That Really Grinds My Gears...It's the Little Things

You know it's the little things that always grind my gears. So here's a few things for you not to do.

1. Please don't use TwitLonger. There's a reason why it's only 140 characters and there's a reason why I'm not linking to them :).
   
2. BBM broadcast messages. Seriously I think no one uses that feature so why are you sending me SPAM messages about Christmas, a car and updates?
   
3. And stop RTing and adding your own message to EVERY tweet. I mean that's good for a while but if all your messages involve you answering someone and RTing them, that's not a good look.
   

Wildwood Wants Latinos!

As if we already DON'T go there! Wildwood is any New Jersey Latino family's dream. Growing up we used to go every year and for some reason we'd wake up at 3 a.m. Earlier today, the Greater Wildwoods Tourism Improvement and Development Authority’s unveiled a newly Spanish language website greeting Spanish speaking Americans with the message: “Bienvenido al Wildwoods!” The site is pretty much just a translated version of the English site. However, I am happy to see there is some outreach. Although a younger audience might not use this site, people who came from other countries will use it to plan their trip.

The site can be accessed by clicking on the “En Español” navigation button on the primary site’s home page, www.WildwoodsNJ.com, or by going directly to www.wildwoodsnj.com/bienvenidos-a-Wildwood.cfm.

Tweets to make you Laugh Again

Don't you just love Twitter talk. I think over the last year or so I've developed code words with my friends including: *ADM*, Thanks Management, Please advise and a whole bunch of other non-sensible acronyms. Anyways, here are today's funny tweets.

Live tweeting can be fun, and dangerous.

See how easily we can create Twitter talk haha

When people demand something on Twitter, they demand the real deal.

Are you sucking at Facebook on Twitter?

It's MTG Season!

Today the Multicultural Greek Council at Temple University hosted their first ever Meet the Greeks. A major success, more than 10 Greek organizations talked about their organization and even exhibited a stroll, step or salute. Organizations including Lambda Tau Omega, Lambda Theta Alpha, Psi Sigma Phi, Delta Kappa Delta and Delta Chi Psi gave the audience a little something to ponder about.

To give you a little background info, a long long time ago the NPHC at Temple would host a Meet the Greeks in the Fall. But then one random Fall non-BGLO's received a letter stating they would not be a part of the event. So that following year Gamma Phi Sigma hosting the first ever Meet the Latino Greeks. And now we have MGC's Spring event which brings together multicultural, Asian and Latino Greek organizations.

For more info about MGC at Temple University, click here.

For PR Professionals en español

So we have journalists and we have public relations professionals; they communicate with each other all the time. PR people tend to pitch most of the time but sometimes journalists need help (at the last minute) and contact the PR person. Luckily for all you Latino PR professionals, PRnewswire just launched Profnet en español! The service will provide approximately 5,000 Spanish-language media contacts on Hispanic PR Wire's press list, who are looking for sources for articles, interviews and discussions.

Obviously a great source for PR people and those attempting to market to the Hispanic community. It'll most likely run just like regular ProfNet. You can either log into PRnewswire or receive e-mails on certain topics. For more information on ProfNet en Español, contact profnetespanol@prnewswire.com.

Congrats Avatar!

I find it funny that so many people can think AVATAR is racist yet it's the number one grossing movie of all time...in the world! A recent Rolling Stone magazine article mentioned how people found it offensive and some were just reaching.

Some of the offensive remarks included:

• Anti-Christian
• Anti-American
• Pro-Smoking
• A Rip-off

Are these real reasons or are people just looking to cause controversy? Either way, congrats to James Cameran, he now has the top 2 grossing movies of all time on his belt. "Eywa has heard you... Eywa has heard you!"

The Hispanic College Fund...we need it!

I wonder what the number one reason why students don't go to college is? Is it just because, resources or is it the money? To be honest that wasn't a factor when I chose to go. I knew my parents weren't going to be able to pay anything but I still applied. Luckily my high school paid for most of the applications and I received a lot of scholarships. Although they weren't a lot, it still helped. That's why I appreciate the Hispanic College Fund.

It's their mission to help Latino. The Hispanic College Fund wants high school and college students to obtain college educations and professional careers. They are a nonprofit that promotes students to explore and enter careers in business, science, technology, engineering and math. Did I mention they have $3 million to give out? And yes it can happen. Just recently, a high school student from Bensalem, PA was awarded $5,000.

Money shouldn't play a big role deciding whether or not to go to college because it is out there. Just research and apply!

Fashion for the Latino In You

Looking for a shirt that suits the Latino in you? Well check out Chichi & Flaco for some hilarious yet inspirational designs. They offer shirts for men, women, kids and accessories and prices range from $12 - $22.

So...do you mofongo?

More Help for Haiti

Many people are texting, calling, and doing what they can to support Haiti victims. Want to do more? The good people at Being Latino are hosting Latinos4Haiti in NYC where you can continue your support. This Saturday, January 30th at the United Dance Studios from 7 p.m. - 12 a.m. join Being Latino for a night of dancing, music, poetry, comedy, etc.

If you donate $15.00 directly to UNICEF, by clicking here you will secure your spot and your receipt showing the donation as $15.00 will serve as your ticket. Admission is $20 at the door. All of which will go to help fund the relief effort through UNICEF. If you cant come, help by spreading the word.

Who knows, maybe I'll be there too!

That Really Doesn't Grind My Gears...Leadership Institute

Although I have yet to finish the Latino Leadership Institute, I can honestly say it's been a good few months. I've met some great people all with unique personalities. Our class instructors have also been great; I knew some of them but some were new to me. They taught grant writing, board development, starting a non-profit and more. I hope to take all these skills and apply them to real life situations.

Did these Really Air?

Okay so after working in marketing for several years now I start to wonder what and why people think of some crazy ideas. There are some ads which are pretty funny and catchy and then there are those that are just stupid. I was reading an article about media campaigns that had to be pulled due to extreme measures and I just thought, "Really?" Well, take a look at the two that really stood out:

"Tsunami" - WWF


Shiny Suds

That Really Grinds My Gears...Losing something

No not that pervert. Clearly for the next 10 days I won't exist because I have misplaced my social security card and birth certificate. Probably one of the worst things someone can lose, I was panicing at first. Luckily I don't need them right away but for some reason I just thought, "Where are they?"

Thanks to the power of the web, I acted fast and read you don't have to go to your birth state to get a new birth certificate. You can order one from VitalChek, but at a price of course. They trick you because at first it's just $25, however, later on they add on so many fees it ends up costing $50. Social Security you ask? Just go online and print out the form and take it to your nearest S.S. office.

Friends. Never carry around your important documents, leave them in a safe place. *adm*

Radiothon for Haiti

So it's been almost a week since the dreadful earthquake in Haiti. Not only do death counts keep going up but just early this morning, another aftershock quake struck the poor country. Probably one of the worst things that could possibly happen to this country, we can only pray and do what is necessary to help.

That's why this Sunday Latino radio stations in Philadelphia are coming together to support Haiti's earthquake victims. La Mega, La Rumba, El Pasaporte and Radio Celeste will transmit live from Concilio from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. They will be accepting donations in person or by calling; the number is to be announced soon. Also, if you would like to volunteer to take phone calls, please contact Sarita Montilla at 215-627-3100.

Tweets to Make You Laugh

Sometimes we have bad days at work so the only cure is laughter. Here are some tweets which I enjoyed from today.

Those living in Philly know exactly what she's talking about *smh*

See, even people from California know where real food comes from :)

You ever watch something on TV and have an "OMG" moment...

...well when I saw this Tweet, I became jealous of the iphone.

Bing Images

So as I was watching the Jay Leno Show (Yes I watch it), Jay stated that when you use Bing to find images, the most logical picture comes up first and so on. So naturally I "binged" Hispanic and Latino. Not to my surprise I got some interesting results.

What happens when you Bing Hispanic? You get this cultural (most likely Mexican photo). This is a big difference with what Latino gives you. I wonder if it's because mainstream media uses Hispanic more often than Latino. The rest of the the images that come up are very family centric and pretty much sum up our culture.

And what do you get when you Bing Latino? For some odd reason the first photo to pop up is this man. The third photo? It's somewhat pornographic; in fact it's disturbing. In fact most of the photos in this search term are either of males or females. Anyone have an answer for this?

Wachovia for over 10 Years

So for as long as I can remember, I've been with Wachovia for 10+ years. I mean I remember the good ol' First Union days. But then in September 2001, Wachovia Corporation, which grew from an institution founded in 1897, and First Union Corporation, whose history dates back to 1908, merged to create one of the nation's top financial holding companies. I really wonder now how my parents first heard of them?

Then I went to their web-site en español and saw the great coverage they market to Latinos. What I especially love is their Way2Save program.
It's probably saved me so many times over the last 2 years. It's simple and for someone who doesn't know how to save money, it's a great idea. Every time you use your check card, $1 gets automatically transferred into a savings account. You can also have an automatic payment deposited into the account every 2 weeks; anything from $5 - $100. I highly recommend this to anyone planning a trip or just saving money for emergencies.

They are Looking for Latinos!

Everyday I still hear about people looking for jobs. Well there's an opportunity waiting for you tomorrow! The Latino Career Night, Tues, Jan 19, is a small job fair event focused on one-on-one interaction with potential employers. With up to 15 companies searching for unique individuals, this event includes exhibitors such as Nationwide Insurance, Abington Memorial Hospital, PGW, JEVS, y mas!

Please dress professionally and bring 15+ copies of your resume! Who knows, you might land an interview right at the spot or even a job. The best thing is also to be yourself.

The event will be at the Loews Hotel in Center City, CONGRESS ROOM from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

p.s. Sorry but CNN will not be in attendance.

Shakira's She Wolf

So for Chistmas my parents decided to get me Shakira's She Wolf. After listening to it a few times and watching the DVD special, I realized she is changing up her look yet again. And by look I mean everything including music. In one of her interviews, Shakira states this album has a lot of Colombian, Mediterranean and country influences but wanted the whole album to be somewhat electronic; and she did accomplish this.

What do you think of the album? I'll always be a fan of Shakira no matter what but I do have to say her red head days were the best. I do appreciate her sticking with her roots keeping some some songs en español.

p.s. What's up with the stepping? Just seems random haha

That Really Doesn't Grind My Gears...Spring

Today just reminded me about the great weather coming up. Although SPRING officially starts March 20th, let's pray that silly little groundhog doesn't see his shadow; or is it the other way around?

Into Public Relations and Social Media?

As you may or may not know I work in public relations focusing on the Hispanic market. There are hundreds of people I talk to online that are in the same field but the only difference is they have their own firm. Idea!? Anyway, the Hispanic PR blog is hosting The Hispanic PR & Social Marketing Conference. The national conference is taking place in Dallas, TX from May 10-12, 2010 and is the first ever devoted exclusively to the fast growing Hispanic public relations and social marketing industry.

So what will you learn at this 3-day long conference?

• Case studies on how to successfully target your PR initiatives to reach urban Latino youth
• Success stories in Latino social media campaigns
• How to Craft Successful Corporate Partnerships with Hispanic Organizations
• Meet the top Latino bloggers roundtable
• Best Practices on Hispanic Media Relations

Hurry because early registration ends soon and it does cost a pretty penny. I believe it'll be worth it, you'll not only learn a lot but also meet a lot of good people. To register, click here.

What do you want to hear?

So it's been over a year since I started this blog and I'm glad I did. It grew on it's own and although I like to write about local things, I think it would be great to get some national coverage don't you think? I mean honestly, isn't that what blogs are about; recognizing contributions of certain people? So I ask you this; what do you want to read?

Let me know what you think about MY blog and what you think I should cover. Seriously.

That Really Grinds My Gears...Our Generation

Ever wonder why our parents came to this country? I mean was it really for a better opportunity or was it because our dad/mom followed their spouse? The next question is whether or not they are living a better life. One would think life in the U.S.A. is so much better but this all depends on what you do to make it better. One can't expect to just pop up in the states and have a better life. Nope. Seriously, you have to learn English and probably attend school again. I'm not saying forget the life you had, I'm saying you have to learn a whole bunch of new things. Assimilating is NOT the answer but if we can't cope with the trials and tribulations the U.S.A. throws at us, then how do we plan on surviving?

Do you think it's fair our parents continue to nag us everyday to help them with their bills, phone calls, etc?

Philly's New Web Site

Guess who just relaunched their Web site...Philadelphia! That's right, gophila.com is now visitphilly.com. So what's so different about the site, well first off it looks completely different. If you go through the pages you can tell there's a big emphasis on photos. Also:

• Fewer but more comprehensive navigation options at the top of the page make it simple to browse the site.
• Visitors can find events from phillyfunguide.com right on the homepage.
• Prominent social media tools make it easy for users to find, friend and follow Greater Philadelphia and GPTMC using the outlet they prefer, such as Facebook or Twitter.

What do I like best? Well of course the photos, nothing tells a story like a photo. Also, if I was really planning a trip to Philly, I like that I can book hotel, flights and more right on every page. So what do you think about the new visitphilly.com? Be weary though, it's in Beta form so if something's missing, let (them) know by filling out the survey.

Tweets for Good Causes

So do you think Twitter can be used for good? Of course it can. I mean come on, you just tweet a message and people will reply and retweet. Use key words and anyone can find you. Here are some of today's great tweets

Disaster struck Haiti yesterday. And now you can help via Twitter

Contests are popular. Especially for movie passes, free memberships and trips!

Don't think you can find a job? Think again.

See. People do care :)

Could the World Cup Come to Philly?!

Remember back in November we announced that the World Cup could quite possibly come to the United States? Well we just reached one step closer! Officials today celebrated the announcement by the USA Bid Committee that the city was named one of 18 finalist U.S. cities to host the FIFA World Cup™ in 2018 or 2022.

The remaining cities continuing the bid include: Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, Nashville, New York, Phoenix, San Diego, Seattle, Tampa, and Washington, D.C. FIFA is expected to announce the host countries for both 2018 and 2022 in December 2010. Let's cross our fingers Philly (and the U.S.). The last time our country hosted a World Cup was back in 1994.

Border Wars or COPS?

Talk about an ongoing dilemma. A few days ago National Geographic premiered their new series Border Wars. I really didn't know what to expect from this show but then the my dismay I realized this show made Mexicans look like the bad guy. In fact, I agree with Guanabee's post, "In the end, the first episode of Border Wars proved to be a U.S. Border Patrol version of Cops." There was a lot of running around, illegal drugs, and even some confused children.

Honestly, why do these people want to cross the border illegally? The number of unauthorized immigrants living in the U.S. from 2000 to 2006 has increased by an estimated 37 percent according to the Department of Homeland Security. Where else can this show go too? Maybe we should preview a family that crosses legally and is treated unjustly. I'm sure this happens a lot.

The Nintendo Store in NYC

Sometimes all we want to do is play video games. In fact, if you ever want to keep me entertained and out of your business, throw a video game at me! During my New Year's trip to New York City I discovered the Nintendo World Store. Located in Rockefeller Center, Nintendo World offers over 10000 square feet of hands on entertainment.

The store is divided into three parts: a Wii, DS, Pokeman and merchandise section. I mean honestly, who wouldn't want to rock a Mario shirt at the next house gathering? The store also sells all sorts of Nintendo video games and merchandise, including apparel, hardware, and accessories that are exclusive to the store, such as Japanese Mario character plushies. Didn't you grow up playing the original Mario and waiting for the next Mario Kart to come out?

So visit soon and purchase me a Wii. Don't worry, I'll invite you over.

Dining: El Vez

Over the weekend I finally made it out to El Vez in Center City. My frat brother was craving over it many times so I decided to take my friends there. Word of advise, if you go on a Saturday night, be sure to make reservations in advance (we waited for about 15 min). It's a pretty cool spot and the design is fun; not sure I'd bring a date there though. Very traditional Mexican dishes but with an American style. I love chicken so naturally I ordered the chipotle chicken tacos. Although they are just 3 small tacos, it sort of fills you up.

I guess that's why you have to order a margarita and desert as well! Although I didn't have desert, the "Warm Mexican Chocolate Cake" is probably the funniest thing I ever heard. The best part? Apparently you can order take out! Just visit elvezrestaurant.com and click on the icon for take out.

El Vez
121 South 13th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19107
(215) 928-9800

That Really Doesn't Grind My Gears...Get2gethers

So in college I remember house parties were the best. Getting together with random folk dancing to music all night long was probably the best of times. But now as we get older you start to think, house parties are not my thing. What do you do? Happy hour with your friends or random gatherings that's what! Think about it, it's more intimate and you get to know the people around you. It's not about getting drunk; it's about having fun.

Isn't that why they invented happy hour for the grown kids? From 5 p.m. - 8 p.m. you can drink for a reasonable price, go to sleep around 11 p.m. and wake up just fine. And for my Philadelphians, I'll catch you at the next Center City Sips.

2009 is All in the Past

Today's Phila. Daily News featured a column by fellow PPRA member Dan Cirucci. His column featured the INs and OUTs of 2009. I agreed with almost all of his INS but there were some OUTS I thought at least deserved some good credit haha.

• In: Jose Garces. Zesty is sexy. <- So happy to see this #LatinoDoingTheirThing
• In: Please Touch Museum at Memorial Hall. What a transformation! Out: The Zoo. It just ain't the same without the elephants. <- I love both the Please Touch Museum and the Zoo!
• In: GPTMC. "Love" campaign resonates in challenging tourism market. <- The ads were truly awesome in their own snarky way. I do love sarcasm
• In: Phillies fans. Best in the league and a fine match for a classy organization. Out: Eagles fans. Rude, crude and still no championship. <- Hey we can't win them all; or can we?

So what were your INs and OUTs of 2009? I'm pretty sure everyone had resolutions and/or comments like "THIS IS MY YEAR". To be honest, shouldn't all years be your years? If you want to do something why wait until the new year when you can start today. I think that's what is wrong with society, people wait for some special holiday or year to begin new. No disrespect to anyone's belief of course, I just think believing in yourself ever day and staying positive will lead to positive outcomes.

Tweets of the New Year

It's officially 2010 and people are wondering, "How will social media expand?" That's probably something you should ask yourself everyday. Everyday something new is invented, discovered, tweeted, etc. Sometimes I think people go crazy over Twitter.

So here are some of the crazy/interesting Tweets I've seen today.

I laugh when my blog gets pitched and it starts out by "HEY NAVAJA". Someone once wrote "WHERE ARE YOU BASED OUT OF". Please take note :)

Where can you get good advice? Online? Maybe you should ask your mentor

Sometimes I wonder about why you tweet about your job. That's a no-no. (Yes on blast)

Being on someone's good side always ends up being, well good.

Need a Job? Well Ask the Census!

In this economy it's difficult to find a job. However, thanks to the upcoming Census, hundreds and thousands of people are able to obtain jobs. These short-term jobs offer good pay, flexible hours, paid training, and reimbursement for authorized work-related expenses, such as mileage incurred while conducting census work. Best of all, census takers work right in their own communities.

Applying is real easy. You can visit their online career center and download all the necessary documents or call also call their toll-free Jobs Line at 1-866-861-2010. The Census2010 is currently looking for Census Takers, Crew Leaders, Crew Leader Assistants, Recruiting Assistants and Census Clerks. Almost all of these positions get paid weekly and receive paid training. Besides, this is an opportunity to help out the community.

El Centro de Oro Welcomes You!

Today the Hispanic Association of Contractors and Enterprises (HACE) opened up their Business & Visitor Center. The center will house the HACE Main Street Program conveniently located at the entrance to the corridor to carry out and execute the various activities being proposed under the program. A very well thought out space, the center has several monitors which will include information on businesses, cultural activities and events happening in the corridor.

And it's not just a visitor center! There's also an art gallery where local artists can exhibit and promote their work. If you're interested in some of the work you can also purchase it. So if you want to take a look at the new space or you're interested in what's going on, visit them at 2708 N. 5th Street; it's a pretty amazing space. Congrats on finally getting this three year long project on the way!

What Does Your Greek Web-Site Do?

So we all pledged our respective organizations for whatever reason. But did you ever check their web-site for more information? I'm sure you found a lot but how did it influence you? Do you like flashy web-sites or basic ones?

Let's take a look at some below:

The first has a very basic landing page with ΛΘA larger than life. Although a landing page is always good, I wonder if someone gets irritated having to click ENTER SITE over and over.

Probably one of the better frat sites, ΛΣΥ has a landing page with flash graphics. Once you enter, you're taken to a magical land.

Unlike most frat's and sororities, ΛΘΦ doesn't have a landing page. Instead their flash banner comes up and you can skip it if you want. Very professional, the first Latino fraternity does a good job.

Talk about a cool web-site. I guess some sister must have convinced them to add social media elements. HHMMMM. Just recently launched, ΧΥΣ does a great job of portraying "wisdom" through a web-site. And unlike most organizations, their web-site name is JustBeCus.org, not ChiUpsilonSigma.org (although both take you to the same place).

Simple and to be honest it doesn't look like a Greek web-site. All the flags confused me at first but then I realized they are multicultural. To be honest, sometimes simple is best.

Well well well. I mean what can I say. The landing page really isn't necessary but I like it. And because we are a small organization, updates aren't always necessary. However, our web-master does a good job of changing things when necessary. I mean, did you ever see our old web-site?