Thursday, February 26, 2009

Para mi gente that likes to ink up


Ahhh yes it's that time of year again. The time when I start thinking about getting another tattoo! As if I need another one right? But what timing.

This weekend, Friday, February 27th - Sunday, March 1st, the Philadelphia Tattoo Arts Convention is in town. The convention will be held at the Sheraton Philadelphia City Center Hotel on 17th and Race St. If you go make sure you get something because it's a $20 entrance fee, or $40 for the whole weekend. There will be lots of exhibitors, artists and even special performances by ummm "intersting" people.

As I'm writing this I realized what tattoo I'm going to get too. I know it's always good to think about these things but I knew what I wanted as soon as I saw it. I'm not one of those people that gets crazy tatts just to be cool, all of my tatts (6) have special meaning behind them. So what is it now...


That Really Grinds My Gears...Inconsiderate E-mails

So I've come to the conclusion that some people are either lazy or do not know what they are doing. So what do I mean by inconsiderate e-mails? I mean the ones that are sent through a list-serve but only meant for like 6 people! Are you trying to make a point or are you don't know what you are doing? Here's why you shouldn't send something that says "this is only meant for ___, ___ and ___" and how to avoid it.
  1. If you're in the real world working for a corporation, let the wrong person see the wrong e-mail.
  2. Sensitive? I'm pretty sure you'll get lots of replies either cursing you out or telling you how to do your job, not a good look.
  3. Nobody likes a spammer; keep it up and we'll just have to block you or take you off the list-serve.
  4. If you don't know someone's e-mail, Facebook them! I'm sure their your friend.
  5. Take the extra step to find their e-mail in your address book or create a group with certain people in it.
Speaking of people being lazy, check out this great video where Conan hosts the comedian Louis CK who is talking of the spoiled generation...worth watching.

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Familia Cortes

The greatest thing ever...I know it sounds corny but i wouldn't be where I am today if it wasn't for these people. Te quiero.

Colombia to lose ties with the U.S.

I guess it was "okay" that Bush had a good relationship with the Bush administration, even though it dealt with the drug problem. But now with the new administration, what are they to do? How about mounting a full-court diplomatic press in the United States this week? Sounds like a good idea right? Bush proclaimed Colombia as a Latin success story, however other's disagreed.

And is if things couldn't get any worse, the Christian Science Monitor reports:

More than just the economic downturn makes this a difficult time for Colombia to be making its case to US officials. The country is reeling from charges last week that state security agents also on the payroll of Colombia's drug lords were using illegal wiretaps to spy on politicians, judges, and journalists. A top counterintelligence official in the state security agency has already resigned over the scandal.

The latest accusations are likely to only feed perceptions that Colombia's security and intelligence institutions are deeply intertwined with the mafias that keep Colombia the world's No. 1 cocaine supplier. (Past scandals suggest that security and intelligence institutions also have links to the paramilitary organizations fighting a drug-financed insurgency.)

Ahhh yes what are we to do; any suggestions?

On a lighter note, Jaunted seeks an authentic taste of Cartagena.

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Spanish Newspaper Web-sites

Every day los periodicos seem to update their web-site. Well, at least on some of them...






Twitteros?


Remember I introduced you guys to Twitter for Latinos? Anyways, someone (I forgot who) recently introduced me to Twitteros. It's sort of like a social networking site for Latino Twitter users; I know that's a lot lol. Like any other social networking sites, you can add applications, groups, friends, etc.

Anyways, I recommend it if you want to expand your Tweet use to the Hispanic market; you'd be surprised how many are out there.

Monday, February 23, 2009

Politics, Gender and Race @ Taller PR


For the past 13 years, Taller Puertorriqueño has hosted the Arturo A. Schomburg Symposium. Although there's some controversy to his origins and research, Schomburg was born in Puerto Rico to María Josefa, a freeborn black midwife from St. Croix, and Carlos Féderico Schomburg, a merchant of German heritage. What a combo huh?

Anyways, this coming Saturday, February 28th, 2009 from 9:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m., Taller PR will host the 13th Annual Schomburg Symposium entilted Afro-Latinas and Activism: Politics, Gender and Race. Presenters & panelists will include:


PRESENTERS
  • Yvette Modestin, Founder/Director of Encuentro Diaspora Afro in Boston, Ma
  • Dr. Marta Moreno Vega, Founder/President of the Caribbean Cultural Center African Diaspora Institute and director Hunter College’s Global Initiative of Afro Latin & Caribbean Organizations
  • Dr. Claudia Mosquera Rosero-Labbé, Universidad Nacional de Colombia
  • Maria Ines Barbosa, Program coordinator for the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), Brazil
PANEL DISCUSSION - Afro-Latinas: Activism, Politics, Gender
  • Deborah Willis, photographer and author-Obama: The Campaign in Photographs, invited
  • Maria Quiñones-Sanchez, Councilwoman, 7th District Philadelphia, PA, invited
  • Michelle Angela Ortiz, Artist and muralist, Philadelphia, PA
  • Charito Calvachi-Mateyko, Restorative Justice Practitioner, Lancaster, PA
  • Ana Benitez, Community and Political Organizer
  • Moderated by: African American Museum Philadelphia
For more info about the symposium or to register, visit Taller's web-site.

Los Oscars en otro idioma


Well not exactly. I couldn't help but notice how diverse the winners are whether Spanish, Japanese, Indian, etc. However, I couldn't help quite notice the lack of Latino-ish presenters, winners, or anything related. Luckily, VivirLatino was keeping track of most of this. It was great that Penelope Cruz got the first award and even gave shout outs en español, but obviously some people will say, "She is not Latina, she is Spanish." Which is completely true.

However, did you notice the 4 West Side Story references!? I could only count 2 but again Vivir Latino had my back. I also didn't appreciate audience laughing at the Japanese winner for Best Foreign Film Departures. It didn't look like he meant for it to be funny but I'm glad he just played along.

Best part of night? Again it was Penelope Cruz's acceptance speech. I call "most" of the acceptance speeches, "Keeping it Real."
I grew up in a place called Alcobendas, where this was not a very realistic dream. And I, always on the night of the Academy Awards, I stay up to watch the show and I always felt that this was, this ceremony was a moment of unity for the world because art, in any form, is and has been and will always be our universal language and we should do everything we can, everything we can, to protect its survival.

Friday, February 20, 2009

World Cup - South Africa 2010


It's time to gear up for South Africa 2010. Why...because every 4 years some crazy people decide to hold THE WORLD CUP! Futbol is not only the number 1 sport IN THE WORLD, but it's also cool to watch, especially the fans. So who runs these crazy countries and clubs...FIFA does.
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) is an association governed by Swiss law founded in 1904 and based in Zurich. It has 208 member associations and its goal, enshrined in its Statutes, is the constant improvement of football. FIFA employs some 310 people from over 35 nations and is composed of a Congress (legislative body), Executive Committee (executive body), General Secretariat (administrative body) and committees (assisting the Executive Committee).
The United States of America actually hosted the 1994 World Cup. I believe that was the first one I ever payed attention to. Who won? Why Brazil of course. Anyways, get ready to save your cash if your a true fan because tickets to the final (category 1) are running up to $900! So unless you can teleport yourself to S. Africa, that will save you some money, be ready to SPEND SPEND SPEND.

Unfortunately, I don't think Colombia will be joined the rest of the world in South Africa *tear*. To check out the rest of the teams, go to FIFA's web-site.

White Hispanic and Latino Americans??

Honestly, what the hell is a WHITE HISPANIC? Would you even want to be considered one?

I looked it up in Wikipedia and this is what I found:
As the concepts of race and ethnicity — "ethnicity" is used as a synonym for Hispanic or Latino origin — are mutually independent in the Office of Management and Budget's and United States Census Bureau's definitions, every American is identified by both race and ethnicity. Hispanic or Latino people are those who report origins in Spain or Hispanic Latin America, and they may be of any race.[12] Thus each race, including White American, comprises individuals who are Hispanic or Latino and individuals who are not Hispanic or Latino.
What does this even mean? Then I "googled" White Hispanic and I get some chart...

Honestly, the Census needs to realize people are either WHITE, HISPANIC/LATINO, BLACK, NATIVE AMERICAN, or OTHER which could be MIXED if you want to give it a name. How is the Census just going to "invent" a race...that's crazy to me.

Over the past few years I've actually accustomed to either Hispanic or Latino. Unfortunately, Hispanic was the name give by the U.S. Gov't but it only defines us by our Hispanic roots. Latino, however, reminds us of our 3 cultures (Spanish, Indian, African). Yes Latino's are that cool. But then in the industry I work in, we tend to say Hispanic because that's what the media are writing about...it's weird.

Que tu thinks?

Thursday, February 19, 2009

Because I like Shakira & Colombia and so should you

Ahh yes, what's a day without listening to Shakira...singing el himno nacional at that too.

That Really Grinds My Gears...Common Courtesy

So this has always been a pet peeve of mine but people should know better. Common courtesy needs to be addressed with some people. There are a lot I can name but here are two that really "grind my gears."
  1. Saying "Bless you" after a sneeze followed with the "You're Welcome" and vice versa. I mean come on now. It has nothing to do with religion but here I am working hard and *sneeeze*. Now awkward silence. The worst is when I continuously say "Bless you" to the person over and over and they have NEVER ever said it to me.
  2. How about after I hold the door you have the decency to say "THANK YOU". I went out of my way to hold the door for you and not slam it in your face. It's worse when there are two doors near each other and the person you hold the door for doesn't even look at you. I should just slam the second door and not even look back.
I hope that at least some of you reading this actually agree with me. Remember, it pays to be polite.

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

The Mural Arts Program

So how many murals are there in Philadelphia? Let's just say A LOT! And remember the Mural Arts Program isn't only about painting. It's about teaching our youth about the art of painting. There are actually over 2,800 murals and the program has educated over 20,000 underserved youth in neighborhoods throughout Philadelphia. I started noticing them when I worked at Taller Puertorriqueño. There are a good number of murals around El Centro de Oro; in fact there are a good number in each neighborhood.

You can also check out their "new" database of murals at MuralFarm.org. You can search by neighborhood, theme, artist and name.

Colombia + FARC + Navaja = ugh oh




Oh the joys of wishing I was back in Colombia...why? Just because. I haven't been back to Colombia since 1994!!! Anyways, so every now and then I hear things that are going on back at the motherland...today is no different *sigh*.

Now I don't know the full story behind FARC (Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia) but from what I hear and read on the news, doesn't seem very good. Established in 1964 as the military wing of the Colombian Communist Party, the FARC is Colombia’s oldest, largest, most capable, and best-equipped Marxist insurgency. The FARC is governed by a secretariat, led by septuagenarian Manuel Marulanda (a.k.a. “Tirofijo”) and six others, including senior military commander Jorge Briceno (a.k.a. “Mono Jojoy”). The FARC is organized along military lines and includes several urban fronts.

It was actually last July when Ingrid Betancourt, french-colombian politician, was set free and months later more and more hostages were set free.

Anyways, I just got wind about an indigenous tribe in Colombia (yes they still exist) that is getting caught up in all this mess. While FARC was at war with the ELN guerillas, the Awá indigenous group was dead center...then they ended up missing.

According to GlobalVoicesOnline.org:
On February 9, indigenous organizations and Nariño governor Antonio Navarro, a former M-19 guerrilla fighter himself, denounced the murder of 17 Awá people. Over the course of the next few days, the killing of another 10 people, who were fleeing the first attacks, were reported leaving the death toll at 27, with dozens more abducted.
Sigh. But what are you going to do. Every country has their problems, Colombia's just so happens to be "war". I'm sure China or Madagascar aren't 100% happy right now...random I know. Anyways, 2010 maybe????

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

100,000+ Deportees in the U.S. Had Children


That's right, in the past decade (between 1998-2007), more than 100,000 parents whose children are U.S. citizens were deported, a Department of Homeland Security's investigation has found. This is just a shock to me. I knew the numbers were high but wow.

According to the NY Times article, the parents were removed from the U.S. due to violations or because they had committed crimes. The removals of the 108,434 parents were among the approximately 2.2 million carried out by immigration officials.

Here's a statement from Rep. Jose Serrano, D-N.Y:
''I am saddened, but not surprised to learn that our government, in its harsh anti-immigrant stance, has split hundreds of thousands of families apart over the past decade.''
Interestingly enough, children of immigrants born in the U.S. are automatic citizens but cannot petition for their parents to become legal residents until they are 21. I'm glad my parents were able to become legal residents, however, since they've been here (1980) they have not become U.S. citizens; that's another long story.

AMOR en Filadelfia

As if you should need a reason to come to Philadelphia. My philosophy, positive vibes bring positive thoughts...and this video is POSITIVE.

Monday, February 16, 2009

Anti-violence Rally in Plainfield

Ed Pagliarini/MyCentralJersey

I decided to browse the Courier-News web-site to see what's going on back home (considering my parents don't tell me) and I had no clue there was an anti-violence rally.

On February 8th, 2009, Christian Tigsi, who just turned 18, was shot to death near the train station. A friend drove Tigsi to the the police station but after arriving, he passed away. The following Thursday (2/12/09) the People's Organization for Progress held an anti-violence rally in response to Plainfield's most recent homicide.
Ed Pagliarini/MyCentralJersey
It's weird hearing about homicides in the town you grew up in. The crazy part is that in the 18 years I lived in Plainfield, NJ, nothing ever happened to my family. There was the occasional drug bust across the street, fights here and there, helicopters looking for suspects (yes that happened near our house) but my family was never directly effected by anything. I'm glad I went to public schools, it sort of made me who I am today. However, it is a shame this is happening; the paper reported this was the city's first of the year, but its fourth in a little over four months.

Gamma Phi Sigma Strolls @ JHU

Last year we made our presence known at JHU, this year we did it again.

Friday, February 13, 2009

Hispanics account for 20.8% of the total population...in Philly

A few days ago I did a post on some Hispanic Traveler statistics in Philly. Well I just came across another cool Hispanic stat. According to GeoScape International, approximately 4.3 million Hispanics now reside in the Philadelphia DMA. This = to about 20.8 percent of the the total population. I'd say that's a pretty big number.

But wait there's more fun stuff to learn...this number comprises of mainly Puerto Ricans (1.42 million), Dominicans (755,530) and Mexicans (536, 544) with large pockets of Colombians (wooohooo) found in Northeast Philadelphia and many surrounding towns.

Here's a Tweet response from one of my frat brothers:
Latino Philly from the 70's hmm Colombians, Chileans,Spaniards and Portguese in Olney and ER BLOQUE DE ORO was no ER CENTRO DE ORO LOL
And as if that wasn't enough, check out ZGS Communications Hispanic statistics which says 13 states have at least half a million Hispanic residents.


Thursday, February 12, 2009

Diversity Leadership Program



Looking to expand your network or gain valuable experience? Well I was forwarded this e-mail about Monster's Diversity Leadership Program (DLP). It actually looks pretty interesting, however it's only for undergraduate students, maybe graduate students too not really sure.
The DLP is designed to empower top college students in a dynamic, collaborative setting. These free programs offers rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors of diverse backgrounds a venue for leadership and career development to navigate personal and professional success in the ‘real world.’
The DLP will travel to 9 cities including San Francisco, Atlanta, Philadelphia and Baltimore. The program last 2 days and includes workshops, mixers, dinners, prizes and even resume reviews. To learn more or how to apply, click here.

That Really Grinds My Gears...Allergies


Yes it sounds stupid but I'm really annoyed that I can't eat a lot of things. I could care less about my weight but being allergic to soy, peanuts, string beans and pineapple really does piss me off. Because of my allergies I also have to carry an epi pen. Believe me it's not cute carrying this thing around.

I actually used it in 2007; I was an idiot yes. I was at my aunt's house in Houston, TX and decided to have a bowl of cereal. I saw she only had whole milk and soy milk so sure enough I grabbed the soy milk (because I'm also somewhat lactose intolerant). This was also when I first learned about my allergies so I wasn't paying attention. So after gulfing the cereal in less than 30 seconds, sure enough the throat closed. I sat down panicking and thankfully Ric calmed me down and said, "Just use the damn thing." And it worked.

So yea, why did I have to develop allergies at 23??? The best part, I also have seasonal allergies *double shakes fist*. If you want to learn more about the 1 million types of allergies, WebMD is always a good source for health related questions.

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Telemundo now on your DirecTV



Yep, starting TODAY, DirecTV subsribers will be able to watch WWSI Telemundo (in Philadelphia). This is a big step for Telemundo because their audience reaches Allentown, Delaware County, Bethlehem, Easton Metro area, including Eastern Berks County, Lehigh and Northampton Counties and Upper Bucks County.


According to Clara Rivas, general manager:
“2008 was a very important year for us. The station connected with local viewers, we experienced steady growth and we demonstrated our commitment to our clients, partners and the community. We are excited about the inclusion of Telemundo Philadelphia to DIRECTV’s local line-up and this year we will continue to work aggressively to entertain and educate our local community.”
I was wondering why I didn't get this channel; who would've thought it's because DirecTV didn't have it on the line-up lol. So now I'll be able to watch EN PORTADA on the weekends! One of the anchors is actually my frat brother's wife...small world huh.



Philly Latino Statistics


So do you like to travel? Have you ever been to Philadelphia? If not, then do so now! Anyways, again this isn't one of those shameless promos, at work I was given some great info about Latino travel to Philadelphia. To be honest I didn't even expect to see this percentage and was surprised to hear "we" sleep over. Growing up my parents usually just came for the day...then again I don't even remember coming to Philly as a kid. We just went to NYC or D.C. (Shame shame)

Here are some raw numbers:

According to Longwoods’ International’s 2007 TravelsUSA survey, 5-7% of visitors to Philadelphia are of Hispanic origin, up to 2 million visitors per year.

  • Mexico and Puerto Rico were the top nationalities mentioned in the survey, although many respondents selected “other” or chose not to disclose their nationality
  • Close to half of Hispanic visitors to the region stay overnight, consistent with overnight visitation from other groups
  • Hispanic visitors seek out historic attractions, with over 50% visiting Independence Hall and 47% the Liberty Bell.
  • They also visit “secondary attractions” (Seaport Museum, Academy of Natural Sciences, Eastern State Penitentiary) more than average, and are likely to participate in activities such as touring neighborhoods, or attending a play or professional sporting event
  • Most Hispanic visitors come for a general getaway (67%) as opposed to business or visiting friends and relatives
  • Hispanic visitors tend to be younger and less wealthy than average
  • Hispanic visitors spend less than average on hotels and dining

Check out CMO Essential's article about our Latino marketing efforts.


(Credit: Photo by R. Kennedy for GPTMC)

Transformers...more than just robots

So my brother sent me an e-mail with great "shots" from Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen. Umm hello! This is like Top 3 movies coming out. I cannot wait until this release. I mean come on, who never watched Transformers as a kid. It was one of those shows you talked about con tus amigos. And as a fact, you are not a Transformers fan unless you've seen the cartoon movie featuring Unicron.

Anyways, so I saw the picture of Devastator and wow. For those fake fans, Devastator was the sub-group of Transformers, able to merge their bodies and minds together as one. So what do you think? Will he live up to the cartoon version...let's hope so.

I actually remember being a kid and going to abuela's house only for the sole reason to play with my cousin's constructicons lol. Yes, it was that serious. Transformers were more than just robots to us, they were heroes. What I wouldn't give to get one of those suis that's transforms.

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Chifa...yes another Latino restaurant in Philly


So what could make Philadelphia a little better? Heck, why not add another Latino restaurant! That's right, already world famous JOSE GARCES will be opening another restaurant...Chifa. Named after the unique hybrid of Peruvian and Contonese cuisines found in Peru, this will be Garces' fourth Philly restaurant.

According to the star chef himself,
“I’m thrilled to be opening a new restaurant and exploring another fascinating aspect of Latin cooking. I don’t know of anywhere else that is serving this kind of food, and I can’t wait to share Chifa’s one-of-a-kind cuisine with my guests.”
Chifa will open tomorrow, February 10th at 5 p.m. (yes time as well) and is located at 707 Chestnut Street. Garces' other restaurants include Amada, Tinto and Distrito...yuummm.




Navaja in the papers

I usually don't do this but I had to. A few weeks ago my job hosted an NAHJ/PABJ reception at the National Constitution Center. We all took photos and this is where they ended up.

*Score* lol

Monday, February 9, 2009

Weekend en Fotos...crazy edition

What a weekend...from graduation parties to family outings, this weekend defined what true friendships are about.
Nothing beats karaoke on a Friday night

Congrats Noche on making ALUMNI status

Mom & dad celebrated 31 years of marriage (Check out the Coach bag haha)

Yuuuum
Nothing beats a typical "Rocky" adventure in Philly

What do you mean I need a Passport?!


So after my good friend Charlie told me about our planned DR trip, I realized...PASSPORT!? What a hassle I tell you. First I had to find my old passports because according to U.S. Dept of State's Travel web-site, I could go two route; either renew or get a completely new one.

Here were the guidelines for renewing:

If Your Most Recent U.S. Passport...
  • Is available to submit and not damaged
  • Was issued when you were age 16 or older
  • Was issued within the last 15 years
  • Was issued in your current name (or you can legally document your name change)
Once you find out if you can renew or not, you have to find some important documents...like your birth certificate (which I was stressing about). Then you have to get 2 passport photos taken...another journey.

So I urge you, even if you are not traveling, this is another form of I.D., so act fast! Oh, I almost forgot, be sure to have $100 ready.

Friday, February 6, 2009

Great Man - Robert Shabazz : Woodcarver. Jazz Musician.

So when I worked at Taller PR, there was always some man cleaning the streets. Little did I know how great of a person he is. He's a woodcarver and jazz musician...great combo right? I believe he just recently (by recent I mean within the past year) opened up his own shop. Below is a great video that was featured in PhillyWeekly in late 2008.

Thursday, February 5, 2009

That Really Grinds My Gears: Por primera vez..SEPTA


Ok so I decided to do something new with my blog. Thanks to Family Guy for giving me inspiration to this new weekly post.

So what is "That Really Grinds My Gears?" Well it's about all the things that I just don't like. Yes I should try to stay positive but hey, every now and then something comes up that just really really pisses me off. Don't worry, I'll keep it clean.

I' would spare you today but I can't...

SEPTA - Thank you for not announcing a fire at 2nd Street station until I was already waiting for you. I waited outside for a good 30-40 minutes on one of the worse weather days of the year. And it's funny because today I was just followed by a new SEPTA tweet account...weird.

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

Hold the Phone...we use Facebook?!



Ok so Facebook may not be the #1 most visited site by Latinos, it is the #1 social networking site visited by Latinos.

According to Portada, the Hispanic web audience doubled by posting a 9% growing rate.

Wresting 1st place away from Yahoo! are Google Sites, which given the volume of traffic going to their sites—over 15.75 million, representing more than 75% of the total Hispanic audience—posted an impressive 21% growth in audience over 2007.

While Yahoo! sites were garnered the most audience in December of 2007, they lost their top position to Google sites after posting just 6% growth in the past year.

I actually just realized Facebook was the only social networking site on the list of 25. Other sites on the list included CBS Communications, Wal-mart, At&T (weird) and eBay. Check out the entire list here or see below.

Dos Latinos that lasted 31 Years??


Yep my parents did it...they've been married for 31 years! Congrats to them. It's funny because when my brother and I lived at home (before college) we used to see arguments, however today we see less arguments haha. Obviously we prob don't see them argue but I doubt they argue when we're not around.

So again I wish them nothing but the best and an extra lifetime so they can spend their lives together & forever.

Tuesday, February 3, 2009

Placido Domingo coming to Philly...yes he is



From Al Dia:

Plácido Domingo constestó a nuestras preguntas durante la conferencia de prensa que dio en Philadelphia para promicionar su próximo concierto en la ciudad.

Greekstand

So my friend Raul has come up with the smartest/funniest idea ever. Greestand - Funny greek paraphernalia for Greeks! And it's not just for Latino greeks, all are welcome to create their own shirt.

And we're not talking about a regular crossing shirt, no these have funny sayings. Examples can be found on Greekster's blog. So I commend you Raul for creating this web-site. You are bound to make millions...okay maybe thousands haha.


I've already bought mine so if you're Greek and have an idea, let it rip! Oh and if you find these shirts offensive, here's a shirt just for you:

Front: If you take these shirts too seriously...

Back: Go shoot yourself :)

(yes w/ the smiley face)

Monday, February 2, 2009

GPTMC/NAHJ/PABJ Reception


So last Saturday my job sponsored a conference with the National Association of Hispanic Journalists - Region 3 and Philadelphia Association of Black Journalists. It was such a success, there were over 130 members of each association (plus my colleagues).

Then at night, we hosted the reception. I'm glad everyone was able to acknowledge the hard work not only each association puts into their events, but also my job.

As I said on Facebook, I now appreciate the value of hearing "you did a great job" more than ever. For more info about the event, check out the Facebook group.

Enrique Iglesias con Ciara


So we all know Enrique Iglesias luvs his women...and his videos. So why not combine the two haha. Just like any movie, his videos are always "sexual" and star a leading lady. So who's the new one...Ciara!?

The video "Taking Back My Love" is from his Greatest Hits album. Has señor Iglesias had a greatest hits album? Either way, I prob won't buy it. Why? Because my pop-Latino music phase was over a long time ago. However, I do like that crossover music is still alive, although I would've preferred the song en español. To be honest, the only reason why I think E.I. is cool is because he shares my dad's name.

If you wanna check out the video go to La Mega 97.9's web-site.