be taking FOREVER to finish. The thing is I have to keep working in order to pay for tuition. I tried applying for scholarships and grants, no dice. My grades are good but it seems most scholarships are given to full time students. And if I keep working to pay tuition then I can't attend school full time, thus delaying my graduation date. Conundrum.

In other boring news, we went to Houston this weekend. During our visit I had the chance to go to the Galleria. Talk about a sensory overload. I had not been there in years, and I think I remember why. The crowds.

Houston Galleria-
Photo courtesy of Texas Explorer.net

The place, as usual, was bustling with activity. Not only was there the usual shopping frenzy going on, but it seems it was prom season in Houston, so several kids were walking around all dressed up in their formal wear. I think there was also a prom being held in one of the banquet rooms at the Galleria. It was a sight to see, the girls all excitedly shopping in the stores, wearing their best formal wear, while their dates, dressed up in their shiny tuxes, waited at the entrance of the stores. When I say stores, name a store, any store, they were there, the guys looking depressed, with a look of boredom and "when will she finish shopping already" in their eyes.

So the place was pretty busy, but I was not into the shopping experience that day. Don't get me wrong, I really do enjoy shopping. There is nothing like the feeling you get when you walk into a store filled with catchy music, vibrant colors and smells of new clothes, books, and ah yes, shoes! However, for some reason when I am in large crowds, I tend to feel very uncomfortable. The feeling is worse some days and better on others. I get anxious, I feel as if everyone is watching me, judging me, mocking me, laughing at me. I've been like that ever since I can remember. As a kid I dreaded and feared going to the grocery store or shopping with my mom. Sometimes I was able to overcome the fear, other days I waited in the car for my mom, leafing through a Higlights magazine while I waited. Pretty stupid I know.

So needless to say I didn't really enjoy the trip to the Galleria. I was feeling awkard that day- too awkard to shop, and that is a feat in itself. I bought a few things at Urban Outfitters, and then I bought a laminated map of Texas at the Rand McNally store because you never know when you might need a map of Texas, and when you do, it's best if it's laminated.

Maybe I need to take Zoloft.

Finals

2005-05-05T10:29:00.000-05:00

This week and next will be very busy for me, I have final exams and deadlines for several publications I am working on. So posting will be sparse, as usual.

With all of the stress that is now my adult life, I sometimes wish I could be a kid again.

I like to think back when I was a kid, before I started school. I just remember things were simple back then.

During the week, mornings were spent eating cereal and watching The Price Is Right with my mom. Noon came around and Mom would make us lunch: sometimes soup and a sandwich, other times fideo and beans. After lunch I usually would find some sort of adventure or expedition outside, searching for the magical, mystical ladybug that lived in our backyard(which later suffered the wrath of my Buster Brown's after I got tired of it), going on underwater sea adventures in my one foot deep plastic swimming pool with sea shells and dolphins printed on it, or just riding around on my tricycle, dreaming of the day when I would grow up and be just like my grown up hero: Dolly Parton. (don't ask)

Why did I start this trip down memory lane? Saw a post on BoingBoing today, about idioms illustrated by fourth graders.

Some pretty funny drawings by these kids, reminds me of the my own days in grade school. Here are some of my favorites:

"Cruising for a bruising"

"Penny for your thoughts"

"Dropped the charges"

"Bright-eyed and bushy-tailed"

Blogging is for everyone

2005-05-02T11:06:00.000-05:00

Wired cat
Originally uploaded by tortillasandwich.

So I read that some newpapers are finally jumping in on the blogging bandwagon...seems like everyone has a blog now...even my(former)cat.

White House muscles its way into primetime

2005-04-29T12:34:00.000-05:00

Forget about Social Security, what happens to Seth and Ryan in Miami?

So here I was, ready to settle back, relax with my comfy pillow, and find my self absorbed into one of my weekly guilty pleasures, The O.C.

The time comes and instead of the first notes of "California" ringing in my living room, I see a press conference at the White House.

Yeah I know, my future is more important than finding what sort of trouble Kirsten and Marissa got into...but dangit, it sure is more fun to watch them than to hear things I can find out about in the morning paper.

And on sweeps week? How can this happen? Looks like there was a lot of arm twisting done to get this feat accomplished.

Washington Post
The President's Preemptive Strike
By Lisa de Moraes
Friday, April 29, 2005; Page C03

One by one the broadcast networks caved yesterday and agreed to preempt the first night of the May ratings race to make way for President Bush's non-news conference, after ".'Sopranos'-style arm-twisting" by the White House, as one network suit described it.
Here's how it went down:

On Tuesday, an ABC News/Washington Post poll found President Bush's approval rating is at an all-time low of 47 percent, owing no doubt to some combination of a) still no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, b) 60-day tour pitching Social Security "privatization" a bust, c) attempt to use Terri Schiavo for political gain backfired, d) nomination of John "Yosemite Sam" Bolton for U.N. ambassador turning into long nightmare, e) key House ally under attack for alleged ethical improprieties.

What's a president to do?

Hey, here's a great idea! Call a "news" conference for the first night of the May sweeps. That way, tens of millions of hardworking people who had been looking forward to putting up their feet and watching an original episode of their favorite show will instead see the president with his concerned face on, talking about how much he cares about soaring gas prices even if there is very little he can do about it immediately.

And schedule the news conference for 8:30 p.m. so that it doesn't just preempt CBS's "Survivor" but CBS's "C.S.I." as well. And not just NBC's "Will & Grace" and "Joey" (guest-starring Carmen Electra!) but "The Apprentice." Not to mention Fox's "The O.C."

Broadcast networks got word on Wednesday around 7 p.m. that the White House planned to throw a news conference last night.

...

So early yesterday, ABC was the only broadcast network that planned to carry the president's show. Viewers could, of course, also catch Bush on CNN, Fox News Channel, MSNBC, CNN Headline News and PBS.

...

But six networks just weren't enough for the president's program. So the White House started in with the "Sopranos" stuff, as that network suit described it.

First NBC, which, according to TV industry sources, said it would consider carrying the president's chit-chat with reporters if it started at 8 so the network didn't have to preempt both its 8-9 p.m. sitcom block and "The Apprentice."

The White House agreed, and soon the cable news networks were reporting: "Just moments ago we learned that the press conference was moved from 8:30 to 8 due to complications of network programming," as Suzanne Malveaux told Wolf Blitzer on CNN.

...

We called the White House press office to ask why they changed the show start to 8 p.m.

Press Secretary Scott McClellan said, "We were in touch with some networks and starting on the hour was more accommodating, so we decided to move to 8."

We told McClellan that we thought it was extremely brave of the White House to risk incurring the wrath of "Survivor," "C.S.I." and "The Apprentice" fans, not to mention "The O.C." fans," to hold a news conference that's an attempt to increase the president's approval rating. McClellan laughed and said he didn't know what shows were on, but he also said, "We want to reach the largest audience."

"We have caved," one network suit reported sorrowfully late yesterday, referring to the broadcasters collectively.

And if the White House is hoping this news conference will win Bush back some fans, don't count on fans of the preempted shows

Wanna know how you can get those poll numbers up, Mr. President? Don't schedule a press conference during 'Survivor,' 'CSI' and 'The Apprentice,'." wrote one skeptic on the Web site DamianPenny.com. An "O.C." fan observed on that show's Web site: "He started the war in Iraq which was totally wrong, caters to big business ..... , lets big corporations pollute our air & water, but the worst thing he could ever do is pre-empt The OC!"

But here's our favorite part of this story. The president of the United States scheduled his show during TV-Turnoff Week, the one week of the year when the well-meaning folks at the Washington-based TV-Turnoff Network ask people to turn off their sets and spend more time doing something else.

...

CBS and NBC cut out about four minutes before the president stopped taking questions, to get their talking-heads commentary done in time for the start of "Survivor" and "The Apprentice" at 9. Fox cut out a couple of minutes later, but ABC stuck with the president till the bitter end.

Finally after CBS and NBC had already cut him off Bush acknowledged what was going on. He said he would take one more question, quipping, "I don't want to cut into some of the TV shows getting ready to air for the sake of the economy." The White House press corps twittered.

Thinking of the lost ad revenues, one network exec retorted to The TV Column: "He took tens of millions out of the economy tonight."

How much would you pay for a pair of jeans?

2005-04-27T14:50:00.000-05:00

I read this article in the NY Times the other day ...very interesting.

Who Pays $600 for Jeans?
By GUY TREBAY
Published: April 21, 2005

From left: Tsubi, $319; True Religion, $359; Blue Blood, $272; Chip & Pepper, $275.

COLLETTE LEONARD would probably be the first to tell you that the premium denim thing is a little out of hand. She is aware of how loopy it is to lose one's senses in the quest for a neatly packaged posterior. She knows there is something fundamentally silly in indulging an obsession with foraging obsessively for the best, newest, most underground pair of five-pocket cotton trousers, of hoping to unearth the holy grail, jeans made by a label never yet photographed on Jennifer Aniston

...

That is why Ms. Leonard was elated to uncover some import jeans sewn by a London label so obscure it is barely available on these shores.

The trousers, by All Saints, had slim straight legs and a stylized leather cross appliquéd just below the hip. Tea-stained lace trim adorned the hems and pockets. Without question there are people who would consider the price, a hefty $375, a deterrent. Ms. Leonard is not one of them.

"I don't balk at $500 for a pair of shoes," explained Ms. Leonard, who was shopping last month at Atrium, a boutique on Lower Broadway that is to premium denim what Barney Greengrass is to lox. "Why should I balk at that price for jeans that are special. "

...

Far from being rarities, jeans with price tags of $200 are now everywhere, the retail equivalent of dandelions after spring rain. And it no exaggeration to say that a pair these days can easily cost as much as an iPod (Tsubi, $319), a Motorola Razr (Levi's vintage, $325), or a desktop computer with the printer thrown in. (Nudie vegetable dye jeans, $428.)

As jeans have become an increasingly acceptable component of business and evening wear, a wardrobe staple suitable for any occasion (including board meetings, if one happens to be Steve Jobs), out of place nowhere except, possibly, funerals, the appetite for premium jeans has grown beyond a cowboy's wildest imaginings.

...

So it makes a perverse sense that a no-nonsense form of cotton work trousers should unexpectedly be transformed into an insider emblem of high style. Designed in 1873 by the Levi Strauss company as "hard-wearing work wear" for California miners, and available universally and cheaply for the next century, jeans in their latest "premium" incarnation are like the punch line to some elaborate Veblenesque joke.

...

Right now you could have a pair of jeans that cost $1,000, and people would buy them," Lawrence Scott, the owner of Pittsburgh Jeans Company, said last week. What, Mr. Scott was asked, is the indispensable element in the making of a perfect pair of luxury jeans?

"Same as always," he said. "It's going to come down to how your behind looks when you pour yourself into them. No matter how good the wash or the detail or the label, if it doesn't look good on a behind, it won't sell."

That got me to thinking, how much would I pay for a pair of jeans?

Now finding the right pair of jeans has always been a task I hate. Since I was a kid I remember shopping with my mom for back-to-school clothes; having to try on pair after pair of jeans at Sears and JcPenney because none would fit right.

Even now, I have to try on at least 10 different pairs before I find that one that sorta looks ok on me. That is the curse of having a small waist and a not-so-small bottom, oh, and being short too. I did finally find my dream pair of jeans at American Eagle. I was elated. The color was just right: not too faded, but not too dark, the fit was perfect: didn't make my rear look huge, and the length was just at my heel: no more dragging pants! At last I had found the holy grail of jeans! The jeans were discontinued a month later...

So at this point, I feel like I wouldn't mind paying a little more to have that perfect-fitting pair of jeans. Would I pay $600 for a pair though? No, not unless it came with a pair of shoes, a handbag, dinner and a movie. But that's just me.

Latinos are fat

2005-04-26T10:07:00.000-05:00

Yeah, I said it and I'll say this too: tortillas will make you fat.

I love tortillas(look at the name of this blog if you need more proof). I prefer flour tortillas, even though I know corn are better for you. But I don't like corn tortillas, peor. I don't eat flour tortillas every day, I hate store bought brands, and I am too lazy to make them myself. But every now and then a friend makes us a dozen, fresh-from-the-comal-melts-in-your-mouth-just-add-butter batch of flour tortillas...and, well, I can't resist.

May be hazardous to your health. Please consume in moderation.

I know that not ALL Latinos are fat, so don't start sending me hate mail about how you and your primitas are all 5'6 and weigh only 110 pounds. I'm not saying you have to be stick thin either, I am more concerned with people that are not at a healthy weight.

We have to face the truth and face the facts: obesity among Latinos is increasing.

So what is causing this increase? According to this article I read today, the reason is globalization and inactivity. What do you guys think?

Latino Diet Changes Deemed Health Crisis
Mon Apr 25,10:19 PM ET Health - AP
By THERESA BRAINE, Associated Press Writer

MEXICO CITY - Urban Latin Americans are experiencing a health crisis based on new eating habits that include fewer traditional foods and less physically active lifestyles, researchers said Friday.

From Pasadena to Mexico City, obesity is epidemic, diabetes rates are skyrocketing, and heart disease and cancer are the leading causes of death among U.S. Hispanics, according to a conference of U.S. and Mexican experts.

"We have always had problems of obesity, but now we are confronting a new problem," said Dr. Hector Bourges, director of nutrition at the National Institute of Medical Science and Nutrition in Mexico City.

"There have always been overweight people, but now it's an epidemic," Bourges said at the conference, sponsored by Oldways Preservation Trust, a Cambridge, Massachusetts-based think tank. "It has grown very rapidly."

People in Latin nations are switching from calcium-rich corn tortillas to refined-flour tortillas, from whole grains to white flour and rice. Their activity level has also plummeted, especially in the United States.

The barriers to eating traditional food range from practical issues to social prejudice. Cecilia Pozo Fileti, a dietitian at Latino Health Communications of Ann Arbor, Michigan, said flour tortillas are more portable than corn because they don't break and they taste all right cold. But corn tortillas have easily absorbed calcium, at least the way they are made back home - soaked in lime overnight and molded by hand.

Traditional foods also tend to have low prestige, said Dr. Miriam Chavez, a senior investigator at the National Center for Nutrition in Mexico City. Processed foods are seen as modern and thus more desirable.

The changes are proving lethal. More than 50 percent of Mexican women have body-mass indexes of 25 or more, an indicator of being overweight, Bourges said. The obesity rate here is the same as in the United States, he added.

"It's partly a problem of globalization," Bourges said. "Their habits were excellent before."

In the Mexican countryside, for example, insects are a common source of protein. At a dinner at the famed restaurant Izote, run by chef and author Patricia Quintana, conference participants from the U.S. sampled fried maguey worms, which look a bit like ruffled french fries, and ant eggs, or escamole, which resemble barley.

Both get put in tacos with a touch of guacamole. Also popular are chapulines, or grasshoppers, which are generally fried to a crispy crunch.

But newer, more convenient foods are a big draw. "Always, new customs are more attractive," said Bourges, adding that the habits "have caused much damage, many deaths."

Esther Garcia-Schuster, a nutritionist in Pasadena, California, says the acculturation process in her mostly Hispanic patients means "their fiber content decreases, intake of antioxidants and phytochemicals decreases and fat intake goes up."

"That's what it is chemically," Garcia-Schuster said, "but the bottom line is that they're eating less fruits and vegetables and less whole grains, and their activity decreases tremendously."

A call to action is needed for Hispanics, who have surpassed African-Americans in the U.S. in rates of obesity and related problems, said K. Dun Gifford, Oldways' president and founder.

"To anybody who pays taxes in the States," Gifford said, "the consequences of the health problems of urbanized Latinos to the American taxpayers is just going to be punishing."

Daily Commute

2005-04-21T11:35:00.000-05:00

drivehome1
Originally uploaded by tortillasandwich.

This post is brought to you by Flickr, which is being a real punk today, so I hope you can read this.

I took this photo on my drive home yesterday.

After that, I got to thinking, as I so often do every now and then -think, I try to limit that to once a week now, anyhow, I thought, wouldn't it be cool to see photos from daily commutes all over the world?

I was brave enough to try my hand at creating a Flickr group called Daily Commutes. Feel free to join, post up some pics, and browse around.

Quiz day

2005-04-20T16:51:00.000-05:00

Thought this might amuse you, check out my score for the following quiz:

Your Linguistic Profile:

55% General American English

25% Yankee

15% Dixie

5% Upper Midwestern

0% Midwestern

What Kind of American English Do You Speak?

Heheh..funny how it shows that my language is 25% Yankee. I forget, I live in South Texas, what is that considered...Midwestern?

Fotos y recuerdos

2005-04-19T09:27:00.000-05:00

I have a ton of deadlines this week, blogging will be sparse (as usual). To spare you guys from having to read about my fast food experiences for the next week, I am going to revisit a photo I posted when I first started this blog. I took it during the aftermath of Hurricane Claudette which blew through my town back in July of 2003.

Don't try this at home.
After a storm, stay inside, don't go driving around sight-seeing!

It was officially registered as a Category 1 hurricane, but near our home wind speeds were recorded at 115 mph, that is before the anemometers broke.

From Hurricaneville.com
Reports had indicated that the storm only had 80 to 85 mph sustained winds while making landfall. However, Claudette seemed to be strengthening rapidly as it approached the coast. Wind gusts reached well over 90 mph, and in some cases over 100 mph. According to the July 2003 Monthly Summary by the National Hurricane Center, winds were sustained at 90 mph, which leaves it a few miles per hour short of a Category Two Hurricane according to the Saffir-Simpson Scale.

In order for a hurricane to reach Category Two intensity, it must have winds of at least 96 mph. So, in many ways, Claudette was much more than your average minimal hurricane. It also was a vast system that affected a large portion of the Texas coast. Waves were felt for hundreds of miles prior to the storm's landfall. Tropical storm force winds extended nearly 150 miles from the storm's center, and its reach could be felt in 15 Texas counties, which is a lot of real estate.

Even after the storm had moved far inland, and dissipated to a tropical low, its circulation held up quite well as it continued to churn to the West into Mexico and Southern Arizona. That was made possible by the ridge of high pressure spinning in the Four Corners area of the United States that was also responsible for hot and dry conditions in the Western United States. These hot and dry conditions created another season of devastating brush fires.

I tell you what, even though it wasn't a major hurricane, it was something scary to go through. I have yet to go through a tornado, but I can only imagine what that is like.

Sonic Drive In goes modern

2005-04-08T21:04:00.000-05:00

Ok, maybe these have been around for a while, but we live don't live in the big city, so I was impressed to see this at the new Sonic during my lunch break.

Just swipe your card to pay!

No more nervous waiting while the car-hop leaves to swipe your card inside.

For those of you who are wondering why I think this is so great, well, since the introduction of the fabulous invention called a bank card, I hardly ever use cash or checks anymore. I'm not sure if that is a good thing, but it's less hassle for me.

And yes, I know, fast food isn't the best way to go, but Sonic does have great salads, better than the ones at Wendy's or Mcdonalds in my opinion.

Guilty Pleasures

2005-04-04T13:50:00.000-05:00

Ok, no more poetry today, I promise. *hears the sounds of relief from the crowd*

I have to admit, well, this is hard to admit, but I am sort of hooked to a new show on ABC. I don't always remember the name of it, I call it Blind Cop, but the correct title is "Blind Justice." It's about this detective that gets shot, and is blinded by his injury, then comes back on the job.

The show also stars Rena Sofer, who plays the wife of the blind detective(is it ok to call him that, or is it visually challenged, I get so worried about all that pc stuff). I hope this show doesn't get cancelled, she seems to have bad luck with any new show she is on- Coupling anyone? But I'll try not to be too snarky, she is pretty good on this show.

Oh, and there is a bit of 9 degrees of separation going on there too, let's just say I am close contact with someone who went to high school with Rena Sofer. Need proof, here it is, some yearbook photos from North Bergen High, New Jersey, graduating class of 1986.

Dressed up for a costume party I think

Caption under photo

Class photo-Rena is the one without a blurred face

Signature in yearbook

Well, hope you enjoyed those, I wish I had gone to school with someone cool. I went to school with a guy who brought a gun to class once.

Neiman Marcus Zombies

2005-03-26T23:14:00.000-06:00

I got inspired to write this lame attempt of poetry after going to Neiman Marcus this weekend. Don't get me wrong, I like nice clothes, and try not to judge people by where they shop, but for some reason I got a different vibe at that store than say, when I shop at Target or Urban Outfitters...maybe it's because I'm cheap.

Neiman Marcus zombies
looking down their nose
at you in normal clothes
ladies wearing pearls
buying Prada and Cavalli
clerks looking past you
as though you were glass
pay attention to me now
before I kick your sass

Mmmm..chocolate

2005-03-22T22:14:00.000-06:00

For some reason Blogger has been giving me problems, I haven't been able to post...readers rejoice.

Anyhow, this has caused me much distress (not really), and when I get stressed, I eat chocolate, it soothes the pain.

This chocolate bear made me laugh, but only for a few seconds, then I devoured him.

Wonkette Wocked Out

2005-03-15T09:49:00.003-06:00

Apparently Ana Marie Cox, of Wonkette, is from Texas. Cox is in Austin this week, attending SXSW, where she also was a keynote speaker.

They say it's never easy going back home. Seems like she was denied entry to her own party. I blame the poncho.

Cox looking like the hipster version of Martha Stewart with a poncho and Chuck Taylors.

Thanks to Austinist for the photo and stories.

*Thanks to my crack team of editors for clearing up my pancho/poncho confusion.

Chupacabra sighting in San Antonio

2005-03-12T20:12:00.000-06:00

According to a news report on WOAI-San Antonio there has been another chupacabra sighting, this one in Tyler, Texas.

Chupacabra? Another Mysterious Beast Spotted

Just what is it? Another sighting of the mysterious beast many call the “Chupacbra.” This time the creature was spotted in East Texas – alive!

Someone in the Tyler area was able to snap a picture of the strange blue-grayish animal with long fangs.

It looks much like the one a San Antonio area rancher shot and killed last year. You may remember the so-called "Elmendorf Beast" that rancher Devin McAnally discovered in July. The story drew attention from around the world, and several of the animals have since been spotted across Texas.

Some say it's a coyote with mange. Others have wondered if it's the Chupacabra of Mexican folklore.

I don't know, but the name "chupacabra" doesn't seem to go with the animal in that photo up above. I expected to see something freakier with crazy looking eyes, pale skin and fangs....sort of like Courtney Love.

The real chupacabra?

Hootie and the Sandwich

2005-03-07T09:22:00.000-06:00

So this weekend I was discussing the latest Burger King ad, (because that's what I tend to do every weekend-talk about commercials), and when I first saw it, I thought, is that Hootie?

Hey, at least he's not working IN a Burger King.

Sure enough it was. It's a weird commercial, has a similar look and feel as those psychotic Old Navy commercials. I have to say, even though I was frightened while watching it, I was intrigued at the same time.

Notice the creepy Burger King dude in the back

My first question is, Hootie, where have you been? Can we expect more commericals from you minus the Blowfish?

I have to admit I was a big H&BF fan back in the day. I am glad to see Hootie (aka-Darius Rucker, I know his name isn't Hootie!) back in the limelight, even if it is a fried, crispy limelight.

You can find the commercial listed here on this page.

"Not a Ghetto Newspaper"

2005-03-04T14:31:00.000-06:00

How many of you would read a Spanish daily?

From the Austin Chronicle:

Let's 'Rumbo'! Right Now!
New Spanish dailies battle for a young Latino audience looking for news
BY BELINDA ACOSTA

Antonio Ruiz Camacho, Rumbo
Those who watch newspaper publishing call Meximerica Media's Rumbo a big gamble. Not that Antonio Ruiz Camacho has noticed – the managing editor of the new Rumbo de Austin is too busy assembling a newspaper five days a week to worry about naysayers. And it's not as though plenty of other print media haven't launched and failed before. What has drawn observers (and skeptics) to watch Rumbo is its intended readership: first- and second-generation native Spanish speakers, ages 21-54, in communities where Hispanic immigration is large and growing.

...

There are also more generic media uncertainties. Overall newspaper readership is down, and prognosticators are sounding the death knell for newspapers and other print publications. So how is it that not one, but as it turns out, two Spanish language newspapers launched in Austin last year? The answer is not so mysterious, according to Omar Gallaga, editor of ¡ahora sí! ("right now!") the new Spanish-language weekly launched by the Austin American-Statesman on Aug. 19. The paper also hopes to reach the Spanish-speaking audience aged 21-54. "The market research was there to support the need," Gallaga says, "and our advertisers requested it."

While Ruiz Camacho also promises a commitment to the unique needs of Spanish-speaking and immigrant communities, he does see some differences between Rumbo de Austin and ¡ahora sí! "We are very different animals. We are also very service-focused. We report on important community issues, but always keep in mind the information that impacts our readers' lives. But we also believe the Spanish-speaking population deserves a paper as good as the English language papers. We want to be as good as The New York Times or the Los Angeles Times, The Wall Street Journal or the Austin American-Statesman, but we also want to be an Austin newspaper. We are not a ghetto newspaper. We try to outreach to all of Austin's Hispanic communities, not just on the Eastside, but throughout greater Austin."

...

Although Rumbo and ¡ahora sí! arrive with a great deal of corporate fanfare, Spanish language or bilingual newspapers are not new to Austin. La Prensa, "Austin's oldest bilingual newspaper," founded in 1986, is about 30/70 English and Spanish. Arriba launched around the same time and shared the same goal – promising to cover stories and subjects from the local Mexican-American and Chicano communities that mainstream newspapers like the Statesman and the Chronicle had neglected. Launched in 1990, El Mundo is published weekly entirely in Spanish, as is El Norte. Unlike their splashy new neighbors, all are small, locally owned businesses. Because of that context, Catherine Vasquez Revilla, publisher of La Prensa, is frankly skeptical of the prospects of Rumbo and ¡ahora sí!

"They're great-looking papers, but who can read them?" asks Vasquez Revilla. "The thing that upsets me is that small, locally owned papers like La Prensa, Arriba, and El Mundo – which has done the best job of reaching that limited market that needs to know when the color of the green card changes – now has to compete with these newspapers with plenty of money muscle behind them." (Pearson PLC is currently the principal stakeholder of Meximerica Media; Cox Newspapers owns the Statesman among many other media enterprises).

Read the entire article here

Ah, Wal-Mart, you make me laugh

2005-02-25T12:09:00.000-06:00

Well, at least they are trying to be diverse, right? Wonder what happens when you click on that link, does the cheese wear a sombrero and explain how different it is from its English counterpart?

I first read about this here a while back; As of today, the "Hispanic-friendly" original page can still be found here.

Why can't I live in Japan?

2005-02-25T11:35:00.000-06:00

Why can't I live in Japan?
Then I would have access to all the cool gadgets like these:

The limited edition Hello Kitty mini iPod

Too bad I can't read what it says on that page, I chose to take German lessons instead.

Weird clouds

2005-02-24T17:57:00.000-06:00

Weird Sky near Rosenberg, TX
Originally uploaded by tortillasandwich.

This cloud freaked me out

When I saw it, it made me shout

I almost drove off the road

I swerved and ran over a toad.

Abandoned car

2005-02-14T13:31:00.000-06:00

Abandoned car
Originally uploaded by tortillasandwich.

Thanks to homework and writing deadlines, looks like this week will be poetry week.

Ode to Old Car

I see you every day

You are surrounded by lots of hay

I wish I could drive you

To the coast

But I'll have to settle for a piece of toast

Poetry Corner

2005-02-10T13:56:00.000-06:00

Cool Cat
Originally uploaded by tortillasandwich.

This is my cat

She hates me and ran away

I don't have Flickr Pro

So all I have to show

Is this pic of "Flo"

I know my poem is lame

Because that wasn't even her name

You're hired?

2005-02-08T11:30:00.000-06:00

You're hired?
Originally uploaded by tortillasandwich.

Scared off by the hipsters in Williamsburg-the not bathing and unkempt hair was just too much for the Luna family, when Bijou Phillips moved into the loft next door, that was the last straw-so the family found out about a place that was hiring in NYC, someplace called "The Apprentice" governed by a man called Trump. They decided to check it out, see if their "street smarts" would help them achieve their goals of getting a tv movie about their lives made, and maybe even help Trump with his ratings. (Is that show even on anymore??)

Kicking it in Williamsburg-Part II

2005-02-07T14:51:00.000-06:00

Kicking it in Williamsburg-Part II
Originally uploaded by tortillasandwich.

Realizing what hipsters were, Marisol and her family decided to flee immediately from Williamsburg. They ran as fast as their 100-dollar vintage sneakers could take them.

Stay tuned to find out where they end up.

American Girl controversy continues

2005-02-04T14:02:00.000-06:00

Kicking it in Williamsburg
Originally uploaded by tortillasandwich.

Looks like it will never end.

In an second book released by American Girl, it appears that Marisol and her family are getting threats from the residents of the neighborhoods of Pilsen and even the peaceful Des Plaines (all the controversy brought a media circus to the quiet neighborhood, raising crime rates dramatically once Bill O'Reilly arrived).

So Marisol and her family decide to flee to the only safe, laid-back haven they could think of, Williamsburg. No one would bother them there

American Girl in Chicago

2005-02-02T11:30:00.000-06:00

There is controversy about this new doll created by American Girl.

The controversy should be about how the doll looks nothing like the girl on the cover of the book.

Anyway, here's what all the fuss is about:

CHICAGO U-S Representative Luis Gutierrez says he has invited the president of the American Girl company that created a new Mexican-American doll to visit a Chicago neighborhood that feels snubbed by the doll.

The doll is called Marisol Luna and her story says she lives in Chicago's Pilsen neighborhood. But the story also says her mother moves the family to suburban Des Plaines because Pilsen is too dangerous.

In a statement, the American Girl company said people shouldn't base their opinion of the story based on one sentence. A spokeswoman says the danger reference is to street traffic.

In his invitation to the company president, the Chicago Democrat said that Pilsen has parks and playgrounds and the story demeans the character of the neighborhood.

American Girl says its president plans to speak with Gutierrez.

...and more here:

American Girl doll move upsets some
By Ames Boykin Daily Herald Staff Writer
Posted Wednesday, February 02, 2005

(...)

Young Marisol Luna, however, seems to have sashayed her knit-skull-cap-wearing self into a controversy - something her American Girl creators never intended for the doll they designed to empower young girls.

In a book that accompanies the doll, Marisol's mother tells her they must move to Des Plaines from Chicago's Pilsen neighborhood because it's no place for a young girl.

"It was dangerous, and there was no place for me to play," the book says.

(...)

Des Plaines has its own vibrant Hispanic community. According to the 2000 Census, 14 percent of Des Plaines' 58,720 residents are Hispanic. Its chamber of commerce recently started a committee catering to businesses owned or run by Hispanics, or ones with Hispanic employees.

In contrast to the West Side Pilsen neighborhood, which had three murders last year, Police Chief James Prandini said Des Plaines hasn't had a murder in the past three years. Gang activity is limited to graffiti in Des Plaines, he said.

"They picked our town as a safe place to live," Arredia said. "I don't see anything wrong with that."

Leaders in Pilsen, however, do. They see the story as a slight to their neighborhood, which is home to the Mexican Fine Arts Center Museum.

Claudia G. Martinez, executive director of the Pilsen Little Village Information Center, spent Tuesday speaking to residents who were upset. While families do choose to leave Pilsen, it's more likely because it's more affordable to live in the suburbs, she said. Homes in Pilsen are fetching a half-million dollars, while families can own a home in the suburbs for half that amount, Martinez said.

"Just as any community, you have problems," she said. "But it's like a family. When somebody says something about your brother, you don't like it."

At the American Girl headquarters, they are shocked at the negative reaction to the doll, which is selling for $84. Spokeswoman Julie Parks said Marisol at one point proclaims Pilsen the "best place in the world." Her family moves to Des Plaines to have a home with a yard where she can play.

In the story, Marisol's mother also tells her they are moving to be closer to her job, so she can spend more time with the family, Parks said.

Hector Marino, coordinator of computer and technical services for Des Plaines Public Library, is familiar with the story of Marisol because he bought the doll for his 9-year-old daughter. To him, it makes sense Marisol would move from the city because her family wants a home and access to parking. He appreciates having a Hispanic doll for his daughter to play with, saying it's encouraging to see more diversity.

I don't know, I guess I can see why people that live in the neighborhood would be mad, but it's just a doll for crying out loud. Just be glad the doll isn't really offensive, you know, like come with a velvet painting of the Last Supper, have 20-inch diameter hoop earings, maroon lip liner, and is dressed in a wife beater and a pair of Dickies.

I hate when that happens

2005-01-28T11:44:00.000-06:00

Politics aside, I felt sad for Cheney when I saw this photo.

Check out the dude in the back, on the left, he's all "what's up with that?"

Cheney's Green Parka and Boots Stand Out
Fri Jan 28, 9:12 AM ET Europe - AP
OSWIECIM, Poland - Vice President Dick Cheney's utilitarian hooded parka and boots stood out amid the solemn formality of a ceremony commemorating the liberation of Nazi death camps, raising eyebrows among the fashion-conscious.

Cheney replaced the zipped-to-the-neck green parka he sported in Thursday's blowing snow and freezing wind with a more traditional black coat — red tie and gray scarf showing underneath — for his tour of Auschwitz on Friday.

Washington Post fashion writer Robin Givhan described Cheney's look at the deeply moving 60th anniversary service as "the kind of attire one typically wears to operate a snow blower."

"Cheney stood out in a sea of black-coated world leaders because he was wearing an olive drab parka with a fur-trimmed hood," Givhan wrote in Friday's Post, also mocking Cheney's knit ski cap embroidered with the words "Staff 2001" and his brown, lace-up hiking boots. "The vice president looked like an awkward child amid the well-dressed adults," she said.

I mean, we all have had that experience, you show up to a party that is supposed to be casual, you show up in your capris(for girls, not sure if guys can rock the capris yet), or whatever else you decide is "casual" enough to wear; and you arrive and everyone is dressed like they are going to walk the red carpet at the Oscars.

Then again maybe Cheney was wearing the boots to appear taller to someone he met there previously, like George did in that one Seinfeld episode, The Betrayal.

Monday

2005-01-24T10:35:00.000-06:00

First things, first, I was sad to hear about Johnny Carson's death...he was the original late night talk show host. I remember staying up late as a kid, sneaking in to the living room where my parents sat watching his show, there I was, hiding behind the couch, the warm blue glow of the tv bringing into to our homes one of the funniest men ever to grace tv. He showed the rest how it was done, although I have to hand it to Letterman and O'Brien, they are doing a pretty good job as well.

Yeah, I have a bad case of the Mondays....my Mondays seem to be running into my Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. I am also sick today, so let the pity party begin!

I need to make the brash move and do something already about my creative career, my writing. I am starting to gather my thoughts, fix up my portfolio and as Nike says, just do it. I'd appreciate any advice from any of you out there that have some experience in this field.

In the meantime here's a picture of a hash brown:

Update: I am downloading some software as I type for my new site; the first attempts were not so successful, I hope my writing career doesn't pan out the same way.

Sweeeeet!

2005-01-13T13:31:00.000-06:00

Yeah, take this quiz again, the person who made it must be really psycho(hehe) because they always update it.

Which Napoleon Dynamite character are you?

This is what I got today:

Something to do

2005-01-10T14:31:00.000-06:00

The transfer progress of my blog is still going..I hope to have everything moved by the end of the week.

In the meantime, keep yourself busy with this cool quiz, related to one of the best movies ever, Napoleon Dynamite.

Here's the quiz: Which Napoleon Dynamite character are you?

Think happy thoughts

2005-01-06T13:13:00.000-06:00

Imagine
by: John Lennon

Imagine there's no heaven,
It's easy if you try,
No hell below us,
Above us only sky,
Imagine all the people
living for today...

Imagine there's no countries,
It isn't hard to do,
Nothing to kill or die for,
No religion too,
Imagine all the people
living life in peace...

Imagine no possesions,
I wonder if you can,
No need for greed or hunger,
A brotherhood of man,
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world...

You may say I'm a dreamer,
but 'Im not the only one,
I hope some day you'll join us,
And the world will live as one.

Changes...I promise

2005-01-03T11:16:00.000-06:00

Ok, enough procrastinating, I am going to do it, time for the big move, that's it. I am finally working on moving my blog to its brand new shiny domain, keep your eyes out for related merchandise and maybe even a talk show soon. I wonder what my marketing ploy shall be?

Things may look a little different here in the meantime. I can't do any work on my new domain from my office,(thank you firewall-I love you I really do), so that means all the work must be done from home, so in between watching taped(eww, yeah, no Tivo for this loser) episodes of Lost and Arrested Development, I will be uploading, downloading, and unloading all of my angst into my new blog.

I'll post a link, (duh, like it's hard to imagine what the name will be, I have faith in my intelligent readers, i bet I don't even have to post the link here) of my new domain once everything is all clean an purdy.

Photo of the day
Smiling Cow-Camden,Maine

What a year!

2004-12-30T09:11:00.000-06:00

This year the Boston Red Sox won the World Series and Texas froze over. Irony noted.

Let the road to a new year begin

Tsunami relief

2004-12-29T09:21:00.000-06:00

There is a new site out called The South-East Asia Earthquake and Tsunami(SEA-EAT) blog, it has information about the disaster in Asia and links to places that are providing relief.

In addition, Google also has a page set up with information, and so does Apple's website.

This crazy earth

2004-12-28T09:44:00.000-06:00

What is up with this world, flooding and mudslides in California, snow in Texas, and now tidal waves? Sounds like some over publicized Hollywood movie, but unfortunately it's all too real.

I'm sure you have been watching the news about the tragedy in Asia. For those of you wondering what you can do to help, check out this list of agencies providing relief.

Here's another pic I took of the snowfall here in Texas; I'll probably still be posting these snow pictures for a few months, since I took so many.

Dead end

Snow day, time lapse photos

2004-12-27T11:09:00.000-06:00

Things started out light

Then a little more fell

Then some more

Then a whole lot more-our mat is there somewhere

Back of truck on Friday, Dec. 24

Back of truck on Saturday, Dec.25

Our snowman

More winter fun

News about our snowfall:

Victoria Advocate

CNN

New York Times

ABC News

Snow Day: For Real Now

2004-12-25T09:25:00.000-06:00

Ok, those pictures from yesterday are popcorn compared to these. We made national news.

A crazy winter in South Texas.

Look like cinnamon rolls...mmmm tasty.

Snow day

2004-12-24T19:32:00.000-06:00

Pretty exciting day today, we got snow, last time I remember snow in this area, was in the 1980's, back when Flock of Seagulls were popular and Members Only jackets were popular.

Welcoming the snow.

These cows are probably wondering what's going on.

Back of truck.

Photos of the day

2004-12-20T13:00:00.000-06:00

Here are some pictures I took of a few weeks ago,during the floods that occured November 25 in the area.

A river runs through it

Do not enter

Closed for business

Kinda tough to drive down that road

Who Am I?

2004-12-13T10:08:00.000-06:00

Don't know if this is something that many have pondered at one time or another. I don't mean to make an issue out of it, but it's something that comes up from time to time, the issue of my background, my ethnicity, what I am, what I call myself. And I can say, to this day, when I am asked, "what are you?", I still don't know how to answer.

Here are the facts: During the time of the Mexican Revolution, my ancestors came from Mexico to settle in Texas and New Mexico. My grandparents, parents, and I, were all born in Texas.

So am I Mexican, Mexican-American, Hispanic, Hispano, Chicano, Latino, or Tejano? Which to choose...so many options...now you see why I am confused. Do Anglos have this problem as well?

During my quest for my identity, I found these interesting articles:

Hispanic, Latino or Chicano?

Taxonomy

I'll keep you updated and let you know once I find out who I am.

Friday's Food: The Gordita

2004-12-10T10:36:00.000-06:00

Now we return to your regularly scheduled program, and today's special, the gordita.
The gordita we are talking about here, is not of the Taco Bell persuasion...not that there's anything wrong with that, I can go to town at Taco Bell just like anyone else.

First things first, the definition:

Gordita" means "little fat one. They are made with tortilla dough (occasionally with the addition of other ingredients such as wheat flour or potato) which is patted into circles of 2 - 3 inches then cooked on a comal and sometimes deep fried as well. The filling, often beans or shredded meat and cheese is placed in the pocket formed when a small layer or skin of dough puffs up from the top and can be peeled open.

Needs filling

Tasty

Back to reality

2004-12-09T13:12:00.000-06:00

Well, vacation time is long over, back to the world of deadlines, broken pcs, viruses, and spell check.

The semester is over for now, will have a short break, before hitting the books again. I dread seeing my grades for this term. This was one of the worst semesters ever for me, not because of the classes or anything, but illnesses suffered by me, family members that were hospitalized, vacation (yeah, I should have waited until after classes finished, I know), all which caused several abscences from class, many a missed lecture, and late assignments. Oh well.

Here are some more photos I took on vacation. Ah, vacation, wonder when I'll have another one of those, it was fun while it lasted.

Islesboro, Maine

The world is a looking glass

Good eats

2004-12-08T13:55:00.000-06:00

I love diners, something cozy about sitting in a booth on a cold winter night, eating the special of the day....oh, and don't forget the pie.

Moody's Diner-Waldoboro, Maine

The long walk

2004-12-07T15:52:00.000-06:00

To see that spectacular sunset, we had to walk all along this:

Rockland, Maine

I had a great time in New England, was mostly in Maine the whole time, and I have to say, I didn't see a lot of Latinos up there. No surprise there I guess.

What a view

2004-12-06T15:48:00.000-06:00

This sunset just makes you all teary-eyed, doesn't it?

View from Rockland Breakwater Lighthouse, Maine

On the rocks

2004-12-03T15:22:00.000-06:00

Acadia National Park

Picture Perfect

2004-12-02T15:15:00.000-06:00

Islesboro, Maine

Serenity Now!

2004-12-01T15:03:00.000-06:00

I can just feel the rays on me now.

Islesboro, Maine

Winter Wonderland

2004-11-30T14:53:00.000-06:00

Things are going to be crazy the next 2 weeks, deadlines, articles, final exams, so posting will be light(as if it hadn't been already), but I will try to post a pic a day from my vacation.

Acadia National Park, Mount Desert Island - Maine

Vacationland

2004-11-24T11:13:00.000-06:00

No I haven't fallen off the face of the planet!

I was on vacation in New England, I would have blogged from there, but then I thought to myself, "what the?!"...I'm on vacation, I should relax, so that meant no computers, no internet, no cell phones for me. It was great.

I'll update you on my travels soon and share some photos for you. I tried my hand at snowboarding, let's just say I didn't break anything, but was really sore after.

Not again!

2004-11-05T10:49:00.000-06:00

So it seems like this season green is the new pink, cowboy boots are the new Uggs, and Ohio is the new Florida.

We have a winner!

2004-11-02T15:31:00.001-06:00

Election Results brought to you by Gizmodo

Recent polls

2004-11-02T13:06:00.000-06:00

Bringing you the latest in election day polls:

Yes I know it's spelled different

*insert disgusted laughter here*

Yes ladies and gentlemen, I'll be here all night!

Tonight I'll be sitting in front of the tv, flipping through the channels, watching Gilmore Girls and Sponge Bob. Oh yeah, probably be checking the news also, wonder if we'll know who our next president will be by tomorrow?

They don't play around in Florida

2004-11-01T10:54:00.000-06:00

I know, I know, I pretty much promised no election news here, and this is related to it, but more than anything I am putting this here because it has to do with journalism.

What the heck is up with this?

US journalist punched, arrested by officer outside Florida voting office
U.S. National - AFP

MIAMI (AFP) - A sheriff's deputy tackled, punched and arrested a US journalist for taking pictures of people waiting in line to cast early ballots in West Palm Beach, local media reported.

A sheriff's spokesman said later the deputy was enforcing a new county rule prohibiting reporters from interviewing or photographing voters lined up outside the polls, the Palm Beach Post said.

The deputy Sunday tried to grab the camera of James Henry, a freelance journalist who has written for The New York Times and The Washington Post.

Henry, 54, ran across the pavement but was tackled by the deputy, who pinned him to the ground, punched him in the back and handcuffed him, according to the daily.

He was charged with disorderly conduct and resisting arrest.

Palm Beach Supervisor of Elections Teresa LePore did not comment on the incident or the new rule, which had not been previously announced. LePore gained notoriety as the creator of the infamous butterfly ballot that confused thousands of voters in the chaotic and controversial 2000 election.

Her counterpart from Leon County, Ion Sancho, expressed outrage at the attempt to restrict reporters and photographers outside polling places, saying it was a constitutional right, according to the Palm Beach Post.

Le Pore's office had not announced the new rule before the incident.

First hurricanes, now this...remind me to watch my back if I'm ever in Florida.

Friday's Food: Nachos

2004-10-29T13:38:00.000-05:00

I had so much fun with the food posts, I'm going to make it a regular thing on Fridays, and from then on, who knows?

Today we highlight the marvelous, the tasty, the messy food that gets you cheesy all over, nachos.

Definition: Nachos in their simplest form are tortilla chips covered in melted cheese. Common additional toppings are:
Ground beef
Olives
Jalapeno pepper slices
Refried beans
Salsa

Use a napkin

A little history about nachos:

SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS
BY KAREN HARAM
A fried tostado. Yellow cheese. A slice of jalapeno. So simple. So delicious. So monumental. Back in 1943, Ignacio "Nacho" assembled the first he had no idea that 60 years later, this appetizer would have made his nickname a household word.

At that time, the senior Anaya was working at a restaurant owned by Rudolfo De Los Santos, the Victory Club in Piedras Negras, Mexico, just across the border from Eagle Pass, says his son Ignacio Anaya Jr. of Eagle Pass.

As Anaya Jr. recalls the story, Mamie Finan and a group of 10 to 12 officers' wives, whose husbands were stationed at Fort Duncan Air Base, traveled across the border to eat at the Victory Club. When the senior Anaya couldn't find the cook, he went into action.

"My father was maitre d' and he said 'Let me go quick and fix something for you.' He went into the kitchen, picked up tostados,' grated some cheese on them - Wisconsin cheese, the round one - and put them under the Salamander (a broiling unit that quickly browns the top of foods). He pulled them out after a couple minutes, all melted, and put on a slice of jalapeno." - The name of the snack, Anaya Jr. says, came from Finan, who called the plate of cheese- and chile-topped chips Nacho's Especiales.

The name was later shortened to simply "nachos." Anaya Sr. went on to work at the Moderno, which is still in business today, as well as his own Nacho's Restaurant in Piedras Negras. In 1960, Anaya Jr. looked into helping his father, who died in 1975, claim ownership of the nacho.

"I talked to a lawyer in San Antonio. He said there's not much you can do after 17 years. It's in the public domain," Anaya Jr. says.

More facts about nachos:

The first professional sports team to offer nachos in the concession stand was baseball's Texas Rangers.

Nachos were cast into the spotlight by Monday Night Football. Howard Cosell had purchased some nachos before a game and quickly used the word "nachos" to describe a spectacular play.

Oasis

2004-10-28T09:35:00.000-05:00

There is a lot of crazy stuff going on in the world, but I like to think of this place as an oasis from the madness. While everyone else is worried about gallup poles, statistics, and all that mess, I am only concerned about the important things in life, like the Red Sox winning the World Series! Yay! About time!

Speaking of the game last night, after the Red Sox won and everyone was on the field running up to congratulate them, the camera zooms in on what appeared to be Jimmy Fallon and Drew Barrymore kissing. I was like, whaaa? When did that happen, wasn't she dating the gangly, messy-haired Stroke(wait they all look like that) or something? And since when has Fallon been a Boston fan?

Well the cause for the pda is not as juicy as you think, for those inquiring minds:

Movie makers BOBBY and PETER FARRELY have called back DREW BARRYMORE and JIMMY FALLON to reshoot scenes on their new baseball romance film, after the BOSTON RED SOX's recent win against the NEW YORK YANKEES.

Fallon and Barrymore have spent the past few months filming FEVER PITCH, adapted from British author NICK HORNBY's best-selling novel about a soccer fanatic, which was first adapted for the big screen in 1997 and starred BRIDGET JONES heart-throb COLIN FIRTH.

But after the Red Sox shock win against long-time champions Yankees in the AMERICAN LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES' game seven last week (20OCT04) and their subsequent triumphs in the WORLD SERIES games, the Farrelly Bros have realised their script needs some drastic changes.

In Hornby's novel, the hero's favourite football team ARSENAL win the league, however due to the Red Sox's long underdog status, the Farrelly Bros wrote the script to accommodate the baseball team's losing streak.

Bobby explains, "In the script, the Red Sox don't win, but now all of a sudden, what happens if they do win? The script implies that it's not one of their best years. We didn't know they were going to make a historic comeback against the Yankees.

"There's been some tweaking. The writers are burning the midnight oil.

"We're actively changing the end of the movie. I think the word is serendipity."

Spanish news

2004-10-26T11:46:00.000-05:00

Captioning Part Of Comprehensive Hispanic Outreach

BOSTON -- WCVB-TV Channel 5 Boston has launched the market's first-ever Spanish translation of local broadcast news as part of a comprehensive Hispanic outreach effort. Every local newscast and the nightly news magazine Chronicle are available with Spanish language translations.

In addition, the station will add news of importance to the Hispanic community to its award-winning Web site, TheBostonChannel.com.

NewsCenter 5 also airs a series of bilingual messages from its reporters Amalia Barreda and Jorge Quiroga to encourage story ideas and news tips from viewers. In its effort to serve New England's burgeoning Latino population with important news of the day, General Motor's "Hummer" division underwrites the public service initiative.

Channel 5 viewers can access real-time Spanish translation of local programming through technology provided by Translate TV. The station broadcasts instantaneous translation of English closed-captioning into Spanish subtitles.

The technology uses the station's existing English captions to provide live, simultaneous subtitles in Spanish. Viewers simply activate the closed-caption No. 2 feature on their television sets. If viewers do NOT want the Spanish translation, all they have to do is turn OFF the CC2 feature on their sets. Translate TV's system utilizes a sophisticated custom "dictionary" and lexicon specific to the Boston market to increase the accuracy of translations.

This effort continues WCVB's long tradition as a broadcast innovator and community stalwart by reaching out to the fastest- growing segment of the station's viewership. According to the 2000 Census, Hispanics make up more than 15 percent of Boston's population and are the majority in some towns, including Lawrence, Mass. (nearly 60 percent).

Channel 5 is only the ninth local broadcaster in the country to employ this groundbreaking technology. It is also used on national programs such as "The Tonight Show" with Jay Leno and the MSNBC cable network.

"This service continues the highest tradition of New England 'firsts' for WCVB-TV," station President and General Manager Paul La Camera said. "It is of special significance in the important accessibility and service it will provide to our area's fasting growing population segment."

The outreach campaign continues on the station's Web site, www.TheBostonChannel.com, with compelling articles provided by El Mundo, the region's largest and longest-running Spanish language publication.

The newspaper will reciprocate by featuring WCVB editorials in both English and Spanish, in addition to serving as an adviser to the station on other projects. Known for its award-winning coverage of the Hispanic community and hard-hitting bilingual reporting, El Mundo is celebrated by Latinos as the voice of the community.

I don't know, I guess it's good thing, but I just hate reading subtitles. I would prefer an all Spanish channel, complete with local news, don't they have something like that in Florida or California?

The Return

2004-10-21T13:33:00.000-05:00

All is well now my babies, I'm have returned!

Got a little run down with a mixture of a cold,allergies, asthma, had a little visit to the dermatologist that resulted in some stitches, not to mention general laziness, and all of the catch-up time needed to get back on track at work and school. Midterms are over now, so its time to relax, sit back, er, no wait, I still have work to do, and my deadline for my articles is this Friday! What am I doing here?!

Got some writing to do, then I'll be back!

Blech

2004-10-11T19:23:00.000-05:00

Too sick too blog. Once I get better your regularly scheduled program will continue.

Not a picture of me, but isn't that a nifty gadget?

Spotlight On Mexican Food: Fajitas

2004-10-04T18:02:00.000-05:00

Ok, this is one meal even I am pretty good at making. I remember as a kid sitting outside watching my dad cook them on our bbq pit, letting the intoxicating aroma of mesquite, meat marinade and grilled onions waft around me. The smell of the fajitas on the grill today brings back memories of when all was right in the world, where my only worries were which cartoons to watch on Saturday morning and how to convince parents to get me that Cabbage Patch doll.

Now a staple on restaurant menus and in our homes, the fajita had humble beginnings. Hispanic ranch workers originated fajitas in south Texas in the late 1930s.

Fajita comes from the Spanish word "fajita," meaning belt or girdle. The skirt is the heavily used diaphragm muscle from beef. Often beef skirts, and other less desirable cuts, were given to ranch workers as partial payment for their services in trading or slaughtering cattle. The workers tenderized the meat by pounding it and marinating it in lime juice. The meat was then cooked over an open fire using wood from the mesquite tree, a hardwood which grows readily in the Texas open range. After grilling, the meat slices were wrapped in Mexican bread (tortillas) and called tacos de fajitas.

The word "fajita" did not appear in print until 1975.

In 1984 Homero Recio, a lecturer on animal science at Texas A & M University, obtained a fellowship to study the origins of the item, coming to the conclusion two years later that, ironically, it was his grandfather, a butcher from Premont, Texas, who may have been the first to use the term "fajita" to describe the pieces of skirt steak cooked directly on mesqutie coals for family dinners as far back as the 1930s. Recio also hypothesized that the first restaurant to serve fajitas--though under the name "botanzas" (appetizers)--was the Roundup in McAllen, Texas. But Sonny "Fajita King" Falcon claimed to have opened the first "fajita stand" in Kyle, Texas, and in 1978 a "Fajita King" stand in Austin.

I remember when I went to visit family in North Carolina, I had promised them I would make fajitas for them. This is the Cuban part of my family, they had eaten fajitas when they had visited us in Texas, and had been craving them since. However, there was an obstacle there in NC, I could not find beef skirt anywhere! Maybe it was the stores I went to, maybe it was the fact that we were shopping for beef skirt at 11pm, but it was nowhere to be found. We eventually found a cut of meat that resembled skirt steak, don't ask me what it was, but it wasn't the same. Maybe I was in the wrong place or something, but I also had problems finding avocados to make guacamole, an essential part of the fajita experience.

Guacamole: Required eating

Spotlight On Mexican Food: The Taco

2004-10-03T14:03:00.000-05:00

Call it the ambassador of Mexican food, just about everyone knows what a taco is, has tasted one or has seen one in a commercial or on an episode of The Simpsons. The taco is your friend.

Which do you prefer: hard shell or soft tacos?

I prefer soft tacos, made with either corn or flour tortillas. I can admit to eating 7 soft corn tortilla tacos in one sitting, I don't know what my grandmother's secret is, but those things are as addictive as heroin, so delicious. The toppings are what add to the taco experience, my favorite things to add are shredded lettuce, tons of guacamole, and the ever-present Latino staple, salsa.

Don't forget the salsa!

Spotlight On Mexican Food: Sope

2004-10-02T10:15:00.000-05:00

Next on my tour of Mexican cuisine, is the/el Sope, what I call the cousin of the tostada. They are similar, and very tasty.

Sope: A grilled tortilla, topped with refried beans, salsa, cheese, chopped onion, and often lettuce and meat

I have to admit, although I've had this dish only a few times, it is delicious. I don't see this on the restaurant menus here in Texas.

Spotlight On Mexican Food: The Tostada

2004-09-30T22:21:00.000-05:00

I remember another one of my favorite meals that my mom would make would be tostadas. I've noticed sometimes in restaurants they call them chalupas, I've really never heard of chalupas until I saw them on a menu, or at Taco Bell, but their chalupas are somewhat different than the tostada.

Although tostadas are often considered appetizers, you get yourself a plate of 3 of these bad boys, load them up with lettuce, tomato, chile, guacamole, melted cheese, well, you have a meal in its own there. And quiet a tasty one if I may add.

The tostada: bet you just can't have one!

Tostada: Fried corn tortilla, often topped with beans, meat, tomatoes, lettuce and salsa.

Tostada is a Spanish word translating to "toasted" in English and, in Mexican cuisine, refers to a flat tortilla that is toasted or deep fried.

Tostadas fall into a genre of Mexican cuisine called antojitos or appetizers. Their ingredients are highly adaptable, and their composition is limited only by the cook's imagination.

In Mexico, tostadas can be anything from 4-inch miniatures topped with a spicy mixture for an appetizer, to larger tostadas piled higher for a quick, light, main meal.

Most Mexicans eat their tostadas outdoors and on the run. Tostadas are among the most popular street foods in Mexico, because of their nearly endless variety. It also helps that the tostada shell serves as an easy-to-hold edible plate.

Spotlight On Mexican Food: The Burrito

2004-09-28T20:41:00.000-05:00

Ok, so since my early days of sporting a Big Wheel, one of my favorite Mexican snacks was the burrito. I remember coming home after school that was my main source of sustenance before dinner was ready. Even now I am addicted to the Taco Bell burritos. However, no one in my family ever "made" burritos. I always ate them in restaurants or bought them frozen.

How many can you eat?

Some recipes which are thought of as traditionally Mexican by non-Mexicans, are totally unknown in certain parts of Mexico. One example is the Burrito which is basically a stuffed wheat tortilla - popular in the North but unheard of in the South where corn is still king.

The burrito epitomizes the cooking of what Mexicans call El Norte (The North), an 1,800-mile stretch of land that runs from the Pacific coast of Baja California to the lowlands of the Gulf of Mexico. This ranch-style food is hearty and simple and showcases the region's flavorful beef. It is the cooking of El Norte that is most familiar to Americans. Wheat-flour tortillas are a northern twist on the corn tortilla burrito wrapper.

While I'm here, I may as well give you all an definition of Tex-Mex food.

Tex-Mex is the name given to the mix of Northern Mexican and Southern US (Texan) cooking. Traditional dishes have been changed to create this cuisine and whilst some of the ingredients used are to be found in Mexican cuisine, often ingredients unused in Mexico are added.

Spotlight on Mexican food: The Enchilada

2004-09-27T11:41:00.000-05:00

I'm hungry, so all this week I will be focusing on the meals that everyone loves, the food that comes from south of the border,(which also makes us run south after eating it seems).

I am talking about the wonderful world of Mexican food. I hope to include some interesting facts about certain meals, and my own experiences with Mexican food. Some of my posts may include what is called Tex-Mex food, so don't jump on my case.

Today's special: Enchiladas

Definition:a tortilla dipped in chile sauce, stuffed with a variety of ingredients then rolled up and baked.

The concept of tortillas being wrapped, filled and eaten in various forms was clearly defined by the Aztecs. There does not seem to be any reference to the term "enchilada" that dates back to the Aztecs. The first reference to the term "enchilada" in the U.S. came in 1885.

"The word “enchilada” simply means “in chile” and in Mexico, the most beloved version is actually a street snack: a corn tortilla dipped in chile sauce that’s a far cry from the limp, stuffed tortillas swimming in a sea of red sauce and molten cheese that we’re familiar with in the U.S.

According to American Food and Drink an article in "American Speech" in 1949 described the enchilada as "a Mexican dish prepared more for turista than for local consumption".

You'd have to take a lot of TUMS after eating this one:

LAS CRUCES, N.M. (AP) - A ten-foot, five-inch diameter enchilada capped the annual Whole Enchilada Festival in Las Cruces.

The enchilada takes 75 pounds of stone ground corn to make three corn tortillas; 175 gallons of heated vegetable oil to cook the tortillas; 75 gallons of red chili; 175 pounds of grated cheese; and 50 pounds of chopped onions.

Each year, it takes chef Roberto Estrada and a crew of 14 about four hours to make the enchilada.

Spotlight On Mexican Food: The Tortilla

2004-09-26T13:32:00.000-05:00

I have fond memories of the mexican bread known as the tortilla. From my early years of snacking on a warm, freshly made tortilla, with butter, to now when I eat my fast food of choice, the burrito. Can you tell I'm hungry today?

Today's lesson will be about the history of the tortilla.

"tortilla" – A name given by the Spaniards to the unleavened flat bread they found in Mexico among the Aztec in the sixteenth century. The word “tortilla comes from the Spanish word “torta” which means round cake.

Tortillas date back as far as 10,000 years. It was the principal food of the Aztecs who were the dominant people in Meso-America in 1519.

The tortilla industry is the fastest growing sector in the U.S. baking industry.

**Note to readers, I am in the progress of moving to another server, please bear with me, you may see a few things change in the meantime. Thanks for your patience.

Ay Caramba!

2004-09-21T11:57:00.000-05:00

There is a new magazine headed to college campuses across the U.S. The theme: Latino.

The magazine is called iCaramba U and according to the website the mission of the magazine:

"is to provide an entertaining, informative and educational resource for Latino college and high school students."

On A Mexican Radio

2004-09-17T10:41:00.000-05:00

Looks like Latinos are continuing to take over this nation. Sort of.

First it started with geographic locations such as East LA, Miami, San Antonio, and beyond.

Next target, Hollywood, where were introduced to shows like The George Lopez Show. This show introduced American audiences to a non-stereotypical Latino family. Not all of us speak Spanish and have a velvet painting of The Last Supper hanging in our living room. Not that there's anything wrong with that. I would still like to see more Latinos on tv, and no, Cops and America's Most Wanted does not count. I'm not the only one that thinks this.

Part of the problem, says casting director Carol Goldwasser, is that Hollywood is run the same way the country is.

``The lion's share of TV writers are white men who went to an Ivy League school'' who write ``what they know,'' she says.

I know there are talented Latino actors and actresses out there, what we need is more roles for them, roles besides the pool boy and maid. I know there are talented Latino writers out there who can write these roles for them. The problem is having them get their foot in the Hollywood door.

Back on topic.

The public was then introduced to Latin music thanks to artists like Marc Anthony, Shakira, and Jennifer Lopez. You can keep Ricky Martin, I'm not claiming him.

What's next? The sky's the limit, so to speak.

Some Clear Channel stations changing to Hispanic format
The Associated Press

SAN ANTONIO - Clear Channel Communications, the country's largest owner of radio stations with 1,200, said Thursday that it will convert 20 to 25 stations to "Hispanic formats" within 18 months.

Clear Channel already has 18 stations carrying Spanish-language programming.

The company said news and talk station WWVA-FM/WVWA-FM in Atlanta will be the first station converted. It will focus on Spanish-language contemporary music.

Some converted stations will concentrate on regional Mexican, tropical or contemporary music, and others will offer a range of musical genres.

Johnny Ramone

2004-09-16T07:41:00.000-05:00

Johnny Ramone died Wednesday after a long battle with cancer. Listen to a song by The Ramones today.

1948 - 2004

Holy Thesaurus Batman!

2004-09-15T09:06:00.000-05:00

I was disappointed after reading that America's youth doesn't have mad writing skills. So the College Board is trying to remedy that by creating new SAT exams with a writing portion. I gs u cn blm yrz of txt msgx...sux0rs.

Now I read that not only are kids bad at writing, but their parents probably are just as bad, or forget parents, how about most adults?

No Hemingways here: Employers say workers need help to improve writing ability
By MADLEN READ
Associated Press Writer
NEW YORK (AP) It's not just students who need to brush up on their writing.

A majority of U.S. employers say about one-third of workers do not meet the writing requirements of their positions, according to a survey by the College Board's National Commission on Writing.

``Businesses are really crying out they need to have people who write better,'' said College Board President Gaston Caperton.

While writing has always held a spot in American education as one of the three Rs, many say writing clearly and accurately is more important than ever and not all workers are up to the task.

In a fast-paced workplace, precision and brevity are essential. For e-mails, reports and presentations, the commission found that accuracy, clarity, spelling, punctuation, grammar and conciseness ranked among the most sought-after skills.

``There's no way to say that writing has gotten worse,'' said Susan Traiman, director of the education initiative for the Business Roundtable. Rather, ``the demand has gotten greater.''

(...)

A majority of survey respondents said about two-thirds of employees both current workers and new hires meet writing requirements. However, about one-third of respondents said one-third or fewer of current and new employees met those requirements. While lackluster writing skills do not necessarily impede success in all realms, more than half of the companies surveyed reported that they assess writing in hiring and promoting salaried employees.

The solution?

The College Board, which administers the SAT, PSAT and Advanced Placement tests, says the responsibility lies with grade schools and universities but training represents another potential solution.

``You're never too old to learn,'' said Bob Kerrey, co-chair of the writing commission and president of the New School University in New York City. ``It's a skill that is acquirable.''

I have always thought writing to be an essential skill in life. I have had a passion for it since my early days of writing doctor's notes to excuse me from gym class, (er, I meant, watching my mom write them), writing stories in high school English to break up the monotony and crack up my friends, and to the present time as I try to make a living out of the written word. I love to write, I can't imagine not wanting to or not being able to do it. It's as vital as breathing or eating, it is communication, and for a society to survive, to get along, we need to communicate.

Sign of the times

2004-09-14T14:35:00.000-05:00

Three million people are expected to enter the United States illegally this year, the vast majority from Mexico, so I guess they'll need to make more of these signs.

Study This

2004-09-13T11:29:00.000-05:00

The Oregon State Board of Higher Education has authorized OSU to establish a program leading to a master of arts in contemporary Hispanic studies, effective immediately.

Students completing the coursework would have a wide range of career opportunities, including work in non-governmental organizations, migrant workers’ social and legal programs, Volunteers in Service to America, Organization of American States, and education. A master's degree in contemporary Hispanic Studies would also prepare students for future study at the doctoral level.

The state board noted that the degree is adapted to the growth and complexity of Hispanic populations in both the Northwest and across the country, and acknowledged a deficit of graduate programs anchored in interdisciplinary and community-oriented education that focus on communication across cultures. The program will cultivate differences in various Spanish-speaking groups while identifying sufficient common ground to facilitate intracultural communication and cross-cultural communication.

One weekend with my family and you get all the studying of the Hispanic culture you need. Man at that rate I should have 10 doctorates by now. Special honors for mastering the art of making the perfect tortilla and stomaching my grandpa's super-fabulouso-muy-picante salsa.

Where were you?

2004-09-11T14:25:00.000-05:00

What were you doing the morning of September 11, 2001?

I remember the day vividly. My sister and I had just been in NYC at the beginning of August, so we were still, as the song says, in a new york state of mind. That morning the phone rang, waking me up. It was my mom asking me if I heard what was going on over in New York City. I had no clue what she was talking about, so I walked over to the tv, turned it on, and the world was never the same after that. I sat and watched as a second plane flew into the World Trade Center, I sat and watched as Peter Jennings announced that a plane had crashed into the Pentagon, I sat and watched as the announcement about the plane crash in Pennyslvania came in, I sat and watched as the Twin Towers fell down, I sat and watched as America was attacked.

The Super Fantastic Flying Tortilla

2004-09-10T09:57:00.000-05:00

Who would have thought a tortilla could cause so much chaos?! I'm sorry, but this story is hilarious, no matter what side of the border you're from. Apparently the University of Arizona has this unwelcome tradition of throwing tortillas during commencement.

UA limits December grad ceremony
Tortilla toss may be cause, student body president says
By Inger Sandal
ARIZONA DAILY STAR

There will be no universitywide commencement ceremony for undergraduates at the UA this December, over the strong objection of student and alumni groups.

UA Student Body President Alistair Chapman said he believes the underlying motivation is tortillas, which - when spinning through the air at commencement - have confounded the administration and drawn protesters in recent years.

(...)

Likins had warned in May 2003 that he would consider canceling the campuswide commencement if tortillas continue to be tossed.

"Unless our peculiar practice of throwing tortillas ceases, we may be obliged to cancel future all-university commencement ceremonies, leaving our graduation celebrations to the individual colleges," Likins wrote.

Chapman, who is part of the committee that was formed within the past year at Likins' request, said: "The word 'tortilla' dominated our conversation for three months. This seems to be the core reason behind the cancellation of the commencement."

The tortillas continued to fly. But Chapman said a video from the May 2004 commencement showed most of the tortillas were thrown from the audience. He said he believes security at the doors, similar to that at basketball games, would eliminate that problem and is needed anyway for a crowd of 14,000.

Ray Siqueiros, the high school teacher who organized silent protests against the practice of throwing tortillas at the UA for a couple of years, said he didn't know how much the tortilla-throwing influenced the change, but he would have preferred community discussions to end the practice.

Silent protests? Conversations about tortillas? Full body searches, looking for contraband tortillas? Ok, everyone get this, this whole controversy is over TORTILLAS! How crazy is that?! Now the real story I want to read is why tortillas and why not wheat crackers or pita bread, no one eats those anyway.

Warning: May rattle nerves

Ok, so I dug up this article from May, in it students talk about the tortilla flinging, the President Peter Likins talks about the practice.

Arizona Daily Wildcat
Wednesday, May 12, 2004

"These are intelligent young men and women who are graduating from our university," Likins said. "They're not deliberately giving offense. They're just having fun."

But Likins said the fun should end when it is at the expense of others.

The practice of throwing tortillas during the ceremony offends people, he said, especially people of certain ethnic groups.

"In some people's memories, tossing the tortillas is a historic slur. It's stereotyping the Mexican-American community in ways that some people find offensive," Likins said.

He said the airborne tortillas unnerve speakers who are unfamiliar with the practice, and embarrass the university because it is a "childish" and wasteful act that graduating students should stop.

"For some speakers, it's just not a problem. ... But for other speakers, it's unimaginable," Likins said. "You feel like you're getting tomatoes thrown at you when you're trying to deliver a speech. You don't know quite how to handle that."

Likins said he found the act amusing back in 1997 but has since realized that the practice is offensive to the Mexican and American Indian community.

Socorro Carrizosa, director of Chicano/Hispano Student Affairs, said she does not like the practice because it is wasteful and reflects poorly on the attitudes of the students at the UA.

Graduating communication senior Lizz Bozorgmehr said she does not think the practice is rude or offensive unless it's deliberately demeaning.

"I would think it's a form of celebration," she said. "If they threw baguettes, would the French people get mad?"

Madness. I'm Mexican-Latina-Chicana-Hispandex-etc and I'm not offending by all the tortilla flinging. Now if it is a danger or could cause someone to lose an eye, then yes that's bad, please stop it now. I remember at my high school graduation we were warned and told many times not to throw our graduation caps up in the air after the ceremony. Seriously, if we got caught our diplomas would not be mailed to us, and we would have to go through all sorts of trouble to get it. See what they gave us on stage when we walked was a blank diploma, so if anyone misbehaved, bah, no diploma for you!

Progress

2004-09-08T09:50:00.000-05:00

I'm working on a new things for this place, got a domain, now I just have to figure out style sheets and other html goodies before the move. Blogger has been good to me, but it's time to move on.

Bleh

2004-09-08T09:11:00.000-05:00

I've been sick since Saturday. I've managed to drag myself to work today after having an extra long weekend. Some weekend. Too sick to blog, so why not read this:

Latinos should highlight education as their core issue
By Manuel Hernandez
WhittierDailyNews.com

THERE has been a lot of talk about the fact that Latinos are now the largest minority in the United States. According to recent projections, close to half of the population will be Latino by the last half of the 21st Century. Hispanic Magazine describes the phenomenon as the "Minority Nation.'
The Latino population growth has surpassed all predictions and continues to baffle census specialists. There are many Latino issues on top of the electoral table, but the following seem to be the most relevant: home ownership, immigration, health insurance, economic growth, security and education.

As a hard-core believer in the power of education, all of the issues served on the electoral table are appetizers of a quality education.

It was in 1967 with the publication of "Down These Mean Streets' that the legendary pioneer of Latino letters, Piri Thomas, made "El Barrio' in Manhattan a household name. The classic autobiography portrayed and depicted the issues of the late 1960s: identity, survival and racism.

But in 2004, the climactic point in the Latino drama is education. With an approximate 25 percent high-school dropout rate average and merely 6 percent registration at the graduate level in colleges and universities across America, the numbers speak for themselves and have been thrust around at will by those who have interests of all sorts.

In spite of all the good intentions coming from one party and another, a sound and solid- based educational plan has yet to be designed and created. How will the national Latino high school dropout rate be attended? What academic plan will be drawn to ensure that Latino teens entering high school in 2004-2005 will not drop out tomorrow? How will those young adults graduating from high school receive motivation, information and support to pursue graduate studies?

The answers to these and other educational questions remain tied up in the "language of ideas' discussed by politicians at all corners of the electoral table. Under President Bush's No Child Left Behind Law, there is renewed accountability, enhanced flexibility and community control. At the same time, there is an emphasis on teaching strategies that have worked in the past. But there are no specific, concise and detailed suggestions on how states should tackle the desired educational outcomes.

Sen. John Kerry's people are talking about providing quality education and recognizing that "children need good schools' (Hispanic Magazine). The good intentions are undeniable, but the ideas do not fulfill the academic demands of a population that continues to impact, influence and redefine America.

The academic demands cannot be taken lightly and should provide immediate intervention, pre-planned prevention and long-term planning. The highest high school dropout rate among minorities is preventing Latinos to attain a higher education degree.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, a college graduate will earn more over a lifetime period than a high school graduate. However, in the traditional age group, only 25 percent of foreign-born Latinos who graduated from high school are enrolled in an undergraduate institution.

On the other hand, 40 percent of second-generation Latino high-school graduates attend college. If Latinos are less likely to graduate from high school but continue to grow in population, the United States has an economic situation that needs serious attention.

Why not make it a national priority to work with states to develop a vision in tune with the necessities of the Latino teen? Latino teens are scoring poorly in city, state and national testing requirements. Teens have difficulties reacting and responding to literature that is far away from their immigrant experience. The literary text possesses no fixed and final meaning or value; there is no one "correct' meaning.

According to Louise Rosenblatt, a poem is "what the reader lives through under the guidance of the text.'

If Latino teens cannot make a connection with the text, there will be little possibility of an interpretation. As a consequence, the possibilities of better scores in these exams are reduced to a minimum.

Latino teens today are open to options. It is the responsibility of government, teachers, administrators, parents and educational advocates to provide them with the keys to their educational experience.

I strongly believe that once and for all education should be highlighted as the core issue not only by Bush and Kerry, but by Latino leaders and academics alike.

There are so many of us, but we have not decided on the best interest of our future generations: education.

Manuel Hernandez is the author of "Latino/a Literature in The English Classroom' and is a writer for Hispanicvista.com

Things to watch

2004-09-04T21:54:00.000-05:00

Starting this weekend PBS programming will be focusing on Hispanic culture:

PBS brings the vibrant talents of Latino actors, actresses and producers into viewers' homes. With broadcast premieres and encore presentations, animation, drama, history, art and music, PBS has something with a little Latin flavor for everyone.

Latino artists across the United States take center stage in a groundbreaking six-part television event Visiones: Latino Arts And Culture, premiering Sunday, September 5 and airing Sundays through October 10, 2004, 10:30-11:00 p.m. ET. Viewers experience the world of Latino artistic expression as the series journeys throughout the country, capturing rich stories about theater, music, dance, spoken word and the visual arts.

American Experience "Zoot Suit Riots"
In August 1942, the murder of a young Mexican American ignited a firestorm in Los Angeles. The tensions that had been building up for years between Mexican and white Los Angelenos boiled over. The press claimed that Mexican youth - known as "zoot-suiters" for the clothes they wore - were terrorizing the city with a wave of crime.

Beyond The Border
Over the past decade, thousands of Latinos seeking "la vida buena" (the good life) have migrated to Kentucky, finding low-paying jobs in the tobacco, manufacturing and horseracing industries. As the Latino communities have swelled, so too have xenophobia and discrimination. BEYOND THE BORDER traces the painful transition made by four sons in the Vierya family, who leave their parents and sisters in Mexico and fight cultural, class and language barriers in Kentucky.

P.O.V. "90 Miles"
Juan Carlos Zaldavar's "90 Miles" is a personal memoir that offers a rare glimpse into Cuba, a country as mythologized to Americans as the United States is to the rest of the world. The Cuban-born filmmaker recounts the strange fate that brought him as a teenage communist to exile in Miami in 1980 during the Mariel boatlift.

Read entire article here

I am so sad I don't get PBS, in addition to this programming PBS will show the American Family season 2 finale.

Si TV

2004-09-03T13:34:00.000-05:00

There is a new channel out there aimed at Latino's who prefer English called "Si TV", translated it means, Yes TV. I guess I would be one of their target audiences.

Source: SuperOnda.com
SANTA MONICA, Calif. - Jeff Valdez enters the room of celebrities and media knowing that no matter what happens with his new cable outlet, he is already making history.

As he prepared to speak in front of a curious audience, Valdez was about to announce the summer and fall programs that he hopes will lure a much-neglected demographic: English- speaking Latinos.

"When I first got to Hollywood people were like 'You're Jeff Valdez. You should go work at Univision,'" Valdez said. "I don't even speak Spanish. Why should I go work there?"

Valdez, a one-time stand-up comic who saw past the stage and became a TV producer, came up with the idea of launching a channel for Latinos who didn't really identify with Mexican soap operas and other offerings on Univision or Telemundo. It was the beginning of a long, often frustrating, journey that led to Si TV.

Now Valdez is leading Si TV, which since February has been beaming talk shows, reality programming, dramas and music into more than 7 million homes nationwide through the DISH Network.

A prolific producer who is probably best known for co-creating and producing Nickelodeon's "The Brothers Garcia," Valdez has a penchant for making people laugh. But he also approaches business with a sharp, but no-nonsense approach as he makes major decisions about the future of his company.

"One of the biggest challenges is educating people that Hispanics are people," said Valdez of his meetings with potential investors. "We're people who like to be entertained like anyone else."

On a recent cloudy morning at an oceanfront Santa Monica hotel, Valdez and his colleagues gave their first official "upfront" presentation, a news conference that introduces new shows for the fall. Summer programs were also announced.

Several dozen members of the media were introduced to Si TV as Valdez hosted with a microphone and large video screen behind him, showing clips of his channel's programs with well-wishes from comics such as Roseanne Barr. Actors Esai Morales and Ruth Livier were among the guests.

"It's about time that something like Si TV came along," Livier said moments after Valdez' presentation. "It's a matter of time before the major networks start recognizing our growth and market demands."

Morales, who echoed Livier's thoughts, was also present to support the new venture with most of the cast of the now-canceled Showtime drama "Resurrection Blvd.," which Si TV is picking up and showing in reruns. The channel combines acquired and original programming.

Although Si TV is focusing on Latinos and purposely showcases multicultural programs that go beyond Latino-specific themes, it's not the only venture catering to English-dominant Hispanics.

LATV, another upstart 24-hour cable channel, also is seeking to find the young Hispanics who surf past telenovelas on the Spanish-language channels.

Frank Cruz, vice chairman for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, sees opportunities in TV growing tremendously as every station in the country moves from analog to digital broadcast by 2006 as part of the Telecommunications Act of 1996. The act would increase the amount of channels significantly, leaving TV executives with time to fill.

"Asians, Latinos or blacks can go to any station, whether commercial or public, and ask them to devote channels to them," Cruz said. "Pretty soon there will be thousands of extra channels, and why not devote one to Latinos, minorities or whatever those numerous populace might be?"

For Si TV, the vision now is recognizing the evolving marketplace in which Hispanics currently number 40 million, with a purchasing power of more than $60 billion a year.

"Latinos were the niche," said Leo Perez, Si TV's chief operating officer. "Now we're the general market. That's why it was important to find the right partners."

Some of those investors include Time Warner and Echostar Communications. Advertisers include Wal-Mart, Sears, General Motors, EarthLink and Sony Music. Although there are major corporations tapping into Si TV, it wasn't the case at first.

"Unfortunately we got a lot of happy talk," Perez said. "We got the classic Hollywood smile. 'Sounds terrific. We really believe in this,' they'd say. And then nothing would happen."

Even with the booming Hispanic population, Perez said, corporate America didn't really start trying to understand Latinos until recently.

Those behind Si TV believe there's a two-fold mission: to serve Latinos who speak English, but also to introduce the culture to those who may not be familiar with it. "We want them to see we're American like their friends and co-workers, but happen to be from a different cultural background," Perez said.

Any media venture is risky, but Valdez believes that counter-programming that focuses on diversity and emphasizes Latinos will get people to watch his channel. His shows reflect a young group of people, programs such as "The Drop" about urban music and culture; "The Rub" with female and male hosts talking about sex; and "Urban Jungle," a reality show that places nine "suburban preppies" in East Los Angeles, chronicling their extended stay as they try to survive the rigors of daily life in the barrio.

"There were doubts in the first six years," Valdez concedes. "Just as we were crossing the finish line people kept moving it, but eventually people came around. "

It's not that I don't like the Spanish language, it's part of my culture, it's a part of who I am, I can't hate that. My comprehension of English far exceeds that of my Spanish skills. I understand Spanish, read it just fine, and speak it ok, but when it comes to conversing and watching it on tv, it's different. I can relate to things being spoken in English better because English was the primary language spoken in my household, something that is happening more now in Latino households across the U.S.

The Wait Begins

2004-09-03T01:00:00.000-05:00

Frances

Another major hurricane, Frances, is headed to Florida, this time aimed at the east coast. Weather forecasters say this one is going to be pretty bad, it's 3 times the size of hurricane Charley which hit Florida's west coast 3 weeks ago. Poor Florida.

Have family in that part of Florida so I will be paying extra attention to the outcome of this storm. They went through hurricane Andrew and made out ok, but Charley is much bigger and stronger than Andrew was.

WeatherBug meteorologist Ryan Towell will be blogging this hurricane.