Literanista

The racial politics of online dating

valruss@gmail.com (Literanista) — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 16:34:00 +0000

Very interesting:

Now to another type of cyber-socializing: online dating. Love may be blind, but in the virtual world it is not colorblind. According to new data compiled by the free online dating service OKCupid, racial biases are very much part of the romantic choices we are making online, even when we insist that they are not.

The site looked at the messaging behaviors of over a million users and found that black women were the most slighted, and white men and women were the most favored when it comes to seeking out a partner in cyberspace.

Papers: The Movie

valruss@gmail.com (Literanista) — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 21:27:00 +0000

"Papers" is the story of undocumented youth and the challenges they face as they turn 18 without legal status.

Via papersthemovie.com:

There are approximately 2 million undocumented children who were born outside the U.S. and raised in this country. These are young people who were educated in American schools, hold American values, know only the U.S. as home and who, simply by turning 18, become "illegal" immigrants.

65,000 undocumented students graduate every year from high school without “papers” and the door to their future slams shut. It is against the law to work or drive. It is difficult, if not impossible in some states, to attend college. Currently, there is no path to citizenship for these young people.

Graham Street Productions is producing this film in partnership with Film Action Oregon. We are working in collaboration with the youth who want to tell their stories as well as community organizations around the country who are working to change immigration policy on behalf of these young people.

Graham Street Productions is producing this film in association with El Grupo Juvenil (the "Papers" Youth Crew). These youth producers are actively involved in all aspects of the production.

Isabel Allende Named to Council of Cervantes Institute

valruss@gmail.com (Literanista) — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 12:26:00 +0000

Spain’s Cabinet announced Friday the appointment of Isabel Allende, the world’s most widely read Spanish-language author, to the Council of the Cervantes Institute, whose mission is promoting the language, literature and culture of the Iberian nation.

The council is responsible for guiding the Cervantes Institute’s activities, and its members are drawn from representatives of Spanish and Latin American culture and letters, universities and other social institutions.

Besides recipients of the Cervantes Prize, the most prestigious literary honor in the Spanish-speaking world, the council includes Latin American writers such as Tomas Eloy Martinez, Juan Villoro, Federico Luppi, Angeles Mastretta and, starting Friday, Isabel Allende, replacing Peruvian poet Blanca Varela, who died in March.

Born in Lima in 1942, where her father, Tomas Allende – cousin of future Chilean President Salvador Allende – was posted as a diplomat, Isabel Allende published “La Casa de los Espiritus” (House of the Spirits), her first novel, in 1982, and with it began a literary career marked by many successful works.

Her books have been translated into more than two-dozen languages and 51 million copies of her novels have been sold.

Last month she presented in Spain her latest novel, “La Isla Bajo el Mar” (The Island Under the Sea), in which she recounts the life of a mixed-race slave in 18th-century Hispaniola.

A California resident for the last 21 years, Allende has won numerous prizes and distinctions, including France’s Grand Prix d’Evasion, the Gabriela Mistral Prize in Chile, the Italian Bancarella Prize and the Chevalier des Artes et des Lettres distinction in France.

Via EFE

Ghoulish Nights in Boogie Down's Woodlawn Cemetery

valruss@gmail.com (Literanista) — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 16:08:00 +0000

Woodlawn Cemetery in the Bronx if offering three flashflights-required tours of sites associated with its most tragic guests.

Oct 29, 30, 31st and Nov 1st:
History and Mystery Tours – 6 pm - Jerome Avenue Gate

Spend an evening in the cemetery learning the legends of Woodlawn. This perennial favorite takes you to the sculpture of “the Bride,” the graves of notorious figures and the monuments that share the tales of tragic events. Flashlights required!

To make a reservation, get additional information or to volunteer your time, call (718) 920-1470 or email Friends@thewoodlawncemetery.org

Woodlawn Cemetery was founded in 1863 in The Bronx, New York, and is one of the largest in the United States. Many prominent figures in jazz, theater, literature, business, and politics are buried on the cemetery’s 400 acres.

These include Herman Armour; the Belmont family; Nellie Bly; Vernon and Irene Castle; George M. Cohan; Celia Cruz; Miles Davis; Charles Delmonico; Duke Ellington; Jay Gould; W. C. Handy; Coleman Hawkins; Victor Herbert; Milt Jackson; the Juilliard family; King Oliver; Samuel Kress; Fritz Kreisler; Fiorello LaGuardia; R. H. Macy; Herman Melville; Robert Moses; J. C. Penney; Joseph Pulitzer; Elizabeth Cady Stanton; the Straus family; Madame C. J. Walker; Bert Williams; the Whitney family; and the Woolworth family.

Speaking of Halloween: Pumpkin and Shrimp Soup

valruss@gmail.com (Literanista) — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 22:09:00 +0000

I was introduced to this soup at a French-Mexican fusion place near me, called Itzocan Bistro, a couple of years back. They have a very similar soup on their menu, which I tried to recreate. However, they add a dollop of Chipotle crema fresca (creme Fraiche). Not being big on veggies and thinking this a strnage combo - I tried it anyhow only to dicover it's divine and great for fall festivities and now it's one of my favorites.

Pumpkin and Shrimp Soup

Ingredients
2 medium onions, sliced
2 medium carrots, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon snipped fresh cilantro
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
2 tablespoons margarine or butter
1 14-ounce can chicken broth
1 15-ounce can pumpkin
1 cup milk
1 8-ounce package frozen, peeled, cooked shrimp, thawed
Fresh shrimp in shells, peeled, deveined, and cooked (optional)
Plain low-fat yogurt or dairy sour cream (optional)
Snipped fresh chives (optional)

Directions
1. In a covered large saucepan cook the onions, carrots, cilantro, ginger, garlic, and allspice in hot margarine for 10 to 12 minutes or until the vegetables are tender, stirring once or twice.

2. Transfer the mixture to a blender container or food processor bowl. Add 1/2 cup of the chicken broth. Cover and blend or process until nearly smooth.

3. In the same saucepan combine pumpkin, milk, and remaining broth. Stir in the blended vegetable mixture and the 8 ounces shrimp; heat through. If desired, on small skewers thread additional cooked shrimp. Ladle soup into soup bowls. If desired, top each serving with a spoonful of yogurt, a sprinkling of chives, and a shrimp skewer. Makes 4 servings.

You can also serve inside a pumpkin:

Quote:

If you are going to serve the soup in a pumpkin, boil 2 quarts of water. Cut the top off of the pumpkin and clean out carefully.Cut a notch in the top for the ladle to stick through. Pour the boiling water into the pumpkin and swish around and then pour into sink. Pour the soup into the pumpkin and serve with lemon or shrimp wedges.

You can add a dollop of fresh sour cream to yours instead of the crema fresca. Last time I made it I added sweet potato and pureed it and also 2 tablespoons of sofrito, some old bay seasoning, adobo, tons of garlic, frozen crab meat, scallions, pepper, cumin, basil, and since I didn't have allspice, I used nutmeg and ground cloves, and dried cilantro. I also used lowfat milk. Let me know if you try it. If you like thick, creamy soups - you will enjoy this one. It makes a great soup course at Thanksgiving dinner too.

Chimamanda Adichie: People Like Me in Literature

valruss@gmail.com (Literanista) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 12:53:00 +0000

"Wonderful personal narrative from novelist Adichie about the real and dire consequences of only allowing one voice to represent thousands, and makes a very beautiful argument on how the single story impoverishes our lives." via Racialicious

I love that her voice is shaky, as a shy girl myself - it completely touches my heart.

My Teacher, My Hero

valruss@gmail.com (Literanista) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 21:35:00 +0000

I had so many teachers who made an impact on my life and I will always be grateful because for me they were the only role models, besides my mom that was I exposed to:

Take the opportunity to thank your teachers:

Thank the teachers who touched your life, by posting your own video message to Myteachermyhero.com/.

Anyone who does will be in good company-—joining celebrities, athletes, public officials, and business leaders who have already personally thanked their teachers in candid videos posted online in an effort to help launch the new My Teacher, My Hero initiative. Then, during National Teacher Appreciation Week May 3-7, 2010, a series of awards will be granted to the teachers acknowledged on the site, including the most viewed videos, and to the schools which tally the most teachers thanked.

To post a tribute or see others, visit the Myteachermyhero/ website.

Check out whose thanking who:
Mayor of LA, Antonio Villaraigosa
Anil Dash
Sean Paul

Author Sapphire talks about the new movie "Precious" inspired by her novel "Push"

valruss@gmail.com (Literanista) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 22:00:00 +0000

What she said about the student who inspired the Precious character gave me chills:

Watch CBS News Videos Online

Goggle's Story - In 2 Minutes

valruss@gmail.com (Literanista) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 23:18:00 +0000

A (very) quick look back at the Google story over the last 11 years.

Visit the http://www.thegooglestory.com/ for more information on the book.

Inside the Mind of a Genius: Edwidge Danticat

valruss@gmail.com (Literanista) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 11:48:00 +0000

Love this:

EDWIDGE DANTICAT

Age: 40

Hometown: Port-au-Prince, Haiti

Current Location: Miami, FL

Occupation: Writer

1. What four adjectives would your first best friend use to describe you?

Funny, neurotic, sensitive and, I hope, kind

2. What dish do you make well?

Rice and beans

3. What was your favorite song when you were in high school?

“It's Raining Men” by The Weather Girls

4. What is the quickest, best form of charity?

Kindness

5. Do you believe in magic?

I do

6. What's your drink?

Anything fizzy

7. What's the oldest piece of clothing you own?

My wedding dress, which is 7 years old now

8. Do you handle compliments well?

I try.

9. What habit would you like to break?

Eating too much sweets.

10. Mac or PC?

Yeah, MAC. I've had a Mac since that first little box, the very first one.

11. Who would you destroy?

If I told you, they might try.

12. What holiday do you enjoy?

Christmas

13. What is your favorite of the first 10 amendments to the Constitution?

The first

14. What is the difference between genius and talent?

Time

15. On a scale of 1-10, how lucky are you?

1,000

16. What is your definition of luxury?

Peace of mind

17. Do you make your bed every day?

No, but don't tell my husband.

18. You own three novels by the same author. Who is it?

Toni Morrison

19. What has been the most extreme opposition to your work and way of thinking?

People who say stop writing such sad and negative stories. You make us look bad.

20. Vanilla bean, dark chocolate or Bing cherry?

All of the above, thus my problem with sweets.

Via www.theroot.com
More: Go inside the minds of the 2009 MacArthur fellows: Edwidge Danticat, Elyn R. Saks, Daniel Mikhail Sigman, Rackstraw Downes, Esther Duflo, Richard O. Prum and Lynsey Addario.

Tom Wolfe's Upcoming Book Explores Immigration in Miami

valruss@gmail.com (Literanista) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 22:50:00 +0000

His new novel, "Back to Blood," is set in Miami and focuses on immigration and bloodlines. It's due out in fall 2010 from Little, Brown & Co.

"I kept hearing about immigration. There are a lot of great stories about how people got into this country illegally," Mr. Wolfe said in a telephone interview from his New York City office. "I was more curious about what's the life of immigrants once they're here."

Miami is the perfect setting for his novel.

"It's the only city I've been able to find ... where more than half the population are recent immigrants -- people who have come to the country in the last 50 years," he said.

Cubans are a powerful constituency.

"You have people from another country with a different language and a very different culture coming into Miami and dominating it politically through the voting machine," Mr. Wolfe said. "Only in America could people from a foreign country with a foreign language and foreign culture establish themselves so quickly in 30 years."

Miami teems with Cubans, Haitians, Russians and newcomers from Nicaragua, Honduras and Venezuela.

Educated people are streaming into Miami from Venezuela because their country's leader, Hugo Chavez, wants to emulate Fidel Castro.

Immigrants continue to change the city's neighborhoods.

"What used to be called 'Little Havana' in Miami seems to be dominated by Central Americans, generally Nicaraguans and Hondurans. That's quite a change," he said.Then there's Hialeah, a separate city near Miami in Dade County. Originally a town of 200 people in the early 1920s, it attracted the rich and famous after a gorgeous horse track was built there in 1925.

In 1959, Hialeah's population began exploding when Cubans who fled Castro's regime landed there and today, it's the fifth largest city in Florida with 225,000 people.

The racetrack is closed.

"It's a symbol of the old Anglo establishment," Mr. Wolfe said. "In Florida, that's the term for white Americans of European ancestry."

"In an odd way, Hialeah, this rich, gorgeous place popping up on the prairie, is like the Cuban immigration," he added.

People speak of immigration in Florida in terms of vintages, he said.

The Cubans who arrived in the 1960s were sophisticated, educated and well-to-do.

"They set up businesses very quickly. Cubans tend to be very entrepreneurial. They certainly did well," Mr. Wolfe said.

"So many businesses have been developed by Cubans that instead of Latins having to break into American business networks, it's the other way around."

In 1980, the Mariel boatlift allowed working class Cubans to land in Florida, including criminals and mental patients. But the people who arrived here from Cuba in 1980 had lived under Communist rule for a long time.

"They were not used to working hard because no matter how hard you worked you were not going to be rewarded. So why beat your brains out?" the author said.

Interestingly, Miami's police force is quite representative of its racial makeup.

"Just about 70 percent of the police are Latino (and probably more than 50 percent are Cuban); 18 percent are African-American and 12 percent are American whites or Anglos," the author said.

Read more: www.post-gazette.com

Archaeologists Excavate for Federico Garcia Lorca's Remains

valruss@gmail.com (Literanista) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 22:35:00 +0000

I never realized his remains were missing - so sad: "Work has begun to excavate a grave in southern Spain that is believed to contain the remains of the poet and dramatist Federico Garcia Lorca." Via news.bbc.co.uk

Some more web news:

From http://www.briansolis.com/ (one of the most brilliant social media minds on the web): Social Media Influencers are not Traditional Influencers - a great piece on how online influencers with large followings are not always real world/offline influencers.

"http://www.poetryspeaks.com/ was launched by Sourcebooks this week, which has published the successful Poetry Speaks book series for nearly a decade. The new website is designed to serve as a social networking venue for poets and poetry lovers, as well as a business and marketing engine for poets and poetry presses."

First Bilingual Educational Toy Brand, Ingenio(TM), Hits the U.S. Market

Is It Better To Be Mixed Race? In this documentary from the UK, Aarathi Prasad, a geneticist and mother of a mixed race child, sets out to challenge the ideas of racial purity and examines provocative claims that there are in fact biological advantages to being mixed race. I've always heard of these biological advantages in every biology and anthropology class I've ever taken.

How They Write a Novel: JUNOT DÍAZ & EDWIDGE DANTICAT

valruss@gmail.com (Literanista) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 22:28:00 +0000

JUNOT DÍAZ
"I think 90% of my ideas evaporate because I have a terrible memory and because I seem to be committed to not scribble anything down," says Junot Díaz. "As soon as I write it down, my mind rejects it."

Juggling everything in his head has drawbacks, one of which is writing very slowly, he says. He threw out two earlier versions of his novel, "The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao"—the equivalent of about 600 pages—before the final version began to take shape. He also researches obsessively. When writing "Oscar Wao," he read J.R.R. Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings" trilogy half a dozen times to get inside the head of his protagonist, an overweight Dominican teenager who's obsessed with fantasy and science fiction.

He often listens to orchestral movie soundtracks as he writes, because he's easily distracted by lyrics. When he needs to seal himself off from the world, he retreats into the bathroom and sits on the edge of the tub. "It drove my ex crazy," he says. "She would always know I was going to write because I would grab a notebook and run into the bathroom."

EDWIDGE DANTICAT

Before she begins a novel, Edwidge Danticat creates a collage on a bulletin board in her office, tacking up photos she's taken on trips to her native Haiti and images she clips from magazines ranging from Essence to National Geographic. Ms. Danticat, who works out of her home in Miami, says she adapted the technique from story boarding, which filmmakers use to map out scenes. "I like the tactile process. There's something old-fashioned about it, but what we do is kind of old-fashioned," she says.

Sometimes, the collage grows large enough to fill four bulletin boards. As the plot becomes clearer, she culls pictures and shrinks the visual map to a single board.

Right now, Ms. Danticat has two boards full of images depicting a seaside town in Haiti, the setting for a new novel that takes place in a village based on the one where her mother grew up.

She writes first drafts in flimsy blue exam notebooks that she orders from an online office supply store. She often uses 100 exam books for a draft. "The company I order from must think I'm a high school," she said. She types the draft on the computer and begins revising and cutting.

Finally, she makes a tape recording of herself reading the entire novel aloud—a trick she learned from Walter Mosley—and revises passages that cause her to stumble.

Link Lovin'

valruss@gmail.com (Literanista) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:53:00 +0000

"Precious" Adaptation Scores Box Office Record

The Future of Latin American Fiction (Part I)
Three Percent: International Literature, from University of Rochester

NY Hate Crimes on the Rise

Company offers "book-of-the-month gift"
GiftLit, a new Internet-based company, announces the perfect holiday gift--book-of-the-month gifts that are hand-selected by book experts, include personalized bookplates and offer the flexibility to substitute any book. Ten percent of GiftLit`s profits go to organizations that promote literacy. The high-quality books are chosen by literary experts--librarians, writers, and editors. For more visit www.GiftLit.com. via Reading.org

Mixed Race Americans Picture A 'Blended Nation'

A woman in Texas was fined $204 for not speaking English.

East Harlem Victory Against Multinational Landlord

What did Sammy Sosa do to his face? And the rest of his body?

Jamaican Official Lobbies for Spanish as Second Language

Jamaica’s foreign minister says his country should adopt Spanish as a second official language to foster expanded trade and cooperation with its neighbors in the Caribbean and Central America. Growing ties between the Caribbean Community and Latin America, the Dominican Republic’s desire to join Caricom and the fact that Jamaica is surrounded by Spanish-speaking countries make it imperative for Jamaicans to become proficient in Spanish, Kenneth Baugh said… “I think all Jamaicans, all schools and teachers, have to become conscious that there is a desperate need for us to become Spanish speaking,” he said. via Ourlatinamerica

Richmond is dealing with the fall-out over the gang-rape committed at a high school homecoming dance two weeks ago.

Stuff I'm Totally Sweating

valruss@gmail.com (Literanista) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 13:48:00 +0000

They're all out of these amazing automatons at Anthropologie.com, which is a real pity but at $248 - I really couldn't afford the splurge anyhow...

Sesame Street: A Celebration of 40 Years of Life on the Street

valruss@gmail.com (Literanista) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 17:30:00 +0000

I was raised on Sesame Street as I am sure many of you were too - I have only sweet memories and many lessons learned.
Happy 40th Birthday!

Sunny Day

Sweepin' the clouds away

On my way to where the air is sweet

Can you tell me how to get,

How to get to Sesame Street

Come and play

Everything's A-OK

Friendly neighbors there

That's where we meet

Can you tell me how to get

How to get to Sesame Street

It's a magic carpet ride

Every door will open wide

To Happy people like you--

Happy people like

What a beautiful

Sunny Day

Sweepin' the clouds away

On my way to where the air is sweet

Can you tell me how to get,

How to get to Sesame street...

How to get to Sesame Street

How to get to...

"25 Books Every Latina Should Read" Challenge

valruss@gmail.com (Literanista) — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 01:01:00 +0000

I would like to propose a new book challenge for bloggers (perhaps for 2010?), based on "the compilation of the best literature every Latina should check out put together by Latina Magazine: 25 Books Every Latina Should Read"

The "25 Books Every Latina/o Should Read" Challenge:

The House of Spirits Isabel Allende
One Hundred Years of Solitude Gabriel Garcia Marquez
In The Time of the Butterflies Julia Alvarez
When I Was Puerto Rican Esmeralda Santiago
Don Quixote Miguel de Cervantes
Kiss of the Spider Woman Manuel Puig
Death in the Andes Mario Vargas Llosa
Hopscotch Julio Cortázar
The Labrynth of Solitude Octavio Paz
The Death of Artemio Cruz Carlos Fuentes
Like Water For Chocolate Laura Esquivel
The Alchemist Paolo Coelho
Las Peliculas De Mi Vida Alberto Fuguet
The House on Mango Street Sandra Cisneros
The Little Prince Antoine de Saint-Exupery
Compañero: The Life and Death of Che Guevara by Jorge G. Castaneda
A People's History of the United States Howard Zinn
The Aleph Jorge Luis Borges
Harvest of Empire: A History of Latinos in the United States Juan Gonzalez
Twenty Love Poems and a Song of Despair Pablo Neruda
The Brief & Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao Junot Diaz
Dreaming in Cuban Cristina Garcia
The Decapitated Chicken and Other Stories Horacio Quiroga
Pedro Paramo Juan Rulfo
Men of Maize Miguel Angel Asturias

What's the challenge? To track, blog, share, and discuss the 25 books listed above with other members of the challenge. Some people may also choose to set their own personal goals to read more books, or more non-fiction, or newer books.

Sign up below:

Challenge begins January through December, 2010.

You can join anytime between now and December 31, 2010.

You are welcome to come back and post links to your reviews here

Chicago Teens Like Latin King Memoirs

valruss@gmail.com (Literanista) — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 13:38:00 +0000

According to www.schoollibraryjournal.com, Chicago teens thrive on vamp books (of course), scary stories and true-life scary stories - like Latin King Memoirs.

www.schoollibraryjournal.com

Great ideas to get your teens reading and perhaps scare them straight?

My Bloody Life: The Making of a Latin King by Reymundo Sanchez

Once a King, Always a King: The Unmaking of a Latin King by Reymundo Sanchez

Lady Q: The Rise and Fall of a Latin Queen by Reymundo Sanchez and Sonia Rodriguez

Honoring Those who Serve and the Fallen:

valruss@gmail.com (Literanista) — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 17:24:00 +0000

As we celebrate over a century of service to the nation and commemorate our heroes, I invite you to pay tribute to those Puerto Ricans and fellow Americans who serve(d) proudly

Visit http://www.valerosos.com/ to sign their guestbook.

Nestle Corp. Opens Retail Store in the Bronx: Selling Tap Water to the Poor

valruss@gmail.com (Literanista) — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 22:39:00 +0000

Seriously! I'm not in the habit of writing rants but this one I just couldn't ignore.

I happened upon an announcement that Nestle "is celebrating its commitment to

the Hispanic community with the opening of its first U.S. Nestlé Pure Life Mercado del Agua (Water Store).

Bringing the benefits of Nestlé Pure Life Purified Water to the Hispanic community, the Mercado del Agua store celebrates its grand opening on Sat., Nov. 14, 2009 in the Bronx, NY from 12:30 p.m.-4:00 p.m.

Internationally acclaimed Hispanic TV personality and spokesperson for the Nestlé Pure Life brand Cristina Saralegui will make a special appearance at the store from 1:00 p.m.-3:00 p.m."

Ah, the irony! Here's why:

"The Nestlé Group is headquartered in Vevey, Switzerland. It's the world's largest food company. The water division of Nestlé is known as Nestlé Waters, which today serves 70 well-known bottled water brands in 160 countries world-wide. In addition to the Perrier and Vittel brands, Nestlé Waters North America also imports the S. Pellegrino and Acqua Panna brands from Italy. Their bottled water brands also includes Arrowhead, Poland Spring, Zephyrhills, Ozarka, Deer Park, Ice Mountain, Aberfoyle Spring, and others." In 2008, its revenue was $94.42 Billion. According to their company profile: "water is the embodiment of "the very best" and all that nurtures life."

Perhaps that sentiment in regard to bottled water is because "Nestlé's beverage division is almost completely reliant on bottled water."

But sales are down this year according to Reuters and there's the huge backlash from enviromentalists and activists (read more www.stopcorporateabuse.org and www.treehugger.com) to deal with, in addition to recent recalls of contaminated water...

So they've "launched a series of television advertisements to promote its Pure Life brand as a healthier alternative to sugary drinks. The advertisements are presently [heavily] targeting the US Spanish speaking population and will move into English language television advertising soon. The company hopes that consumers of carbonated soft drinks will continue shifting to bottled water."

That's great but what wrong with regular water?

Last year, Nestlé Waters North America signed a two-year partnership with Cristina Saralegui, one of Time Magazine's 25 most influential Hispanics in America. She is now their spokesperson and will be part of the meet and greet at the Bronx store on Saturday.

Now here's the clincher: The store is offering the community a variety of their "healthful waters," including Nestle Pure Life purified water in 5 gallon bottles.

Nestlé Pure Life Purified Water is basically tap water! It's been filtered and then had certain minerals re-added.

Now for those of you who don't know, New York has one of the best water supplies in the nation. Our water is clean and free! Free as in monetary and free as in nothing added. (Note: It is treated however, with chlorine, flouride and orthophosphate)

"Very farsighted people built the New York water supply system, starting with the Croton reservoirs built between 1842 and WW1, and the Catskill system started in 1927. Altogether 1,900 square miles of land containing pristine lakes and reservoirs supply approximately 1.4 billion gallons of water each day to nearly 9 million people in New York City and surrounding counties. It is pure, clean, and unfiltered."

So this is just one of the reasons "environmental groups have campaigned against bottled water, saying resources are wasted in bottling and transporting water which may be no safer or healthier than tap water, while selling for up to a thousand times the price."

"If you've seen FLOW [I really recommend you watch this - you may never buy a bottle of water again - You can watch it online here] or any of the other recent documentaries about water rights, you know that one of the (many) problems with bottled water is that local communities are sold on the idea of having cheaper water rates through privatized water and instead end up oftentimes without water. While this program does not include privatizing water, it does give water right to a company, when the rest of the community is under tight water restrictions. Communities looking to fight off big water are in for a serious battle."

This however is not the problem here...

"According to a recent census, the Bronx is still one of the poorest counties in the U.S. and according to the 2005–2007 American Community Survey Estimates, 50.7% of the total population are Hispanic or Latino."

My point: You are telling me that Nestlé Pure Life brand spokeperson Cristina Saralegui, the Hispanic Oprah, and Nestle Waters are opening this Mercado de Agua in the Bronx and selling tap water to Hispanics and the Bronx community (one of the poorest places in the US) because it's good for them? Give me a break! Clearly they aren't worried about the best interests of this community, especially during a recession...

What I don't understand is the lack of media coverage or the missing outcry of protest from the community...and that's why I wrote this

The LOST TAINO TRIBE Documentary

valruss@gmail.com (Literanista) — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 13:38:00 +0000

Remember Thomas Jefferson Park Circa 1912

valruss@gmail.com (Literanista) — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 22:14:00 +0000

Inspired by this post at Harlem Bespoke:

Crazy Bunch Barbecue: Jefferson Park, Summer 1999

This is definitely
for the brothers
who ain't here
who woulda said
I had to write a poem
about this get together
like a list of names
on a memorial
to celebrate
our own old-timers day
for those of us
who age in hood years
where one night
can equal the rest of your life
and surviving the trade off
was worth writing on the wall
and telling the world
that we were here forever

The day started with snaps
on good-livin' pot bellies
receding hair lines
and new roles as Mr. Moms
Jerry had the best joke of the day
when he said that my family was so poor
that on Thanksgiving
they had to buy turkey-flavored Now & Laters
the laughter needed no help
when we exposed the stretch marks
of our growing pains

Phil had barbecue on the grill
He slapped my hand when
I tried to brush extra sauce
on a leg
“Yo, go find something to do
write a poem
write something
do something
I got this
I'm the chef
You the poet
Talk about how you glad to be here
do something
look at that little boy
on the baseball diamond
running circles around second base
today is his birthday
look at him
beat the wind
with his balloon.”

It used to take a few drinks before
we could cry and say I love you
we have always known how to curse
and bless the dead
but now we know how to talk in silence
as we walk into the sun
like the little boy's sneakers
we disappear in a cloud of dirt
and we go home
grown up
and full

This is definitely
for the brothers
who ain't here
who woulda said
I had to write a poem
about this get together
like a list of names
on a memorial
to celebrate
our own old-timers day
for those of us
who age in hood years
where one night
can equal the rest of your life
and surviving the trade off
was worth writing on the wall
and telling the world
that we were here forever

© 2001 Willie Perdomo

Examining the True Historical and Political Causes of Poverty

valruss@gmail.com (Literanista) — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 22:15:00 +0000

The End Of Poverty? from Philippe Diaz

Global poverty did not just happen. It began with military conquest, slavery and colonization that resulted in the seizure of land, minerals and forced labor. Today, the problem persists because of unfair debt, trade and tax policies -- in other words, wealthy countries taking advantage of poor, developing countries.

Renowned actor and activist, Martin Sheen, narrates The End of Poverty?, a feature-length documentary directed by award-winning director, Philippe Diaz, which explains how today's financial crisis is a direct consequence of these unchallenged policies that have lasted centuries.

Consider that 20% of the planet's population uses 80% of its resources and consumes 30% more than the planet can regenerate. At this rate, to maintain our lifestyle means more and more people will sink below the poverty line.

Filmed in the slums of Africa and the barrios of Latin America, The End of Poverty? features expert insights from: Nobel prize winners in Economics, Amartya Sen and Joseph Stiglitz; acclaimed authors Susan George, Eric Toussaint, John Perkins, Chalmers Johnson; university professors William Easterly and Michael Watts; government ministers such as Bolivia's Vice President Alvaro Garcia Linera and the leaders of social movements in Brazil, Venezuela, Kenya and Tanzania . It is produced by Cinema Libre Studio in collaboration with the Robert Schalkenbach Foundation.

Can we really end poverty within our current economic system? Think again.

The film has been selected to over 25 international film festivals and opens in theatres in today. Directed by Philippe Diaz, produced by Cinema Libre Studio with the Robert Schalkenbach Foundation, 104mins, 2008, USA, documentary in English, Spanish, French with English Subtitles.

Gringa: A Contradictory Girlhood

valruss@gmail.com (Literanista) — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 22:45:00 +0000

There are some interesting perspectives in Gringa: A Contradictory Girlhood

IndieBound Weekend

valruss@gmail.com (Literanista) — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 00:05:00 +0000

It's Indie Bookstore Week

What: Author readings, discounts, and more from local neighborhood booksellers.

Why: Good reads and free snacks, support local bookstores and meet new people.

When: Fri.-Sun.

Where: Bookstores across the city; go to ibnyc.org/calendar for times and locations.