Ever wonder why there are so many Latino janitors, gardeners, maids and buss boys? … Probably because nobody ever told them they might be better off as engineers, mathematicians or plain scientists. Duh!

But this might change soon thanks to the upcoming publication of Ay mijo, why do you want to be an Engineer?, a new book endorsed by the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) “as a way to get the word out to young people about the benefits of pursuing a career in the field.”

According to SHPE’s Web site, this is the second volume in the Ay Mija / Ay Mijo series (yep, there is a series!) and it tells the inspirational stories of 12 Latino engineers, including NASA Astronaut Jose Hernandez, and some other fellows who work for some big corporations, including Proctor [sic] & Gamble.

By the way: after an active one month and a half looking for a decent job to no avail, I have seriously considered joining the fray and write my own Ay Mija, Why Did You Want to be a Journalist?

Do you know what day is today?

It is “El Día Nacional del Pancake,” or National Pancake Day, an annual celebration which dates back to the 15th century, but has become a valuable marketing vehicle for …  pancake restaurants, of course.

In a quirky 30-second spot airing these days on the Univision and Telemundo affiliates in the New York City area, U.S. Senator Robert Menendez invites Latinos to join him in this very special celebration by visiting their local IHOP (International House of Pancakes), which will donate 10% of sales to food banks throughout the states of New York, New Jersey and Southern Connecticut.

Of course Mr. Menendez forgets to make a full disclosure. Not only IHOP is the perfect brand to be behind the P.R. effort, but it is actually his favorite eatery in the world! It is almost impossible to forget that 24 hours after winning a full term in the U.S. Senate, Menendez made his first public appearence at a local IHOP in Union City, New Jersey, his hometown.

Press reports at the time (November 8, 2006) stated Menendez even went as far as to ask a manager for a list of restaurants across the Garden State so he could stop in for a bite while on the campaign trail. However, what Menendez seemed to avoid in his latest pitch for IHOP is the fact that he is actually on an Atkins Diet: a manager at IHOP boasted he knew the Senator’s breakfast choice by heart: “Hash and eggs, over medium, rye toast with butter on the side and coffee with cream and equal, plus a glass of water.”

Mmm, Qué paso con el pancake Senator?