Brain Burps.: November 2009

Friday, November 20, 2009

RIP public education.

the uc regents have officially approved a 32% fee increase... :(

click here to read more about the approved hike.

the video below documents a ucb strike leading up to the fee approval.

much love and respect to all those students/ californians/ workers/

activists who are standing against the injustice.

Thursday, November 19, 2009

educate yourself.

The news team for Telemundo 52 recently reported on Alma Minerva Chacon, a women who was terrorized by Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio. Unfortunately, she is just the latest in a long line of Latinos who have suffered at the hands of the ruthless Sheriff whose personal goal is to rid Arizona of all "illegals" and just maybe, all Latinos. Arpaio has repeatedly stated that he is breaking no laws and just enforcing the constitution by arresting more than 600 Latinos a year. But the problem with his tactics is that less than half of those arrested are even in this country illegally.
The most recent atrocity committed by the self-proclaimed "America's Toughest Sheriff" involves a woman who was detained while 9-months pregnant. Alma Minerva Chacon's case has been receiving media attention due to the brutality with which she was treated. The very same night of her arrest, Chacon went into labor and found herself afraid and alone, being rushed to a local hospital with her hands and legs chained in shackles.
Once she reached the hospital, nurses repeatedly begged the Sheriff's staff to allow them to unchain the mother, but they refused and Chacon was forced to give birth while still shackled to the bed. At one point, the nurse asked for them to release her so that she could be escorted to the bathroom for a urinalysis, but even that request was denied. But the worst came once Chacon gave birth to her baby girl.
Still chained to the bed, Arpaio's police staff refused to allow Chacon to hold her newborn baby and then warned her that if no one came to pick up the child within 72 hours, she would be turned over into state custody. Telemundo 52 sat down with Chacon and let her tell her side of the story.

Check out the interview below and if you don't support Sheriff Arpaio's barbaric practices sign the petition at www.SheriffJoeMustGo.com:

ahora, salga y infórmese porque hay poder en solidaridad.

click here for the original article on latina.com

peace.

Sunday, November 15, 2009

justice sotomayor.

sotomayor is on the cover of the december/january issue of latina magazine.

here's an excerpt from the article:

I first met Sonia in 1998, after she had been sworn in as a federal judge for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. I was the Editor-in-Chief of Latina, and a mutual friend, New York attorney Lee Llambelis, suggested that Sotomayor was someone I should meet since I’d probably want to write an article on her (which appeared in our March 1999 issue). Sotomayor’s life story not only inspired readers, but also captivated me.
Since then, we’ve been to each other’s homes for dinner and shared many sweet, honest and confidential conversations. A doting hostess, she puts together cheese platters, makes tasty salads and hooks up a mean churrasco with a tangy lemon marinade. This past spring, she promised to share some of her culinary secrets, so we set a date to fire up the grill in her small yet superb two-bedroom condo in the heart of NYC’s Greenwich Village. Sonia thought things would finally slow down for her by the summer—but that’s when things really started heating up.
During those grueling confirmation hearings in July, Republican senators Lindsey Graham, Jeff Sessions and Jon Kyl dissected her now-famous “wise Latina” phrase, uttered during an inspirational lecture to Latino law students at the University of California, Berkeley’s Boalt Hall School of Law in 2001.
The senators aggressively argued that her remarks proved she would bring bias and a liberal agenda to the bench. But Sotomayor repeatedly explained that her comments were part of a regrettable “rhetorical flourish that fell flat.” “I want to state up front, unequivocally and without doubt: I do not believe that any ethnic, racial or gender group has an advantage in sound judging,” she said. She added that she was simply trying “to inspire young Hispanics, Latino students and lawyers to believe that their life experiences added value to the process.’’

to read the rest of the excerpt click here. the issue hits stands on nov. 17. now go cop one!!

peace.

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

UPDATE: sammy sosa??

sammy sosa has apparently admitted to using bleaching cream... duuuhhhhh!! his excuse, however, is that he was using it as "wrinkle cream."

click here to read what sosa has to say.

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

on to lighter matters...

Sammy Sosa in 1989 (left), 2005 (center) and at last week's Latin Grammys.

AP PHOTO, WIREIMAGE.COM, RD / KABIK / RETNA DIGITAL

last week, sammy sosa --former cubs player and dominican baseball legend-- donned a new look to the latin grammys. the formerly tan player showed up sans curly hair, dark brown eyes, and tanned skin. initial responses have suggested that the transformation is the result of a common beauty treatment gone awry. i could be wrong, but something about this accidental loss of pigmentation seems a little off to me. what do you think? is sosa the victim of a beauty treatment gone wrong? or does sosa have other end goals in mind???

*hint, hint*