Category: Latin America

Univision to Donald Trump: ‘Hasta la Vista, Baby!’

~ Mi Blog es tu Blog ~ 1 Comment

TrumpMexicansWell, that was fast.

Barely five months after Donald Trump announced he was dumping Telemundo to join forces with Univision for the Miss Universe pageant, the Hispanic media giant decided it was just too much to partner with such a bocón.

According to a statement put out by Univision Communications Inc. on Thursday:

Today, the entertainment division of Univision Communications Inc. announced that it is ending the Company’s business relationship with the Miss Universe Organization, which is part-owned by Donald J. Trump, based on his recent, insulting remarks about Mexican immigrants. At Univision, we see first-hand the work ethic, love for family, strong religious values and the important role Mexican immigrants and Mexican-Americans have had and will continue to have in building the future of our country. We will not be airing the Miss USA pageant on July 12th or working on any other projects tied to the Trump Organization.

Americans Can Now Enjoy ‘Xochimilco’ from the Comfort of Cancún

~ Mi Blog es tu Blog ~ Leave a comment

Xochimilco

It is not a secret that Americans love Latin America — especially if they can enjoy an entire continent while avoiding the annoyances and perils of actually going there.

Enter Xochimilco-Cancún, a smaller-scale recreation of the original Xochimilco, the famed floating garden in Mexico City, that caters to Cancún tourists — basically Americans who could not bother to experience the annoyances and perils of actual Mexico City.

By paying a “modest” fee of $80, tourists in Xochimilco-Cancún can ride a trajinera, as mariachis play music alongside and feast on Mexican delicacies and drink beer and tequila like there is no tomorrow — all this from the comfort of Cancún, a Mexican city which looks nothing like Mexico.

¡Oh, yeah!

Jeb Bush Can Tell if Someone Hails from Colombia, Not Columbia; Has Wife Named Columba

~ Mi Blog es tu Blog ~ Leave a comment

Jeb Bush with [tiny] Mexican wife, Columba
Jeb Bush with [tiny] Mexican wife, Columba
It is not a huge secret that Jeb Bush has a pretty decent command of the Spanish language. And now, thanks to the New York Times, we also know he’s also good at guessing the Latin American country where a person is from based on his/her accent.

Per an a March 29, 2015 article:

HUDSON, N.H. — As Jeb Bush mingled with Hispanic workers on a company tour a few weeks ago on his first trip here as an all-but-declared candidate for president, he was able to guess the region in Colombia where one woman was born just from hearing her accent.

He should know better.

While many politicians — and pretty much most “regular Americans”– insist on confusing Colombia with Columbia –and viceversa — something like that would simply be an unforgivable and goofy mistake for a man whose Mexican wife goes by the name of –what else?– Columba.

Editor’s Note: Depending on the success -or not- of Jeb Bush’s campaign for 2016, this blogger will be launching a new category: #ItsColumbaNotColumbia 

This Mexican Astronaut Wants to be President of Mexico. Here’s Why He Should Win

~ Mi Blog es tu Blog ~ 1 Comment
Neri Vela for President!
Rodolfo Neri Vela for President!

Rodolfo Neri Vela is not only the first — and only — Mexican to have flown aboard a NASA Space Shuttle mission in 1985. More importantly he is the guy who gladly accepted to autograph a dirty napkin — upon his return to Earth — after my father told him I was a fan, and was studying high-school in Singapore….

— Singapore???! Neri apparently gasped, according to my dad, which was just awesome coming from a guy who had been somewhere out there, in space, you know, I think farther even than Singapore.

So there, I have a soft spot for the guy, so if he wants to be president of Mexico, I’ll take my ticket ASAP and cast my vote for him. He has no political experience whatsoever, but given the morons running our country these days… how bad can it be?   

Via: Proceso

 

Netflix Adds Univision, and that Means One thing…

~ Mi Blog es tu Blog ~ Leave a comment

…. Soraya is BAAAAAAAACK!

lisiada

Per a Univision press release:

Netflix will now offer many hours of some of the most beloved and highly-rated shows from the Univision classics such as Teresa, Maria la del Barrio, Lo Que La Vida Me Robó, Por Ella Soy Eva, La Viuda Negra and Rosa de Guadalupe. The lineup also features some of the Top 20 novelas of all time including La Fea Mas Bella, Cuidado con el Angel and Rubi.

Yeah.. I know what you’re thinking

No, Google, Kermit the Frog is not ‘Kermit la Rana’ in Spanish

~ Mi Blog es tu Blog ~ Leave a comment
OK, Google. Let's try this again
OK, Google. Let’s try this again

Kermit the Frog, the friendly frog that became so famous in TV shows such as The Muppets and Sesame Street is actually called “René” in Mexico and “Gustavo” in Spain. But I guess that’s just too much for an automated voice-recognition, translation program.

During a brief demonstration today of its voice search app, Google’s Senior Vicepresident Sundar Pachai, reached for his smartphone to ask Google — using his voice — on Google’s search app — “How do you say Kermit the Frog in Spanish?.

Google’s response “Kermit la Rana.”

Wait. What?!

As anybody who was not born in the United States, Kermit came to be known as René in Mexico and pretty much all Latin America, and Gustavo in Spain. And as far as this blogger can tell you, nobody in the Spanish-speaking world knows him (or her?) as Kermit.

Yet, I’ve found video footage of the poor thing (René/Hermit/Gustavo) trying to explain his identity problem.

WATCH

via: CNET en Español

Aspiring Mexican Mayor Uses Batmobile to Campaign Around

~ Mi Blog es tu Blog ~ Leave a comment
¡Santas elecciones, Batman!
¡Santas elecciones, Batman!

Awwww, Mexico…

The land of the collective smooch, the coold cocnuts and the 1-million-dollar birthday parties is also the World’s Headquarters of innovative political initiatives.

Take Valentín González, aspiring Mayor of Netzahualcóyotl, who decided it was an awesome idea to drive around the impoverished municipality in his own Batmobile. Why? Simple, because it is the only way to fight crime and stuff so he can get elected and all that.

Per the campaign itself:

“The campaign will be accompanied by our emblem, which we decided to be a Batmobile, simply because in order to reach the Mayor’s Office we’ll have to fight criminals who for a long time have disturbed the peace of our citizens.”

¡Santas elecciones, Valentín!

BatiValentin2

Via: SDPNoticias

What do Jorge Ramos and John Oliver Have in Common? U.S. Machines Don’t Understand their Accent

~ Mi Blog es tu Blog ~ Leave a comment

Screen Shot 2015-05-14 at 12.03.41 PMDuring a brief trip to New York for Upfronts Week, Univision host Jorge Ramos took some time to interview John Oliver.

They touched on many serious — and not so serious — topics, including Oliver’s memorable interview with Edward Snowden, which led to the following exchange:

Jorge Ramos: Why do you think [Snowden] picked you, and not a respected journalist?

John Oliver: [LAUGHTER] I’m not a respected journalist, because I’m not a journalist, I’m a comedian!

Yet, my favorite part has to be when the pair set out to discuss the subject of electronic imperialism and how bloody frustrating it is when when automatic operators simply cannot understand us, the Mexicans and the British.

See? That’s why the only electronic exchanges I can take are those involving super smart, Spanish-speaking ones that are even willing to sing La Cucaracha.

(Watch the full clip below.)

Via: Fusion

Donald Trump Will Build Wall on U.S.-Mexico Border with all the Money Mexicans Took from Him -Or Something

~ Mi Blog es tu Blog ~ Leave a comment

ttrumpMexico

Donald Trump’s latest Mexico rant is too stupid funny to be ignored.

“Mexico will not be taking advantage of us. They will not be having open borders. And the greatest builder is me. And I would build the greatest all you have ever seen. The greatest. And just to finish, you know who’s going to pay for the wall? Mexico. With all the money that they have taken from us.”

Via: Daily Mail

New .LAT Domain Will Instill ‘Latin Identity’ to Your Website

~ Mi Blog es tu Blog ~ Leave a comment
Soy Latino punto Soy punto LAT... what?
Soy Latino punto Soy punto LAT… what?

Remember .SOY?

Google’s Latino-specific domain, crafted specifically with us — “The Latin people” — in mind will soon have (Latin) company.

The U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (USHCC) has partnered with eCOM-LAC to launch yet another Latino-specific domain: .LAT, which according to its creators, is going to instill LATIN IDENTITY (yes, with bold and capital letters) to your Latino website targeting Latino people in this Latino world.

Keep in mind, though, that you must be a pretty wealthy LATINO, since the initial registration fee for a .LAT domain starts in “only” $75,000.

¡Ay caramba!

Hat tip: @Don_Marquito

 

 

 

Venezuelan TV Host Gets Naked Delivering News about Cristiano Ronaldo, because Latin America

~ Mi Blog es tu Blog ~ Leave a comment
Some people really have an on camera talent
Some people really have an on camera talent

I couldn’t make this stuff up if I wanted.

Venezuelan TV host Yuvi Pallares thought it was an awesome idea to get naked as she reported the news about Cristiano Ronaldo dating Playboy model Daniella Chávez.

Don’t be too shock, though. The stunt is fairly common — and pretty much the Raison d’être of Desnundando la Noticia, a Venezuelan “nude-delivering news service.”

NOTE: I’m filing this under Latin American TV journalism and saving my sarcastic remarks for later. (See? I’m busy NOT being that kind of reporter right now).

Just WATCH. Cringe. Repeat (or not.)

Via: Desnudando la noticia

Cinco de Mayo: America’s Stupidest Holiday Is Almost Here!

~ Mi Blog es tu Blog ~ Leave a comment
Americans: How can anyone not like them?
Americans: How can anyone not like them?

Awwww, Cinco de Mayo.

No matter how many bizarre holidays Americans come up with, Cinco de Mayo will forever be my favorite one. And not only because it’s an excuse to drink all day and yell ¡Viva México! while thinking it’s our celebration of Independence (it’s not.) But it is also the time of year that brings out the stupidest most creative marketing brains to sell Americans everything, from DIY printable fiesta kits and taquito shooters (whatever that is,) to senseless drink mixes, “ethnic food” and even life-size cardboard Mexicans as scene setters.

This time around, though, in honor of that amazing marketing took known as Twitter, I’ve put together a few tweets making their way to my timeline.

NOTE: We’re still a full week away from the actual fiesta and this list will be updated in the following days, but let’s get to it right away, shall we? 

1. This mariachi-themed pitch from BelVita

2. How about some taquito shooters?

3. Old El Paso’s Suspicious-Looking ‘Tacos’

4. Go ahead, print your own fiesta kit

The craziness is such, that even Whole Foods London is jumping on the Cinco de Mayo wagon:

5. Wait, what? Whole Foods London?

6. Or… Sombrero Cinco de Mayo Cookies

7. José Olé Cinco Savings Coming Soon

8. Taco Bell, of course

Last but not least, the King of Ruining Mexican Food, Taco Bell, has already announced plans to introduce a new hot sauce on Cinco de Mayo called Diablo. The sauce, says Taco Bell, will only be available for a limited time and it’s made with a variety of peppers, including ají panca, chipotle and chili. Here it is, in all its GIF glory.

 

I don’t know about you, but at this point in my life, the only Cinco de Mayo thing worth watching is this one.