Destellos Borincanos

Destellos Borincanos http://www.boricuanetwork.net/members/boricua/blog/VIEW+00000003 News, People and Events about Puerto Rico and Puerto Rican professionals. en Copyright 2008, Boricua Network Tue, 05 Aug 2008 18:14:29 GMT Tue, 05 Aug 2008 18:14:29 GMT Boricua Publica Portal Latino en NJ http://www.boricuanetwork.net/members/boricua/blog/VIEW+00000003+00000171#00000171 Puertorriqueña promueve la unidad y el poder con información (Foto: EFE)El Diario/La Prensa, by Yasmín Rincón  (2008-08-01) Perth Amboy/N.J.(EFE) — Ivette Méndez es la fundadora del portal electrónico <a href="http://www.latinosnj.com" target="_blank">www.latinosnj.com</a> creado en octubre de 2007 con la idea de poner en un solo lugar todas las noticias, eventos, comentarios y temas de interés para los hispanos de Nueva Jersey. <a href="http://www.boricuanetwork.net/members/boricua/blog/VIEW+00000003+00000171#00000171">Read More »</a> Tue, 05 Aug 2008 19:02:14 GMT American Idol in Puerto Rico http://www.boricuanetwork.net/members/boricua/blog/VIEW+00000003+00000170#00000170 'Idol' Searches for Talent in Puerto Rico <a href="http://video.ap.org/v/default.aspx?mk=en-ap&g=7b6b2692-d988-4957-b4c0-73a7b9fb8ed5&f" target="_blank">www.1010wins.com</a> (A.P.) Aug. 4 - Hundreds of 'American Idol' hopefuls showed for auditions in San Juan, Puerto Rico over the weekend for a chance to compete in season 8 of the reality show. It's the first time 'Idol' auditions were held in the U.S. territory. <a href="http://www.boricuanetwork.net/members/boricua/blog/VIEW+00000003+00000170#00000170">Read More »</a> Mon, 04 Aug 2008 23:51:38 GMT PRican Police find bones in colonial-era ship http://www.boricuanetwork.net/members/boricua/blog/VIEW+00000003+00000169#00000169 Undersea remains an archeological discovery? Police in Puerto Rico find bones and possible artifacts from colonial-era ship Puerto Rican Police Make Undersea Discovery The Associated Press Thurs., July. 31, 2008 SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico - Police divers checking a report of human remains off a Puerto Rican beach may have made an archaeological discovery: bones and possible artifacts from a colonial-era ship, officials in the U.S. island territory said Wednesday. <a href="http://www.boricuanetwork.net/members/boricua/blog/VIEW+00000003+00000169#00000169">Read More »</a> Fri, 01 Aug 2008 00:31:39 GMT Puerto Ricans: An Important part in the NY Catholic Church's History http://www.boricuanetwork.net/members/boricua/blog/VIEW+00000003+00000168#00000168 Hispanics and Catholic New York NY Times, City Room Blog, By Sewell Chan July 30, 2008 Many people, if asked when Hispanics began to reshape the Catholic Church in New York City, would probably put the date around 1950, when Puerto Rican migrants began arriving in Manhattan in large numbers. But in fact, Hispanics had exerted a powerful influence on religion and society in New York more than a century earlier, an important insight that emerged from a panel discussion on Tuesday night at the Museum of the City of New York. <a href="http://www.boricuanetwork.net/members/boricua/blog/VIEW+00000003+00000168#00000168">Read More »</a> Thu, 31 Jul 2008 21:42:28 GMT Boricua "Peloteritos" to Play at the White House http://www.boricuanetwork.net/members/boricua/blog/VIEW+00000003+00000162#00000162 S.J. T-ball champs are White House bound PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, By Matt Katz mkatz@phillynews.com Mon, Jun. 30, 2008 (Photo: Neal Santos/Inquirer) Cramer Hill T-ball players and coaches wave before heading to Washington, D.C. Camden's Little Red Sox are on their way to the White House. The Cramer Hill Little League T-ball team left in two coach buses at 8:21 a.m. to the South Lawn of the White House, where at 1 p.m. they will play a team from Puerto Rico. President Bush is expected to be in attendance as he has been at every previous game. The 13 players - ranging in age from 4 to 7 years old - are decked out in red South Lawn Sluggers jerseys, red Little League hats, grey pants, and of course red socks. The International Little League and the White House wanted a Latino theme for the game, which is the 18th T-ball match-up at the White House since the tradition began in 2001. The Camden team of 12 boys and one girl is entirely Latino. Puerto Rican baseball great Roberto Clemente uniform number, No. 21, will be retired at the game. "We're No. 1, baby!" said Abner Garcia, 6, as he boarded the bus that left from the Susquehanna Bank Center on the Delaware River. Family and friends filled the buses, which were paid for by donations. The league, which covers the registration fee for 40 percent of its players based on need, also got donations of boxed lunches. "Once we pull up Pennsylvania Avenue, they'll say, 'Wow! We're going there?'" said Jenise Santos. "They may be nervous at first considering at their age everything is bigger than them." A coach led the team in a prayer before the buses left, and the movie Ice Age was put on the buses' DVD players for a little quiet time before the game. Contact staff writer Matt Katz at 856-779-3919. <a href="http://www.philly.com/philly/hp/news_update/20080630_S_J__T-ball_champs_are_White_House_bound.html" target="_blank">www.philly.com/philly/hp/news_update/20080630_S_J__T-ball_champs_are_White_House_bound.html</a> <a href="http://www.boricuanetwork.net/members/boricua/blog/VIEW+00000003+00000162#00000162">Read More »</a> Mon, 30 Jun 2008 19:46:49 GMT Puerto Rican Fiesta in Coral Springs http://www.boricuanetwork.net/members/boricua/blog/VIEW+00000003+00000161#00000161 6th annual Fiesta! Puerto Rico gives town feel, taste of island South Florida Sun-Sentinel, By Georgia East geast@sun-sentinel.com June 30, 2008 (Photo: Sun-Sentinel/Robert Duyos) Salsa dancing made a little star out of 6-year-old Genesis Aroyo of Coral Springs at the 6th annual Fiesta! Puerto Rico Sunday afternoon. She was dancing with family friend Luis Andino, also of Coral Springs, at center with Puerto Rican flag. <a href="http://www.boricuanetwork.net/members/boricua/blog/VIEW+00000003+00000161#00000161">Read More »</a> Mon, 30 Jun 2008 19:26:41 GMT Camdem's "San Juan Bautista" Parade http://www.boricuanetwork.net/members/boricua/blog/VIEW+00000003+00000160#00000160 Latinos celebrate a day of heritage in Camden Courier-Post By BRIDGET SMITH brksmith@camden.gannett.com June 30, 2008 For a few hours on Sunday, the city's streets transformed into a sea of Puerto Rican pride. Latinos of all ages lined the streets clad in red and white and waving their Puerto Rican flags to celebrate the Parada San Juan Bautista, an event to honor the patron saint of Puerto Rico. <a href="http://www.boricuanetwork.net/members/boricua/blog/VIEW+00000003+00000160#00000160">Read More »</a> Mon, 30 Jun 2008 18:57:29 GMT ‘Que Me Lo Den En Vida’ Author Mike Amadeo Honored in NYC http://www.boricuanetwork.net/members/boricua/blog/VIEW+00000003+00000159#00000159 Latin music icon Mike Amadeo gets overdue recognition Daily News, By María Vega Vega792@gmail.com Photo: Alvarez/Daily News When the National Puerto Rican Day Parade said it would honor composer Mike Amadeo this year, many people around his venerable music store in the Bronx thought it was not only well-deserved but long overdue. <a href="http://www.boricuanetwork.net/members/boricua/blog/VIEW+00000003+00000159#00000159">Read More »</a> Tue, 24 Jun 2008 20:49:20 GMT Author Jerry A. Rodríguez dies at 46 http://www.boricuanetwork.net/members/boricua/blog/VIEW+00000003+00000158#00000158 DAILY NEWS, By Carlos Rodríguez Martorell <a href="mailto:crodriguez@nydailynews.com">crodriguez@nydailynews.com</a> Monday, June 23rd 2008, 1:18 PM Author Jerry A. Rodríguez died of cancer Sunday at age 46, his publishing house revealed. The Brooklyn-born playwright, filmmaker and novelist had just published “Revenge Tango,” the follow-up to his acclaimed thriller “The Devil’s Mambo,” featuring Detective Nicholás Esperanza. Rodríguez had been battling cancer for years and had suffered a relapse recently. “It’s been a battle he was having for many years,” said Sulay Hernández, his first editor and a close friend. “Ever since I met Jerry [around 2005], he was in chemotherapy.” The youngest of seven siblings, Rodríguez grew up between his native Brooklyn and Villa Carolina, Puerto Rico. The author of a number of Off-Broadway plays, he also wrote and directed the short film “El Deseo.” Rodríguez had been featured in the latest Daily News’ Viva edition in the article <a href="/members/boricua/blog/VIEW/00000003/00000157/Meet-a-New-Generation-of-PRican-Writers-in-NYC.html#00000157" target="_blank">“The Puerto Rican Murder Club,”</a> about New York authors writing crime stories with Puerto Rican characters. In an interview in May, Rodríguez told Viva that he was working on a new Detective Esperanza novel set entirely in Puerto Rico. “In many ways, [Rodríguez] was so much like his main character,” said Kate Duffy, his current editor at Kensington Publishing. “He was stunningly handsome, he was insanely smart, and very unique.” One of his short stories will be published later in the year in the compilation “The Darker Mask,” featuring Walter Mosley. Rodríguez was also Assistant Director of Housing at CitiWide Harm Reduction in The Bronx, which helps homeless and low-income drug users living with and at risk for HIV/AIDS. <a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/latino/2008/06/23/2008-06-23_author_jerry_a_rodrguez_dies_at_46.html" target="_blank">www.nydailynews.com/latino/2008/06/23/2008-06-23_author_jerry_a_rodrguez_dies_at_46.html</a> <a href="http://www.boricuanetwork.net/members/boricua/blog/VIEW+00000003+00000158#00000158">Read More »</a> Mon, 23 Jun 2008 22:33:42 GMT Meet a New Generation of PRican Writers in NYC http://www.boricuanetwork.net/members/boricua/blog/VIEW+00000003+00000157#00000157 The Puerto Rican Murder Club Daily News, By Carlos Rodríguez Martorell crodriguez@nydailynews.com It’s a classic thriller riddled with action, mystery and sex. Only that the hero, a detective, relaxes by eating rice and beans and drinking Medalla beer at a Lechonera in El Barrio. The just-released thriller “Revenge Tango,” <a href="/members/boricua/blog/VIEW/00000003/00000158/Author-Jerry-A-Rodrguez-dies-at-46.html#00000158" target="_self">Jerry Rodríguez’s</a> follow-up to his acclaimed “The Devil’s Mambo,” is the second of a series featuring Nuyorican ex-NYPD Homicide Detective Nicholas Esperanza. “I wanted to do a Latino character, of course,” said the Brooklyn-born <a href="/members/boricua/blog/VIEW/00000003/00000158/Author-Jerry-A-Rodrguez-dies-at-46.html#00000158" target="_self">Rodríguez</a>, 46. “But I wanted to do something different from the standard of the detective thing.” Esperanza is a well-off lottery winner who owns a salsa club. “He’s retired, living the good life, and suddenly things happen to him,” says <a href="/members/boricua/blog/VIEW/00000003/00000158/Author-Jerry-A-Rodrguez-dies-at-46.html#00000158" target="_self">Rodríguez</a>. “I kind of wanted someone who, as a Latino male, is very intelligent, strong, knows about the world, drinks fine liquor, wears fine clothes.” Until recently, Esperanza would have been an anomaly in American hard-boiled fiction. But in the past couple of years, a new crop of Puerto Rican authors are churning out fresh crime stories with Boricua main characters. (Photo: Steven Torres, author of the “Precinct Puerto Rico” series.) “There are more Latino and Puerto Rican writers in the mystery field,” says Bronx-born Steven Torres, who has published four novels set in Puerto Rico, starring Sheriff Luis Gonzalo. Torres, 39, sets his “Precinct Puerto Rico” series in the fictional rural town of Angustias. The crimes solved by Gonzalo reflect the island’s social issues, from the rickety boats of Dominican immigrants that often sink before reaching the shore, to drug abuse or sexual tourism. “When I first started I thought I was the only Latino writing mysteries,” says Torres. For whodunit author Michele Martínez, female references were all but absent when she started the New York federal prosecutor Melanie Vargas series in 2005. “At the time, the only Latina heroine in crime fiction that I was aware of was the cubana private investigator in Carolina García-Aguilera’s series, which is set in Miami,” said Martínez, who is in her mid-40s. (Photo: Michele Martínez modeled prosecutor Melanie Vargas on her own experiences.) Half Puerto Rican and a former N.Y. prosecutor herself, Connecticut-born Martínez modeled Vargas on her own experiences. The fourth book in the series, “Notorious,” was published in February. Alex Gallardo, from Brooklyn, self-published last year under the pseudonym Natalio Feliciano “The Lady Waved Good-bye,” a mystery novel starring Ramón Lull, a Brooklyn-based private detective of Boricua heritage. For these writers, to fit in with the crime fiction mainstream remains a challenge. “A couple of years ago I went to this big convention called Bouchercon, where all the mystery writers attend,” says <a href="/members/boricua/blog/VIEW/00000003/00000158/Author-Jerry-A-Rodrguez-dies-at-46.html#00000158" target="_self">Rodríguez</a>. “Out of 200, maybe eight of us where of color — Latino or black.” <a href="/members/boricua/blog/VIEW/00000003/00000158/Author-Jerry-A-Rodrguez-dies-at-46.html#00000158" target="_self">Rodríguez</a>, who’s also a filmmaker and playwright, says their works tend to be considered Ghetto Lit or Street Lit, instead of crime. “In terms of legit, there’s not as much as you would expect,” he says. A pioneer in pursuing this kind of recognition is <a href="/members/boricua/blog/VIEW/00000003/00000139/The-Bronx-brings-Inspiration-for-a-Boricua-Novelist-new-Book.html#00000139" target="_blank">Abraham Rodríguez, whose recent thriller, “South By South Bronx,”</a> features NYPD Detective Sánchez, a character who first appeared in his 1993 novel “Spidertown.” “I wanted to put Puerto Ricans in a Hitchcock story,” says the 46-year-old Bronx-born author. “Puerto Ricans are part of American culture. Yet American culture doesn’t know us,” he adds. “People tend to blame Hollywood or the American system or whatever, but I blame us for that. I think we haven’t done enough to invest ourselves in that culture and to make ourselves heard in a language that they can understand, which is the language of Americana.” Clues to spot a Barrio gumshoe Authors Abraham Rodríguez, Steven Torres, <a href="/members/boricua/blog/VIEW/00000003/00000158/Author-Jerry-A-Rodrguez-dies-at-46.html#00000158" target="_self">Jerry Rodríguez</a> and Michele Martínez have created a host of Puerto Rican crime investigators. What would they look like? Here’s a guide to recognizing them. Family Man: Sheriff Luis Gonzalo Unlike the archetypical loner detective in popular culture, Steven Torres’ Gonzalo has a steady relationship. “The stereotype is the detective is always a drunk, he’s having a bad marriage or he’s divorced 3 times,” says Torres. “I wanted Gonzalo to have a normal relationship with his wife, I wanted him to have children that he loves.” Torres says that ever since he wrote the first Gonzalo novel, he had salsa singer Rubén Blades in mind. Vulnerable: Ex-NYPD homicide detective Nicholas Esperanza In “Revenge Tango,” Esperanza is humiliated by a fearful dominatrix who makes him unsure of his own feelings. <a href="/members/boricua/blog/VIEW/00000003/00000158/Author-Jerry-A-Rodrguez-dies-at-46.html#00000158" target="_self">Jerry Rodríguez</a> says he wanted to put “un macho Latino” under this ordeal. “He’s sexually abused but kind of liked it.” Rodríguez cannot think of a specific actor to play the part. “In terms of feel, it could be somebody like Russell Crowe. This side of dangerous and very charming at the same time,” he says. Reflective: NYPD Detective Sánchez In <a href="/members/boricua/blog/VIEW/00000003/00000139/The-Bronx-brings-Inspiration-for-a-Boricua-Novelist-new-Book.html#00000139" target="_blank">“South By South Bronx,”</a> Detective Sánchez, a big-league smoker, spends a lot of time thinking about what being a Puerto Rican cop mean. “As I was growing up there was no kid around me in my neighborhood who wanted to be a cop,” says author <a href="/members/boricua/blog/VIEW/00000003/00000139/The-Bronx-brings-Inspiration-for-a-Boricua-Novelist-new-Book.html#00000139" target="_blank">Abraham Rodríguez</a>. “I figured that some of these Puerto Rican cops must feel a little freaky.” Tentatively, he thinks Mexican-American actor Jesse Borrego would fit the role. Hot mami: Federal prosecutor Melanie Vargas Michele Martínez says Vargas “looks how you would expect a young Latina prosecutor in New York to look.” Need more clues? “She has dark hair and eyes, full lips, and she’s probably wearing a business suit,” adds Martínez. “Naturally, when I first started writing, I thought of Jennifer Lopez.” She adds that other recent Latina mothers Salma Hayek and Jessica Alba would be good to play Melanie, “who is after all a working single mom.” <a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/latino/2008/06/04/2008-06-04_the_puerto_rican_murder_club.html" target="_blank">http://www.nydailynews.com/latino/2008/06/04/2008-06-04_the_puerto_rican_murder_club.html</a> <a href="http://www.boricuanetwork.net/members/boricua/blog/VIEW+00000003+00000157#00000157">Read More »</a> writersnew york citynycmurdercrimeprecintpuerto ricolatinoborinquenpuertorriquenoboricuasan juan Mon, 23 Jun 2008 21:12:34 GMT Jenny From the Block visited Elementary School Graduates http://www.boricuanetwork.net/members/boricua/blog/VIEW+00000003+00000156#00000156 J-Lo brings some star power to Staten Island graduation by Staten Island Advance (Contributed by Greg Alvarez) Tuesday June 17, 2008 Photo courtesy of: Deborah Labetti A group of 8 students from PS 37 in Staten Island's Great Kills neighborhood, had a very special guest in attendance for their graduation today: Jennifer López. <a href="http://www.boricuanetwork.net/members/boricua/blog/VIEW+00000003+00000156#00000156">Read More »</a> j-lojennifer lópezstaten islandnew yorkpuerto ricoborinquenpuertorriquenoboricuasan juanjazzsalsa Mon, 23 Jun 2008 19:53:21 GMT NEW York City Prepares For Puerto Rican Day Parade http://www.boricuanetwork.net/members/boricua/blog/VIEW+00000003+00000155#00000155 NY1-TV, June 6, 2008 Fifth Avenue will be sizzling with the sounds of salsa Sunday at the 51st Annual Puerto Rican Day Parade. More than 2 million spectators are expected to take in the festivities, which celebrate the history and culture of Puerto Rico. Pop singer Kat De Luna and Reggaetón group Xtreme are slated to perform at this year's parade. <a href="http://www.boricuanetwork.net/members/boricua/blog/VIEW+00000003+00000155#00000155">Read More »</a> Fri, 06 Jun 2008 17:19:46 GMT 103 years old Puerto Rican Drafted by the Yankees http://www.boricuanetwork.net/members/boricua/blog/VIEW+00000003+00000154#00000154 Emilio “Millito” Navarro, the 1st Puerto Rican to play in the U.S. Negro Leagues and the oldest living U.S. professional ballplayer, was drafted by the NY Yankees as an honor to his sports achievements. Navarro and several other ex-Negro League players were picked in the Major League Baseball’s (MLB) draft in a in a pre-draft ceremony, a tribute formulated by Hall-of-Famer Dave Winfield and embraced by Major League Baseball. ¡Felicidades Millito! ¡Eres un orgullo para Puerto Rico! <a href="http://www.boricuanetwork.net/members/boricua/blog/VIEW+00000003+00000154#00000154">Read More »</a> Fri, 06 Jun 2008 17:00:22 GMT Hillary Clinton Victory Celebration's Remarks (Transcript) http://www.boricuanetwork.net/members/boricua/blog/VIEW+00000003+00000152#00000152 (Photo: AP/Brennan Linsley) 1-June-08 Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., give thanks to her supporters at a rally after her victory in the Puerto Rican Democratic presidential primary, in San Juan, Sunday. Thank you so much. I have four words for you: <a href="http://www.boricuanetwork.net/members/boricua/blog/VIEW+00000003+00000152#00000152">Read More »</a> Mon, 02 Jun 2008 23:50:42 GMT PRican Veteran will receive the Medal of Honor posthumously http://www.boricuanetwork.net/members/boricua/blog/VIEW+00000003+00000141#00000141 Veterans Notes The News-Press (Florida), by Mary Ann Husty mhusty@news-press.com May 15, 2008 (Boricua Network NOTE: <a href="/members/boricua/blog/VIEW/00000003/00000069/Piden-Medalla-de-Honor-para-hroe-hispano.html#00000069" target="_self">Go here to read a previous post regarding this PRican soldier)</a>. Marine Sgt. Ángel Méndez was ordered to leave, but he was not going to abandon his seriously wounded lieutenant on the battlefield in Vietnam. His bravery saved his commanding officer, Lt. Ronald Castille, at the expense of Méndez's own life. In recognition of his ultimate sacrifice, Méndez was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross, the nation's second highest honor for valor. <a href="http://www.boricuanetwork.net/members/boricua/blog/VIEW+00000003+00000141#00000141">Read More »</a> Mon, 26 May 2008 21:24:40 GMT UP DATE: Top Chef: What happened in the show recorded in PR http://www.boricuanetwork.net/members/boricua/blog/VIEW+00000003+00000140#00000140 Snippet’s from different Blogs of the Puerto Rico’s Episode: I hardly see this cooking or – as some like to call it – food show. But when a friend told me that they were going to record it in Borínquen, I tried to endure watching it completely. However, for those who love it, here are some snippets from different Blogs that talked about or made direct references about the Island and our delicious food. ¡Buen Provecho!(Photo:Top Chef) <a href="http://www.boricuanetwork.net/members/boricua/blog/VIEW+00000003+00000140#00000140">Read More »</a> Mon, 26 May 2008 19:50:30 GMT The Bronx brings Inspiration for a Boricua Novelist new Book http://www.boricuanetwork.net/members/boricua/blog/VIEW+00000003+00000139#00000139 Author Abraham Rodríguez delves into Barrio noir in "South by South Bronx" Daily News, by Carolina González Wednesday, April 30th 2008, 4:00 AM (Photo: Giancarli/Daily News) Novelist Abraham Rodríguez. A mysterious blond appears naked in the bed of an aimless man who has frequent blackouts. She’s got a pair of Manolo Blahniks, a secret and a gun. This scenario would fit right in with the hardboiled detective novels from the 1950s, the ones starring cynical gumshoes like Mike Hammer or Philip Marlowe. Instead, it’s the opening to Abraham Rodríguez’s new novel, “South by South Bronx” (Akashic Books, $15.95), which intersects concerns about terrorism, changes in the drug trade and gentrification with Hitchcockian double-crosses and a mountain of cash. The novel, Rodríguez’s third, takes the Bronx-born writer’s longtime concerns about Puerto Rican identity and street-level realism and meshes them with the structure of a classic pulp fiction narrative. <a href="http://www.boricuanetwork.net/members/boricua/blog/VIEW+00000003+00000139#00000139">Read More »</a> Sun, 25 May 2008 00:24:29 GMT Organizers reveal deatails about the NYC 2008 National Puerto Rican Day Parade http://www.boricuanetwork.net/members/boricua/blog/VIEW+00000003+00000138#00000138 The Puerto Rican parade is one of the city’s most massive and colorful events, attracting over 2 million people every year to 5th Ave. for a full day of salsa, reggaetón and Boricua pride. <a href="http://www.boricuanetwork.net/members/boricua/blog/VIEW+00000003+00000138#00000138">Read More »</a> Sat, 24 May 2008 18:42:58 GMT For this PRican Dance is his Life http://www.boricuanetwork.net/members/boricua/blog/VIEW+00000003+00000137#00000137 Arthur Avilés: Boricua tai chi NY Daily News By Halley Bondy HalleyBondy@gmail.com (Photo: Giancarli/Daily News) As a teen, Arthur Avilés didn’t dare entertain becoming a dancer. Raised by Puerto Rican parents in the South Bronx, he knew to avoid anything that threatened masculine norms. “The male-female thing was very strict in my family,” says Avilés , 44. “I thought there was one persona to be, and dance was not in that persona.” Trained in wrestling, diving, gymnastics and swimming, Avilés was admitted to Bard College in Annandale-on-Hudson, N.Y., where he learned that his true calling was outside his family’s norms. “I learned from my professors that my body didn’t always have to be used in competition — it can be esthetic, too,” he says. “They weren’t taking me away from my culture, they were expanding my mind.” Avilés enrolled and excelled in Bard dance classes. After graduating, he spent 8 years with the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company performing all over the world. He started his own company, the Arthur Avilés Typical Theatre Company, in 1996, and coined the dance technique “swift-flow,” so called because the movement is continuous, like flowing water. “We made ‘swift-flow’ to create a common language between us,” says Avilés about the members of the company. “Although some people call ‘swift-flow’ the Puerto Rican version of tai chi.” His company is based in the Bronx Academy of Arts and Dance, or BAAD!, a nonprofit performance space in Hunts Point — also founded by Avilés — with a mission to welcome performers underrepresented in the arts. Avilés, who is openly gay, enjoys bringing the arts into the lives of young people who might feel restricted by tradition. “I have a real affinity for my people, and a lot of them here didn’t have the opportunities I had,” says Avilés. “Some of them don’t know how to get out of the ghetto.” Avilés teaches dance and gymnastics at Public School 106 in Castle Hill, the Bronx, and at 4 centers in the Juvenile Justice Department, where he instructs incarcerated girls ages 14-17. “The lives of these kids are usually chaotic,” he says. “We are offering them structure and something else to focus on for a while.” Avilés was part of <a href="http://www.BronxAcademyofArtsandDance.org " target="_blank">BAAD!’s Boogie Down Dance Festival</a>, a series of dance shows and workshops celebrated in May. His dance concert featured the world premiere of works by Jones, choreographer Doug Elkins and a duet with Aviles and ’80s voguing star Benny Ninja. There was over 30 performers and instructors participating in the month-long festival, including flamenco dancer Nelida Tirado...  “It’s a festival that celebrates dance here in our borough,” he says…“We haven’t reached a level of snobbery that we can turn people away,” he says. “It’s about getting people to come to the Bronx to experience the work.” <a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/latino/2008/05/08/2008-05-08_arthur_aviles_boricua_tai_chi.html" target="_blank">http://www.nydailynews.com/latino/2008/05/08/2008-05-08_arthur_aviles_boricua_tai_chi.html</a> Note: This article was published a while ago, but we decided to include it here because it can still be considered interesting for some members. In order to make it current, our posting was edited (...) to eliminate any time and dates references. <a href="http://www.boricuanetwork.net/members/boricua/blog/VIEW+00000003+00000137#00000137">Read More »</a> Sat, 24 May 2008 16:33:16 GMT Hillary on Puerto Rico Radio Show http://www.boricuanetwork.net/members/boricua/blog/VIEW+00000003+00000136#00000136 TODAY - LIVE ON TAPE - Hillary on Carmen Jovet's (Puerto Rico) Radio Show Fri., May 23rd - 10 am to Noon ET Show Name: “En Caliente Con La Jovet” with Carmen Jovet. Bellow is a minute by minute account of the radio interview in the Free Republic discussion board. It has some spicy political commentaries by Silvie Waldorf MD (and her friend cll), but for people like me, who don't have configured the player needed to hear this radio webcast, we gladly appreciate the effort ..... <a href="http://www.boricuanetwork.net/members/boricua/blog/VIEW+00000003+00000136#00000136">Read More »</a> Fri, 23 May 2008 16:11:16 GMT Boricua named acting deputy assistant secretary for U.S. Insular Affairs - Domenech takes over Cohen http://www.boricuanetwork.net/members/boricua/blog/VIEW+00000003+00000135#00000135 Douglas Domenech Will Head Insular Affairs at Interior Press Release: U.S. Department of the Interior • Office of Insular Affairs WASHINGTON, D.C. – Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne has named Douglas W. Domenech to be Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Insular Affairs. Domenech, who currently serves as Secretary Kempthorne’s Deputy Chief of Staff, will provide policy-level leadership for Insular Affairs, a position that had been held by David Cohen, who resigned in January 2008 to pursue opportunities in the private sector. “I have full confidence in Doug, whose commitment to this Administration, management expertise, background and knowledge will be invaluable in carrying out our responsibilities for the U.S. territories and freely associated states, “ Kempthorne said. “I am honored to be given this assignment,” said Domenech, who will serve in both capacities. “This is an indication that Secretary Kempthorne cares deeply about the welfare of the insular areas and wants island issues handled directly in his immediate office.” Domenech, who joined the Bush Administration in July 2001, previously served as Interior’s Deputy Director of External and Intergovernmental Affairs. From 2002 to 2006 he served as White House Liaison to the Interior Department before being promoted to Deputy Chief of Staff. Domenech, who was born in the United States, is of Puerto Rican descent and lived in the Dominican Republic, Panama, and Puerto Rico as a child. He has a degree in Forestry and Wildlife Management from Virginia Tech and worked on national and state natural resource issues for 15 years prior to his appointment. Among his duties at the Department, Domenech represents the Secretary on the Advisory Board of the Conservation Trust of Puerto Rico, and often travels to the U.S. Virgin Islands on Interior business. He also represents the Department on the President’s Task Force on Puerto Rico Status and on the U.S. delegation to the UNESCO World Heritage Committee. "I look forward to working with Nik Pula and his fine team in the Office of Insular Affairs (OIA)," Domenech said. “Secretary Kempthorne's appointment of Doug Domenech to Insular Affairs is indicative of the Secretary's strong interest and support of issues affecting the U.S.-affiliated areas,” said Nik Pula, OIA Director. “I know this will be welcomed by the leaders and the people of the islands.” Pula also thanked Deputy Secretary Lynn Scarlett and Associate Deputy Secretary James Cason for their support of the Secretary on island issues. “We are very happy to work with Doug who is a familiar face in the OIA corridor. His enthusiasm, experience and energy will be a great asset to our office as we continue forward," said Pula. <a href="http://www.doi.gov/oia/press/2008/05122008.html" target="_blank">http://www.doi.gov/oia/press/2008/05122008.html</a> <a href="http://www.boricuanetwork.net/members/boricua/blog/VIEW+00000003+00000135#00000135">Read More »</a> Thu, 22 May 2008 03:59:52 GMT Cotto Vs. Margarito in Las Vegas July 26 http://www.boricuanetwork.net/members/boricua/blog/VIEW+00000003+00000134#00000134 The already traditional Puerto Rican/Mexican boxing rivalrly continues, with our undefeated WBA Boxing Champion Miguel Cotto defending his WBA boxing title against mexican IBF title holder, Antonio Margarito, in an event that will be held in Las Vegas on July 26. <a href="http://www.boricuanetwork.net/members/boricua/blog/VIEW+00000003+00000134#00000134">Read More »</a> Tue, 20 May 2008 20:55:52 GMT Unemployed? Need a better job? http://www.boricuanetwork.net/members/boricua/blog/VIEW+00000003+00000133#00000133 U.S. companies are looking for Puerto Rican workers - professionals and skilled personnel - to fill the positions that were left empty by illegal immigrants. And they are not talking only about cleaning or agricultural jobs, no. According to this article, they are looking for people to work in a great variety of industries: hotels, vacation resorts, hospitals, meat-processing, manufacturing, skiing companies, construction companies, poultry processing operations, and a leather goods plants. ¡Ay bendito! It is ironic that at this day and age there are still companies that don't know that Puerto Ricans are American citizens who happened to be bilinguals. Anyway, if the Island's economic crisis left you jobless, check this out. <a href="http://www.boricuanetwork.net/members/boricua/blog/VIEW+00000003+00000133#00000133">Read More »</a> Mon, 19 May 2008 23:03:53 GMT PRican & Latino Comedians in NYC http://www.boricuanetwork.net/members/boricua/blog/VIEW+00000003+00000132#00000132 La raza cómica: Latino comedians find their place in N.Y. Daily News, By Erasmo Guerra delriogrande@hotmail.com Wednesday, May 7th 2008 (Photo: Sunshine/Daily News) Heard the one about the word “chancla” making it into the English dictionary? According to New York-Puerto Rican comic Bill Santiago, “The next edition of Funk and Wagnalls will include the word chancla — cheap sandal that doubles as a disciplinary device in Latino households. See also: chancletazo, fuete and pow pow.” Latino comedy used to mean funny accents and squealing, “Cuchi cuchi.” These days, chistes are more sophisticated — and a whole lot less about getting the cheap laugh. <a href="http://www.boricuanetwork.net/members/boricua/blog/VIEW+00000003+00000132#00000132">Read More »</a> Thu, 15 May 2008 21:07:28 GMT Dayanara's New Book: "Married to Me: How Committing To Myself Led To Triumph After Divorce" http://www.boricuanetwork.net/members/boricua/blog/VIEW+00000003+00000131#00000131 How Dayanara Got Her Groove Back <a href="http://www.radaronline.com/exclusives/2008/05/how-dayanara-got-her-groove-back.php" target="_blank">www.radaronline.com</a> (By Paige Ferrari) 05/14/08 3:20 PM In 2004, Dayanara Torres—a former Miss Universe from Puerto Rico—became the former Mrs. Marc Anthony. The couple's nearly four-year marriage dissolved amid rumors that Anthony was having a relationship with actress-singer Jennifer Lopez. Those rumors seemed confirmed when Anthony married Lopez just four days after his divorce from Torres was final. <a href="http://www.boricuanetwork.net/members/boricua/blog/VIEW+00000003+00000131#00000131">Read More »</a> Thu, 15 May 2008 05:27:17 GMT 40 Años de Salsa para Roberto Roena http://www.boricuanetwork.net/members/boricua/blog/VIEW+00000003+00000129#00000129 Roberto Roena celebrará sus 40 años con grandioso concierto en Coliseo Rubén Rodríguez de Bayamón Por Jorge J. Muñiz Ortiz | 2008-05-13 | EFE (FOTO: <a href="http://www.viejoteca.net/" target="_blank">www.viejoteca.net</a>) San Juan/EFE — El músico puertorriqueño Roberto Roena, uno de los grandes salseros en la historia del género, celebrará el próximo viernes (16 de mayo) los 40 años de su orquesta, Apollo Sound, la que muchos críticos pronosticaron que sólo duraría 3 meses. <a href="http://www.boricuanetwork.net/members/boricua/blog/VIEW+00000003+00000129#00000129">Read More »</a> Wed, 14 May 2008 06:29:12 GMT Menudo is Back and Bilingual http://www.boricuanetwork.net/members/boricua/blog/VIEW+00000003+00000128#00000128 MTV-revived Menudo hits the road MYCentralJersey.com/By CHRIS JORDAN May 13, 2008 Menudo, the ever-pubescent Latino boy band that caused a cultural ripple in the 1980s, is back, and the new fantastic five know they have some pretty big dancing shoes to fill. <a href="http://www.boricuanetwork.net/members/boricua/blog/VIEW+00000003+00000128#00000128">Read More »</a> Wed, 14 May 2008 06:24:50 GMT Grand Theft Auto IV: a Reggaeton Paradise http://www.boricuanetwork.net/members/boricua/blog/VIEW+00000003+00000126#00000126 Reggaeton Gets 'Grand Theft' Push Reggaeton artists should get a boost from "Grand Theft Auto IV," the new video game that sold 6 million copies and took in $500 million in sales in its first week, according to game publisher Take Two. <a href="http://www.boricuanetwork.net/members/boricua/blog/VIEW+00000003+00000126#00000126">Read More »</a> Wed, 14 May 2008 04:55:48 GMT Actress Roselyn Sánchez will marry in P.R. in November http://www.boricuanetwork.net/members/boricua/blog/VIEW+00000003+00000125#00000125 Sánchez Set For November Nuptials In Puerto Rico <a href="http://www.boricuanetwork.net/members/boricua/blog/VIEW+00000003+00000125#00000125">Read More »</a> Wed, 14 May 2008 04:38:42 GMT Lessons on Landscaping from a PRican in the States http://www.boricuanetwork.net/members/boricua/blog/VIEW+00000003+00000124#00000124 Go Green-Scaping! (Versión en español : <a href="http://blog.epa.gov/blog/2008/05/08/86/#espanol " target="_blank">¡Viva la jardinería ecológica!</a>) Greenversations, the official Blog of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency by Lina Younes (Posted on May 8th, 2008) When I lived in Puerto Rico, there were flowers plants and trees everywhere. Beautiful orchids, bouganvilleas, <a href="http://www.puertoricopix.com/panoramas/red_flamboyan.htm" target="_blank">flamboyanes (flaming trees)</a>, palm trees—a true painter’s palette. My close relatives were gifted with green thumbs. It seemed they could produce a full plant from a little twig. Unfortunately, I was not as lucky. I confess that living in a tropical setting, it was an adjustment to relocate to a region where we have four seasons and with seasonal flowers. Last year when we were remodeling the house, I let my husband redesign the decks, but I asked that he leave the landscaping to me. Working at EPA, I was convinced that I had to practice what I preach. The <a href="http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/non-hw/green/owners.htm" target="_blank">whole concept of greenscaping</a> is a practice we highly recommend. This type of gardening not only contributes to the natural beauty, but it also protects the environment. Before buying plants and designing the landscape, I studied which are the native plants to the area of Maryland. By selecting native plants, you minimize the use of water as well as the use of fertilizers and pesticides. I also selected several varieties of evergreens to ensure some type of foliage year round. I also studied which were the ideal plants for the type of soil I have to reduce maintenance and labor—remember I mentioned that I don’t have a green thumb. In sum, gardening can be a very positive experience for environmental protection. <a href="http://www.epa.gov/compost/" target="_blank">One of the projects for this summer will be composting</a>. I’ll let you know how that goes. About the author: Lina Younes has been working for EPA since 2002 and chairs EPA’s Multilingual Communications Task Force. Prior to joining EPA, she was the Washington bureau chief for two Puerto Rican newspapers and she has worked for several government agencies. <a href="http://blog.epa.gov/blog/2008/05/08/86/" target="_blank">http://blog.epa.gov/blog/2008/05/08/86/ </a> <a href="http://www.boricuanetwork.net/members/boricua/blog/VIEW+00000003+00000124#00000124">Read More »</a> Fri, 09 May 2008 22:02:46 GMT El Gran Combo Esta Noche en Seattle http://www.boricuanetwork.net/members/boricua/blog/VIEW+00000003+00000123#00000123 “La Universidad de la Salsa” estará dando cátedra esta noche en el ‘Proyecto Siente la Música’ (Experience Music Project) de Seattle, Washington. Esta presentación es parte de la exhibición “Sabor Americano: Latinos en la Música Popular de E.U.” (American Sabor: Latinos in U.S. Popular Music). Para poner dicho evento salsero en el contexto anglosajón y para aquellos que no conocen sobre una de las mejores – si no la mejor – de las agrupaciones musicales de este género, a continuación incluyo parte de una reseña publicada en inglés en el Seattle Times. <a href="http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/musicnightlife/2004401328_grancombo09.html" target="_blank">http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/musicnightlife/2004401328_grancombo09.html</a> El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico: You have got to dip into this salsa The Seattle Times, By Paul de Barros (Seattle Times jazz critic) pdebarros@seattletimes.com Friday, May 9, 2008 <a href="http://www.boricuanetwork.net/members/boricua/blog/VIEW+00000003+00000123#00000123">Read More »</a> Fri, 09 May 2008 17:44:55 GMT Francisco Oller's Painting to be Auction at Sotheby´s http://www.boricuanetwork.net/members/boricua/blog/VIEW+00000003+00000122#00000122 La Batalla de Treviño will be offered for sale at Sotheby's London in The Spanish Sale NEW YORK.- From May 24 through 29, the most important painting to be offered at auction by Puerto Rico’s preeminent 19th-century painter, Francisco Oller y Cestero (1833-1917), will be on view at Sotheby’s New York, alongside the exhibition for the New York sale of Latin American Art, which will take place on May 29 & 30. <a href="http://www.boricuanetwork.net/members/boricua/blog/VIEW+00000003+00000122#00000122">Read More »</a> Tue, 06 May 2008 06:40:08 GMT Saxophonist Miguel Zenón Awarded Guggenheim http://www.boricuanetwork.net/members/boricua/blog/VIEW+00000003+00000121#00000121 Zenón Quarted performs live in New Haven (Conn.) on May 9th San Juan native and ‘Escuela Libre de Música’ alumni, Miguel Zenón felt honored and humble when he recently received confirmation that he was awarded the music fellowship from the John Simon Guggenheim Foundation. This honorable mention made him one of the youngest jazz musicians ever awarded that prestigious fellowship. <a href="http://www.boricuanetwork.net/members/boricua/blog/VIEW+00000003+00000121#00000121">Read More »</a> puerto ricoborinquenpuertorriquenoboricuasan juanzenónjazzplenasaxophoneguggenheimescuela libre de músicaberklee Tue, 06 May 2008 05:56:28 GMT J-Lo Twins in Cable Reality Show http://www.boricuanetwork.net/members/boricua/blog/VIEW+00000003+00000118#00000118 J.Lo to give cable's TLC a glimpse of her twins' TLC Daily News, BY Leo Standora/Thursday, April 24th 2008 (Photo: People Magazine) Jenny from the block is coming to a new 'hood - the small-screen, on her own reality TV show. Jennifer López tried to low-key her pregnancy, but now she's ready to share her life as a mother, wife, actress and singer with the world. Jenny from the Block and salsa star hubby Marc Anthony have signed on with The Learning Channel to do an upclose and personal reality show, The Learning Channel announced Wednesday. <a href="http://www.boricuanetwork.net/members/boricua/blog/VIEW+00000003+00000118#00000118">Read More »</a> Fri, 25 Apr 2008 06:31:32 GMT Tego Calderon's double winner: New CD and Movie Role http://www.boricuanetwork.net/members/boricua/blog/VIEW+00000003+00000117#00000117 Mellow Tego strikes back Daily News, BY MARGARITA DÍAZ ...after the ambitious “El Subestimado/The Underdog” failed to ignite the charts, Tego Calderón is back with a new album and a new sound — well, not exactly a new sound. “El Abayarde Contraataca” (El Abayarde Strikes Back)... is really a return to the lean production and tight lyrics that made the Puerto Rican rapper famous in the first place. What’s different here has more to do with attitude: The man is happy. <a href="http://www.boricuanetwork.net/members/boricua/blog/VIEW+00000003+00000117#00000117">Read More »</a> Fri, 25 Apr 2008 06:02:15 GMT "Tres Lirios Cala" en el Teatro Rodante Puertorriqueño http://www.boricuanetwork.net/members/boricua/blog/VIEW+00000003+00000116#00000116 Amor sin perdón Daily News, por Pablo García Gámez/Saturday, April 19th 2008 (Foto: Gerry Goodstein/Actrices: Dalia Davi, Susan Rybin y Elvira Franco.) En su 41 aniversario, el Teatro Rodante Puertorriqueño presenta "Tres lirios cala" de Abniel Marat, hasta el domingo 4 de mayo, pieza en la que una noche se reúnen tres hermanas con motivo de recordar a su madre fallecida. Allí se reencuentran y redescubren los lazos y las diferencias entre ellas. <a href="http://www.boricuanetwork.net/members/boricua/blog/VIEW+00000003+00000116#00000116">Read More »</a> Fri, 25 Apr 2008 03:39:17 GMT Green Ideas for Earth Day and Beyond http://www.boricuanetwork.net/members/boricua/blog/VIEW+00000003+00000114#00000114 April 22nd was Earth Day and what better way to celebrate it than by looking for ways to leave it better than we found it for the generations to come. Or to be more specific, your daughter, your son, your nephew, your niece, your godson, your grand daughter, and so on... When it comes to resolving problems, I am not that preachy kind of person that annoys you with their hero-like life story, so here is a list of examples of things that I found on the Web that you can do to improve our one and only home planet. <a href="http://www.boricuanetwork.net/members/boricua/blog/VIEW+00000003+00000114#00000114">Read More »</a> Tue, 22 Apr 2008 05:25:23 GMT Congress: Please, Save the Arecibo Observatory! http://www.boricuanetwork.net/members/boricua/blog/VIEW+00000003+00000112#00000112 IMPORTANT Note: After Boricua Network posted this news story, there has been a new development on this situation. <a href="/members/boricua/comm/READ/00000045/bNY-Senator-Hillary-Clinton-Introduced-legislation-to-support-Arecibos-Observatoryb.html " target="_blank">Click here to read it in depth</a>. Observatory in Puerto Rico struggles to stay open The Orlando Sentinel, By Jeannette Rivera-Lyles ARECIBO, PR — In its 45 years, the Arecibo Observatory has amassed an impressive list of accomplishments. It took some of the first pictures of Earth's changing surface signaling global warming and has mapped the surface of Mars with more precision than any other instrument. It also houses the only radio telescope in the world that can predict with enough accuracy just where and when an asteroid would hit Earth. Yet the Cornell University-run observatory is struggling to stay open after the National Science Foundation, its main funding source, decided last year to slash its budget from $10.5 million to $8 million. By 2011, the money is expected to dwindle to $4 million. <a href="http://www.boricuanetwork.net/members/boricua/blog/VIEW+00000003+00000112#00000112">Read More »</a> Mon, 21 Apr 2008 01:07:16 GMT The Life Story of a Proud Puerto Rican in Ohio http://www.boricuanetwork.net/members/boricua/blog/VIEW+00000003+00000111#00000111 Juanita Serrano: 'The voice of the community' The Plain Dealer Newspaper, by Alana Baranick abaranick@plaind.com (Photo: Juanita Serrano in 1993, when she was grand marshal of the Puerto Rican Friendly Day Parade.) Juanita Serrano and other single moms staged demonstrations at government buildings in Cleveland, Columbus and Washington , D.C. , in the late 1960s and early '70s to get more financial and practical aid to raise their children. "We were arrested a few times," said Iris Cuevas, a fellow member of the now-defunct National Welfare Rights Organization. "They kept us there [in Cleveland ] for hours and hours until they decided to let us go and then, I guess, no charges. We went to Columbus to the governor's mansion to demonstrate. He turned on the sprinkler. We all got wet!" Serrano, a Puerto Rican native, who died of complications from cancer March 5 at age 77, instructed Hispanic women whose husbands had abandoned them about welfare benefits and the importance of getting an education and a job. "None of us can speak good English to express ourselves," Cuevas said. "Once she became very active, she wasn't afraid to speak. She was all over. Here in town. Out of town. Talking about people's rights. My goodness, she was the voice of the community." The mother of seven sons marched, picketed and staged sit-ins with her peers to get such basic needs as children's underwear, shoes and appliances. They also requested help with paying rent and utilities. "We were kind of scared, really afraid at the beginning," Cuevas said. "We learned we have to teach others that what we do is to help ourselves and our children instead of staying on welfare. We became good citizens." Serrano was born Juanita Sanchez Vasquez in the mountain town of Cayey , Puerto Rico , where her family worked in the tobacco fields. She was the eldest of nine siblings. "By default, the oldest becomes the caretaker, a strong leader," her son Leo said. She attended but didn't finish high school, got married and had five sons before migrating to Miami in the 1950s. <a href="http://www.boricuanetwork.net/members/boricua/blog/VIEW+00000003+00000111#00000111">Read More »</a> Mon, 21 Apr 2008 00:39:40 GMT 10 Commandments of Cell Phone Etiquette http://www.boricuanetwork.net/members/boricua/blog/VIEW+00000003+00000110#00000110 10 Commandments of Cell Phone Etiquette <a href="http://www.boricuanetwork.net/members/boricua/blog/VIEW+00000003+00000110#00000110">Read More »</a> Mon, 21 Apr 2008 00:19:20 GMT Art Pieces from 'Museo de Arte de Ponce' in Arizona http://www.boricuanetwork.net/members/boricua/blog/VIEW+00000003+00000109#00000109 "Passport to Europe" The Arizona Republic by Richard Nilsen richard.nilsen@arizonarepublic.com (Photo: "Immaculate Conception of the Mirror," Bartolomé Esteban Murillo, 1660–1678. Oil on canvas. (59.0126) Collection Museo de Arte de Ponce. Fundación Luis A. Ferré, Inc., Ponce, Puerto Rico.) Let's face it: Too often we hear the hype over a new art show and go licking our chops waiting to see something really blow-me-away good, only to arrive at the museum and be disappointed. The show might be fine, as far as it goes, but the PR has promised more than the show delivered. <a href="http://www.boricuanetwork.net/members/boricua/blog/VIEW+00000003+00000109#00000109">Read More »</a> Sun, 20 Apr 2008 22:01:08 GMT Percussionist “Chembo” Corniel with New CD http://www.boricuanetwork.net/members/boricua/blog/VIEW+00000003+00000108#00000108 Chembo is Everything in One NY Post, "Tempo Expresso", by Javier L. Orellana Percussionist Wilson “Chembo” Corniel has made the switch from salsa to Latin Jazz music with easy. He has played with people like Tito Puente and Larry Harlow to Chucho Valdes and Paquito D’Rivera. Now Corniel has taken the next step in his career and has become a record producer for his independent record company Chemboro Records. “Now a days no one is signing any new artist,” says Corniel. “So I took it upon myself to start my own record company and produce my own CD’s.” The transition from percussionist to independent record producer was not an easy move Corniel assured me. “It is hard work…I’m wearing all the hats in this company.” Corniel continues, “Besides being the distributor, I have to be the accountant, and manager. I’m everything in one.” Corniel is not doing it for the money but for the love of making music. All the money that Corniel makes from his music sales is rolled over into his next project. And as long as Corniel breaks-even and is able to record and put out good music, he is satisfied. <a href="http://www.boricuanetwork.net/members/boricua/blog/VIEW+00000003+00000108#00000108">Read More »</a> Sun, 20 Apr 2008 19:08:29 GMT Actor David Zayas in Broadway Play http://www.boricuanetwork.net/members/boricua/blog/VIEW+00000003+00000107#00000107 BRAND-NEW BEAT BRONX EX-COP’S ARRESTING AUDIENCES IN NEW DOWNTOWN PLAY Daily News, By BARBARA HOFFMAN You may have noticed him as an inmate in TV's "Oz" or as a homicide detective in "Dexter." But one thing's for sure - you won't have any trouble spotting David Zayas in "The Little Flower of East Orange." As Espinosa, a disorderly hospital orderly with the motor mouth, big heart and mania for the Mets, Zayas steals the show. For a former cop, that's something. Born in Ponce, Puerto Rico, Zayas grew up in The Bronx, joined the Air Force, married young and joined the NYPD. But deep down, he always longed to act. "It was risky, but hey, you only live once," says the stocky actor with the dark goatee. "And it worked out, thank God!" So he took acting lessons when he wasn't patrolling Midtown North, and in 1992 joined the LAByrinth Theater Company, a kind of training gym for actors. There he met "Little Flower" playwright Stephen Adly Guirgis and Philip Seymour Hoffman, the Oscar-winning actor who directed the play. He also met his future wife, Liza Colón-Zayas, the play's tough but saintly nurse, Magnolia. "I've done five plays with Liza and we're lucky to have a company that lets us work together," says Zayas, who left the police force 8 years ago to concentrate on acting full-time. "Working with her on this play is the cherry on top!" "The Little Flower of East Orange" at the Public Theater www.publictheater.org Tickets, $50 / Tel: (212) 967-7555 <a href="http://www.nypost.com/seven/04022008/tempo/brand_new_beat_104601.htm" target="_blank">http://www.nypost.com/seven/04022008/tempo/brand_new_beat_104601.htm</a> <a href="http://www.boricuanetwork.net/members/boricua/blog/VIEW+00000003+00000107#00000107">Read More »</a> Sun, 20 Apr 2008 18:02:01 GMT Singer/Guitarist José Feliciano Sings at Papal Mass for Pope Benedict XVI http://www.boricuanetwork.net/members/boricua/blog/VIEW+00000003+00000106#00000106 Playing for the Pope Weston Forum Newspaper (Connecticut), by Patricia Gay José Feliciano is no stranger to performing at baseball stadiums. The legendary singer and guitarist, whose hits include 'Light My Fire' and 'Feliz Navidad', has performed numerous concerts at stadiums and sung The Star-Spangled Banner for the Detroit Tigers and the New York Mets. But this Sunday, April 20, Mr. Feliciano will perform for a different type of crowd at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx. He has been asked to take part in a pre-Mass concert for Pope Benedict XVI. <a href="http://www.boricuanetwork.net/members/boricua/blog/VIEW+00000003+00000106#00000106">Read More »</a> Sun, 20 Apr 2008 17:08:09 GMT Reguetonero Don Omar se Casa http://www.boricuanetwork.net/members/boricua/blog/VIEW+00000003+00000104#00000104 Su Boda con la Reportera de Univisión, Jackie Guerrido, Contará con Luminarias de Puerto Rico y los E.U. (Fotos: RODRIGO VARELA/WIREIMAGE.COM) Si todo sale como lo han planificado, el cantante de Reguetón puertorriqueño, Don Omar y la reportera del tiempo de los programas “Despierta América” y “Primer Impacto” de Univisión, Jackie Guerrido, se casan este sábado 19 de abril en Puerto Rico. <a href="http://www.boricuanetwork.net/members/boricua/blog/VIEW+00000003+00000104#00000104">Read More »</a> Fri, 18 Apr 2008 21:44:38 GMT At Least 15 Storms Predicted for 2008 Hurricane Season http://www.boricuanetwork.net/members/boricua/blog/VIEW+00000003+00000103#00000103 Above-average hurricane season predicted By DANICA COTO Wed, Apr. 09, 2008 SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico- (A.P.) A noted hurricane researcher predicted Wednesday that rising water temperatures in the Atlantic will bring a "well above average" storm season this year, including four major storms. Foto (NASA/NOAA): Hurricane Georges hits P.R. on September 21, 1998 The updated forecast by William Gray's team at Colorado State University calls for 15 named storms in the Atlantic in 2008 and says there's a better than average chance that at least one major hurricane will hit the U.S. An average of 5.9 hurricanes form in the Atlantic each year. "The Atlantic is a bit warmer than in the past couple of years," said Phil Klotzbach, a member of the forecast team. "That is something we would like to keep an eye on." Gray had projected seven hurricanes with three major storms in a preliminary forecast in December. One of the most closely watched hurricane forecasters, Gray has been issuing hurricane predictions for more than 20 years. But he and others have been criticized in recent years for having forecasts that were off the mark. Gray's team says precise predictions are impossible, and the warnings raise awareness of hurricanes. "We have not been ashamed of our forecast failures. It is the nature of seasonal forecasting to sometimes be wrong," Klotzbach said in a telephone interview from the Bahamas, where the team announced the forecast at a weather conference. Before the June-November season, U.S. government scientists predicted 13 to 17 named storms and 6 hurricanes, 3 to 5 major. Gray was further off, forecasting 17 named storms, including nine hurricanes, five of them major. The 2007 Atlantic season saw 15 named storms, 6 of which became hurricanes and 2 were major storms. U.S. government forecasters issue their seasonal outlook in late May. National Hurricane Center director Bill Read, who is in his first year on the job, has said he would prefer to characterize the season in general terms - as above average, average or below average - instead of trying to forecast a precise number of storms. "It doesn't matter what the numbers are," center spokesman Dennis Feltgen said Wednesday, repeating a center mantra that it takes only one powerful storm to make it a bad season. <a href="http://www.kansas.com/wireupdates/story/367546.html" target="_blank">http://www.kansas.com/wireupdates/story/367546.html</a> <a href="http://www.boricuanetwork.net/members/boricua/blog/VIEW+00000003+00000103#00000103">Read More »</a> Sun, 13 Apr 2008 04:39:04 GMT Our 2001 Miss Universe at NYC's Theater Repertorio Español http://www.boricuanetwork.net/members/boricua/blog/VIEW+00000003+00000102#00000102 Denise Quiñones (almost) naked in 'Doña Flor y Sus Dos Maridos' By Lee Hernández LeeEmil.Hernandez@gmail.com Photo: Christopher Auger Domínguez <a href="http://www.boricuanetwork.net/members/boricua/blog/VIEW+00000003+00000102#00000102">Read More »</a> Sun, 13 Apr 2008 01:50:34 GMT Major Agreement for Vieques Cleanup Finalized http://www.boricuanetwork.net/members/boricua/blog/VIEW+00000003+00000101#00000101 Three US agencies and P.R.'s Environmental Quality Board will be involved in the Cleanup <a href="http://www.boricuanetwork.net/members/boricua/blog/VIEW+00000003+00000101#00000101">Read More »</a> Sat, 12 Apr 2008 21:46:34 GMT Higher Homeownership, Larger Houses & other Census Facts About the Island of Enchantment http://www.boricuanetwork.net/members/boricua/blog/VIEW+00000003+00000099#00000099 Residents of Puerto Rico had a higher homeownership rate, had more people per household and were less likely to move than U.S. stateside residents, according to an analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data from the 2006 PR Community Survey. These are among the wide range of data now available annually from the Census Bureau’s PR Community Survey. <a href="http://www.boricuanetwork.net/members/boricua/blog/VIEW+00000003+00000099#00000099">Read More »</a> Fri, 11 Apr 2008 04:52:34 GMT Salsa Singer Tito Nieves Slim & Happy http://www.boricuanetwork.net/members/boricua/blog/VIEW+00000003+00000098#00000098 The New and Improved Tito Nieves No, this is not PhotoShop. This is the new Tito Nieves. NY Post reported that when Tito Nieves performed recently at the <a href="http://www.lehmancenter.org" target="_blank">Lehman Center</a> recently with Brian McKnight, NY salsa fans saw a whole new Tito Nieves... "Nieves who is known for his golden voice and his big size made an enormous change in his life, he lost 104 pounds in the past 6 months after going under gastric bypass surgery last summer. Nieves who weighed 352 pounds is now 248, his waist size dropped from 56-inches to 38, and his jacket size went from a 58 to a 44. <a href="http://www.boricuanetwork.net/members/boricua/blog/VIEW+00000003+00000098#00000098">Read More »</a> Fri, 11 Apr 2008 03:20:57 GMT Student of Fajardo High School represented PR at NASA's Moonbuggy Race http://www.boricuanetwork.net/members/boricua/blog/VIEW+00000003+00000097#00000097 The "CariDuros" Students won the Race's "Rookie Award" FOTO Credit: (NASA/MSFC) A pair of intrepid student drivers from a Fajardo High School (Puerto Rico), endure a fearsome, buggy-flipping crash early in the day during the high school division of NASA's 15th annual Great Moonbuggy Race, held April 4 at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville, Ala. Despite the crash, the two racers jumped back into competition quickly enough to post the fastest race time among competition newcomers, earning them the 2008 "Rookie Award." Presented by race sponsor Northrop Grumman Corp. of Huntsville., the award is just one of many vied for each year by dozens of participating teams from all over the nation and around the world. NASA's Great Moonbuggy Race, organized by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, challenges high school and college students to build lightweight racing vehicles inspired by the original lunar rover used during the 1970s Apollo moon missions. The race is one of dozens of education projects and initiatives NASA leads each year to inspire America's next generation of engineers, scientists and explorers. Below is the <a href="http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2008/07apr_moonbuggyrace.htm" target="_blank">report of the event</a> from NASA: The 2008 Great Moonbuggy Race Author: Dauna Coulter/ Editor: Dr. Tony Phillips/ Credit: Science@NASA April 7, 2008: Not one of the participants in NASA's 2008 Great Moonbuggy Race was old enough to have seen the 1969 movie, Those Daring Young Men in Their Jaunty Jalopies. Nevertheless, the racers all looked like stars of that film as they careened about the simulated lunar terrain race course in a motley variety of strange vehicles. These high school and college students, representing 20 states, Puerto Rico, Canada, Germany and India, were having a blast in their home-made moonbuggies. They were spinning out in "moondust" and rumbling over "craters" at the US Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama, on April 4th and 5th, competing to traverse the 0.7-mile course faster than any other team. <a href="http://www.boricuanetwork.net/members/boricua/blog/VIEW+00000003+00000097#00000097">Read More »</a> Fri, 11 Apr 2008 02:34:46 GMT NYC Subway Street Art http://www.boricuanetwork.net/members/boricua/blog/VIEW+00000003+00000094#00000094 The Chance to Find Strange Stuff like these When you less expected is one of the things that I Love about NYC! You are walking down a street in NYC, minding your business and suddenly, when you are near a Subway vent, a plastic bag (that was stuck on top of it) begins to grow and transforms into a white bear that dances with the rhythm of the air. No, you are not getting crazy... it is a public art sculpture made with plastic bags by Joshua Allen Harris, a NYC art student. Harris, 31, said that his inspiration for creating this unexpected street art was a piece of construction tape flying off a grate on Manhattan's West 21st St. Subway grates are a regular feature of the city landscape made famous by Monroe's billowing white dress in the 1955 film "The Seven Year Itch". "The animation part is out of my control," Harris said. "I set this thing up, and then the subway completes it." To see an amateur video done by the artist to see the reaction of the public in NYC <a href="/igroops/boricua/videos/VIEW/00000010/NYC-Subway-Street-Art.html" target="_blank">click here</a>. <a href="http://www.nypost.com/seven/04072008/news/regionalnews/thats_pretty_grate_105386.htm" target="_blank">Below is a news article</a> about this plastic bag sculpture from The New York Post: THAT'S PRETTY 'GRATE' NY Post, by GEMMA JONES April 7, 2008 -- Polar bears have been popping up all over Manhattan. Actually, they're plastic bags fashioned into the animals by Brooklyn artist Joshua Allen Harris, who designed them to inflate over street-level subway vents as trains rush by below. Proving one man's trash is another's treasure, Harris said he was inspired when he saw discarded construction tape billowing from a subway vent on West 21st Street. The 31-year-old Williamsburg artist then spent 3 months perfecting the lifelike polar bears using recycled white shopping bags. They have created widespread enthusiasm among pedestrians - and video posted on an Internet arts site of the bears swaying to the gusts of passing trains has delighted thousands of Web viewers. "We all walk with our heads down in New York thinking that maybe that could be the person who rips my head off," said Harris, a fine-arts student at the School of Visual Arts in Midtown. "When I set them up, the surprise brightens people up. They say, 'I can't have a bad day now. I have seen that.' " Trish Tillman, 33, a grad student from Greenpoint, Brooklyn, noticed Harris' bears and sent photographs to the <a href="http://www.woostercollective.com/sculpture/" target="_blank">Wooster Collective art Web site</a>, sparking a frenzy of interest. "It is the most inventive thing I have seen in a long time," she said. "It is amazing how [a bag] comes to life when the air moves through it." To read a full AP news article where Harris talk about his new creation: an inflatable giraffe, <a href="http://www.newsday.com/news/local/wire/newyork/ny-bc-ny--subwaygrateart0408apr08,0,2412413.story" target="_blank">click here</a>. To see an AP TV report of the same story, <a href="http://video.ap.org/v/default.aspx?mk=en-ap&g=41f8be4f-ca57-402e-ad72-9387c3dacde0&f=null&fg=email" target="_blank">click here</a>. <a href="http://www.boricuanetwork.net/members/boricua/blog/VIEW+00000003+00000094#00000094">Read More »</a> Wed, 09 Apr 2008 19:09:14 GMT President Bill Clinton campaigns for his wife Hillary in PR http://www.boricuanetwork.net/members/boricua/blog/VIEW+00000003+00000090#00000090 Bill Clinton campaigns in Puerto Rico By DAVID McFADDEN, A.P. Published in: San Luis Obispo Tribune Bill Clinton told Puerto Ricans on Sunday (Apr. 06) his wife will boost employment for island residents if elected president, as well as ensuring them the same access to affordable health care as people who live on the mainland. (A.P. Photo: Former U.S. President Bill Clinton greets fans while campaigning for his wife, Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Sunday, April 6, 2008). <a href="http://www.boricuanetwork.net/members/boricua/blog/VIEW+00000003+00000090#00000090">Read More »</a> Mon, 07 Apr 2008 21:37:00 GMT Actor/director Jacobo Morales honored at Chicago Latino Film Festival http://www.boricuanetwork.net/members/boricua/blog/VIEW+00000003+00000088#00000088 Jacobo Morales honored at Chicago Latino Film Festival Jacobo Morales will be honored at Thorne Auditorium, Northwestern University on Wednesday, April 16, when tha Festival concludes. This special evening includes a 6:00 p.m. cocktail reception and the presentation of the 'Gloria Career Achievement Award' to this Puerto Rican comedian, actor and film director. The evnt is followed by the screening of Morales’ latest film, 'Ángel'. <a href="http://www.boricuanetwork.net/members/boricua/blog/VIEW+00000003+00000088#00000088">Read More »</a> Thu, 03 Apr 2008 04:54:49 GMT Puerto Rican Films at the Chicago Latino Film Festival http://www.boricuanetwork.net/members/boricua/blog/VIEW+00000003+00000087#00000087 Jacobo Morales' "Ángel" and a Detective Film were Two of the Three Featured at the Chicago Latino Film Festival Running from April 4-16, 2008, the 24th Chicago Latino Film Festival will showcase more than 100 feature and shorts films from Latin America, Spain, Portugal and the United States. The programming represents the broad diversity of themes and genres in Latino filmmaking. <a href="http://www.boricuanetwork.net/members/boricua/blog/VIEW+00000003+00000087#00000087">Read More »</a> Thu, 03 Apr 2008 04:51:12 GMT Pollution is a New Sin http://www.boricuanetwork.net/members/boricua/blog/VIEW+00000003+00000079#00000079 Vatican lists "new sins," including pollution (Reuters) By Philip Pullella VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Thou shall not pollute the Earth. Thou shall beware genetic manipulation. Modern times bring with them modern sins. So the Vatican has told the faithful that they should be aware of "new" sins such as causing environmental blight. The guidance came at the weekend (Mar 10, 2008) when Archbishop Gianfranco Girotti, the Vatican's number two man in the sometimes murky area of sins and penance, spoke of modern evils. Asked what he believed were today's "new sins," he told the Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano that the greatest danger zone for the modern soul was the largely uncharted world of bioethics. "(Within bioethics) there are areas where we absolutely must denounce some violations of the fundamental rights of human nature through experiments and genetic manipulation whose outcome is difficult to predict and control," he said. The Vatican opposes stem cell research that involves destruction of embryos and has warned against the prospect of human cloning. Girotti, in an interview headlined "New Forms of Social Sin," also listed "ecological" offences as modern evils. In recent months, Pope Benedict has made several strong appeals for the protection of the environment, saying issues such as climate change had become gravely important for the entire human race. Under Benedict and his predecessor John Paul, the Vatican has become progressively "green." It has installed photovoltaic cells on buildings to produce electricity and hosted a scientific conference to discuss the ramifications of global warming and climate change, widely blamed on human use of fossil fuels. Girotti, who is number two in the Vatican "Apostolic Penitentiary," which deals with matter of conscience, also listed drug trafficking and social and economic injustices as modern sins. But Girotti also bemoaned that fewer and fewer Catholics go to confession at all. He pointed to a study by Milan 's Catholic University that showed that up to 60 percent of Catholic faithful in Italy stopped going to confession. In the sacrament of Penance, Catholics confess their sins to a priest who absolves them in God's name. But the same study by the Catholic University showed that 30 percent of Italian Catholics believed that there was no need for a priest to be God's intermediary and 20 percent felt uncomfortable talking about their sins to another person. (Editing by Keith Weir) Copyright © 2007 Reuters <a href="http://green.yahoo.com/news/nm/20080310/hl_nm/pope_sins_dc.html" target="_blank">http://green.yahoo.com/news/nm/20080310/hl_nm/pope_sins_dc.html</a> <a href="http://www.boricuanetwork.net/members/boricua/blog/VIEW+00000003+00000079#00000079">Read More »</a> Sun, 30 Mar 2008 23:38:00 GMT Rock Band Rush Begins their Tour in PR http://www.boricuanetwork.net/members/boricua/blog/VIEW+00000003+00000077#00000077 The 2008 leg of the "Snakes & Arrows" tour of the Rock band "Rush" will kick off on at the <a href="http://www.coliseodepuertorico.com/" target="_blank">Coliseo de Puerto Rico</a> in San Juan, on April 11 and will conclude July 22 in Atlanta, Georgia. Also newspaper <a href="http://www.elnuevodia.com/diario/home" target="_blank">El Nuevo Día</a> is sponsoring a Rush Pre-party for this show at the Coliseo for select subscribers. <a href="http://www.boricuanetwork.net/members/boricua/blog/VIEW+00000003+00000077#00000077">Read More »</a> Sun, 30 Mar 2008 17:11:04 GMT Happy People have Happy Genes http://www.boricuanetwork.net/members/boricua/blog/VIEW+00000003+00000075#00000075 Happiness can be inherited, research finds By Reuters - Thu Mar 6,2008 Photo: icKYpöö/Dilip Nair Photography (cc) LONDON (Reuters) - You can't buy happiness but it looks like you can at least inherit it, British and Australian researchers said on Thursday. <a href="http://www.boricuanetwork.net/members/boricua/blog/VIEW+00000003+00000075#00000075">Read More »</a> Sun, 30 Mar 2008 07:12:36 GMT Carlos Arroyo: Sello boricua en la NBA http://www.boricuanetwork.net/members/boricua/blog/VIEW+00000003+00000074#00000074 El basquetbolista Carlos Arroyo busca recuperar minutos de juego en la NBA y sueña con Pekín 2008 (A.P.) MATIAS MACIEL matiasmaciel@gmail.com Carlos Arroyo, el armador boricua del equipo de baloncesto Orlando Magic, asegura que la madurez y los años de experiencia le ayudan a conservar la paciencia, cualidad necesaria para mantenerse en la NBA (National Basketball Association). Es que luego de un inicio de año con asistencia casi perfecta (13 juegos de 14 en enero), su entrenador Stan Van Gundy decidió no enviarlo a la cancha en ocho de los trece partidos que los Magic disputaron en febrero. Se trata de una circunstancia difícil si se tiene en cuenta que el contrato de Arroyo con su equipo concluye al término de esta temporada y necesita sumar minutos de juego para conseguir un nuevo fichaje en la NBA. Además, esto ha puesto en duda su participación en el Seleccionado puertorriqueño que disputará en Grecia en julio próximo el torneo de repechaje por una plaza en los Juegos Olímpicos de Pekín. "Creo que tenemos un gran equipo (Puerto Rico) y un buen chance de clasificar a los Olímpicos de Pekín. Contamos con jugadores preparados gracias a la experiencia en otras competencias internacionales", opina el deportista de 28 años nacido en Fajardo, Puerto Rico. En caso de que el Seleccionado boricua consiga la clasificación a Pekín 2008, después de enfrentar a Croacia y Camerún en Grecia, Arroyo tendría su segunda participación en unos Olímpicos. En Atenas 2004 el base fue el abanderado boricua en la ceremonia de inauguración y lideró a su equipo para conseguir el sexto puesto, la mejor ubicación para los puertorriqueños desde los olímpicos de Munich en 1972. "Es un gran honor ser parte del Seleccionado y ojalá consigamos el boleto a Pekín", declara con ilusión el armador. Para Arroyo, los Olímpicos tienen un encanto especial, "porque allí juegan los mejores entre los mejores" y porque desde pequeño siguió con interés las competencias olímpicas. "Además del baloncesto, me gustaban las pruebas de atletismo, la natación, el voleibol y el boxeo, un deporte muy popular en mi tierra", afirma. Consultado acerca de qué otro deporte le gustaría practicar, Arroyo se inclina por el voleibol o el béisbol: "¿Fútbol? Me gusta verlo, pero no lo he jugado más que unas pocas veces con amigos", responde con sonrisa amable. Sueño de infancia Antes de llegar a la NBA el fajardeño jugó para los Cariduros de Fajardo y para los Cangrejos de Santurce, ambos de la Liga de Baloncesto Superior de Puerto Rico. Entre 1998 y 2001 formó parte de los Golden Panthers, el equipo de la Universidad Internacional de Florida, de la liga universitaria estadounidense, donde se convirtió en el máximo anotador en la historia de ese equipo. Su llegada a la NBA tuvo lugar en 2002, luego de graduarse de la universidad: "Siempre quise pertenecer a la NBA. Cuando se me presentó la oportunidad fue como una bendición del Señor", afirma el armador, que comenzó su carrera en la liga contratado por los Toronto Raptors. Aunque muy pronto fue desvinculado de los Raptors y se trasladó a España, regresó dos meses más tarde para incorporarse a los Denver Nuggets. Después le siguió el Utah Jazz, más tarde pasó a Detroit Pistons y, desde febrero de 2006, viste la camiseta del Orlando Magic. "Jugar en diferentes equipos me dio la posibilidad de conocer distintas ciudades y a mucha gente. Considero que se trata de una gran experiencia y he tratado de aprender mucho de cada oportunidad. Me ha ayudado a madurar como jugador y como persona", afirma. El 25 de febrero pasado Arroyo fue elegido para formar parte de los 24 jugadores más importantes de la historia del baloncesto puertorriqueño, una selección realizada por un comité de conocedores de ese deporte a pedido de la BSN, Baloncesto Superior Nacional de Puerto Rico, institución que organiza la liga profesional en la isla. Por reconocimientos como ese Arroyo está muy agradecido con sus compatriotas, al tiempo que no quiere fallarles: "Es una responsabilidad bien grande, por eso me preocupo por hacer las cosas bien, con orgullo, dignidad y respeto", asegura. <a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/latino/espanol/2008/03/01/2008-03-01_sello_boricua_en_la_nba-4.html" target="_blank">http://www.nydailynews.com/latino/espanol/2008/03/01/2008-03-01_sello_boricua_en_la_nba-4.html</a> <a href="http://www.boricuanetwork.net/members/boricua/blog/VIEW+00000003+00000074#00000074">Read More »</a> Sun, 30 Mar 2008 06:08:44 GMT Chupacabra Named one of the Top 10 Monsters http://www.boricuanetwork.net/members/boricua/blog/VIEW+00000003+00000073#00000073 Live Science website has a photo essay on their “10 Favorite monsters that may have a basis in real life” where our Puerto Rican “Chupacabra” made number 6 on the list … <a href="http://www.boricuanetwork.net/members/boricua/blog/VIEW+00000003+00000073#00000073">Read More »</a> Sun, 30 Mar 2008 05:05:11 GMT Chupacabra Part of Exhibition at the American Museum of Natural History http://www.boricuanetwork.net/members/boricua/blog/VIEW+00000003+00000072#00000072 Chupacabra was part of the exhibition “Mythic Creatures: Dragons, Unicorns & Mermaids” of the NYC’s American Museum of Natural History (AMNH). <a href="http://www.boricuanetwork.net/members/boricua/blog/VIEW+00000003+00000072#00000072">Read More »</a> Sun, 30 Mar 2008 04:46:48 GMT Actress Luisa de los Ríos' film will be distributed in the US http://www.boricuanetwork.net/members/boricua/blog/VIEW+00000003+00000071#00000071 Victoria, Luisa de los Ríos' film will be distributed in DVD in the US According to it's <a href="http://www.empirefilmgroup.com/pr058.html" target="_blank">website</a>, Empire Home Entertainment, the distribution division of Empire Film Group, Inc. (PINKSHEETS: EFGU) ("Empire Film") (<a href="http://www.empirefilmgroup.com" target="_blank">http://www.empirefilmgroup.com</a>), announced that it has completed the acquisition of 7 new titles for release to the USA DVD and Blu Ray markets in the coming months. Included in these is ‘Victoria’ a ‘Spanish-language comedy, shot in Puerto Rico from director Coraly Santalíz, starring Luisa de los Ríos in the title role as a love-struck attorney, with Latin-rap star Vico C as a demanding, new client. "We want to enhance our video and television schedules with a good supply of quality films and videos that have had only limited or no theatrical exposure. These titles have great commercial value, especially on DVD, and will generate significant revenues for Empire and our program suppliers," said Eric Parkinson, CEO of Empire Home Entertainment, the distribution division of Empire Film Group, Inc. 'Victoria' 2006/Spanish with English subtitles. Cast: Luisa de Los Rios, Jonathan Dwayne, Vico C. Writer/Director/Editor: Coraly Santaliz Awards: The Best of The Accolade Film & Television Festival Award, 2007, La Jolla, California Paoli Award: Best TV Movie of the Year, Puerto Rico, 2007 Synopsis: When you think you have everything & find out you don’t. “Victoria proves the power of skilled acting and a powerful storyline. Excellent casting of secondary players allows for an engaging, and well-told story. This is the first feature-length drama from director Coraly Santaliz, but clearly it shouldn’t be her last.” Victoria is a beautiful, successful lawyer who is missing one thing: she’s completely unsatisfied. Everything changes when she meets her next client – “Fat Girl” – a rapper who has a unique perspective on life & seems to understand Victoria. While resolving Fat Girl’s case, Victoria resolves her own inner turmoil. She finds the courage to quit her job & begins working for a college friend who has started a non-profit law firm. Although the cast of characters who enter the law firm are a bit unnerving, Victoria manages to adjust to the chaotic & diverse situations – while hoping to further her friendship with her college friend & find her place in the sun. <a href="http://www.wonderphil.biz/trailers/victoria/index.html" target="_blank">http://www.wonderphil.biz/trailers/victoria/index.html</a> <a href="http://www.boricuanetwork.net/members/boricua/blog/VIEW+00000003+00000071#00000071">Read More »</a> Sun, 30 Mar 2008 04:14:20 GMT An Urban Legend Confirmed: PR was a guinea pig for Contraceptive Pill. http://www.boricuanetwork.net/members/boricua/blog/VIEW+00000003+00000070#00000070 An urban legend confirmed: PR was a guinea pig for the human contraceptive pill. <a href="http://www.boricuanetwork.net/members/boricua/blog/VIEW+00000003+00000070#00000070">Read More »</a> Sun, 30 Mar 2008 02:54:09 GMT Piden Medalla de Honor para héroe hispano http://www.boricuanetwork.net/members/boricua/blog/VIEW+00000003+00000069#00000069 Piden Medalla de Honor para héroe hispano El Diario/La Prensa Manuel E. Avendaño <a rel="nofollow" href="mailto:manuel.avendano@eldiarioiny.com" target="_blank">manuel.avendano@eldiarioiny.com</a> STATEN ISLAND, NUEVA YORK — Al cumplirse 41 años de la acción heroica del sargento Angel Méndez en Vietnam, quien murió por salvar a los miembros de su pelotón durante un feroz combate, sus colegas de la Infantería de Marina le rindieron homenaje ayer, reiterando su pedido para que se le otorgue la Medalla de Honor como homenaje póstumo. <a href="http://www.boricuanetwork.net/members/boricua/blog/VIEW+00000003+00000069#00000069">Read More »</a> Sun, 30 Mar 2008 02:42:09 GMT Chayanne on 2008 Billboard Latin Music Awards http://www.boricuanetwork.net/members/boricua/blog/VIEW+00000003+00000068#00000068 Chayanne, one of the Latin Superstars at 2008 Billboard Latin Music Awards Romanctic pop star, Chayanne will perform during the 10th annual Latin Music Billboard Awards that will aired 'live' on Telemundo Thursday, April 10 from 7PM / 6c at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino en Hollywood, Florida. <a href="http://www.boricuanetwork.net/members/boricua/blog/VIEW+00000003+00000068#00000068">Read More »</a> Sat, 29 Mar 2008 00:22:08 GMT PR Governor Indicted of 19 Criminal Charges http://www.boricuanetwork.net/members/boricua/blog/VIEW+00000003+00000067#00000067 PR Governor surrenders to FBI; pleads not guilty Puerto Rico's Governor Anibal Acevedo Vila waves to his followers after walking out of the U.S. Federal Court building, after turning himself in to attend his first hearing after being charged for election funding fraud, in San Juan March 28, 2008. The charges said Acevedo Vila collected illegal contributions and spent far more than he reported during his election campaigns from 1999 to 2004. <a href="http://www.boricuanetwork.net/members/boricua/blog/VIEW+00000003+00000067#00000067">Read More »</a> Fri, 28 Mar 2008 20:55:30 GMT Roberto Clemente Documentary in PBS http://www.boricuanetwork.net/members/boricua/blog/VIEW+00000003+00000065#00000065 PBS's AMERICAN EXPERIENCE premieres a one-hour documentary about baseball's first Latino superstar, Roberto Clemente, Monday, April 21 at 9pm on PBS (check local listings). Done by independent filmmaker Bernardo Ruiz and actor Jimmy Smits (The West Wing, NYPD Blue) narrates. After April 21, a Spanish-language version will be available for free viewing online at <a href="http://pbs.org/americanexperience" target="_blank">http://pbs.org/americanexperience</a>. <a href="http://www.boricuanetwork.net/members/boricua/blog/VIEW+00000003+00000065#00000065">Read More »</a> Thu, 27 Mar 2008 18:00:17 GMT Poet Jack Agüeros Fights Alzheimer’s http://www.boricuanetwork.net/members/boricua/blog/VIEW+00000003+00000064#00000064 A Puerto Rican Poet’s Fight With Alzheimer’s NY Times, City Room, Blog, By David González <a href="http://www.boricuanetwork.net/members/boricua/blog/VIEW+00000003+00000064#00000064">Read More »</a> Sun, 23 Mar 2008 21:12:19 GMT Líder Taína Moderna Reclama Vigencia del Indio Borincano http://www.boricuanetwork.net/members/boricua/blog/VIEW+00000003+00000063#00000063 Vive el taíno "Cómo es posible que de los taínos no se acuerde nadie’". El Nuevo Día, Por Eugenio Hopgood Dávila ehopgood@elnuevodia.com Siglos después de que la historia oficial declarara extintos a los indígenas de Borikén, centenares de puertorriqueños invocan desde investigaciones genéticas hasta las revelaciones místicas de sus caciques y proclaman ser el pueblo taíno vivo entre nosotros. Las dos organizaciones taínas más conocidas son el Consejo General de Taínos Borincanos, que dirige la artesana y música Elba Anacaona Lugo, conocida entre su gente como “Anaca”; y el Concilio Taíno Guacu-Matú a Borikén Inc., que lidera el también artesano y enfermero graduado Martín Veguilla, mejor conocido entre los suyos como el “Cacike Cacibaopil”, que significa Piedra Sagrada del Espíritu. Aunque estos dos líderes taínos son enconados rivales, con pésimas relaciones entre ellos, ambos tienen en común la práctica de la espiritualidad taína -con sus variantes- el afán de identificarse con los antepasados indígenas y su cultura, como la interpreta cada cual, y la reivindicación del derecho -como pueblo indígena- de participar directamente en el manejo de sus coabeyes (cementerios) y demás “lugares sagrados” que el gobierno y los científicos ven como yacimientos arqueológicos. “Desde niño mi abuela me decía que venía de indios taínos... ella decía que venía de una abuela que se llamaba Gueiyara”, cuenta Veguilla, oriundo de los campos de Cayey. Dice el cacique que su interés en lo taíno se incrementó cuando fue a estudiar Artes Plásticas a la Universidad de Puerto Rico en la década de 1970 y se adentró en la lectura de las crónicas de Indias. “Vi que los españoles habían cometido atrocidades contra los taínos en nombre de Cristo... cuando empecé a leer todas esas cosas el dolor fue grande y pensé que cómo es posible que de los taínos no se acuerde nadie”, reflexiona Veguilla con expresión de desconsuelo mientras se toma un café. “De ahí fue que vino el interés de yo levantar entonces un pueblo, más bien culturalmente. O sea, convertir al puertorriqueño en boricua, dice en alusión al gentilicio de origen taíno”. El encuentro de Anaca con lo taíno también tuvo que ver con abuelos y con tristezas. Recuerda ella que de niña en el barrio Tetuán de Utuado le deprimían las películas de “indios y vaqueros” en las que “siempre mataban a los indígenas”. “Cuando veía eso me escondía a llorar detrás de la puerta de mi cuarto, lloraba con tanta angustia...”, cuenta Anaca desde la sala de su modesta casa, repleta de arte y decoraciones indígenas en una loma del barrio Quebrada Negrito de Trujillo Alto. “Luego descubrí que teníamos la consanguinidad de los pueblos indoamericanos... que yo tenía esa identidad adentro y no lo sabía”. Sobre la manera en que han aprendido las prácticas ceremoniales que fueron abandonadas por siglos, ambos invocan visiones y revelaciones místicas -además del estudio histórico y arqueológico- como uno de los fundamentos de su conocimiento sobre la cultura de los ancestros. “Una vez en El Yunque estábamos soplando los caracoles y escuchamos los mayoguacanes, (tambores taínos), también escuchamos cantos en lengua taína, los areytos, hablando, tocando las maracas”, relata Veguilla al explicar cómo conoce los ritmos y música taínos. La visión de Anaca, quien afirma tener ocasionales revelaciones de los ancestros, no sólo fue musical, sino un llamado hacia el mundo espiritual taíno. Eran los años 1970 y Elba era una joven cuatrista que incursionaba en la música jíbara y la nueva trova y vivía en un campo del sector La Yuca en Ponce con otros músicos. “Cerré los ojos para descansar cuando entonces me presentan esa finca gigantesca sembrada artísticamente y veía como unas matas de plátano, pero con flores, palmas y yagrumos; entonces había unos caminos serpenteados y por ahí corrían los taínos y tenían moñitos, un jacho de tabonuco prendido en fuego y era de noche y yo lo observaba de arriba... pues pregunté qué es eso y me dicen: ese es el paseo taíno desde nuestras raíces más antiguas hasta la actualidad”. Entonces bautizó a su grupo Paseo Taíno, germen que evolucionó hasta convertirse en la organización que hoy dirige y que como la de Veguilla -sólo que cada cual a su manera- se dedica a promover “valores taínos” como el amor a la Madre Tierra, y la práctica de rituales indígenas y recreaciones artísticas y la defensa del patrimonio indígena. <a href="/igroops/boricua/blog/Entonces%20bautiz%C3%B3%20a%20su%20grupo%20Paseo%20Ta%C3%ADno,%20germen%20que%20evolucion%C3%B3%20hasta%20convertirse%20en%20la%20organizaci%C3%B3n%20que%20hoy%20dirige%20y%20que%20como%20la%20de%20Veguilla%20-s%C3%B3lo%20que%20cada%20cual%20a%20su%20manera-%20se%20dedica%20a%20promover%20%E2%80%9Cvalores%20ta%C3%ADnos%E2%80%9D%20como%20el%20amor%20a%20la%20Madre%20Tierra,%20y%20la%20pr%C3%A1ctica%20de%20rituales%20ind%C3%ADgenas%20y%20recreaciones%20art%C3%ADsticas%20y%20la%20defensa%20del%20patrimonio%20ind%C3%ADgena." target="_blank">http://www.elnuevodia.com/diario/noticia/puertoricohoy/noticias/vive_el_taino/380814</a> <a href="http://www.boricuanetwork.net/members/boricua/blog/VIEW+00000003+00000063#00000063">Read More »</a> Sun, 23 Mar 2008 20:46:04 G