Bilingual Confusion

Poll Shows Liberals Opposed to Extending Taxpayer Funded Healthcare to Illegal Immigrants

2009-09-19T00:04:00.000-04:00

Poll Shows Liberals Opposed to Extending Taxpayer Funded Healthcare to Illegal Immigrants

Big Brothers Big Sisters Celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month With a Call to Action to Serve More Hispanic Children

2009-09-19T00:02:00.000-04:00

Big Brothers Big Sisters Celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month With a Call to Action to Serve More Hispanic Children

Hate crimes are not on the rise - Keith Luke

2009-01-26T11:05:00.002-05:00

Someone, a lot more famous than me, once said I was sad for selling out my generation. For saying that the culture/race wars are quietly escalating. For saying that xenophobia and racism are slowly leaking out of the hermetically sealed bottle we so desperately used to contain them. My generation... is apathetic and gullible, the perfect blend needed to take racism and discrimination to a violent level. For our sakes... I hope I'm wrong...

The Taco Bell Wedding... seriously?

2009-01-12T20:50:00.003-05:00

Soooo.... I wanted to write about something meaningful today but instead I post this strange video. This couple from Normal, Illinois (seriously?) decided to marry in their favorite place, Taco Bell. Just watch it... I'm just happy the couple was white and thin. A couple of overweight Mexicans would have been way too much to be true. Unless...

Paris Hilton makes people rich

2008-12-14T22:47:00.004-05:00

Apparently people are interested in Paris Hilton... She's one of the most profitable online keywords. Since I'm broke, I wanted to see for myself what the name of a skinny rich snob can do for me on the web. I'll even include some content. Video content... so all you Paris Hilton people enjoy.

That was Paris

This was Jackie Castañeda a lo Paris Hilton... wtf?

That was it... after the experiment... I'll go back to posting some decent content.... maybe...

Creativity en Ingles

2008-12-14T22:09:00.003-05:00

Christmas Lights on City Trees

The pretty lights on the dead tree flickered for the ninth time that night. It was two days before Thanksgiving but the city decided to adorn the winter trees with lights in lieu of the ever expanding Christmas season. Only people so bored with life would count the times those lights flickered.

A lonely convenience store clerked watched in awe as two figures emerged from that one lonely tree. He was counting the times the lights flickered to alleviate the chronic boredom but he never expected anything extraordinary. He jerked his head a couple of times and wondered if it was a reflection from the big glass windows. He carefully lowered the volume on his computer and tried to stay balanced on the two plastic milk boxes he was sitting on. He looked around the store and realized it wasn’t a reflection after all. It was a bit of a relief but he was curious about those two figures. He tried to listen to their conversation but the faint sounds of the TV show he was watching and the freezer symphony were the only thing he could hear. Then the men moved away from the tree and the lights stopped flickering.

Just when he was about stand up the first door opened and he lost balance. By the time the two men opened the second door the clerk was on the floor struggling to get up. They looked like two regular guys from Romania. At least that’s what the clerk thought when he first saw them, from the floor. They both had wild beards and heavy jackets, like Viking pirates. The clerk kicked the two milk boxes and attempted to say something.

“Ehh he… uhm… llo… hello, how can I help you?” said the sore employee.

“We’re looking for Shweppes,” said in an undetermined accent the fatter one of the two men.

“Hmm how’s specific, is that the ginger ale? You know, I think we have it. The drinks are in the back,” he nervously replied and pointed at the back. He waved his finger trying to tell them it was in the back and to the right but he gave up after both of them broke eye contact with him. The fat man went to get the drinks while the other one browsed the candy. His jacket looked liked it was made out of real animal skin.

The clerk could smell the dead animal the man used to make his jacket or so it seemed. He tried to keep an eye out for any cars or anyone passing by but it was as if the city was dead. Then another unexpected thing occurred, the lights on that strange tree flickered again. Two more figures appeared and the clerk was holding on to the barcode scanner as if it was a life line to reality.

A thump startled the clerk and he kicked the milk boxes a bit more making a ruckus behind the counter. The two men looked right past the clerks face. Nine small bottles of Shweppes were neatly arranged in the red grocery basket the fat man laid on the counter.

“Ehh… anything else?” he said to the bearded Viking pirates.

Neither of them responded but for a second the fat one looked at the single pick Tootsie Rolls.

“Do you need a bag?” said the clerk as he scanned each of the bottles.

“Yes,” it was a solemn yes, the kind you hear guilty men say on courtrooms.

After a couple of seconds they handed him a crisp hundred dollar bill and told him to keep the change. It wasn’t a suggestion, it was an order. The clerk said nothing as they left the store. The second set of figures was still under the tree. The lights flickered like crazy and the clerk was quickly trying to reassemble his makeshift milk box stool. Then the doors opened again and in came two more guys. They had long beards but both of them had shorts on. One of them had a shirt that read: “Call me Santa, I don’t care”.

“Kid, you look like you’ve seen a ghost,” the Santa guy said to the clerk.

“I don’t know, am I… I mean… do I,” he replied.

“That’s cute kid. You can see the flickering and the appearing. It’s like magic, out of a Harry Potter book right?” the Santa guy said.

Then five more figures appeared under the tree. The lights looked like they were about to burst. The two Romanian looking guys joined the party of shadows just before the clerk realized what the Santa guy was talking about.

“Uhm… excuse me?” said the clerk as he clung one of the milk boxes.

“You people are turning our heaven into hell…” the Santa guy rambled before the other guy stopped him.

“Lawerence, he doesn’t know and we should leave it that way,” said the second man with a faint British accent. Before the clerk could say anything about the comment Santa guy, Lawerence, dug into his pocket and placed a coin in the counter.

“Cleveland my friend, even if we wanted we couldn’t keep this guy from figuring out… our situation,” said the man with the funky shirt as he pointed at the Saint Gaudens Double Eagle coin from 1908. “I’ll take nine Tootsie Rolls and you keep the change boy.”

“It’s ok, uhm, you can just take some Tootsie Rolls for free,” the clerk finally said.

“Hallelujah the boy speaks! Again,” said Lawerence with a loud voice and reverberating tone.

The clerk sat on his ghetto stool in awe and for a second began to pray. It seemed like the end of days and for the first time in his life he was worried about shitting his pants for real. He looked outside at the seven figures under the flickering city tree. He waited a couple of seconds praying a car would pass by or at least a normal human being.

“Leave the boy alone. I think he would be a good candidate to illuminate,” said Clarence with a smile on his face as he looks at the bewildered clerk. “Deep down he’s a good guy but I wonder if he’ll choose to be inconsequential. He might end up in the asylum or in jail like so many others,” he was a tall ominous British man and his stare was inquisitive but startling. He reminded the clerk of what Sherlock Homes would look like if he existed. “Then again, he has no choice now, does he?”

Lawerence left the store but Clarence was still staring at the clerk. They were both completely silent. A faint smile started to appear on the clerks face but it quickly faded after Clarence took a step back.

“Follow me,” the towering British-sounding man said. The clerk reluctantly followed him outside the store and there it was the party of shadows. It was a relatively cold day, but luckily there was not wind. Shortly after he set foot on the sidewalk all the figures began to disappear one by one into the tree and the lights on the tree flickered violently. The whole street was empty and he couldn’t hear even a distant car. He couldn’t really hear any thing but the subtle footsteps of the shadows disguised as men. Even in this shitty city downtown area the clerk usually could hear something, a siren or distant cars. For that moment the place was solemnly quiet.

“Wood and trees, they work as doorways, I don’t know why, yet, but I’m trying to figure it out. The trees… I don’t think they like it but this one is asleep or whatever it is they do in the winter. Those tropical trees they really make the Christmas lights flicker. I suspect they hate us because of it,” the Sherlock Homes figure said all this without ever looking at the clerk. It seemed like he was talking to himself the whole time but the clerk politely nodded to every statement.

“Are you dead? Am I dead?” the clerk asked quivering just a little bit at the end.

“Heavens no, you’re alive. I’m not dead either; I’m just somewhere else,”

“Then… what’s going on?”

“Oh, no, I can’t even understand it myself. I won’t even try to explain it to you. Our concept of heaven or hell, well… no, no, I can’t. I tried boy and I shouldn’t. You come and touch this tree with me. I’m sure it sounds ridiculous but they have a history and they’re connected to everything,”

“Don’t worry man, you’re not going to turn into a tree hugger,” said a strong hearty voice. It sounded like the fat man that looked like a Viking pirate. Alas, in a blink of an eye the strange man was there, drinking his ginger ale. “Clarence, do you always have to confuse them,” he said after drinking a long sip from the bottle.

“Don’t they deserve a head start? It takes them years to realize just one concept. You were once like him, Guillermo,” said Clarence to the not-so-Viking-sounding-anymore fat man.

“I’ll touch it, let’s just get on with it,” said the clerk as he stepped forward ever so slightly. He wanted to appear brave but deep down he was praying like the priest on an exorcism.

They settled for a spot and just as quickly as they touch the tree they all disappeared. The lights stopped flickering and pretty street lamp with the copper crown started to fade to black. The entire street blacked out and for a second the lights in that lonely tree flickered alone. Just as quickly as he had disappeared he reappeared. His hands were cold but he felt different. The clerk could hear the sounds of cars in the distance and a siren or two. Then a car sped up the street and parked right in front of him. The guy had a shinny grey Mustang and apparently couldn’t read the two consecutive Tow Away Zone signs.

The clerk realized what had happened and looked around. It hit him like a ton of bricks. He knew one thing that was worth sharing. “We’re all….” But his epiphany was interrupted by the man in the Mustang.

“Hey buddy, can I park here?” said the slender blue eyed blond man.

The clerk looked at the signs and said: “park it there as long as you want.” He quickly tried to go back to the store but someone stopped him.

“Hey Sebastian, how was your day?” said his friend, a balding thirty something mechanic, before tossing half a cigarette on the pavement.

“You know what; it was interesting… but now what?” the clerk responded, but mostly to himself, then he tilted his head and looked for a couple of seconds at the Christmas lights.

OBAMA 08

2008-11-03T17:43:00.002-05:00

Bilingual Confusion endorses Senator Barack Obama for president. Go vote in masses! Salgan a votar carajo!

Cats Solve Illegal Immigration

2008-10-06T03:06:00.001-04:00

This is a must see video!

Illegal Immigration is one of the most divisive issues in America today. Pinky asks Daisy for his take on what's really going on. Added bonus: Daisy tells us how to solve the whole problem in 5 minutes.

For more information visit:
http://www.pinkyshow.org/

Customs video... no comment

2008-10-03T21:05:00.001-04:00

No comment...
just lol

Immigrant Community Examiner: Best Web Sites for Immigrant Voices

2008-10-01T02:08:00.001-04:00

Immigrant Community Examiner: Best Web Sites for Immigrant Voices

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Around Lowell: Roberto Clemente Little League Tournament

2008-09-16T23:25:00.004-04:00

Lowell, Massachusetts – The first annual Roberto Clemente Little League tournament will take place on September 20th and 21th, bringing together Hispanic children for a good game of baseball under the sun.

The event, named after the famed Puerto Rican outfielder, will include teams from Lawrence, Providence, Jamaica Plain, Boston, and Lowell.

Jesus "Charolo" Rivera, who has been with the Liga Roberto Clemente for 21 years, is one of the masterminds behind the event. The "Liga" offers sports clinics for underprivileged kids in Lowell, but up until now it had never developed into a team. When a group of mothers approached him with the request to take the group a step forward, the dream became a reality.

When Maria Claudio, president of the Roberto Clemente Little League Lowell, came to the area back in 1998, she couldn't find a Spanish speaking little league team for her son, so she settled with one in Lawrence.

"After a few years of my son playing over there, I said to myself 'Wouldn't it be nice to have a team like that in Lowell?' So, a year ago I met 'Charolo' - like we know him - and decided to make his original idea of a tournament into a reality," said Claudio.

Nowadays, the city of Lowell has five teams representing areas such as North Canal and Acre's Triangle neighborhood. The majority of players come from low-income families that usually can't afford enrolling their youngsters in sports teams, one of the reasons why Rivera worked so hard to create what he calls 'la Copa'.

"I've met with parents that tell me that they want to keep their kids busy doing productive activities," said Rivera. "We are doing this to take the Hispanic youth off the streets and into something positive that will help them build discipline and promote a healthy lifestyle."

"Charolo" and Claudio, both Puerto Rican natives, attempted to organize the tourney last year but weren't able to secure a field. This year, Ryan and Manning fields in Lowell will host the fifteen teams --close to 200 kids-- and the hundreds of dedicated fans and family members.

Admission is free and, like many traditional Hispanic events, there will be great food rain or shine.

Quite a Political Campaign

2008-09-11T01:32:00.001-04:00

See more Kitten vs. Newborn video on adultswim:
Episode 1 - www.babyforpresident.com
Episode 2 - www.kitten08.org

Iowa plant violated child labor laws

2008-09-10T12:04:00.002-04:00

NCLR, fighting the demonizing of Latinos and Immigrants

2008-09-08T11:10:00.002-04:00

(San Diego, CA) The leader of the nation's largest Hispanic civil rights and advocacy group speaks out to NBC 7/39 about the upcoming National Council of La Raza Convention.

The Realignment

2008-09-07T17:36:00.000-04:00

McCain's Latino conundrum

2008-09-07T13:13:00.002-04:00

Great interview with Erik Camayd-Freixas

2008-09-06T21:46:00.002-04:00

Erik Camayd-Freixas, an interpreter, speaks about the proceedings against illegal immigrants arrested at a meatpacking plant in Iowa.

It's an amazing interview. Looking at the issue from his perspective is enlightening. He vividly gives the illegal immigrants a human element which is often overlooked in the mainstream media. In the era of Lou Dobbs and Bill O'Reilly it's refreshing to see that even those that work at some capacity for ICE can see the injustice in the current immigration system.

Immigrant Community Examiner: The Brazilian Dream

2008-09-04T01:42:00.001-04:00

Immigrant Community Examiner: The Brazilian Dream

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Immigrant Community Examiner: The Dividing Fence

2008-09-04T01:39:00.001-04:00

Immigrant Community Examiner: The Dividing Fence

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Bullish on Latin America

2008-09-04T01:36:00.000-04:00

The recent decline in commodity prices has affected Latin American markets, says Geoffrey Dennis, Latin America equity strategist at Citigroup, but he's still bullish on Mexican and Brazilian equities. Poyla Lesova reports.

Immigrant Community Examiner: Raiding in America

2008-08-28T13:18:00.001-04:00

Immigrant Community Examiner: Raiding in America

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Bilingual Distortion: MiniPod #2 Mini European Tour

2008-08-24T15:23:00.000-04:00

Bilingual Distortion: MiniPod #2 Mini European Tour

10 Things to know about McCain from Move On

2008-08-23T15:47:00.002-04:00

For all the coverage this week of Senator John McCain's background, there are some important things you won't learn about him from the TV networks. His carefully crafted positive image relies on people not knowing this stuff—and you might be surprised by some of it.

Please check out the list below, and then forward it to your friends, family, and coworkers. We can't rely on the media to tell folks about the real John McCain—but if we all pass this along, we can reach as many people as CNN Headline News does on a good night.

Click here to tell us how many people you can pass it on to—and to see our progress nationally:

http://pol.moveon.org/mccain10/

10 things you should know about John McCain (but probably don't):

John McCain voted against establishing a national holiday in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Now he says his position has "evolved," yet he's continued to oppose key civil rights laws.¹
According to Bloomberg News, McCain is more hawkish than Bush on Iraq, Russia and China. Conservative columnist Pat Buchanan says McCain "will make Cheney look like Gandhi."²
His reputation is built on his opposition to torture, but McCain voted against a bill to ban waterboarding, and then applauded President Bush for vetoing that ban.³
McCain opposes a woman's right to choose. He said, "I do not support Roe versus Wade. It should be overturned."⁴
The Children's Defense Fund rated McCain as the worst senator in Congress for children. He voted against the children's health care bill last year, then defended Bush's veto of the bill.⁵
He's one of the richest people in a Senate filled with millionaires. The Associated Press reports he and his wife own at least eight homes! Yet McCain says the solution to the housing crisis is for people facing foreclosure to get a "second job" and skip their vacations.⁶
Many of McCain's fellow Republican senators say he's too reckless to be commander in chief. One Republican senator said: "The thought of his being president sends a cold chill down my spine. He's erratic. He's hotheaded. He loses his temper and he worries me."⁷
McCain talks a lot about taking on special interests, but his campaign manager and top advisers are actually lobbyists. The government watchdog group Public Citizen says McCain has 59 lobbyists raising money for his campaign, more than any of the other presidential candidates.⁸
McCain has sought closer ties to the extreme religious right in recent years. The pastor McCain calls his "spiritual guide," Rod Parsley, believes America's founding mission is to destroy Islam, which he calls a "false religion." McCain sought the political support of right-wing preacher John Hagee, who believes Hurricane Katrina was God's punishment for gay rights and called the Catholic Church "the Antichrist" and a "false cult."⁹
He positions himself as pro-environment, but he scored a 0—yes, zero—from the League of Conservation Voters last year.¹⁰

John McCain is not who the Washington press corps make him out to be. Please help get the word out—forward this email to your personal network. And if you want us to keep you posted on MoveOn's work to get the truth out about John McCain, sign up here:

http://pol.moveon.org/mccaintruth/

Sources:
1. "The Complicated History of John McCain and MLK Day," ABC News, April 3, 2008
http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2008/04/the-complicated.html

"McCain Facts," ColorOfChange.org, April 4, 2008
http://colorofchange.org/mccain_facts/

2. "McCain More Hawkish Than Bush on Russia, China, Iraq," Bloomberg News, March 12, 2008
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601103&sid=aF28rSCtk0ZM&refer=us

"Buchanan: John McCain 'Will Make Cheney Look Like Gandhi,'" ThinkProgress, February 6, 2008
http://thinkprogress.org/2008/02/06/buchanan-gandhi-mccain/

3. "McCain Sides With Bush On Torture Again, Supports Veto Of Anti-Waterboarding Bill," ThinkProgress, February 20, 2008
http://thinkprogress.org/2008/02/20/mccain-torture-veto/

4. "McCain says Roe v. Wade should be overturned," MSNBC, February 18, 2007
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17222147/

5. "2007 Children's Defense Fund Action CouncilÂ® Nonpartisan Congressional Scorecard," February 2008
http://www.childrensdefense.org/site/PageServer?pagename=act_learn_scorecard2007

"McCain: Bush right to veto kids health insurance expansion," CNN, October 3, 2007
http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/10/03/mccain.interview/

6. "Beer Executive Could Be Next First Lady," Associated Press, April 3, 2008
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5h-S1sWHm0tchtdMP5LcLywg5ZtMgD8VQ86M80

"McCain Says Bank Bailout Should End `Systemic Risk,'" Bloomberg News, March 25, 2008
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aHMiDVYaXZFM&refer=home

7. "Will McCain's Temper Be a Liability?," Associated Press, February 16, 2008
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory?id=4301022

"Famed McCain temper is tamed," Boston Globe, January 27, 2008
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2008/01/27/famed_mccain_temper_is_tamed/

8. "Black Claims McCain's Campaign Is Above Lobbyist Influence: 'I Don't Know What The Criticism Is,'" ThinkProgress, April 2, 2008
http://thinkprogress.org/2008/04/02/mccain-black-lobbyist/

"McCain's Lobbyist Friends Rally 'Round Their Man," ABC News, January 29, 2008
http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/story?id=4210251

9. "McCain's Spiritual Guide: Destroy Islam," Mother Jones Magazine, March 12, 2008
http://www.motherjones.com/washington_dispatch/2008/03/john-mccain-rod-parsley-spiritual-guide.html

"Will McCain Specifically 'Repudiate' Hagee's Anti-Gay Comments?," ThinkProgress, March 12, 2008
http://thinkprogress.org/2008/03/12/mccain-hagee-anti-gay/

"McCain 'Very Honored' By Support Of Pastor Preaching 'End-Time Confrontation With Iran,'" ThinkProgress, February 28, 2008
http://thinkprogress.org/2008/02/28/hagee-mccain-endorsement/

10. "John McCain Gets a Zero Rating for His Environmental Record," Sierra Club, February 28, 2008
http://www.alternet.org/blogs/environment/77913/

Support our member-driven organization: MoveOn.org Political Action is entirely funded by our 3.2 million members. We have no corporate contributors, no foundation grants, no money from unions. Our tiny staff ensures that small contributions go a long way. If you'd like to support our work, you can give now at:

http://political.moveon.org/donate/email.html

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Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee.

Original content is coming soon.

Bush Tours America...

2008-08-12T12:30:00.003-04:00

Bush Tours America To Survey Damage Caused By His Disastrous Presidency

So far people... I've survived... but barely... it's a disaster over here.

Welcome/Bienvenidos to the new world

2008-05-13T23:53:00.003-04:00

It's a new world for some of us. While those a bit older might see the patterns resurfacing, we continue to be oblivious to the similarities and find it hard to avoid making the same mistakes our ancestors made. There's soo much I want to write about and so much bilingual confusion in this brave new world. I'm living the world and keeping my thoughts locked in my head for later review. I promise to write, to express and to share my experience with all those who are willing to listen.

Today, I added an Obama 08 widget because I wanted to let those who read my blog to know that's the candidate I support. His message, his personality, his proposals and his overall campaign attracts a voter like me who's looking for some real change.

I don't promise anything but I will make an effort to write more often. It's going to be a crazy year, so sit tight.