Latinos want their web suffix…

July 13, 2007July 13, 2007 ~ Mi Blog es tu Blog ~ Leave a comment

If non-profit organizations are identified as “.org” on the Web, universities use “.edu.” and the military has “.mil,” why can’t Latinos have their own Internet suffix?

This is what a Latin American e-commerce group wants to achieve, and is now pushing for the creation of a suffix that “identifies the Latino community” … whatever that means.

As it turns out, the group known as the Electronic Commerce Federation for Latin America and the Caribbean (eCOM-LAC) has tapped Mexico City-based Nic Mexico for the (Herculean? ridiculous? nonsensical?) task.

And they are determined. The group will soon present a plan before the Internet Corporation of Assigned Names and Numbers.

I cannot wait for the resulting debate and discussions around the subject. What is it going to be? “.lat”? “.hisp”? “.latinos”? Are we going to include Brazilians of African-Portuguese origin? what about the French?

Ah! so many questions, so little to do!

Hillary signs up a bunch of Latinos as “friends”

July 11, 2007July 11, 2007 ~ Mi Blog es tu Blog ~ 1 Comment

Hillary Clinton’s favorite TV show is American Idol; she has a weakness for chocolate, hates to cook but can make great huevos revueltos, and has a pending business with her closet, which is in dire need of attention…You can find these and other tidbits on the candidate’s favorite “stuff” on her recently uploaded page at Latino social networking site MyGrito.

Although she tells us there what her job is (senadora) and what her dating status is (married), she makes a point to leave out her orientation and body type (I wonder why). But if you are fortunate enough to read Spanish, you will find that she talks about her posiciones (oh mama!) “En esta página presentaremos más información sobre mis posiciones en diferentes temas que son importantes para los latinos”. I thought only Monica was known for her “posiciones” in the White House.

In only a few hours, the senator has added a bunch of Latino “friends” to her page with names such as Lovely Latina, Naranja Dulce, Pancho Villa, Friendly Chica and Yomero.

I am starting to feel jealous, so I’ll log on to MyGrito and join the fiesta.

Gays are not normal people: Niurka Marcos

July 11, 2007 ~ Mi Blog es tu Blog ~ Leave a comment

The increasingly powerful Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) this week condemned telenovela actress Niurka Marcos’ use of defamatory anti-gay comments during interviews aired last week on Univision, Televisa, Telefutura, Telemundo and Azteca América.

In an interview with a popular Mexico City-based gossip show, the Cuban vedette simply said about her former husband: “I don’t know what he did with his body, his soul, his feelings. At that time when I left him, he was normal.”

As it turns out, Niurka’s former man, Bobby Larios is starring in Descarados, a play in which he will portray a gay man who struggles with his sexual orientation before finally coming out to his friends.

This is by no means the first time GLAAD comes out after Spanish-language media. The organization has been behind some of the most successful efforts to “educate” U.S.-based Hispanic TV anchors about their use –and misuse– of derogatory terms (i.e. mariquita) widely used in hugely popular shows such as Cristina, Don Francisco, El Chavo del Ocho, etc.

Ready to unleash my enchanting side

July 10, 2007July 10, 2007 ~ Mi Blog es tu Blog ~ 1 Comment

There’s gotta be something wrong with me because, as a Hispanic woman, I don’t seem to know how to unleash my mysterious, enchanting side through passion and romance.

But that might change soon, thanks to Univision’s new telenovela, Mi adorada Malena, which debuts tonight at 6:00 PM (ET) and follows the comings and goings of Malena Ferreira, a professional, “strong, beautiful and exotic woman,” and two caballeros vying for her attention.

But don’t expect your typical one-hour Televisa-produced drama: Mi adorada Malena is a Univision production and will only be available on the Internet.

Oh, and I almost forgot to mention: the protagonista also happens to be a spokesperson for Caress Exotic Oil Infusions body wash. And in fact the body wash itself is a key element to the plot. And why not? after all, the six-episode series is nothing but a big product pitch by the Unilever brand.

In explaining the cultural insight behind the effort, a marketing director at Unilever simply said in a statement that “Hispanic women know how to unleash their mysterious, enchanting sides through passion and romance.”

Do we really? maybe I’ve been using the wrong moisturizing (or is it body wash?)

Villaraigosa is now “lost to God”

July 9, 2007 ~ Mi Blog es tu Blog ~ Leave a comment

Tired of reading about Los Angeles mayor’s extramarital affair? Quite frankly I am, but today I came across the most recent –and weirdest– twist to the story: It turns out devout Catholic Latino women are now flocking to church to light up votiva candles and pray for a reconciliation between Villaraigosa and his wife of 20 years. Otherwise… he’s going straight to hell!

An unusually long story on today’s San Jose Mercury News quotes several Latino women who are said to be “morally outraged” about the whole thing.

“I pray with God’s help they find a way of reconciling,” one woman told the Mercury reporter. “If they don’t, Antonio is lost. He is lost to his family. He is lost to himself. Most importantly, he is lost to God.”

I don’t know if Mr. Villaraigosa is really lost to God, but I am sure as hell his pecadillo has been a blessing for Hispanic-related blogs (including my own, of course). Is there anything else going on?

¡Cuidado!: Bad translation ahead

July 8, 2007July 9, 2007 ~ Mi Blog es tu Blog ~ 1 Comment

New York City is a cosmopolitan city. So much so that both public and private enterprises work hard every day to make sure the city’s growing Hispanic population understands what’s going on.

And that is why the people in charge of a Linmar Construction site in Manhattan’s West 25th street, made sure to translate every word of a presumably important notice for the Spanish speaking crowd. The sign reads as follows:

Confused? Well, it’s not that hard if you speak a little English or at least have a good imagination to make up for the missing words, verbs and adjectives. Try a little, and you will eventually figure something out. Otherwise, check out the English version (below) to see what you’ve been missing.

I wonder if this is a truly a case of poor translation work or a Maquiavelic way to intentionally confuse Latinos and avoid having them complaining (oops! shall I say reporting?) about unsafe working conditions? you never know! (photos: Mariana Carreño King)