Archives for "June 2008":

More Scanned Photos on June 30, 2008 in Photos

My buddy Jesus. Neice and nephew, Lance and Victoria. Raf. Sal. My sister and I. Emilio, Dominique, Jesus, Sal, Me, Raf, Will, and I can't remember the kid's name on Raf's lap. The old crew. Me, Joey, Jason, Raf, and Barrington. Boy, was I hesitant to upload this one. This is us all in our b-boy stance. My high...

Has Affirmative Action Outlived Its Usefulness? on June 30, 2008 in Society

(From a recent school assignment)YES, as argued in the classroom test by Curtis Crawford. As a minority myself I must say that I believe that affirmative action is counter productive. Not only, in theory, does it perpetuate discrimination (now against non-Blacks), but, as Crawford notes, has "developed into programs conferring special treatment based on race". Racial preference, be it for...

Shaving on June 28, 2008 in Personal

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I Want that CD on June 28, 2008 in Personal

Ok, ok, so I had this crazy dream. It was actually a commercial.The setting is on the streets of New York, or some other gray city setting. A young street hustler played by Mos Def is slanging CDs from a roofed bus stop. He holds a stack of CDs in one hand and a poster for the album in another....

Rent: Rain, Tires, and Super Powers on June 27, 2008 in Personal

I have bad days all the time. It doesn't really make me feel any different than when I have good days. I guess you can say that though I acknowledge that everything seems to be going wrong, nothing gets done, or I have more work than what my allotted time permits me to accomplishing, none of this really makes me...

My Daughter and People with "Darker Skin" on June 27, 2008 in Humor

My buddy Dave is a very dark-skinned African American.My daughter doesn't necessarily live in a part of Florida where they are too many folks like Dave so I'm supposing she hasn't had the chance to see too many folks "like" Dave. Despite such, she visits Columbus, Georgia and her native Puerto Rico enough to be comfortable around people no matter...

Chet & Jim on June 27, 2008 in

I was rummaging through some recent findings and noted that Chet Baker in the above record sleeve looks like Jim Carrey. Luigi over there on the right looks kinda' funny as well....

More Shoebox Photos on June 27, 2008 in Photos

Here's some more scanned photos: I believe I was 16 or 17. I was about 18 years old here. Trying to learn the cuatro. (I can still strum a few basic aguinaldos!) Some Puerto Rican graffiti from the 1990s. About 17 years old. Summer trip to Puerto Rico. My buddy Jason when he was a kid. How I got this...

Japan, Culture, and Economic Performance on June 27, 2008 in Economics

The Economist recently ran an article on Japanese business culture. Business habits of foreign cultures fascinates me, because it represents such a blunt example of how a culture can effect economic activity. These traits, either for the better or for the worst, can have effects on economic development. The article notes:Informal cues are as important as the legalistic ones... Managers...

Socialism and Property? on June 27, 2008 in Economics

Neoliberals chant praise whenever a former socialist country begins to liberalize and decentralize its economy. Recently the Economist preached progress in Vietnam, stating that "farms were given their own land and agricultural prices were freed... There can probably be no going back: any attempt to reapply the dead hand of government will ensure that Vietnam's dream of riches by 2020...

Birthday Biz on June 25, 2008 in Personal

Little Negroes says:vas a celebrar tu cumple?Little Negroes says:happy birthday!Tomorrow's my birthday says:I dont know how to "celebrate"...

Old Family Photos on June 25, 2008 in Photos

I dug up an old shoe box of photos. I smuggled a couple into work to scan and post them. Enjoy. Me in my pee-wee suit. Boy, was my father skinny. I don't know what the hell he was doing, but here's a photo of my grandfather. Looks like he's doing a chicken dance. Aunts and uncles. Kickin' it old...

Go Luis. It's Your Birthday on June 25, 2008 in Personal

Tomorrow is my birthday, by the way.Nobody call me. I don't like talking on the phone.(Instead just pick me out something from my amazon.com wishlist. You can buy it used.)Jaja. I almost wrote mamazon. (Which means something funny in Spanish)...

Food Autarky on June 25, 2008 in Economics

The global food crisis makes autarky look good. While protectionist Presidents are often blasted by The Economist and champions of the free market, it is quite difficult for a politician to permit food exports while his countrymen are on the verge of starvation. If our leaders were not to do this their Presidential palaces would quickly be overran by mobs...

Blackout at Work on June 25, 2008 in Personal

Recently the electricity has been going out at work during the mornings and afternoons. This is pretty much the only time where a blackout seizes to become an inconvenience and becomes outright annoying. Office attire doesn't necessarily go well with stuffy offices. I hate when my workday mornings are air conditioned free, for I will spend the read of the...

Come Back, Jeane! on June 25, 2008 in Personal

The electricity and water go out every once and a while here in Puerto Rico. Maybe not as much as say, Santo Domingo, but in comparison to my Georgian upbringing, one could classify utility outages as occurring "often". I have no qualms, though; having your utilities cut with no advance obligates you to be prepared at all times. Families often...

Today's Mix on June 24, 2008 in Music

asdfYusef Lateef - Morning. Lateef never seizes to amaze me with his fusion of jazz and Middle Eastern sounds.Fuko & Sus Tesos. Salsa Na Ma. Hard, aggressive from Colombia. Sounds much like the salsa brava of Puerto Rico.Royksopp - In Space. Soothing downtempo. Very cinematic.Tonedeff - Homecoming King. I first met Tonedeff while participating in the Rhymearena battles back in...

Another Drawing by Amaia on June 24, 2008 in Personal

I found this drawing under a stack of papers in my kitchen bar cupboard. It must have been stashed there by Amaia during her last visit. The drawing is of a princess in brown and blue with green hearts on it. Her hair is green and a big heart dots the "I" of Amaia's name. The name of her mother...

Today's Mix on June 23, 2008 in Music

No more imeem links. You guys don't even use them. Instead, I shall bless you all with a short comment on each song. Download link below. Nara Leao - Unkown Track. If you know the title of this, please let me know. I'll paypal you a dollar or something. Beautiful track. It's actually the first song that made me fall...

Word(Up) Press on June 23, 2008 in Humor

For the web-savvy guy who grew up during the 1990s listening to gangster music, this is a sure laugh.(From the OnePlusInfinity blog)...

Rain Strain on June 23, 2008 in Humor

It's raining. Sounds nice. But so does this tune I'm jamming on my iPod.Boy, do I wish I could raise the rain's volume....

Ceiling Net, Bet! on June 23, 2008 in Personal

Ya' know; even though I don't live with Children I'd probably do something like that. That's if it wasn't for the fact that drilling into my ceiling would cause an electrical short circuit or something. Wouldn't it be cool to watch a movie while hanging from one of those things?Hhmmm. (Brain juices moving).(From New York Home Design)...

Me on "The Eye" on June 23, 2008 in Personal

Okay, so I'm watching "The Eye". It's about a blind woman who undergoes an eye transplant. As she copes with her newly found ability of vision she find herself seeing ghosts and other spooky stuff. She begins investigating her eye "donor" who turns out to be [a cute] Mexican woman who committed suicide. There's a scene where Mrs. Post-blind walks...

My Red Desk on June 23, 2008 in Personal , Photos

Many many years ago my grandmother built a tiny little table for miscellaneous usage. Shortly after moving to Puerto Rico I quickly confistated the table (which was an escombro at the time) and quickly hogged it up with broken computer screens, books, lamps, and whatever my needs called for throughout the years. But there was one problem: grandma was a...

Stop Trippin' on June 23, 2008 in Photos

Neat gallery from French photographer Denis Darzacq. Reminds me of Chinese photographer Li Wei featured on this site a few weeks ago....

"I Shop, Therefore I Am" on June 23, 2008 in Economics

Stumbled upon a neat PDF-report-interactive site-downloadable book-kinda' thingie while surfing around the Internet during idle office time titled "I Shop Therefore I Am". Click here to check it out. The following table pretty much sums up my entire economic, political, social, cultural, and even religious ideologies into a simple diagram (jaja):...

Stay Home Moms? on June 23, 2008 in Society

Class assignment:Should Mothers Stay Home With Their Children?No. I think that it can be dangerously sexist and chauvinist to state that specifically mothers should stay home with their children. Mothers should have just as much right as fathers to pursue education, work careers, and economic autonomy. Though it would be ideal for at least one parent to directly bring up...

Today's Ultra Cool Mix on June 22, 2008 in Music

I'm not going to even bother linking them to their imeem links. I'm on a rush here, trying to clear out my desktop of things I've been wanting to post for a while. Your just going to have to trust me on these ones.If you dig music... you'll dig my mixes.Ben Harper and the Blind Boys of Alabama - Take...

Why I Dislike the Television on June 22, 2008 in Society

Like many youth, I spent many hours a day of my Childhood glued to a television set. At first it was Nickelodeon and Fox that provided my daily entertainment, and then MTV and prime-time television. For a child living in suburban America, the boob tube is often one's only window into foreign cultures, social issues, and current events. It wasn't...

Capitalism and Planned Economics on June 22, 2008 in Economics

Followers of the 'free world' have always been critical of planned economies. Galbraith unearths the planned nature of modern capitalism, equating the bureaucratic appendages of modern corporations with government agencies. First there is the issue of technology. "The needs of the consumer must be anticipated - by months of by years." "If men use picks and shovels," states Galbraith, "they...

Things that Make You Go "Hm?" on June 22, 2008 in Humor

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Iran, Bombs, and Polls on June 22, 2008 in Politics

There is debate on whether or not Iran is pursuing nuclear weapons activities. While the West claims so, Iran alleges that its nuclear program is only for peaceful means. But even if Iran was developing nuclear weapons, I believe that it has every right to do so. Not only does it have a nuclear-equipped Israel to its west, but it...

The Oil and Food Crisis on June 22, 2008 in Economics

This whole gas crisis thing is quite frustrating. I'm not necessary upset about the high gasoline prices for I feel as if gas was too cheap in the first place. Its price did not include the hidden subsidies of road sprawl, deforestation, and air contamination. Though it still doesn't, its high price acts as a sort of gas tax that...

Puerto Rican Motels on June 21, 2008 in Puerto Rico

Motels.One of the things I noticed upon arriving to Puerto Rico is the abundance of motels lining the old main roads. "MOTEL BAMBU" and "MOTEL OK" signs line the road as one traverses to and from the Metropolitan Area. At first I brushed them off as motel motels (ya know; the U.S. equivalent of a one story cheap room and...

PNPPD on June 20, 2008 in Puerto Rico

Fortuño received much criticism from the PPD shortly after announcing his proposed government reform plan. After promising to reduce public expenses by $1.2 billion, the Management and Budget Office Director (Primera Hora), Governor Acevedo Vila (El Nuevo Dia), and Senate Minority Speaker Jose Luis Dalmau (El Nuevo Dia) all criticized about how such cuts would be brought about through privatization....

Stay-Down Economics on June 19, 2008 in Economics

I get upset at how arrogant some people can get.The Economist recently covered an article on Brazil's oil potential and its rapidly growing economy. Anybody who knows anything about Brazil's growth during previous years knows that the country has been doing pretty well. Ironically, though, the Economist expressed "a cause concern" that Brazil's currency is getting too strong. "Brazil's currency,...

Zodiac Shmodiac on June 18, 2008 in Humor

I don't even know why I'm spending the time writing this. The subject is often tucked away into that corner of my brain where unfavorable subjects are locked away. Though I'm sure that most readers of this site probably think as I do when it comes to the legitimacy of zodiac signs, memories of an intense conversation I had about...

Is Third World Immigration a Threat to America's Way of Life? on June 16, 2008 in Society

(From another class assignment)My position on the above question would probably be received by my classmates with much criticism and confusion if it were to be a discussion board topic. Being the descendent of immigrants who arrived from a poverty striken country many years ago, one would suppose that I would back up the "No" argument on the above question....

Findings on June 15, 2008 in Personal

I saw the above image in an amusing article from The Atlantic magazine on the current state of higher education. The crying man with the "F" report is quite humorous. I would like a t-shirt of the same character holding up something like an iPod or something of the sort....

Traditional Family and "National Crisis" on June 15, 2008 in Society

I am taking an online course during the summer at Alabama's Troy University and am pleased to see that many of the assignments are based around forming an opinion and defending it on a number of weekly subjects. Today's question is: "Is the decline of the traditional family a national crises?"And my answer:The traditional model of a nuclear family -...

Painting Fun on June 15, 2008 in Personal

Painting a line such as this one will make your ceiling look lower.Note to self: click here for more ways to change the perception of a room....

Marriage, Discrimination, and the State on June 15, 2008 in Society

Marriage is a universal social institution that has existed for as long as human culture itself. Though love-based marriage and the male breadwinner model is a more recent invention, marriage is practiced by every culture, both primitive and civilized. Evidence of biological impulses towards long-term relationships are present within humans as in many other animal species. Women's lack of the...

Airplane Boredom on June 8, 2008 in Humor

Mom always said that only boring people get bored. I would have to say that I am beginning to believe her. As you grow older and one begins to take up new responsibilities, one of the things you learn to value most is idle time. Plus, nothing is more tranquilizing than sitting in silence and capturing a free moment to...

On "The New Industrial State" on June 8, 2008 in Books , Economics

John Kenneth Galbraith does not fail to amaze me once again with his book "The New Industrial State". After reading "The Affluent Society", Galbraith quickly became one of my favorite economists. Rarely have I seen someone critical of the capitalist system without considering themselves socialist. Many of those critical of capitalist economics are too easily swept away by utopianism and...

Frucko y sus Tesos on June 7, 2008 in Humor

I've already showed this to medio mundo, but I just had to post it for the general public....

Dorothy Ashby - Afro-Harping on June 6, 2008 in Music

It's more like harp bossa more than anything. Wonderful pick though.Via MegaUpload....

Gnarls Barkley - Odd Couple on June 6, 2008 in Music

Great album.Thanks David. I'm late, but I got it.Via Rapidshare....

Colombia! The Golden Age of Discos Fuentes on June 5, 2008 in Music

Though I've head salsa monga from Colombia, this is the first time I've actually heard any salsa brava. It's like the pianist is on speed, or something.Fucking amazing stuff. Most people think of traditional cumbia when they think of Colombia, but this demonstrate's Colombian salsa at its best.Via Mediafire (part 1 and 2)...

Seguida - Is Love on June 5, 2008 in Music

Street Latin funk. Pre-sucky Santana meets Nuyorican funk.Via Shareonall....

K. Mouzanar - Caramel on June 5, 2008 in Music

Wonderful movie. Even better soundtrack.Tango meets classic with a slight touch of Middle Eastern melodies.Via Rapidshare....

Audioslave - Audioslave on June 5, 2008 in Music

Can't believe how long it took me to find these guys.Via Rapidshare....

Latino Economic Memes on June 5, 2008 in Economics

The Economist recently ran an article on a lower appetite for risk among Brazilian businessmen. The lack of a Western style competitive drive is something that I have noticed myself among my local community's business sector. As long as businessmen stay afloat and survive, there is little need to go the extra mile to eliminate the competition. "Competing" businessmen can...

Media Bias on June 4, 2008 in Society

(In response to a question on one of my online courses, "Is there a liberal bias in the media?"I don't think one could necessarily say that there is a "liberal" bias - there can be a conservative bias just as much as a liberal one. But yes; I feel it impossible to receive, register, process, interpret, and disseminate any knowledge...

The Three Levels of Bueaucratic Evasion on June 4, 2008 in Puerto Rico , Society

Yesterday evening at the Economic Assistance Office at my University:Me: "Hello. I'm curious to know if you guys have any economic assistance available for the June courses."Woman: "No. We just ran out. But I recommend that you come tomorrow since we always have students who cancel courses last minute. Come early."This morning via telephone (since I was working "early"):<<After hearing...

Das Energi on June 3, 2008 in Society

I am reading "Das Energi". The following few lines caught my attention:Efficiency the destroyer, millions upon millions ofliving dead, done in by the electric can-openerand the automobile.Progress is our most important product,babies are our business,time is money,life is cheap.Modern technology, modern business, the modern stategive us everything we needexcept breathable air, drinkable water, edible food,meaningful work, freedom from fear, freedom...

Balloon on June 2, 2008 in Humor

Thanks Alex....

A New Mural. "Primitive Man" on June 2, 2008 in Photos

My Internet has been out all weekend. Within that time I have cleaned my entire house, wash all my rugs, read two books, installed ceiling fans and painted a mural. Check it out:The mural is a copy of an image that I found laying around on the Internet about a year ago. I'm not sure as to where it comes...