Wednesday, September 28, 2005

Latino/Hispanic Inventors...


It’s taken over four hundred years for the US government to recognize and acknowledge the contributions of my fellow latinos/hispanics in this country. Hispanics were here long before the English came to Plymouth rock. The oldest continuously inhabited city in the United States is St. Augustine, Florida was founded in 1565 by the Spaniards. As school children we were never taught that Spanish, Hispanicized Africans and Native Americans and their mixed-blood descendants provided the basis for the development of much of American agriculture, mining, transportation grid, city planning, architecture and even law in the Southeast and Southwest. Concepts such as the right of women to inherit and own property, homestead rights, and the rights of adopted children to be treated the same as genetic offspring are examples of originally Hispanic legal principles that have benefited all of American society and continues to effect us in the present.
Did you know it was a Hispanic/Latino Inventor who engineered the 1st submarine, gyroplane (helicopter), and the atomic bomb (nuclear weapons)? In addition, the adjustable wrench, a reversible motor, an optical analysis system, and a system for color televisions were all created by the minds and hands of a Hispanic/Latino inventors.


César Milstein - Argentina
In work with his colaureate Georges J. F. Koehler, Milstein developed the techniques for producing monoclonal antibodies, antibodies with a specific affinity for certain sites in the body that might find diseased cells but leave healthy cells intact.

Carlos Finlay - Cuba
Finlay became famous for his work in identifying the mosquito as a carrier of the deadly yellow fever germ.

Clatonia Joaquin Dorticus - United States - Cuba
Invented an improved photographic print wash method.

Severo Ochoa de Albornoz - Spain
His research on high-energy phosphates and their role in the body's energy processes resulted in the discovery and application of the enzyme polynucleotyde phosphorilase, which catalizes the synthesis of RNA.

Santiago Ramón y Cajal - Spain
Famous hispanic inventor Santiago Ramón y Cajal was awarded the Nobel Prize for his work on the structure of the nervous system.

Narciso Monturiol - Spain
Monturiol, a Catalonian earched the first underwater navigation and in 1859 he drove the first fully operable submarine in the world, the Ictineo. The Spanish inventor offered the US Confederacy his advanced submarine to smash the Federal blockade. The "Ictineo" was never purchased. Jules Verne apparently based the Nautilus on this, the world's most advanced vessel of the day.

Miguel Servet - Spain
His work in anatomy and physiology led him to the discovery of the circulation of blood through the human body.

Ellen Ochoa - United States
Ellen Ochoa Mexican American invented optical analysis systems and was also the world's first Hispanic female astronaut. On a personal note you may one day be seeing another latina in space;my father's cousin just got accepted into the astronaut program at NASA. She's been in the airforce for about 15 yrs now.

Baruj Benacerraf - Venezuela
Benacerraf won the Nobel Prize, along with his colleagues Dausset and Snell, "for discoveries concerning genetically determined structures on the cell surface that regulate immunological reactions."

Guillermo González Camarena - Mexico
In 1940 at the age of 22, Guillermo Gonzalez Camarena obtained US Patent No. 2,296,022, which protected his “Trichromatic” system used for color television transmissions.

Bernardo Houssay - Argentina
Famous Hispanic inventor and Argentinian scientist and activist Bernardo Houssay was recognized by the Academy for "his discovery of the part played by the hormone of the anterior pituitary lobe in the metabolism of sugars".

Luis Federico Leloir - Argentina
Luis Leloir was awarded the Nobel Prize for "his discovery of sugar nucleotides and their role in the biosynthesis of carbohydrates".
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Posted by @ 11:49 PM
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The Corpse Bride...

I am a huge fan of Tim Burton,Helena Bonham Carter, Johnny Depp and stop action animation. Combine all 4 and you've got a movie tailor made for me. My friends and I checked out "The Corpse Bride" last weekend and we loved it! Well 2 of 3 of us loved it, Reina hated the ending. I thought it was perfect.

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Posted by @ 12:48 PM
1 comment from:  TotallyHappened,

My brother's cat Van Gogh checks out the action from afar 

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Posted by @ 12:28 PM
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Cleo is such a good doggie 

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Posted by @ 12:27 PM
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Cleo and Strauss contemplate who has control over the remote 

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Posted by @ 12:26 PM
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awwww 

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Posted by @ 12:24 PM
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"Strauss" seems comfy in my house 

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Posted by @ 12:24 PM
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she loves that string 

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Posted by @ 12:23 PM
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Reina's kitten I've been calling her "Strauss" after the garage we found her near. 

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Posted by @ 12:22 PM
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This is the one Jason took for himself, as of last night his name was "Guy" 

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Posted by @ 12:21 PM
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sweet dreamers 

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Posted by @ 12:20 PM
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Sleeping on my bed 

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Posted by @ 12:19 PM
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Catnapper or savior?

Last night my boyfriend and I were talking a walk, holding hands in “la la la” mode. All of a sudden Jason spots a kitten. He loves cats. I stopped to pet the kitten and suddenly 3 more came out. I picked one up and Jason starts riffing telling me to put it down because he thought it belonged to someone. We got inti a mini argument about it. While we are arguing all the cats come out of a nearby garage and run into the street. They almost got hit by several cars! “We must save these cats or they will die!” I thought to myself. Jason then says, “Oh my God they’re going to get hit by a car!” and started calling out to one of the cats, “hey you, hey you” the cat ignored him although he did manage to attract the attention of a man across the street, the guy looked at him and Jason said, “No not you the cat!”

We then tried to round up the 5 kittens but they scattered and we were able to get 2 of them. The mother was nearby feeding one of the kittens. I took one for my friend Reina b/c she’s been wanting a pet and Jason took the other for himself. When we got back to my house, my mom wasn’t too thrilled. It’s just a front though, “she acts gruff with the kittens so she won’t get attached.” I told Jason. The kittens took to my house like fish in water they weren’t afraid of the dogs and were very calm. After awhile my mom starts to point out that for homeless kittens that are supposedly feral these kitties are awfully friendly. See how peacefully that cat is sleeping on the love seat and it’s his first time here? Mia these cats are used to being around people and dogs. Usually when you bring a feral cat indoors they will act wild and scared they’ll hide under something and will resist you picking them up. Look at these kitties they are loving the attention, they are too friendly. Mia I think you’re a catnapper… these suckers belong to someone. Where exactly did you get them from?
Mia: On Quimby ma near the garage, they were on the outside of the fence walking all over the street.

Mom: Hmmm most likely Mia the mommy cat belongs to the garage. And these are her kittens therefore they belong to the garage as well. Someone’s been taking care of them .

Jason: Maggie, Maggie, everything you’re telling her I told her already.

Mia (laughing): Shut up Jason!

Mia: Well if they have they haven’t been doing a good job look how skinny they are!
They almost got hit by a car ma, we had to save them. I did a good thing ma.

Mom: Yeah nena but look how clean they are no fleas, no scabs, these kittens belong to the garage.

Mia: Well why were they outside then?

Mom: Maybe they got locked out or escaped through some opening in the garage. Maybe they wanted to chill outside it is a beautiful night after all.
Mia: Ma there was a whole bunch of them.

Mom: That’s what usually happens when a cat has kittens nena it’s called a litter .
I dunno nena those are not feral kittens, they are too friendly. You’re a catnapper

Jason: I told her the same thing Maggie.

Just then Jason asked my mom if she liked the name “Guy” for his kitten and my mom said name him “Pillo” (thief in Spanish) or “robado” (stolen) and they got into a discussion as to if there was such a word as “rubi” in Spanish and the discussion as to whether or not we were cat nappers were laid to rest. Then my mom started taking pictures of them. Jason seemed really happy with his kitten. While the other one attached itself to me, I woke up this morning with it sleeping by my head.

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Posted by @ 12:14 PM
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M&M's for everybody....

I have found the perfect gift that appeals to the kid in me, yet is practical and fun perfect for those; “What do get the person who has everything and likes nothing” occasions. Who doesn't like chocolate? M&M’s is now selling custom printed M&M’s! These suckers are perfect as gifts, and party favors…whooo hooo.!! How excited am I? It takes very little to get me excited…lol

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Posted by @ 11:05 AM
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Tuesday, September 27, 2005

Rita Moreno...

Today's Latino fact is Boriqua actress Rita Moreno...


Only one Latino female performer has ever won an acting Oscar. Puerto Rican Rita Moreno received the Best Supporting Actress award for her performance in West Side Story (1961) and became the first Hispanic actress to win an acting Academy Award.
A talented actress who also sings and dances, her versatility has led to decades of success on stage, screen, and television. She has proved that Hispanic performers are not limited to "ethnic" roles, and in the process she became the only female artist ever to win the four major entertainment awards: the Oscar, the Tony, the Grammy, and the Emmy. Rita Moreno has recently starred in April Showers (2005) playing the role of Ruth, and Copshop (2004) as Mary Alice. Rita Moreno has also featured in many movies such as King of the Corner (2004), Casa de los babys (2003), and Open House (2003)


As a kid I hated West Side Story because of the stereotypes and fake accents. Now I've grown to love it because I see past the stereotypes and can appreciate the music, and the talents that are in the movie.

Labels: Puerto Rico, rita moreno, west side story

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Posted by @ 4:40 PM
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Goodbye Inspector Gadget...

Don Adams, the wry-voiced comedian who starred as bumbling secret agent Maxwell Smart in the 1960s TV spoof of James Bond movies, "Get Smart," has died. He was 82.

He was Maxwell Smart to my mother’s generation and the voice of Inspector Gadget for mines. This by the way was one of my favorite cartoons as a kid. His career spanned over 40 years but Maxwell Smart is the role for which he will be remembered the most.

"It was a special show that became a cult classic of sorts, and I made a lot of money for it," Adams once said in a 1995 interview. "But it also hindered me career-wise because I was typed. The character was so strong, particularly because of that distinctive voice, that nobody could picture me in any other type of role."

As big in its time as "Seinfeld," the "show about nothing," was in the 1990s, "Get Smart" allowed America to laugh about the world of spies that was the Cold War and the rapid pace of change in the 1960s. Spy gadgets inspired by and poking fun at the ones in the James Bond movies were a staple of "Get Smart," especially the shoe phone, Maxwell Smart's way out of many a tight spot — decades before cell phones burst onto the scene.

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Posted by @ 3:57 PM
1 comment from:  Aisha,

Something out of a nightmare

This is the 2005 winner of the world's ugliest dog contest, hands down i'm sure there is nothing as hideous living out there in the world. His name is "Sam" and he's from Cali. My mom showed me this photo several days ago and i'm not ashamed to say I had a nightmare with this critter! I figured i'd pass it on to you guys, after all why should I suffer alone? Maybe by sharing this photo of Sam I will purge myself of his image, which seems to have embedded itself into my brain choosing to make itself known as I lay in a deep sleep.

The other night as I dreamt I was walking down the street with my adorable doggie Cleo and all of a sudden we bumped into Sam. I recoiled in horror and my blood ran cold. The damn dog kept following me around saying, "yo quiero taco bell, drop the chalupa!".... I woke up from my hunger induced nightmare trenched in sweat, I got up had a drink of water and went back to bed. Then the impossible happened, Sam crept into my dreams again. This time he was chasing yelling at me, "scratch behind my ear and by scratch behind my ear I mean rub my tummy and by rub my tummy I mean pick me up and cuddle me and by pick me up and cuddle me I mean let me lick your face..." I ran away from Sam leaving him mid-sentence. I walked all over NYC, I even ran down into the subway but Sam was still following me, he had his own metro card! I just couldn't shake him. My heart was racing, pulse pounding and I remember saying to myself, "this is just a dream" to which Sam replied, "yes it is a dream, or is it?" Finally Sam cornered me in front of my house and I yelled at him," what the hell do you want from me satan's lap dog?!!" to which he replied," scratch behind my ear and by scratch behind my ear I mean rub my tummy and by rub my tummy I mean pick me up and cuddle me and by pick me up and cuddle me I mean let me lick your face ..." I awoke with a jump..my mom came in to wake me up,it was time to get up for school. I was never so happy to be awakened in my life!

Labels: pets, ugly dog contest winner

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Posted by @ 12:08 PM
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Monday, September 26, 2005

Latino Art, many forms of beauty....

I love museums and art. I discovered Rivera, Picasso, Van Gogh, etc as a child thanks to my mother. As a teen on my own I discovered Frida Kahlo and she remains one of my personal favorites to this day. I’m a big fan of Chicano art and murals. So I was really thrilled when my mom passed on this long forgotten website to me. What led me to discover Chicano art was my fascination with the "cholos" when I was younger, but we’ll discuss that in another post….lol

Thanks to my very artistic mother I am just discovering contemporary Puerto Rican artists like Rodon, Ruiz, Marin.One of my mother’s favorite paintings is by Carlos Irizarry, the painting "La Transculturación del Puertorriqueño", makes a political statement. He painted a picture of a “jibaro” alongside a sheer almost invisible image of himself. The image is supposed to represent the loss of Boriqua identity and culture through assimilation with the U.S., hmmmm very political indeed. The sentiment behind this painting can be applied to any group of people who’ve immigrated to the US. The only difference is that in our case the assimilation began on our home shores once the US invaded Borinquen.

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Posted by @ 6:43 PM
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Puerto Rican Artist:R.Tufino::Painting:Goyita 

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Posted by @ 6:39 PM
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Puerto Rican Artist: Foller::Painting:Velorio 

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Posted by @ 6:38 PM
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Puerto Rican Artist: C. Irizarry::Painting:Transcultuuracion 

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Posted by @ 6:36 PM
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Mexican artist Victor M Qui�onez aka Marka 27, posing with his work. 

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Posted by @ 6:35 PM
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Mural: El Paso, Texas 

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Posted by @ 6:32 PM
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Mural: El Paso, Texas 

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Posted by @ 6:31 PM
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Mural: El Paso, Texas 

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Posted by @ 6:30 PM
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Mural: El Paso, Texas 

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Posted by @ 6:30 PM
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Mural: El Paso, Texas 

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Posted by @ 6:29 PM
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Mural: El Paso, Texas 

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Posted by @ 6:29 PM
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Mural: El Paso, Texas 

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Posted by @ 6:28 PM
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