Saturday, May 11, 2013

5.11.13 - Facebook Review


5.11.13 - HEADLINES: Puerto Rico to Cut Off Water to Non-payers - 5/11/2013 | Governor: I’ll cut water bills by 2016 - 5/10/2013 | The New York Times on Venezuela and Honduras: A Case of Journalistic ... - Venezuelanalysis.com - 5/10/2013 | Part linguistic primer, part cultural history, "The Story of Spanish" zips along crisply - Polyglot Stew - Wall Street Journal - 5/10/2013 By JOEL MILLMAN | Spanish Government, Business Woo Investors on Wall Street - 5/11/2013 - Latin American Herald Tribune

Puerto Rico to Cut Off Water to Non-payers - 5/11/2013

Governor: I’ll cut water bills by 2016. Read: http://goo.gl/T7Fts - 5/10/2013

The New York Times on Venezuela and Honduras: A Case of Journalistic ... - Venezuelanalysis.com - 5/10/2013


Polyglot Stew - Wall Street Journal - 5/10/2013



In 30 years of reporting on Latin America, I've learned that the proper name for the language most Americans call "Spanish" is "Castilian"—"Castellano," in the parlance of my south-of-the-border sources. It's an homage to those plucky warlords from Castile who unified Spain in the 15th century. (There are many other tongues spoken in Spain that, arguably, are equally "Spanish.") And I know "Iberian," an adjective referring to all things "Spanish," derives from a river, the Ebro, which crosses the northeast corner of the peninsula and links the city of Zaragoza to the Mediterranean.

The Story of Spanish

By Jean-Benoît Nadeau & Julie Barlow
St. Martin's, 428 pages, $27.99
But it wasn't until I read "The Story of Spanish" that I discovered "Zaragoza" is a bastardization of the Latin "Caesar Augustus" or that the words "Spain" and "Spanish" came from the Phoenicians. Their explorers arrived on the Iberian coast around 1200 B.C., and noted it was over-run with a long-eared mammal that multiplied rapidly. They described it as "I-shepan-ha": the "Land of Rabbits." Hundreds of years later, the Romans Latinized it to "Hispania."
Jean-Benoît Nadeau and Julie Barlow's book is filled with such nuggets and is a guide to how one region's polyglot stew of ancient words and phrases spread to become the primary language of nearly half a billion people worldwide, as well as "the unofficial second language of the United States."
Part linguistic primer, part cultural history, "The Story of Spanish" zips along crisply. We witness mostly-forgotten kings and the scholars who filled their courts creating a formal grammar and syntax from "vulgar" Latin hundreds of years ahead of speakers in the rest of Romanized Europe. And we discover how bits of Arabic, Germanic, Latin and Celtic took hold among "Spanish" speakers.
The Spanish for "cotton," for example, is "algodón," one of many Spanish nouns —"almuerzo" ("lunch") and "almacén" ("warehouse") are two others—that retain the Arabic definite article, "al." The Arabic "al-qutn" became "cotone" in Italian and "coton" in French, in both cases after a cycle through Latin. Only Spanish ditched the Roman middleman and created a slew of double-articled oddities such as "el algodón" and "el almacén."
However entertaining "The Story of Spanish" is to browse, at times it feels as though its authors, a Canadian couple who have previously written books about French, are over-reaching. "Languages generally acquire prestige when their speakers gain political clout," they write, and that seems true enough when they are describing how Rome co-opted local chieftains by franchising things like tax collection—which required Latin fluency.
Yet this is precisely what didn't happen during the centuries of Moorish rule (700-1492) in Spain, when few among the native elite learned Arabic. And the authors concede that Spanish's success in the New World owed less to political "clout" than to the smallpox virus that triggered a genocide that some estimate eliminated 90% of our hemisphere's original non-Spanish speakers.
While I did enjoy learning that a "ten gallon" cowboy hat has nothing to do with measuring liquid volume—it's a corruption of the Spanish phrase "tan galán," or "how spiffy"—much of what passes for erudition in "The Story of Spanish" feels like trivia. That's particularly the case when it comes to the two Canadians' understanding of Spanish-speakers south of their border.
Take Cinco de Mayo, which the authors report was organized in San Francisco in the 1970s as a "pan-ethnic U.S. celebration for all Hispanic immigrants." They write: "It was a savvy choice: most Latin Americans, even Mexicans, had never heard of it, so it didn't pit nationalities against each other. In the long run, the popularity of Cinco de Mayo was also secured by the fact that it has no religious association, a handy feature, since 15 percent of Hispanics in the United States today are Evangelical Christians, not Catholics."
This is just silly. There was already such a day commemorated "pan-ethnically" across the Americas: September 15, which marks the 1810 "grito" ("shout") that launched a continent-wide rebellion from Spain. Cinco de Mayo rose, like much Latino activism, from the campuses of California's state university system in the 1970s, when Chicanos were eager to include their ethnic pride in an era of raucous social "identity" movements. We celebrate "Cinco de Mayo" mainly because on September 15 college kids are barely settled into their dorms, making May 5 the better date for partying—which beer and liquor companies were not slow to seize upon.
The authors undermine their authority on language—after all, their book is called "The Story of Spanish," not "The Story of Spanish-Speakers"—with similar digressions into the films of Luis Buñuel, Cuba's medical diplomacy or the fact that both Colombian pop star Shakira and Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim are of Lebanese descent. The bitter deathbed revelation from Simón Bolívar that the authors quote is apt: "From heroism to ridicule is but a single step."
—Mr. Millman covered Latin America for the Journal from 1996 to 2010. He reports now from Portland, Ore.
A version of this article appeared May 11, 2013, on page C12 in the U.S. edition of The Wall Street Journal, with the headline: Polyglot Stew.


Rusia confirma que está completando la entrega de misiles al régimen sirio http:... - 5/10/2013 - Caribnews

Tropical Cyclone Jamala - 5/10/2013

Medley Richie Rey y Bobby Cruz con la sinfónica de Puerto Rico - 12/28/2012 - crlsgardel

David Cameron's working-class adviser 'pushed from No 10 by old Etonians' - 5/11/2013

Puerto Rico Gov. Luis Fortuño speaks to Univision News - 3/18/2012 - UnivisionNews1

Spanish Government, Business Woo Investors on Wall Street - 5/11/2013 - Latin American Herald Tribune


Podcast: The Arecibo Observatory


Podcast: The Arecibo Observatory

by ASTRONOMY CAST on MAY 11, 2013
Want to stay on top of all the space news? Follow @universetoday on Twitter
The Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico.
The Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico.
The mighty Arecibo Radio Observatory is one of the most powerful radio telescopes ever built – it’s certainly the larger single aperture radio telescope on Earth, nestled into a natural sinkhole in Puerto Rico. We’re celebrating the 50th anniversary of the construction of the observatory with a special episode of Astronomy Cast.
Or subscribe to: astronomycast.com/podcast.xml with your podcatching software.
Read more: http://www.universetoday.com/102075/podcast-the-arecibo-observatory/#ixzz2SyjzO2ML


5.10.13 - REVIEW

» Podcast: The Arecibo Observatory
10/05/13 23:56 from Puerto Rico News
The mighty Arecibo Radio Observatory is one of the most powerful radio telescopes ever built - it's certainly the larger single aperture radio telescope on Earth, nestled into a natural sinkhole in Puerto Rico. 
» Dedicate a Song 
10/05/13 23:31 from 
1577 Comments, last updated on Friday May 10 by HairyGuy
» Immigration's Odd Couple - Daily Beast
10/05/13 22:51 from puerto rico - Google News
Daily Beast Immigration's Odd Couple Daily Beast Born and raised to Puerto Rican parents in Chicago's Lincoln Park neighborhood, Gutierrez endured his own sense of fear and loss when, after his freshman year in high school, his par..
» Do you like Salsa music? Tell us about it!
10/05/13 22:42 from 
11073 Comments, last updated on Friday May 10 by HairyGuy
» Monica Puig: Puerto Rico's Rising Tennis Star - Latinos Post
10/05/13 22:07 from puerto rico sports - Google News
Latinos Post Monica Puig: Puerto Rico's Rising Tennis Star Latinos Post ... and you can appreciate how far Monica Puig, from Hato Rey, Puerto Rico , has come. As of May 6, 2013, Monica is currently ranked 88th in the world. This former..
» Monica Puig: Puerto Rico's Rising Tennis Star - Latinos Post
10/05/13 22:07 from puerto rico - Google News
Latinos Post Monica Puig: Puerto Rico's Rising Tennis Star Latinos Post Now take a young player from an Island with a short history in the game and one major player of note, and you can appreciate how far Monica Puig, from Hato Rey, Pu..
» 80's old school
10/05/13 21:04 from 
213 Comments, last updated on Friday May 10 by Nubeluz
» UCR Blood Drive to Promote the Need for Latino Donors - UC Riverside
10/05/13 20:19 from latino - Google News
UCR Blood Drive to Promote the Need for Latino Donors UC Riverside “The challenge has helped focus attention on the Latino community, which is underrepresented in the blood donor community at large,” said LifeStream President, CEO and Medi..
» 8040712189392954
10/05/13 20:15 from Opinión - El Nuevo Día
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» MFS - The Other News: 1/3 Population of Puerto Rico Gets Food ...
10/05/13 20:01 from puerto rico news - Google Blog Search
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Nutrition Assistance Program (NAP) for Puerto Rico , an unincorporated territory of the United States, received $2 billion in Nutrition Assistance Block Grants in fiscal ... 
» [VIDEO] Meet Mando, the new Latino neighbor on Sesame Street
10/05/13 18:14 from puerto rican community in new york - Google Blog Search
Ismael Cruz Crdova arrived to New York City, from rural Aguas Buenas, Puerto Rico bright-eyed and bushy-haired at 19 to pursue a career in acting. Six years later, he's already won an HOLA and ACE award and landed a ... 
» Bloodless $45 million bank ATM heist impresses even cybercrime experts
10/05/13 18:11 from Caribbean Business
Bloodless $45 million bank ATM heist impresses even cybercrime experts NEW YORK — A bloodless bank heist that netted more than $45 million has left eve ... Governor: I’ll cut water bills by 2016 Gov. Alejandro García Padilla sought Friday ..
» Rotary Welcomes Group Study Exchange Group From the Caribbean - KBTX.com - KBTX
10/05/13 17:11 from caribbean - Google News
Rotary Welcomes Group Study Exchange Group From the Caribbean - KBTX.com KBTX As the Rotary Group Study Exchange team from the British Virgin Islands tours Bryan/College Station, they're learning a lot about what life in Texas is all a..
» 'A conversation that goes on at everybody's kitchen table' - Capital New York
10/05/13 17:06 from puerto rican community in new york - Google News
'A conversation that goes on at everybody's kitchen table' Capital New York A common response by these officials to legal troubles has been to appeal to the legitimate grievances of constituents by framing those legal troubles ..
» Disney Eyeing Four Directors For Fifth Pirates Of The Caribbean - Comic Book Resources
10/05/13 17:02 from caribbean - Google News
Comic Book Resources Disney Eyeing Four Directors For Fifth Pirates Of The Caribbean Comic Book Resources pirates3d-620 It's full sail ahead as Disney's looking to launch the fifth Pirates of the Caribbean movie — just as soon as i..
» Switching Sides: Latinos Ditching Catholicism For Evangelical Churches - Fox News Latino
10/05/13 16:50 from latino - Google News
Switching Sides: Latinos Ditching Catholicism For Evangelical Churches Fox News Latino Latinos make up the largest ethnic minority in the United States — 52 million, according to latest Census stats. The majority — two-thirds — are still t..
» Sesame Street Announces New Latino Character 'Mando' Played By Ismael ... - Huffington Post
10/05/13 16:44 from puerto rican community in new york - Google News
San Francisco Chronicle Sesame Street Announces New Latino Character 'Mando' Played By Ismael ... Huffington Post This April 2013 photo released by Sesame Workshop shows Puerto Rican actor Ismael Cruz Cordova, 26, of "Sesame Street..
» 1/3 Population of Puerto Rico Gets Food Stamps from US Gov't -- $2 Billion in 2012 - CNSNews.com
10/05/13 16:43 from puerto rico - Google News
1/3 Population of Puerto Rico Gets Food Stamps from US Gov't -- $2 Billion in 2012 CNSNews.com (CNSNews.com) – The federal government spent more than $2 billion to provide food stamps to Puerto Rico in 2012, up to 25 percent of which i..
» United Adding Daily Flights Between Chicago and Puerto Rico - Motley Fool
10/05/13 16:36 from puerto rico - Google News
E! Online United Adding Daily Flights Between Chicago and Puerto Rico Motley Fool Airline carrier United (NYSE: UAL ) has announced it will commence daily flights between Chicago and San Juan, Puerto Rico , starting Nov. 5. Flights will ru..
» 'Sesame Street' introduces new Latino character, Armando - Los Angeles Times
10/05/13 16:12 from latino - Google News
San Francisco Chronicle 'Sesame Street' introduces new Latino character, Armando Los Angeles Times "Sesame Street" has concluded its search for the new Latino character who will be moving on to the cozy New York address for the sho..
» New Study Shows Growing Latino Path to College but Challenges Remain - Politic365
10/05/13 16:04 from latino - Google News
Politic365 New Study Shows Growing Latino Path to College but Challenges Remain Politic365 This week the Pew Research Center released an analysis of data from the U.S. Census Bureau that shows an increase in Latino college enrollment among..
» Shakira Talks Body Image, Motherhood In New Interview - Fox News Latino
10/05/13 15:47 from latino - Google News
Shakira Talks Body Image, Motherhood In New Interview Fox News Latino Motherhood for Shakira has been a blessing, albeit a challenging one. The Colombian superstar said she is learning how to balance her demanding work schedule with being ..
» Garcia: Juanma Has Nothing To Lose, He is Dangerous
10/05/13 15:42 from Puerto Rico News
If you've convincingly beaten the man who twice throroughly beat the man you're about to fight, it's natural to feel confident about winning. 
» Exclusive: Talib Kweli Admits He Made Himself A 'Prisoner' To Puerto Rico - SOHH
10/05/13 14:11 from puerto rico - Google News
SOHH Exclusive: Talib Kweli Admits He Made Himself A 'Prisoner' To Puerto Rico SOHH I had actually gone out to Puerto Rico a few years ago. Well, I should say I started the process a few years ago where I went out ot the Islands. I..
» Alianza contra el yugo del cabotaje
10/05/13 13:59 from Opinión - El Nuevo Día
Alianza contra el yugo del cabotaje 82 265 1050 684 2861 This post has been generated by Page2RSS 
» Cleveland Prosecutor Victor Perez, Mentor And Advocate For Latinos - Fox News Latino
10/05/13 13:51 from latino - Google News
Cleveland Prosecutor Victor Perez, Mentor And Advocate For Latinos Fox News Latino He has made a point of remaining active in Latino organizations throughout his career. He was a regional president for the Hispanic National Bar Association..
» Stateside 'Ricans lies:
10/05/13 13:29 from 
23 Comments, last updated on Friday May 10 by mysterysilence
» BURGER KING consolidates its Latin America and the Caribbean digital efforts - PR Newswire (press release)
10/05/13 13:27 from caribbean - Google News
BURGER KING consolidates its Latin America and the Caribbean digital efforts PR Newswire (press release) MIAMI, May 10, 2013 /PRNewswire-iReach/ -- Miami, FL (May 9th, 2013) – Burger King Corporation has selected Multiplica (www.multiplica..
» United launching Chicago-PR nonstops
10/05/13 11:42 from Caribbean Business
United launching Chicago-PR nonstops United Airlines is launching daily flights from its hub at Chicago’s O’Hare Inte ... UPR opens coffee tasting laboratory; center is first of its kind in Caribbean Puerto Rico is inaugurating the Caribbe..
» Rosa Vargas de Figuero, very artistic
10/05/13 11:37 from Puerto Rico News
Born in Ponce, Puerto Rico April 1, 1928, she was the daughter of Julio Vargas and Ramonita Rodriguez de Vargas. 
» Ricky Martin On Puerto Rico's Gay Rights: 'We Are Asking For The Same Rights ... - Huffington Post
10/05/13 11:25 from puerto rico - Google News
Ricky Martin On Puerto Rico's Gay Rights: 'We Are Asking For The Same Rights ... Huffington Post "The same rights for each and every citizen of Puerto Rico , that's what we are asking for, and that's what we hope to achieve..
» Politicians back Olympic wrestling in bipartisan effort - USA Today - USA TODAY
10/05/13 11:11 from puerto rico politics - Google News
Politicians back Olympic wrestling in bipartisan effort - USA Today USA TODAY Legislators signed up for House Resolution 71 show the broad reach of interest in wrestling across the United States, with nearly half the nation's states re..
» Caribbean Room With a View: A Suite at the JW Marriott Cancun - Caribbean Journal
10/05/13 10:30 from caribbean - Google News
Caribbean Journal Caribbean Room With a View: A Suite at the JW Marriott Cancun Caribbean Journal And you can see all of it from the Caribbean Suite at the AAA Five-Diamond JW Marriott Cancun Resort & Spa, a longtime favourite of travelers..
» Connecting the Caribbean with its overseas community - Dominican Today
10/05/13 10:09 from caribbean - Google News
Connecting the Caribbean with its overseas community Dominican Today Despite the perhaps questionable assumption that those sending remittances would invest money in Government bonds, Jamaica's announcement represents a first serious a..
» Pfizer executive faces porn charges in Puerto Rico - MSN Money
10/05/13 09:20 from puerto rico business - Google News
Pfizer executive faces porn charges in Puerto Rico MSN Money SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) - Federal authorities in Puerto Rico have arrested a Pfizer Inc. executive for allegedly producing child pornography. Officials say 48-year-old Reinald..
» Latino-owned taxi companies fighting tickets they say were meant to put them ... - The Star-Ledger - NJ.com
10/05/13 09:14 from latino - Google News
Latino -owned taxi companies fighting tickets they say were meant to put them ... The Star-Ledger - NJ.com Members of the Association of Latino Transporters — which is comprised of Elite Limo from Dover, First Class of Dover, Axel Limo of ..
» Puerto Rican archbishop resists Vatican pressure for resignation - Catholic Culture
10/05/13 08:11 from puerto rico - Google News
Philly.com Puerto Rican archbishop resists Vatican pressure for resignation Catholic Culture A Puerto Rican radio station has released the leaked text of a letter from Archbishop Gonzalez to Cardinal Marc Ouellet, the prefect of the Congre..
» Puerto Rican archbishop resists Vatican pressure for resignation - Catholic Culture
10/05/13 08:11 from puerto rico politics - Google News
Philly.com Puerto Rican archbishop resists Vatican pressure for resignation Catholic Culture Supporters of Archbishop Gonzalez charge that the charges against him are tinged by political interests. His critics, on the other hand, say that ..
» Reggaeton music
10/05/13 08:11 from 
50 Comments, last updated on Friday May 10 by The Nigerian boy
» Puerto Rican archbishop resists Vatican pressure for resignation ...
10/05/13 08:05 from puerto rico - Google Blog Search
Archbishop Roberto Gonzalez Nieves of San Juan, Puerto Rico, has declined to discuss reports that the Vatican has sought his resignation, after the public release of a letter in which he defended himself against Vatican ...
» Puerto Rican archbishop resists Vatican pressure for resignation ...
10/05/13 08:05 from puerto rico news - Google Blog Search
Archbishop Roberto Gonzalez Nieves of San Juan, Puerto Rico , has declined to discuss reports that the Vatican has sought his resignation, after the public release of a letter in which he defended himself against Vatican ... 
» Why do Puerto Ricans THINK they're AMERICAN?
10/05/13 08:04 from 
1037 Comments, last updated on Friday May 10 by The Nigerian boy
» EPA, other US agencies expand urban waters effort
10/05/13 07:33 from Puerto Rico News
The program operates in seven locations. Officials said Friday they're adding the Grand River in Grand Rapids, Mich., the Middle Rio Grande in Albuquerque, N.M., and nine other sites. 
» alianza contra el yugo del cabotaje 
10/05/13 07:29 from Opinión - El Nuevo Día
alianza contra el yugo del cabotaje La convergencia de eventos ocurridos aquí en la Isla, en Washington, D.C. y en Hawai, en torno a las leyes federales de cabotaje, provee un clima óptimo para crear una gran alianza interjurisdiccional pa..
» Friday, May 10th, 2013 
10/05/13 05:19 from Caribbean Business
Friday, May 10th, 2013 This post has been generated by Page2RSS 
» Photo Contest Finalists
10/05/13 03:23 from Puerto Rico News
The lighthouse at Point Loma in San Diego was very scenic, but looking down its spiral staircase from upstairs inside gave a more interesting and disorienting impression. 
» Kidnap saga puts spotlight on Cleveland's Puerto Rican community - Reuters
10/05/13 02:02 from puerto rican community in new york - Google News
Kidnap saga puts spotlight on Cleveland's Puerto Rican community Reuters His case has drawn attention to a lesser-known part of the Puerto Rican diaspora, more often associated with larger communities in New York , Orlando, Philadelphi..
» Kidnap saga puts spotlight on Cleveland's Puerto Rican community - Reuters
10/05/13 02:02 from puerto rico - Google News
AsiaOne Kidnap saga puts spotlight on Cleveland's Puerto Rican community Reuters CLEVELAND (Reuters) - Puerto Ricans came to Cleveland in the 1950s, drawn to a booming post-war America. Word quickly spread back home about the well-payi..
» Kidnap saga puts spotlight on Cleveland's Puerto Rican community - MSN Money
10/05/13 01:24 from puerto rico business - Google News
Kidnap saga puts spotlight on Cleveland's Puerto Rican community MSN Money CLEVELAND (Reuters) - Puerto Ricans came to Cleveland in the 1950s, drawn to a booming post-war America. Word quickly spread back home about the well-paying job..
» Viernes
10/05/13 01:17 from Opinión - El Nuevo Día
Viernes 10 de mayo de 2013 Estela de amor y alegría Carmen Millán Pabón 50 814 268 2751 This post has been generated by Page2RSS 
» The Mindful Reader: Phillips Exeter teacher exposes one woman's in...
10/05/13 00:13 from Puerto Rico News
Phillips Exeter Academy history teacher Michael Golay's new book, America 1933:The Great Depression, Lorena Hickok, Eleanor Roosevelt and the Shaping of the New Deal, is the story of Lorena Hickok's exhaustive reporting in 1933-34 for Harr..
» Caribbean: Can CARIBCAN Happen? - Global Voices Online
09/05/13 23:02 from caribbean - Google News
Caribbean : Can CARIBCAN Happen? Global Voices Online kiskeácity links to a letter which “echoes many of the issues Haitians face with the White Savior Industrial Complex…and its army of 3,000 NGOs, 12,000 UN troops, innumerable speakers f..
» Pfizer executive faces porn charges in Puerto Rico
09/05/13 21:08 from Puerto Rico News
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico Federal authorities in Puerto Rico have arrested an executive at Pfizer Pharmaceutical for allegedly producing child pornography. 
» 55% of Conn.'s Hispanics brought up by single parents.
09/05/13 20:30 from 
48 Comments, last updated on Thursday May 9 by mysterysilence