Sunday, May 30, 2010

Dennis Hopper, Actor, activist. 1936-2010



The celebrity reaper is not taking any time off!


Dennis Hopper, the American actor who died on May 29 aged 74, appeared in more than 100 films and directed Easy Rider (1969), a low-budget hymn to the libertarian ethics of the counterculture that was one of the defining films of its era.

But Hopper was more than just an actor/director. He was also a producer, screenwriter, photographer, painter and art collector who knew or worked with almost every significant American artist of the second half of the 20th century.

Yet despite his achievements and a list of friends that ranged from James Dean through Miles Davis and William Burroughs to Claes Oldenburg, Hopper was as famous for addictions and his “lost” years as for his enormous, if uneven, productivity.

Dennis Lee Hopper was born in Dodge City, Kansas, on May 17 1936. For much of his childhood he lived with his grandparents on their farm with “no neighbors … just a train that came through once a day”. When he went to the cinema he suddenly realized “where the train came from and went to”.

The family moved to Kansas City and then San Diego, where he attended high school and became obsessed by cinema, despite his mother’s implacable opposition to a career in films. Whilst he sought to “do something that would last”, she was convinced he would “end up a bum”.

He won a scholarship to San Diego’s Old Globe Theatre, where he enjoyed playing “the mad and the bad” of Shakespeare — Hamlet, Macbeth, Iago. After appearing in the television series Medic he signed to Warner Brothers, whose boss was impressed by his having told a rival studio boss, the celebrated Harry Cohn, to “Go f--- yourself” when Cohn announced he could not stand Shakespeare.

Hopper was exceptionally self-assured, convinced he was the best young actor around until he saw James Dean, with whom he worked on the classic, moody Rebel Without A Cause (1955). He became obsessed by Dean, by his techniques, by Method acting and by Dean’s instruction to “just smoke the cigarette, don’t act like you’re smoking a cigarette”.

They appeared again together in Giant (1956). Immediately after filming, Dean was killed. Hopper, distraught at the loss of his mentor and hero, attempted to appropriate Dean’s image and method and concluded that rebelliousness was the leitmotif of artistic integrity. It proved a disastrous conclusion .

More on this article here!

Pop quiz, hot shot! Can you remember in what movies Dennis Hopper was in?

Saturday, May 29, 2010

Gary Coleman, actor "Diff'rent Strokes" 1968-2010 & Art Linkletter, Radio and TV personality 1912-2010



Two celebrities gone. One at 42, after a career that was very rocky. The other at 97, a magnificent career behind him. Both were beloved.

Gary Coleman:

PROVO, Utah – Gary Coleman once said he wanted people to think of him as something more than the chubby-cheeked child star from television show "Diff'rent Strokes," that he wanted to escape the legacy of character Arnold Jackson, whose "Whatchu talkin' 'bout?" became a catch phrase of the 1970s and '80s.

He spent his later years still keeping a hand in show business, but also moving away from it, marrying and settling in Utah, far away from Hollywood's sometimes all-too-bright lights. Still, he was dogged by ongoing health problems and struggled with legal woes.

After suffering a brain hemorrhage, Coleman was taken off life support Friday and died, his family and friends at his side, said Utah Valley Regional Medical Center spokeswoman Janet Frank. He was 42.

"He has left a lasting legacy," tweeted singer Janet Jackson, who appeared on several episodes of "Diff'rent Strokes. "I know he is finally at peace."

Coleman chafed at his permanent association with "Diff'rent Strokes" but also tried to capitalize on it through reality shows and other TV appearances.

His former manager, Vic Perillo, called the diminutive star "everybody's kid" and expressed regret for all the trouble that marked the end of Coleman's life.

"It's unfortunate that this young man should go down in history as someone that will be seen as bitter," said Perillo, who helped launch Coleman's career from Chicago in about 1977 and worked with him for 15 years. "If everybody knew what a joy he was and the joy he brought me ... that's kind of lost in all of this."

Coleman suffered the brain hemorrhage Wednesday at his Santaquin home, 55 miles (90 kilometers) south of Salt Lake City. Frank said he was hospitalized because of an accident at the home, but she had no details.

In a statement read by brother-in-law Shawn Price, Coleman's family said information would be released shortly about his death. It said he was conscious and lucid until midday Thursday, when his condition worsened and he slipped into unconsciousness. Coleman was then placed on life support.

"Thousands of e-mails have poured into the hospital. This is so comforting to the family to know how beloved he still is," Price said.

"Diff'rent Strokes" debuted on NBC in 1978 and drew most of its laughs from Coleman, then a tiny 10-year-old with sparkling eyes and perfect comic timing.

He played the younger of two African-American brothers adopted by a wealthy white man. Race and class relations became topics on the show as much as the typical trials of growing up.

"Diff'rent Strokes" lasted six seasons on NBC and two on ABC; it lives on thanks to DVDs and YouTube. But its equally enduring legacy became the troubles in adulthood of its former child stars.

In 1989, Todd Bridges, who played Coleman's older brother, Willis, was acquitted of attempted murder in the shooting of a drug dealer. The then 24-year-old Bridges testified he became depressed and turned to drugs after "Diff'rent Strokes" was canceled.

Dana Plato, who played the boys' white, teenage sister, pleaded guilty in 1991 to a robbery charge. She died in 1999 of an overdose of painkiller and muscle relaxer. The medical examiner's office ruled the death a suicide.

"It's sad that I'm the last kid alive from the show," Bridges said.

Coleman was born Feb. 8, 1968, in Zion, Illinois, near Chicago.

Art Linkletter

was a Canadian born radio and television personality and the former host of two long-running United States television shows: House Party, which ran on CBS radio and television for 25 years, and People Are Funny, on NBC radio-TV for 19 years. Linkletter was famous for interviewing children on House Party and Kids Say the Darndest Things, which led to a successful series of books quoting children. A native of Canada, he became a naturalized United States citizen in 1942.


In his junior year as he earned a degree in teaching, he took a job as a radio announcer at KGB in San Diego. Radio paid better than teaching, and Linkletter directed radio programs for fairs and expositions in the mid-1930s. In the 1940s, Linkletter worked in Hollywood with John Guedel on their pioneering radio show, People Are Funny, which employed audience participation, contests, and gags and served as a prototype of future game shows on radio and television. People Are Funny became a television show in 1954 and ran until 1961.

Other early television shows Linkletter worked on included Life With Linkletter (1950-1952) and Hollywood Talent Scouts (1965-1966). He also acted in two movies, People Are Funny (1946) and Champagne for Caesar (1950).

In 1963, Linkletter became the endorser and spokesman for Milton Bradley's Game of Life. His picture appeared on the box with the statement "I Heartily Endorse This Game", and also on the $100,000 bills featured in the game.

Linkletter was a successful businessman and made considerable wealth from a variety of investments. This financial success led to considerable philanthropy.

By the way...I'm what Willis was talking about!

Thursday, May 27, 2010

¡Hoy comienza el Festival de Animación Karibukai!


¡La fecha ha llegado!

El Festival de animación Karibukai, comienza hoy a las 7 pm con el encuentro de animadores locales e internacionales.
Después de la conferencia, tendremos la presentación de la película "Halo: Legends"

La entrada es $6.00

Mas información en Karibukai.paquines.com

¡Alla nos vemos!

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Primera muerte reportada por la huelga en la Universidad de Puerto Rico.


Ya era de esperarse. Nada de esto me sorprende.


Las autoridades investigan la muerte de una de las estudiantes que se desmayó el pasado lunes cuando participaba en la hacinada asamblea de estudiantes del Recinto Universitario de Mayagüez en el estacionamiento del edificio Darlington, una facilidad de la Universidad de Puerto Rico a las afueras del campus.

Natalia Sánchez López se desmayó en medio de la asamblea celebrada en un clima de calor y hacinamiento. El estacionamiento del edificio Darlington fue la sede seleccionada por el Consejo de Estudiantes del RUM con autorización de la Administración.

La fiscal Faviola Acarón, en unión a los agentes de la Unidad de Homicidios Manuel Caraballo y Rafael Mercado, se presentaron a la clínica Perea a media tarde de ayer, cuando se notificó el deceso de la estudiante de 21 años y vecina de Bayamón.

La fiscal Acarón ordenó el traslado del cadáver de la talentosa estudiante de veterinaria al Instituto de Ciencias Forenses en Río Piedras para fines de autopsia.

Sánchez López fue una de 11 estudiantes que fueron atendidos por Servicios Médicos del RUM, víctimas de cansancio, sofocación y deshidratación. La asamblea estudiantil se efectuó en medio de extremas medidas de seguridad, que impidieron la tenencia de botellas de agua ni alimentos, como tampoco sombrillas para combatir los efectos del calor.

Sin embargo, una vez atendida se le dijo que debía acudir a una institución médica para mayores análisis y ésta prefirió irse a su hospedaje, a donde fue enviada en ambulancia con una enfermera. Las instrucciones fueron que si continuaba sintiéndose mal debía acudir a una sala de emergencia.

Antes del inicio de la asamblea, empleados no docentes, estudiantes y profesores observadores del proceso denunciaron que las condiciones para celebrar la misma no eran las mejores, por lo pequeño que resultó el estacionamiento al aire libre para los miles de participantes.

Monday, May 24, 2010

Brittany Murphy's husband found dead.


First Brittany died, now, five moths later, her husband has also departed this world.

LOS ANGELES – The husband of Brittany Murphy was found dead at his Los Angeles home late Sunday, five months after the Hollywood actress died, police said.

The preliminary cause of the death of British screenwriter Simon Monjack is natural causes, police spokesman Sgt. Louie Lozano told The Associated Press.

"We concluded there no signs of foul play or any criminal activity involved," said Sgt. Alex Ortiz, another police spokesman.

Firefighters responding to an emergency call from a woman at 9:40 p.m. found the 39-year-old Monjack dead at the Hollywood Hills residence, police spokesman Sgt. Louie Lozano said. Ortiz said he didn't know who called. Monjack and Murphy had shared their home with Murphy's mother, Sharon.

Ortiz said that the Los Angeles Coroner's Office was taking over the investigation because criminal activity had been ruled out, and would provide more details later on the death and circumstances surrounding it.

At his wife's funeral in December, a visibly emotional Monjack talked about their relationship and called her his best friend and soul mate. The two married in 2007.

He had said that they had been planning a family and contemplating a move to New York.

Murphy, best known for her major roles in "Clueless," "Girl Interrupted," and "8 Mile" in 2002, died Dec. 20, at age 32 after collapsing in her home. The Los Angeles County coroner's office concluded Murphy's death was accidental, but likely preventable.

The coroner's report said that the medications found in her system were consistent with treatment of a cold or respiratory infection. Monjack and Murphy's mother had reported the actress was ill with flulike symptoms in the days before her death.

An autopsy found no evidence that Murphy abused drugs. Investigators had found numerous prescription medications in her home.




Thursday, May 20, 2010

Sir John Shepherd-Barron, OBE, Inventor of the ATM machine. 1925-2010



A man who changed the world, has passed away.

Via The Hindu Times

London: India-born Scot John Shepherd-Barron, inventor of the Automated Teller Machine (ATM), has died after a short illness, aged 84.

He is survived by his wife, three sons and six grandchildren.

The businessman, who worked for a printing firm at the time, came up with the concept of a self-service cash dispenser in 1965 while lying in the bath after getting to his bank too late to withdraw money.

“It struck me that there must be a way I could get my own money, anywhere in the world or the United Kingdom. I hit upon the idea of a chocolate bar dispenser, but replacing chocolate with cash,” he had said in a 2007 interview.

The first ATM was installed at a London bank in 1967.

Reg Varney, a star from the popular television show On the Buses, became the first person to withdraw cash.

The first ATM was operated by inserting a special cheque that was matched against a Personal Identification Number.

In his memory, go and take some money from an ATM.

Images - AP, UPI

Ninjas save mugging victim in Australia!


At last! The ninjas do something right for a change!

Via BBC

Three muggers in Australia got the fright of their lives when their attack was interrupted by five black-clad ninja warriors.

The thieves were assaulting a German medical exchange student in Sydney, but the alleyway where they struck was next to a school for ninja warriors.

One of the pupils raised the alarm after noticing the attack.

Police say they have arrested two men and charged them with robbery, and are still looking for a third suspect.

"We just ran outside and started running at them, yelling and everything," said ninja master Kaylan Soto who instructed his students to take action.

"These guys have turned around and seen five ninjas in black ninja uniforms running towards them. They just bolted."

The victim suffered minor injuries, and the men stole his mobile phone and iPod, according to police.

Mr Soto said the man could have escaped the assault with some training in ninjitsu - a Japanese martial art. As for the attackers, "They just picked the wrong spot," he added.

The ways of the Ninja are deadly indeed!

Image- Getty Images

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Dos mujeres atacan a un empleado de Wendy's por una orden equivocada!

En Daytona Beach, Florida, dos mujeres que estaban por el servi-carro de un Wendy's
vieron que su orden estaba mal despachada. ¿Frustrante, verdad? pero en vez de entrar y hablar con el gerente, una le dio al empleado y otra saco un "Taser" para darle un buen "shock" electrico. Ahora las dos estan acusadas de agresión, una esta en la carcel y sin comida.
Vean el reportaje y rianse de las peripecias de dos muchachas en búsqueda de la hamburguesa perfecta.

Monday, May 17, 2010

And the box office champion this week is...


LOS ANGELES – "Iron Man 2" held off another summer blockbuster, "Robin Hood," to remain at the top of the box office for a second-straight week. The sequel, starring Robert Downey Jr. as the Marvel Comics superhero, made just over $52 million for a total of $211.2 million since its May 7 debut.

The top 20 movies at U.S. and Canadian theaters Friday through Sunday, followed by distribution studio, gross, number of theater locations, average receipts per location, total gross and number of weeks in release, as compiled Monday by Hollywood.com are:

1. "Iron Man 2," Paramount, $52,041,005, 4,390 locations, $11,854 average, $211,200,876, two weeks.

2. "Robin Hood," Universal, $36,063,385, 3,503 locations, $10,295 average, $36,063,385, one week.

3. "Letters to Juliet," Summit, $13,540,486, 2,968 locations, $4,562 average, $13,540,486, one week.

4. "Just Wright," Fox Searchlight, $8,284,989, 1,831 locations, $4,525 average, $8,284,989, one week.

5. "How to Train Your Dragon," Paramount, $5,003,536, 2,620 locations, $1,910 average, $207,647,696, eight weeks.

6. "A Nightmare on Elm Street," Warner Bros., $4,657,190, 3,075 locations, $1,515 average, $56,066,595, three weeks.

7. "Date Night," Fox, $3,823,515, 2,481 locations, $1,541 average, $86,522,622, six weeks.

8. "The Back-Up Plan," CBS Films, $2,387,480, 2,497 locations, $956 average, $34,124,782, four weeks.

9. "Furry Vengeance," Summit, $2,242,106, 2,695 locations, $832 average, $15,089,070, three weeks.

10. "Clash of the Titans," Warner Bros., $1,231,396, 1,300 locations, $947 average, $160,127,747, seven weeks.

Seguimos con los videos de YouTube en su quinto aniversario.

También YouTube es un repositorio y archivo de los medios de otros países incluyendo Puerto Rico. Aquí algunos comerciales y programas del ayer de la televisión Puertorriqueña.

Leche Fresca (1961)



Cerveza Corona (1964)



Diplo en Telvisión - Con el Trio de Johnny Rodríguez (1956)



El Topo Gigio, con Braulio Castillo (1967)



Y hay muchos mas. Pasen por YouTube para que los vean!

You Tube cumple hoy 5 años de existencia.

Comenzaron en el 2005. Tres antiguos empleados de Pay Pal, decidieron hacer un sitio en la web en la cual el contenido fuera producido por los asistentes al mismo. El mundo no ha sido el mismo desde ese año.

Al año siguiente, YouTube fue comprado por Google por 1,650 millones de dolares, haciéndolo uno de los negocios mas lucrativos en la era de la web 2.0. Se estima que este año YouTube, por primera vez, le deje ganancias a Google.

Para celebrar esto, he decidido hacer una recopilación de los videos mas conocidos de YouTube. ¡Que los disfruten!

Chocolate Rain




Numa Numa Boy



Dramatic Gopher!



Chris Crocker "Leave Britney Alone" Rant



Sneezing Baby Panda!



Afro Ninja!



Y estos son algunos de los mas de 30 millones de videos que pueden ver en el lugar.

A la verdad que es la mejor perdida de tiempo jamas inventada por el hombre!

Pero es mejor que hacer guerras.

Felicidades YouTube!

Sunday, May 16, 2010

Ronny James Dio, Heavy Metal Legend 1942-2010


A heavy metal legend has passed away...

Ronnie James Dio, whose soaring vocals, poetic lyrics and mythic tales of a never-ending struggle between good and evil broke new ground in heavy metal, died Sunday, according to a statement from his wife and manager. He was 67.

Dio revealed last summer that he was suffering from stomach cancer shortly after wrapping up a tour in Atlantic City, N.J., with the latest incarnation of Black Sabbath, under the name Heaven And Hell.

"Today my heart is broken," Wendy Dio wrote on the singer's site, adding he died at 7:45 a.m. "Many, many friends and family were able to say their private goodbyes before he peacefully passed away.

"Ronnie knew how much he was loved by all," Wendy Dio continued. "We so appreciate the love and support that you have all given us ... Please know he loved you all and his music will live on forever."

The statement was confirmed by publicist Maureen O'Connor, who said Dio died in Los Angeles. He had been treated at a Houston hospital, according to his site.

Though Dio had recently undergone his seventh chemotherapy treatment, he was hopeful to perform again. Earlier this month, Heaven And Hell canceled its summer tour, but Dio did not view being sidelined as a permanent thing.

"Wendy, my doctors and I have worked so hard to make it happen for all of you, the ones we care so much about, that this setback could be devastating, but we will not let it be," he said in a statement. "With your continued love and support, we ... will carry on and thrive. There will be other tours, more music, more life and much more magic."

Dio rose to fame in 1975 as the first lead singer of Rainbow, the heavy metal band put together by guitarist Ritchie Blackmore, who had just quit Deep Purple.

Dio then replaced legendary vocalist Ozzy Osbourne in Black Sabbath in 1980 with the critically acclaimed album "Heaven And Hell," considered by many critics to be one of the finest heavy metal albums of all time. His on-again, off-again tenure with Black Sabbath touched off an intense debate among fans as to which singer was the true essence of the band — a discussion that lasted until his death.

He also enjoyed a successful solo career with his self-titled band, Dio, in between his three stints with Black Sabbath (1980-82; 1992; and 2007-2009, when the band toured as Heaven And Hell, to differentiate it from Osbourne-led versions of Sabbath).

Many of his most memorable songs revolved around the struggle between good and evil, including his signature tune "Heaven And Hell." He also drew heavily on medieval imagery in songs like "Neon Knights," "Killing The Dragon" and "Stargazer."

"He possessed one of the greatest voices in all of heavy metal, and had a heart to match it," said Twisted Sister guitarist Jay Jay French, whose band toured with Dio since 1983, and was to do so again this summer at European rock festivals. "He was the nicest, classiest person you would ever want to meet."

Dio organized an all-star charity collaboration in 1986 called "Hear N' Aid" to raise money for famine relief in Africa, styled on the successful "We Are The World" campaign of a few years earlier.

His solo hits included "Rainbow In The Dark," "The Last In Line" and "Holy Diver."

In addition to his wife, Dio is survived by son Daniel; grandchildren Julie and Joey; and father Pat.

Robot casa a pareja en Tokyo.




Los Japoneses siempre han estado en la vanguardia de la robotica. Sus robots fabrican carros, monitorizan a pacientes en asilo de ancianos y hospitales y hasta actuan en obras de teatro.

Pero esta es la primera vez que un robot une una pareja en matrimonio.

I-Fairy, un robot de 4 pies de alto, adornado por una guirnalda de flores protagonizo la ceremonia de bodas, en la cual unio en matrimonio a Tomohiro Shibata de 42 años, profesor de robótica en el Instituto de Ciencia y Tecnología de Nara con su prometida Satoko Inouye de 36, programadora de la compañía Kokoro, que manufactura el robot I-Fairy.

La ceremonia tomo lugar hoy domingo, en un restaurant en el parque Hibaya en Tokyo, en frente de las orgullosas familias de los novios.

La compañía Kokoro es una subsidiaria de Sanrio, la compañia creadora de "Hello Kitty".

¿Donde estabas cuando ocurrio el temblor?






Esta es la pregunta "de rigeur" aquí en Puerto Rico en esta mañana. Cientos de miles de Puertorriqueños se despertaron esta madrugada, al sentir el fuerte sismo, y muchos salieron a la calle. El sismo registro unos 5.7 grados en la escala Mercalli a eso de la 1:16 minutos de la madrugada de hoy Domingo.

Harold J. Irizarry Muñoz, analista de datos geofísicos de la Red Sísmica de Puerto Rico, informó a Primera Hora que el terremoto se reportó en la latitud 18.4, longitud 67.4 oeste, con epicentro a 3.9 kilómetros al suroeste de Isabela, entre Moca y Añasco. Tuvo una profundidad de 140 kilómetros.

Hasta las 4 de la madrugada se habían reportado 22 réplicas de magnitud mínima, señaló Irizarry Muñoz. A esa hora la Red Sísmica había recibido más de 3,500 reportes de personas que sintieron el sismo.

El sismo sucedió en la falla del noroeste de Puerto Rico y no en la falla del Cañón de la Mona, donde ocurrió el terremoto de 7.4 en 1918, recordó Gisela Báez, geóloga de la Red Sísmica de Puerto Rico, en entrevista con la emisora WKAQ.

Se recibió un informe sobre una residencia en Lares donde hay una persona encamada y debido a que en la misma una columna cedió aproximadamente 4 pulgadas de la base, la persona fue removida como medida de precaución", dijo el director ejecutivo de la Agencia Estatal para el Manejo de Emergencias y Administración de Desastres (AEMEAD), Heriberto Saurí.

Las subestaciones de la Autoridad de Energía Eléctrica en Aguadilla, Arecibo y Yauco no están funcionando, indicó la emisora radial WKAQ 580.

En Añasco los vecinos se levantaron con el fuerte movimiento de la tierra. Una residente del barrio Humatas dijo que se escuchó un ruido que salía de las entrañas de la Tierra. En Aguadilla el sismo también se sintió muy fuerte.

Se escuchó en la radio a personas de varios puntos de la Isla, como Aguas Buenas, Carolina, Ponce, San Germán, Barranquitas, Naranjito, Toa Baja y Orocovis llamando para comentar que sintieron un fuerte temblor.

Y ustedes, ¿Que sintieron? A mi me levanto de un buen sueño sobre robots gigantes. En serio.

Imagenes- Olimpo Ramos/Primera Hora

Thursday, May 13, 2010

Another iPhone prototype found in Vietnam!


This is getting ridiculous!

HANOI (AFP) – A video of what is believed to be a prototype of Apple's next generation iPhone that was found in Vietnam was whizzing around the Internet on Thursday.

The gadget, which several tech websites have identified as similar to a version found in a bar last month in California, was shown to a mobile phone accessory dealer in Ho Chi Minh City.

"It's a real Apple product," the dealer, Tran Manh Hiep, told AFP. "I plugged it into iTunes and it recognised it as an Apple device."

He said the prototype 4th generation iPhone was not his but was shown to him by a customer on Wednesday. He then filmed it, he said, and posted the video on a forum, Tinh Te, for which he is a moderator.

He did not explain how the device, which has a front facing camera, arrived in Vietnam.

He added that the iPhone he saw was very similar to the one published on technology blog Gizmodo but still seemed "newer", with small changes such as the absence of two screws on the underside.

Details of the first "leaked" device were published on technology blog Gizmodo after it was left on a barstool in California by an Apple engineer.

Gizmodo bought it from the man who found it, Brian Hogan, tech magazine Wired said last month. Hogan was later interviewed by law enforcement but not charged with any crime.

That iPhone had been disguised to resemble the previous model iPhone, the iPhone 3GS.

California police later raided the home of Jason Chen, the editor for Gizmodo who published details of the iPhone prototype, which the technology blog has said it purchased for 5,000 dollars.

Gizmodo has since returned the iPhone prototype to Apple after the notoriously secretive company asked for its return.

According to Gizmodo, features of the new phone, expected to be unveiled later this year, include a front-facing video camera for video chat, a flash and an improved regular camera with a larger lens.

It also has a flat back instead of curved back, is thinner than the 3GS, is three grams heavier and has a battery that is 16 percent larger.


I still say this is a marketing campaign by Apple to generate buzz for it's new phone!

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

¡Gobernadora de Arizona firma otra ley anti-hispana!



La gobernadora del estado de Arizona, Adolfina Hitler, digo, Jan Brewer, acaba de firmar una ley para que se deje de enseñar en las escuelas de Arizona, los llamados "Estudios étnicos" en el cual los estudiantes latinos, negros y nativo-americanos aprenden de su cultura.

El secretario de educación del estado Tom Horne, aprueba de la nueva ley, alegando que los cursos lo que fomentaban era una "atmósfera de intolerancia y chauvinismo étnico, enseñando que los blancos han subyugado a los latinos, una cosa que no es cierta."

El que se pica es por que ajíes come, digo yo...

Lo irónico es que el 56 por ciento de los estudiantes del estado son hispanos.

Como saben Arizona es el epicentro de una controversia por haber pasado una ley en la cual prohíben la inmigración ilegal y da potestad a los agentes de policía del estado a pedir papeles de documentación e identificación a personas que ellos sospechen que sean inmigrantes indocumentados (la gran mayoría, latinos).

Esta ley se parece mucho a la que se utilizaba en la Alemania fascista durante los años 30 contra los Judíos. Y ya saben en que termino eso.
La única diferencia entre los nazis y Arizona, es que los nazis hablaban alemán y tenían mejores uniformes.

Por que dudo mucho que le pidan los papeles a un Canadiense blanco indocumentado.

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Frank Frazetta, Illustrador extraordinario de ciencia ficción y fantasía 1928-2010


Ha fallecido uno de los grandes ilustradores de la ciencia ficción y la fantasía.

El genio indiscutible de la ilustración de ciencia ficción y fantasía Frank Frazetta ha fallecido en Florida, víctima de un derrame cerebral. Tenía 82 años. La muerte ha sido confirmado por sus mánagers, Rob Pistella y Steve Ferzoco. Al parecer, el dibujante comenzó a sentirse indispuesto el domingo por la noche y fue trasladado de emergencia al hospital, donde nada pudieron hacer por su vida. Frank Frazetta tenía desde el año 2000 una salud delicada y padecía de tiroides.

Frazetta, dibujante de cómics e ilustrador estadounidense, creó escuela con sus espectaculares diseños. Trabajó para DC Comics, ME, EC, Walt Disney o Playboy entre otros, y también en portadas de álbums de grupos como Wolfmother o Nazareth, en pósters de películas, ilustraciones de libros e incluso en cine. Pero, sobre todo, era conocido por sus pinturas mitológicas, por esas ilustraciones que hablaban de caballeros de otro tiempo, de héroes de otro mundo, de animales feroces e imposibles y de escenarios épicos y fantásticos.

Frazetta empezó a dibujar a edad temprana. Con sólo 8 años se enroló en la Academia de Arte de Brooklyn, donde se potenció su talento innato para el dibujo. Oficialmente, comenzó en el mundo del cómic cuando contaba con 16 años. Por aquellos entonces dibujaba cómics de todo tipo de género: fantasía, misterio, western... Luego trabajo en EC Comics y DC Comics, donde hizo portadas que ya son clásicos: White Indian, The Shining Knight, Flash Gordon, Conan, Tarzan, Vampirella o Mad Max fueron algunos de los personajes que Frazetta dibujó con mano firme. Además de cómics, Frazetta hizo películas animadas como 'Fire and Ice' (1983), donde creó a varios personajes. También hizo "merchandising" y portadas para discos de grupos de rock duro y heavy metal.

En 2003, Frank Frazetta fue el protagonista del documental 'Painting with Fire', televisado por Norte América. En los últimos años, las ilustraciones originales de este dibujante han llegado a alcanzar precios de venta de millones de dólares.

Que descanse en paz, Frank Frazetta

Aquí una pequeña muestra de sus dibujos en un memorial en vídeo.

¡Le rompen una bola en partido de Hockey!

¡AYYYY!

Eso fue lo que dijo Sami Salo ayer en un partido entre los Canucks de Vancouver y los Blackhawks de Chicago.

Y es que, en el quinto encuentro de semifinales del Oeste de la NHL, los Canucks tenían que ganar para evitar ser eliminados por los Blackhawks de Chicago, que lideraban la serie 3-1, por lo que Salo defendía su arco con valentía, hasta que un tiro lanzado por Duncan Keith, al final del primer tercio, lo golpeó en la entrepierna.

El ‘puck', disparado a corta distancia, golpeó a Salo, quien de inmediato cayó al suelo por el dolor y comenzó a quejarse, hasta que entraron los paramédicos y lo trasladaron de inmediato al hospital, en dónde se confirmó que había sufrido una ruptura de un testículo, producto del fuerte impacto, según reseña el diario Marca.

La dolorosa e inusual lesión del jugador finlandés de 35 años se dio en una jugada en la que se encontraba justo frente a su portería, cuando Keith sacó un poderoso envío que golpeó al finlandés, quien trató, sin éxito de cubrirse.

Al final, su equipo, que en el momento de la lesión ganaba 2-0, venció 4-1 a los Blackhawks y puso la serie 3-2, con lo que aún tiene opciones de avanzar a la final, mientras que el estado de salud de Salo aún no ha sido dado a conocer.

Monday, May 10, 2010

Anuncios WTF! "Consomé Panchii"

Encontré estos anuncios por un amigo en el Internet. Empiezo a dudar de su amistad, pero los anuncios a la verdad que son la mar de bizarros.
Anuncian unas papitas llamadas "Consomé Panchii". Miren el 2do anuncio y me dicen si no hay que llamar a servicios sociales para proteger al niño de ese animal peludo.

Anuncio 1


Anuncio 2

Lena Horne, Singer-Pioneer 1917-2010



NEW YORK – Lena Horne, the enchanting jazz singer and actress who reviled the bigotry that allowed her to entertain white audiences but not socialize with them, slowing her rise to Broadway superstardom, died Sunday. She was 92.
Horne died at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, according to hospital spokeswoman Gloria Chin. Chin would not release any other details.
Horne, whose striking beauty and magnetic sex appeal often overshadowed her sultry voice, was remarkably candid about the underlying reason for her success.
"I was unique in that I was a kind of black that white people could accept," she once said. "I was their daydream. I had the worst kind of acceptance because it was never for how great I was or what I contributed. It was because of the way I looked."
In the 1940s, she was one of the first black performers hired to sing with a major white band, the first to play the Copacabana nightclub and among a handful with a Hollywood contract.
In 1943, MGM Studios loaned her to 20th Century-Fox to play the role of Selina Rogers in the all-black movie musical "Stormy Weather." Her rendition of the title song became a major hit and her signature piece.
On screen, on records and in nightclubs and concert halls, Horne was at home vocally with a wide musical range, from blues and jazz to the sophistication of Rodgers and Hart in songs like "The Lady Is a Tramp" and "Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered."
In her first big Broadway success, as the star of "Jamaica" in 1957, reviewer Richard Watts Jr. called her "one of the incomparable performers of our time." Songwriter Buddy de Sylva dubbed her "the best female singer of songs."
But Horne was perpetually frustrated with the public humiliation of racism.
"I was always battling the system to try to get to be with my people. Finally, I wouldn't work for places that kept us out ... it was a damn fight everywhere I was, every place I worked, in New York, in Hollywood, all over the world," she said in Brian Lanker's book "I Dream a World: Portraits of Black Women Who Changed America."

Sunday, May 9, 2010

And the box office champion this week is...


Iron Man 2 didn't break the big Hollywood record for opening day or one-day or even 3-day weekend. But it did launch with an "A" Cinemascore and $133.6 million, placing at least the 5th and maybe even 4th all-time best grossing weekend. That beats Shrek 3's $121.6M and possibly Pirates Of The Caribbean 3's $135.6M. But not Twilight Saga 2: New Moon's $142.8M, or Spider-Man 3's $151.1M, or The Dark Knight's $158.4M.

The top 10

1. Iron Man 2 (Marvel/Paramount) NEW [4,380 Runs]
Friday $52.4M, Saturday $46.5M, Weekend $133.6M, Cume $327M
2. Nightmare On Elm Street (New Line/WB) Week 2 [3,332 Runs]
Friday $3.2M, Saturday $3.7M, Weekend $9.1M (-72%), Cume $48.5M
3. How To Train Your Dragon (DWA/Par) Week 7 [3,003 Runs]
Friday $1.7M, Saturday $2.8M, Weekend $6.7M, Cume $201.0M
4. Date Night (Fox) Week 5 [2,734 Runs]
Friday $1.6M, Saturday $2.3M, Weekend $5.3M, Estimated Cume $80.8M
5. The Back Up Plan (CBS Films/Sony) Week 3 [3,003 Runs]
Friday $1.4M, Saturday $1.9M, Weekend $4.3M, Cume $29.4M
6. Furry Vengeance (Summit) Week 2 [3,002 Runs]
Friday $950K (-46%), Saturday $1.6M, Weekend $4.0M, Cume $11.6M
7. Clash Of The Titans (Warner Bros) Week 6 [2,157]
Friday $800K, Saturday $1.0M, Weekend $2.3M, Cume $157.8M
8. Death At A Funeral (Screen Gems/Sony) Week 4 [1,706 Runs]
Friday $575K, Saturday $895K, Weekend $2.1M, Cume $38.2M
9. The Losers (Dark Castle/Warner Bros) Week 3 [2,450 Runs]
Friday $600K, Saturday $755k, Weekend $1.8M, Cume $21.4M
10. Babies (Focus Features) NEW [534 Runs]
Friday $381K, Saturday $689K, Estimated Weekend $1.5M

Saturday, May 8, 2010

Boxeador Kevin Cintrón cae fuera del ring en pelea, pierde pelea por decisión.




El boxeador puertorriqueño Kermit Cintrón cayo fuera del ring mientras peleaba contra el boxeador Paul Williams. Paul Williams cayo cuando resbalo en el ring, llevandose a Kermit por el medio. Kermit dio contra una de las mesas de los jueces y cayo en el piso del coliseo. Paramedicos se lo llevarón al hospital. Para completar la humillación, segun las reglas de California, ya habian pasado 3 rounds. Segun 2 de los 3 jueces, Williams estaba ganando la pelea.

Aqui en exclusiva, las fotos de la caida.

El Segundo Encuentro Nacional de los "Blogueros"!






Gracias a todos los que asistieron al Segundo Encuentro Nacional de Blogueros en el Columbia Centro Universitario en Caguas. Conocí a muchos blogueros locales y del exterior. Esperamos verlos en Caguas en el 2011!

Friday, May 7, 2010

Scientist says Simon Bolivar likely died of poison!


A U.S. scientist is supporting a theory that has been widely dismissed as a personal obsession of Venezuela's Hugo Chavez: that his hero Simon Bolivar might have died from arsenic poisoning.

Venezuela's leftist president rejects the traditional account that Bolivar, a brilliant Venezuelan military tactician who liberated much of South America from centuries of Spanish rule, died of tuberculosis in Colombia in 1830.

Now, Paul Auwaerter of Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine says his death was most likely caused by arsenic -- either from drinking contaminated water or using the naturally occurring poison to try to cure headaches and hemorrhoids.

At a medical conference in Maryland last week, Auwaerter said he did not rule out murder but thought it was unlikely.

The scientist's caution, however, did not stop Chavez -- who has dedicated his "socialist revolution" to the memory of Bolivar -- from interpreting the findings as proof of murder.

"For years I have had the conviction in my heart that Bolivar did not die from tuberculosis," he said over the weekend.

"And now a scientist from the United States comes out saying he has proof ... that Bolivar died by murder," Chavez added, ordering his foreign minister to contact Auwaerter.

The doctor told Reuters the Venezuelan government had not yet been in touch, and he was worried his research was being misconstrued.

"What I said has been taken and used for their own political means," Auwaerter said in a telephone interview.

In his fight against "Yankee imperialism" by Washington, Chavez often invokes Bolivar -- who is second only to Jesus as a figure of reverence in much of South America.

Almost every town or village square in Colombia and Venezuela is named after him, as is the country of Bolivia.

Chavez's government is currently carrying out its own investigation into Bolivar's death, and this year a newly inaugurated state forensics laboratory plans to take on the 19th century hero's death as its first case.

Chavez has insisted that Bolivar was murdered by a Colombian political rival, Francisco de Santander, and some analysts warn that revisiting the case could actually worsen already strained relations between the fractious neighbors.

Chavez has compared Colombian President Alvaro Uribe to Santander, who was a close friend and ally of Bolivar before the two men fell out over politics and ideology.

"Uribe is one of the sons of Santander. He is from the same lineage," Chavez said last year after Uribe gave U.S. soldiers more access to Colombian military bases. "We are the sons of Bolivar and we are in that battle," Venezuela's leader added.

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

It's Cinco De Mayo! Here's a little love note to Arizona, courtesy of Robert Rodriguez and Danny Trejo.



Happy Cinco de Mayo!

Ain't it Cool News got their paws on a trailer for Robert Rodriguez' Machete, a virtual eff-yoo to Arizona. Damn if that ain't the maximum badness of ass ever packed into 2:24. Danny Trejo is amazing. More about the feature here, due in theaters this September. Again, the trailer's here. "They just f*cked with the wrong Mexican..."

Via Ain't it Cool News

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Woman sues Starbucks in NYC over hot tea!


It has happened again!

Starbucks Corp has been sued by a customer who allegedly suffered second-degree burns after being served tea that was too hot.

According to the complaint, the plaintiff Zeynep Inanli was served tea that was "unreasonably hot, in containers which were not safe," at a Starbucks store at 685 Third Avenue in Manhattan.

As a result of Starbucks' negligence, the plaintiff suffered "great physical pain and mental anguish," including the burns, the complaint said.

The plaintiff seeks unspecified damages. Starbucks, based in Seattle, did not immediately return requests for comment.

The plaintiff's lawyer did not immediately return a call for comment. Retailers periodically face lawsuits for serving beverages at temperatures that customers say are too high.

In one well-known case, a jury in 1994 ordered McDonald's Corp to pay $2.86 million to Stella Liebeck, an Albuquerque, New Mexico woman who claimed she scalded herself with the restaurant's coffee.

The parties later settled.


In the cup, there's a warning label that says; "Careful, the contents you are about to enjoy could be extremely hot!

What part of "Extremely hot!" didn't she understand?

Images via Getty Images

Happy Star Wars Day!!!!


Don’t you just love a good pun?

It’s May the 4th, which means that it’s the perfect day to say to someone, “May the fourth be with you!” and watch as they stare at you in confusion. But hey, it’s a good enough reason for a holiday, right? Especially since Jediism hasn’t really taken off and Star Wars isn’t likely to get an official holiday any time soon.

So if you feel like celebrating Star Wars Day, here’s some ideas for things you could do:


Via Geeks are Sexy
Image via Flickr

El Segundo Encuentro Nacional de los "Blogueros"!


Este Sabado, 8 de Mayo, de 9 de la mañana a 3 de la tarde, se celebrara el Segundo Encuentro Nacional de "Blogueros" en el Columbia Centro Universitario, en la carretera 183, salida a San Lorenzo, en Caguas. La entrada es GRATIS. Todos los que escribimos en "blogs", hacemos "Podcastings" y "Videoblogs" nos estaremos reuniendo allí para discutir las nuevas tendencias en el fascinante y desenfrenado mundo de la escritura digital.

Me tendrán allí, también de los blogs "El Ñame", "Sin Mordazas" y cientos mas que se escriben en la "blogosfera" puertorriqueña.

Si escribes, o has sentido curiosidad por extraño mundo de la "Ciberliteratura", pasen por alli. La actividad es completamente gratis .

Aqui tienen el mapa para llegar. Nos vemos el Sabado!

Si quieren oír mi programa de radio, Cinemateria, que se transmite todos los Sabados en WVJP 1110 am de 10 a 11 de la mañana, pueden acceder a los programas en Internet por aquí; www.cinemateria.com.

Sunday, May 2, 2010

A question to the readers (or reader!) of this blog.

I'm planning to make changes to this blog. Apart from the usual call to take it down, I'm planning to write it Spanish and take more of a local flavor. Still I would include all the things that interest me (film, photography and general weirdness). Tell me what other changes you want.

Thank you!

Marcos Rodríguez. (AKA Max Les'Shyerar)

Saturday, May 1, 2010

New Batman movie has a release date!


After the announcement of the third Chris Nolan-directed Batman film, Warner Bros. has set the official release date to July 20, 2012.

The studio is in the very early stages of development, yet Nolan has said this is most likely the last film in the series.

So far, no word yet on which big villain will be featured. Whoever it is, it will be hard to fill the shoes of Heath Ledger's Joker in The Dark Knight.