tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6924346485521470642024-03-15T21:09:41.480-04:00The Song of These StreetsXiomara A. Maldonadohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16759826955882585699noreply@blogger.comBlogger70125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-692434648552147064.post-15762178078103945692012-10-18T09:15:00.003-04:002014-11-13T20:17:01.905-05:00Check out my new blog!<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: x-large;">Song of These Streets is </span></b><b><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: x-large;">now</span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://www.xiomaramaldonado.com/equis-place.html">Equis Place</a>. </span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkAnISrwd9O_zvCRAbVL8ar4prgu2q-J4Z-dOTQTuXpOWLvds8DDfCL9q8CqcyPNKRA9S2Qphxt1YYCOK01QjZ2V2aTnosjR3d3p7UWaBR-K0x8jE43lzh-ndKpbzV8i0QPyJMB_-OrXHb/s1600/BdayCakeLitCandles.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkAnISrwd9O_zvCRAbVL8ar4prgu2q-J4Z-dOTQTuXpOWLvds8DDfCL9q8CqcyPNKRA9S2Qphxt1YYCOK01QjZ2V2aTnosjR3d3p7UWaBR-K0x8jE43lzh-ndKpbzV8i0QPyJMB_-OrXHb/s320/BdayCakeLitCandles.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Please visit me at </b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.equisplace.com/" target="_blank">www.equisplace.com</a> </span></b><br />
<b>where I bravely tell it all </b><b>with honesty and laughter.</b></div>
Xiomara A. Maldonadohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16759826955882585699noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-692434648552147064.post-84239774927506169512011-10-14T11:42:00.000-04:002011-10-14T11:42:59.653-04:00GET UP. GET OUT! - Activities to Get You Out the Door (Top Five Friday)<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RR9fUivxBME/TphYYfuzgrI/AAAAAAAADzM/W0_onzaK0O8/s1600/Photo-0349.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RR9fUivxBME/TphYYfuzgrI/AAAAAAAADzM/W0_onzaK0O8/s200/Photo-0349.jpg" width="200" /></a>Sometimes I stay inside for days. I moved into my new apartment a little over a week ago, and I've already managed to stay inside for two days straight at least twice. One might say that I am enjoying the new-found freedom of just being, as in being in my own space, but being inside for long lengths of time does not make me happy. During those days, I only saw sunlight through the solitary set of windows in my living room, deciding instead to organize the moving mess, take care of Baby Equis, watch television and eat.<br />
<br />
As lovely as the view from my apartment is, I know that not going outside distresses me. I begin to feel frustrated and restless, yet I can't seem to motivate myself enough to just get up and get out. It is all too easy to fall into the routine of being a single stay-at-home-mother, waking with baby, feeding baby, changing baby's third pooped pamper, waiting for baby to nap so I can clean up after baby and repeating the steps as often as necessary until I crawl into bed, exhausted and anxious about doing it all again the next day.<br />
<br />
I recognize that my tendency to remain in my home is an issue not only for my mental health but also my physical health: two years ago, I worked so much that I rarely saw the light of day, I became very depressed and suffered from a severe Vitamin D deficiency. I do not want to regress to such a state; besides, there is so much Equis and I do not see whe<br />
<br />
n we stay indoors all day. Hence, I am presenting this week's Top Five Friday blog topic: "Get Up. GET OUT! - Activities to Get You Out the Door." This post is as much for me as it is for you.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://xiomaramaldonado.weebly.com/1/post/2011/10/get-up-get-out-activities-to-get-you-out-the-door-top-five-friday.html">READ TOP FIVE FRIDAY ACTIVITIES HERE.</a>Xiomara A. Maldonadohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16759826955882585699noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-692434648552147064.post-51748498603013686622011-07-21T15:16:00.000-04:002011-07-21T15:16:46.185-04:00Long Days and Short Years: Life as a Stay-at-Home-Mom“The Days Are Long and the Years Are Short --Stay-at-Home Moms and Sex Workers.” No, I am not a sex worker, but I had to laugh when I read this chapter title in Tina Fey’s memoir Bossypants. I do know that daily life as a stay-at-home mom, particularly a single one, is HARD. Wait here a moment while I look up synonyms of hard so I don’t bore you with redundancy in this post....<br />
<br />
Ok, I’m back.<br />
<br />
If you are a single stay-at-home parent, you know how difficult it is to spend 24 hours of every day of every week of every month taking care of a tiny human being who wholly depends on you for food, love, diaper changes, entertainment and education. You know what an arduous task ANYTHING becomes when you have a 21 pound 11 ounce little one attached to your hip and pulling your hair. Showering is basically impossible (or is my baby boy the only one who screams as if he’s just lost his mother once I step behind the curtain?). Eating? It’s complicated, to say the least. Every chore that I found frustrating to make time for before having a baby (e.g. cleaning the living room, washing and folding laundry, checking emails and pooping) has become that much more irksome to complete while Equis is awake. Let me tell you, I thank God for the Kindle: Equis can no longer pull my books’ pages apart before my very eyes! <b>...</b><br />
<br />
READ MORE <a href="http://xiomaramaldonado.weebly.com/1/post/2011/06/long-days-and-short-years-life-as-a-stay-at-home-mom.html">HERE</a>!Xiomara A. Maldonadohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16759826955882585699noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-692434648552147064.post-63912371413682347722011-07-08T07:36:00.001-04:002011-07-08T07:38:04.678-04:00On Being A Single MomI told my therapist a few weeks ago, “I HATE being a single mom!” After a few moments of silence, I added, “It‘s hard,” and my therapist thanked me for my honesty.<br />
<br />
My honesty? I was surprised by her reaction to my confession. She wasn’t going to throw stones at me for admitting that, as much as I love my son, I am depressed with my current state of motherhood? She wasn’t going to report me to ACS for neglecting to read to him every day? <b>...</b><br />
<br />
<b><a href="http://xiomaramaldonado.weebly.com/1/post/2011/06/first-post.html">Read more here at my NEW AND IMPROVED SITE.</a></b><br />
<br />
Also, follow me on Twitter <a href="http://twitter.com/#!/XAMaldonado">@XAMaldonado</a>Xiomara A. Maldonadohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16759826955882585699noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-692434648552147064.post-8176033416592146742011-06-21T23:58:00.003-04:002011-06-22T00:19:13.568-04:00CHECK OUT MY NEW SITE!!! Mom Blog, Poetry Blog & More!Dear Followers,<br />
<br />
As you may have noticed, I have been MIA for about a year and a half... ever since I discovered I was pregnant in January of 2010. Well, my son is now 10 months old, and I have returned to writing with an all new website at <a href="http://www.xiomaramaldonado.weebly.com/"><span style="font-size: large;">www.xiomaramaldonado.weebly.com</span></a>. Check it out now!<br />
<br />
My site features a <a href="http://xiomaramaldonado.weebly.com/mom-blog.html">MOM blog</a>, <a href="http://xiomaramaldonado.weebly.com/poetry-blog.html">Poetry Blog</a>, <a href="http://xiomaramaldonado.weebly.com/photography.html">Photo Gallery</a> and <a href="http://xiomaramaldonado.weebly.com/parent-freebies.html">Parent Freebies</a>. READ IT! LOVE IT! COMMENT! <br />
<br />
Also, you can now follow me on Twitter: <a href="http://twitter.com/#!/XAMaldonado">@XAMaldonado </a><br />
<br />
I will love to hear your thoughts about my latest work. It's been a long time; and I have missed my writing/reading community. Thanks so much for your support.<br />
<br />
Sincerely,<br />
XiomaraXiomara A. Maldonadohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16759826955882585699noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-692434648552147064.post-59802464980612796352011-05-18T19:37:00.002-04:002011-05-20T11:44:07.443-04:00Bedside Sojourns<span style="color: black;">A nurse wags her finger in my mother’s face:</span><br />
<span style="color: black;"> “Do you know what your father did?”</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">(Grandpa had ripped the IV from his arm </span><span style="color: black;">last night </span><br />
<span style="color: black;">and slunk to the bathroom bleeding.)</span><br />
<span style="color: black;"> </span><br />
<span style="color: black;">Her chastising words - “Young immune systems </span><br />
<span style="color: black;"> cannot combat death!” then chase me into the elevator</span><br />
<span style="color: black;"> and out on to First Avenue’s black-speckled streets.</span><br />
<span style="color: black;"> </span><br />
<span style="color: black;">I study the stroller canopy while I walk, fighting to replace </span><br />
<span style="color: black;"> the nurse’s scolding eyes with those of a proud man </span><span style="color: black;">smiling </span><br />
<span style="color: black;">as his great-grandson touches his shaking hand.</span><br />
<span style="color: black;"> </span><br />
<span style="color: black;">“You're my favorite grandpa.” </span><br />
<span style="color: black;"> </span><i><span style="color: black;">“I’m your only.”</span><br />
<span style="color: black;"> </span></i><span style="color: black;"></span><br />
<span style="color: black;">I am not there when he gasps he cannot breathe,</span><br />
<span style="color: black;"> when residents rush a crash cart to his body.</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">I am not there until later, when one uncle cracks</span><br />
<span style="color: black;"> jokes as he cries, another talks of sleep and work, </span><br />
<span style="color: black;"> and the last insists we move Pop to the Upper East Side.</span><br />
<span style="color: black;"> My mother consults her brothers before she decides </span><br />
<span style="color: black;"> to sign to let the doctor prep his neck and put in lines.</span><br />
<span style="color: black;"> </span><br />
<span style="color: black;">We wait where the carpet is dull and the Bible passes</span><br />
<span style="color: black;"> from hand to hand. We glare at the black television, </span><br />
<span style="color: black;"> its Out of Order sign and at nurses’ aides who talk </span><br />
<span style="color: black;"> loudly into their phones, excitedly slipping green </span><br />
<span style="color: black;"> bills into the vending machine.</span><br />
<span style="color: black;"> </span><br />
<span style="color: black;">Two weeks later, in yet another ICU waiting room,</span><br />
<span style="color: black;"> my son woos visitors with his lamp-like eyes </span><br />
<span style="color: black;"> and his toothless giggle. He blows raspberries</span><br />
<span style="color: black;"> from an oblivious mouth; and, as a magician </span><br />
<span style="color: black;"> finds flowers in a sleeve, his coos cull sorrow</span><br />
<span style="color: black;"> from our brows and wake our dormant laughs.</span><br />
<span style="color: black;"> </span><br />
<span style="color: black;">Soon it is my turn to sit at Grandpa's bedside.</span><br />
<span style="color: black;"> I pass through automatic doors, then white bed </span><br />
<span style="color: black;"> after occupied bed until I reach his threshold.</span><br />
<span style="color: black;"> </span><br />
<span style="color: black;">His thinly veiled chest inflates… collapses; </span><br />
<span style="color: black;"> and between his teeth, a piece of yellow plastic lies </span><br />
<span style="color: black;"> as still as a tree frog in hiding.</span><br />
<span style="color: black;"> I had forgotten growing up means </span><br />
<span style="color: black;"> the people I love get older too.</span><br />
<span style="color: black;"> </span><br />
<span style="color: black;">My mother has taped photographs of us to the wall.</span><br />
<span style="color: black;"> In one my grandfather grins because it is his birthday.</span><br />
<span style="color: black;"> He stands straight, his capable hands (that once counted</span><br />
<span style="color: black;"> taxi fare change) gripping the top of an unseen cane.</span><br />
<span style="color: black;"> Behind large glasses and below a New York </span><br />
<span style="color: black;"> Yankees cap, his eyes crinkle for the camera.</span><br />
<span style="color: black;"> </span><br />
<span style="color: black;">I hold my grandfather’s swollen hand and slick back</span><br />
<span style="color: black;"> sparse unruly hairs to kiss his sweating forehead.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: black;"> I try to hide the heaving in my eyes </span><br />
<span style="color: black;">when a nurse asks me to leave </span><br />
<span style="color: black;"> in order to switch his lifted side.</span><br />
<span style="color: black;"> </span><br />
<span style="color: black;">Copyright 2011 Xiomara A. Maldonado</span><br />
<span style="color: black;"></span>Xiomara A. Maldonadohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16759826955882585699noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-692434648552147064.post-44657106768818159952010-06-19T13:09:00.000-04:002010-06-19T13:09:38.935-04:00Top Online Reads & Sees From The RootI know that I haven't written in several months, but I found these articles from <a href="http://www.theroot.com/aboutus">The Root</a> so interesting, I thought I'd share them with you. The Root describes itself as "a daily online magazine that provides thought-provoking commentary on today's news from a variety of black perspectives." Enjoy!<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.theroot.com/views/new-middle-passage"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>The New Middle Passage</b></span></a><br />
<b><span style="font-size: x-small;">By: Malika Saada Saar Posted: June 17, 2010</span></b><i><b><br />
Think Abraham Lincoln freed all the slaves back in 1863? Think again. And then get angry. Very, very angry.</b></i><br />
<blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.theroot.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/large-image/cuffs_0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://www.theroot.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/large-image/cuffs_0.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>On this Juneteenth, I am thinking of those who are not yet free. Most of them are girls. Born in America.<br />
Every year in this country, between 100,000 and 300,000 children--most of whom are astonishingly between the ages of 11 to 14 years old-- <a href="http://www.sp2.upenn.edu/-restes/csec/complete%20csec020220.pdf" target="_blank">are sold for sex by pimp-captors</a>, according to government statistics. ...<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Photo courtesy of ThinkStock.com </b></span></blockquote><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.theroot.com/views/what-will-happen-juneteenth?page=0,0&GT1=38002"><b>What Will Happen to Juneteenth?</b></a></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>By: Erin Evans Posted: June 18, 2010</b></span><br />
<i><b>Gen Y seems less than enthused about the day that slaves in Texas found out they were free. How will Black Independence Day fare in 2050?</b></i><br />
<blockquote><br />
"So how do you celebrate Juneteenth?" I asked my Twitter friends a few weeks ago. After a dead-tweet silence, I retweeted myself for emphasis. Even then, just a handful of my 300 or so Twitter friends responded with a few half-baked answers. "Go to some crappy festival," one Californian said. "I celebrate by doing nothing," said a childhood friend from Texas. ...</blockquote><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.theroot.com/views/miseducation-texas-school-kids"><b>The Miseducation of Texas Schoolkids</b></a></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>By: Afi-Odelia Scruggs Posted: May 26, 2010</b></span><br />
<i><b>There's a reason why Carter G. Woodson established a Negro History Week in 1928.</b></i><br />
<br />
<blockquote>See, a bunch of guys needed something to do in 1865 and 1866, right after the Civil War. It wasn't like they could go back to their plantations; Northerners had seen to that. So these good ole boys amused themselves by dressing up in sheets and riding through the countryside pulling pranks. Just good, clean hijinks, until they discovered their antics terrorized former slaves. Then, things turned naughty and nasty. But in the beginning, the Klan was just a social club. ...</blockquote><br />
<a href="http://www.theroot.com/views/single-minded-sending-my-mom-love-fathers-day"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Single-Minded: Sending My Mom Love on Father's Day</b></span></a><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>By: Helena Andrews Posted: June 18, 2010</b></span><br />
<i><b>No one can be both a 'mother and a father' to their kids. I'm so glad that my mom knew this.</b></i><br />
<blockquote><br />
I don't get those single women who say they've had to be ''the mother and the father'' to their kids. Nobody can be two people. Not even Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde could pull it off, and they had mad science on their side. Thing is you're either someone's mother <i>or</i> father, the two roles are mutually exclusive for a reason. ...</blockquote><br />
<a href="http://www.theroot.com/buzz/christian-school-teacher-fired-pre-marital-sex?obref=obnetwork"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Florida Christian-School Teacher Fired for Premarital Sex</b></span></a><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>By The Buzz Posted: June 14, 2010 </b></span><br />
<blockquote>Fresh from our "Wow file," a former fourth-grade teacher at Southland Christian School in St. Cloud, Florida, was fired for conceiving several weeks before getting married. Oh, the shame -- getting pregnant by your fiance a few weeks before the actual marriage. ...</blockquote><a href="http://www.theroot.com/views/myth-black-black-violence"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>The Myth of Black-on-Black Violence</b></span></a><br />
<b> <span style="font-size: x-small;">By Natalie Hopkinson Posted: June 16, 2010</span></b><br />
<b>As we head into another long, hot summer, the media -- and black folks -- need to retire this loaded term.</b><br />
<blockquote><br />
This year's Black History Month was a particularly bloody one in Shelby County, S.C. Sergio Leary, Ja'cole Wilson, Karon Barrow and Leon Thurman Jr., all young people in their 20s, were all shot dead, according to local news reports.<br />
<br />
The <i>Shelby Star's</i> <a href="http://www.shelbystar.com/articles/black-45289-address-leaders.html" target="_blank">analysis of the burst of violence</a>, hit on all the usual crime reporting clichés: ''black,'' ''at-risk youth,'' ''subcultures that don't value'' life. And then, there's the clincher. ''Despite overall crime numbers falling in recent years, <b>black-on-black</b> [emphasis added] violence remains a prevalent issue,'' the newspaper reported. ...</blockquote>Xiomara A. Maldonadohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16759826955882585699noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-692434648552147064.post-89173304424594836322010-01-11T16:03:00.000-05:002010-01-11T16:07:09.358-05:00Top Online Reads & Sees: JOBS & MONEY<a href="http://msn.careerbuilder.com/Article/MSN-2126-Job-Info-and-Trends-10-Careers-That-Didnt-Exist-10-Years-Ago/?sc_extcmp=JS_2126_home1&SiteId=cbmsnhp42126&ArticleID=2126&gt1=23000&cbRecursionCnt=1&cbsid=fdd2444eb0ab42d79d94c4ba5b0017ed-316505190-RB-4"><b>10 Careers That Didn't Exist 10 Years Ago</b></a><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>By Rachel Zupek, CareerBuilder.com writer</b></span><br />
<blockquote><span id="lblContentBeforeAdNEW">Every so often, you meet someone with a job title that makes you go, "Huh?" Either it's too technical to understand, too hard to describe or in some cases, people just may not have heard of it. But, why would someone not have heard about a job's existence?</span><cite> ...</cite><br />
</blockquote><b><a href="http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/SavingandDebt/SaveMoney/9-sneaky-tips-for-saving-more.aspx">Sneaky coupon tricks: 6 hacks to help you fight back</a></b><br />
<b>Don't let the fine print stop you from saving.</b><br />
<div class="pst_dt"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Posted by <a href="http://boards.msn.com/profile.aspx?userid=234062&forumid=18" onclick="_iuc2Om2('MSNPortalExpertBlogs', 'Author_Click');">DonnaFreedman</a> on Monday, October 26, 2009 2:47 AM</b></span><br />
</div><blockquote>A recent Safeway ad had a coupon for a dozen eggs for $1, a swell deal these days.... However, the coupon's fine print -- there's <i>always</i> fine print -- said shoppers needed to spend at least $10 to use the dollar-a-dozen coupon. The thing was, I didn't need $10 worth of stuff. Just eggs. But I wasn't about to let a teeny-tiny disclaimer keep me from getting cheap protein. I have a frugal hack for just such an occasion. ...<br />
</blockquote><a href="http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/SavingandDebt/SaveMoney/9-sneaky-tips-for-saving-more.aspx"><b> 9 Sneaky Tips for Saving More</b></a><br />
<b>First trick yourself into building a cash cushion, and then trick yourself into keeping it. The process is profitable and might even be fun.</b><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>By </b></span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b><a href="http://boards.msn.com/profile.aspx?userid=234062&forumid=18" onclick="_iuc2Om2('MSNPortalExpertBlogs', 'Author_Click');">DonnaFreedman</a>, MSN Money</b></span><br />
<blockquote>In a perfect world, we wouldn't need tricks to save money. Life isn't perfect, though. The national savings rate in November was 4.7%, which actually is an improvement over recent years. That means Americans, on average, tucked away about a nickel of every dollar.<br />
<br />
Did you?<br />
</blockquote>Xiomara A. Maldonadohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16759826955882585699noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-692434648552147064.post-91565090116323612152010-01-11T16:01:00.000-05:002010-01-11T16:01:50.144-05:00Top Online Reads & Sees: WEATHER<a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34796151/ns/weather/"><b>Even fish can't escape Sunshine State's cold</b></a><br />
<b>100,000 killed, wiping out farmer; hard freeze warning for South Florida</b><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>AP Associated Press, updated 8:02 a.m. ET, Mon., Jan. 11, 2010</b></span><br />
<blockquote>MIAMI - Freakish cold weather continued to grip the South, with snow flurries spotted around Orlando and a record low set for Miami, and forecasters said Sunday that more of the same was expected.<br />
</blockquote><a href="http://www.blogger.com/%20http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/34802065#34802065"><b>Deep Freeze Costing Americans Big Bucks</b></a><br />
<blockquote>Jan. 11: Farmers in Florida are battling crop-destroying cold and heating bills in the Northeast are skyrocketing as a record-breaking cold snap. NBC’s Ron Mott reports from Atlanta.<br />
<br />
<object classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=10,0,0,0" height="245" id="msnbc21c97c" width="420"><param name="movie" value="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32545640"><param name="FlashVars" value="launch=34802065&width=420&height=245"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="wmode" value="opaque" /><embed name="msnbc21c97c" src="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32545640" width="420" height="245" FlashVars="launch=34802065&width=420&height=245" allowscriptaccess="always" allowFullScreen="true" wmode="opaque" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.adobe.com/shockwave/download/download.cgi?P1_Prod_Version=ShockwaveFlash"></embed></object><br />
<div style="-moz-background-clip: border; -moz-background-inline-policy: continuous; -moz-background-origin: padding; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #999999; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; margin-top: 5px; text-align: center; width: 420px;">Visit msnbc.com for <a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/" style="border-bottom: 1px dotted rgb(153, 153, 153) ! important; color: rgb(87, 153, 219) ! important; font-weight: normal ! important; height: 13px; text-decoration: none ! important;">breaking news</a>, <a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032507" style="border-bottom: 1px dotted rgb(153, 153, 153) ! important; color: rgb(87, 153, 219) ! important; font-weight: normal ! important; height: 13px; text-decoration: none ! important;">world news</a>, and <a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032072" style="border-bottom: 1px dotted rgb(153, 153, 153) ! important; color: rgb(87, 153, 219) ! important; font-weight: normal ! important; height: 13px; text-decoration: none ! important;">news about the economy</a><br />
</div></blockquote>Xiomara A. Maldonadohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16759826955882585699noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-692434648552147064.post-58251732988595745932010-01-11T16:00:00.000-05:002010-01-11T16:00:33.689-05:00Top Online Reads & Sees: RELATIONSHIPS<b><a href="http://lifestyle.msn.com/relationships/articleoprah.aspx?cp-documentid=22663613&gt1=32023"><b>How to Make Romance Last</b></a><br />
By Helen Fisher, Ph.D., from "O, The Oprah Magazine"</b><br />
<blockquote>There's nothing like young love, is there? Actually, long-term love can be pretty similar, with one key difference. Learn more about what keeps marriages together.<br />
</blockquote><b><a href="http://lifestyle.msn.com/relationships/articlemcmatch.aspx?cp-documentid=22462983&gt1=32023">Should You Give an Ultimatum?</a><br />
By Diana Vilibert and Abraham Lloyd</b><br />
<blockquote>Is it ever a good idea to throw down the ultimatum gauntlet in a relationship? Ultimatums are examined from a male and a female writer's perspectives.<br />
</blockquote>Xiomara A. Maldonadohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16759826955882585699noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-692434648552147064.post-1296342885449072182010-01-08T21:47:00.000-05:002010-01-08T23:33:23.340-05:00Top Online Reads & Sees<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.slashfood.com/media/2010/01/soda-fountain.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 101px; height: 76px;" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.slashfood.com/media/2010/01/soda-fountain.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><a href="http://www.slashfood.com/2010/01/07/feces-found-in-nearly-half-of-fast-food-soda-fountains/?icid=main%7Caim%7Cdl5%7Clink4%7Chttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.slashfood.com%2F2010%2F01%2F07%2Ffeces-found-in-nearly-half-of-fast-food-soda-fountains%2F"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Bacteria Found in Nearly Half of Fast-Food Soda Foundations</span></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">By Slashfood Editor, Posted Jan 7th 2010 @ 5:30PM</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;">By Catherine Donaldson-Evans</span></span><br /><br />The latest fast food "ick factor" isn't in the burgers or fries -- it's in the soda. A group of microbiologists at Virginia's Hollins University found alarming levels of bacteria, possibly from feces, in fast-food soda fountains.<br /><br />A scary 48 percent of machine beverages tested contained coliform bacteria – ...<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.bing.com/travel/content/search?q=Mind-Reading+Systems+Could+Change+Air+Security&icid=msn1123941">Mind-Reading Systems Could Change Air Plane </a></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.bing.com/travel/content/search?q=Mind-Reading+Systems+Could+Change+Air+Security&icid=msn1123941">Security</a></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">By Michael Tarm, AP</span></span><br /><br />CHICAGO — A would-be terrorist tries to board a plane, bent on mass murder. As he walks through a security checkpoint, fidgeting and glancing around, a network of high-tech machines analyzes his body language and reads his mind. Screeners pull him aside. Tragedy is averted. ...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.walletpop.com/blog/media/2010/01/h&mphoto186.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 67px; height: 99px;" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.walletpop.com/blog/media/2010/01/h&mphoto186.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><a href="http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2010/01/07/unsold-clothes-destroyed-at-h-and-m-until-twitter-roared/?icid=main%7Caim%7Cdl6%7Clink5%7Chttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.walletpop.com%2Fblog%2F2010%2F01%2F07%2Funsold-clothes-destroyed-at-h-and-m-until-twitter-roared%2F"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Unsold Clothes Destroyed at H&M Until Twitter Roared</span></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sarah Gilbert, Jan 7th 2010 at 2:10PM, Wallet Pop</span></span><br /><br />New York City's homeless may be wearing a motley collection of castoff clothing: the rejects from the closets of more financially-blessed residents, perhaps, or the logo merchandise from now-merged banks or defunct companies, maybe even some cast-offs from local discount retailers that lingered too long on the clearance racks. Yet, you won't see any such freebies from H& M or Walmart. Instead of donating unsold clothes to the needy, the two retailers have evidently been quietly stuffing unloved frocks in the trash. ...<br /><br /><a href="http://travel.aol.com/travel-ideas/articles/hotel-survey-reveals-surprising-trends-in-guest-behavior?ncid=AOLCOMMtravdynlprim0760&icid=main%7Caim%7Cdl4%7Clink4%7Chttp%3A%2F%2Ftravel.aol.com%2Ftravel-ideas%2Farticles%2Fhotel-survey-reveals-surprising-trends-in-guest-behavior%3Fncid%3DAOLCOMMtravdynlprim0760"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Hotel Survey Reveals Surprising Trends in Guest Behavior</span></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Libby Zay, January 7, 2010</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:100%;">Each year, the Novotel Hotel Chain polls their workers to identify trends in guest behavior. This year's survey, released today, took into account results—some of which are shocking—from 30 hotels across Australia and New Zealand. Here are the highlights:</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Women Behaving Badly</span></span><br />The survey found that women are more likely to 'souvenir' popularly pilfered items such as mini shampoo bottles and other toiletries, and also more frequently take a 'five finger discount' on unacceptable items such as bathrobes, hairdryers, cushions, and even toilet paper. ...<br /><br /><a href="http://www.parentdish.com/2010/01/06/parents-outraged-over-drunk-bus-drivers-punishment/?icid=main%7Caim%7Cdl5%7Clink3%7Chttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.parentdish.com%2F2010%2F01%2F06%2Fparents-outraged-over-drunk-bus-drivers-punishment%2F"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Kids Begged Drunk Bus Driver to Pull Over</span></a><br />by Amy Hatch, <em></em><strong><a href="http://www.parentdish.com/bloggers/amy-hatch/rss.xml">s posts)</a> </strong> Jan 6th 2010 3:57PMParentDish, AOL Living<br /><br />A school bus driver who drove 37 students while intoxicated was sentenced to five years probation and jail time, but some parents of her terrified passengers say the punishment is not nearly harsh enough. ...<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/-xgSvK2OG8A&hl=en_US&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/-xgSvK2OG8A&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Xiomara A. Maldonadohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16759826955882585699noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-692434648552147064.post-31472112461115400602009-12-28T14:01:00.000-05:002009-12-28T21:40:20.211-05:00Top Online Reads & Sees<p class="textBodyBlack"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://msnbcmedia3.msn.com/j/MSNBC/Components/Photo/_new/090618-homer-simpson-vmed2-7a.widec.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 85px; height: 95px;" src="http://msnbcmedia3.msn.com/j/MSNBC/Components/Photo/_new/090618-homer-simpson-vmed2-7a.widec.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34538104/ns/entertainment-television?GT1=43001"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Vatican Paper Says 'Simpsons' Are Okely Dokely</span></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Associated Press, </span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:85%;" id="udtD" >updated <span class="time">7:21 p.m. ET,</span> <span class="date">Tues., Dec . 22, 2009</span></span></p>VATICAN CITY - To put it as the devout Ned Flanders would, the Vatican's newspaper thinks "The Simpsons" are an okely dokely bunch. L'Osservatore Romano on Tuesday congratulated the show on its 20th anniversary, <a itxtdid="15894009" target="_blank" href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34538104/ns/entertainment-television?GT1=43001#" style="border-bottom: 1px dotted darkgreen ! important; font-weight: normal ! important; font-size: 100% ! important; text-decoration: none ! important; padding-bottom: 0px ! important; color: darkgreen ! important; background-color: transparent ! important; background-image: none; padding-top: 0pt; padding-right: 0pt; padding-left: 0pt;" classname="iAs" class="iAs"><nobr style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 100%; color: darkgreen;" id="itxt_nobr_1_0"></nobr></a>praising its philosophical leanings as well as its stinging and often irreverent take on religion. Without Homer Simpson and the other yellow-skinned characters "many today wouldn't know how to laugh," said the article titled "Aristotle's Virtues and Homer's Doughnut." ...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://moneycentral.msn.com/content/data/images/120/RM/iphone_120_061008_RM.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 75px; height: 82px;" src="http://moneycentral.msn.com/content/data/images/120/RM/iphone_120_061008_RM.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><a href="http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Investing/Dispatch/market-dispatches.aspx?post=1513549&_blg=1,1513549"><span style="font-weight: bold;">AT&T to NYC: No iPhones for you!</span></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Posted by </span><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://boards.msn.com/profile.aspx?userid=2841185&forumid=18" onclick="_iuc2Om2('MSNPortalExpertBlogs', 'Author_Click');">Elizabeth Strott</a><span style="font-weight: bold;"> to MSN Money</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />Monday, December 28, 2009 10:32 AM</span></span><br /><br /><b>Apple </b>(<a href="http://moneycentral.msn.com/detail/stock_quote?symbol=aapl" title="http://moneycentral.msn.com/detail/stock_quote?symbol=aapl">AAPL</a>) sold 7.4 million iPhones in its most recent quarter, making the device extremely popular and profitable, as well as a boon for exclusive service provider <b>AT&T </b>(<a href="http://moneycentral.msn.com/detail/stock_quote?symbol=t" title="http://moneycentral.msn.com/detail/stock_quote?symbol=t">T</a>). So why, then, is AT&T not selling the smart phone in New York City? Well, "because New York is not ready for the iPhone." ...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.blogcdn.com/jobs.aol.com/articles/media/2009/11/name_tag_200.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 75px; height: 57px;" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/jobs.aol.com/articles/media/2009/11/name_tag_200.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><a href="http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2009/02/02/does-your-name-spell-success/?ncid=AOLCOMMjobsDYNLsec0002&icid=main%7Cmain%7Cdl4%7Clink5%7Chttp%3A%2F%2Fjobs.aol.com%2Farticles%2F2009%2F02%2F02%2Fdoes-your-name-spell-success%2F%3Fncid%3DAOLCOMMjobsDYNLsec0002"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Does Your Name Spell Success?</span></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">By M. Wolfe for AOL Find A Job</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />Posted February 2nd, 2009 12:00 PM</span></span><br /><br />"What's in a name?" a man named Shakespeare asked long ago. Potential employers may ask this same question of you. After all, your name is the first thing on your resume. Along with your appearance, it's one of the things most people use to form a first impression.<br /><br />Much effort goes into understanding the power of names-ask anyone having their first baby. Some believe a name is the single most important influence on development of our personality and helps create our destiny. Can your name help you succeed? What can you do to increase your chances of success in the name game? ...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2009/06/27/obituaries/jackson600.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 91px; height: 66px;" src="http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2009/06/27/obituaries/jackson600.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2009/02/26/obituaries/OBITNOTABLE_SLIDE_23.html"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Notable Deaths of 2009</span></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">The New York Times Obituaries</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Slide Show Photo: Gary Hershorn/Reuters</span></span><br /><br /><b>Michael Jackson,</b> who went from boy wonder to global pop superstar to sad figure haunted by lawsuits, paparazzi and failed plastic surgery, died June 25 in a Los Angeles hospital. He was 50.<br /><br /><b>Farrah Fawcett</b>, an actress, television star and pop-culture phenomenon whose good looks and signature leonine hairstyle influenced a generation of women, died on June 25 in Santa Monica, Calif. She was 62. ...<br /><br /><a href="http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/12/29/ad-rant-10-worst-ads-of-the-decade/?icid=main%7Cmain%7Cdl3%7Clink3%7Chttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.walletpop.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F12%2F29%2Fad-rant-10-worst-ads-of-the-decade%2F"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Ad Rant: The 10 Worst Ads of the Decade</span></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Posted by Jami Bernard to WalletPop Blog</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />Monday, December 28, 2009 10:00 AM</span></span><br /><br />The decade was awash in such truly awful commercials that we were hard pressed to choose just 10 of the best (worst) from this embarrassment of riches. Please join us now as we lose our appetite entirely for fast-food sandwiches and candy. You'll never feel comfortable again in a shower or hotel room. You'll realize what a dupe you've been by relying on credit cards, you'll feel insulted by the very brands you've come to trust, and you'll never take your big toe for granted again.<br /><br />Here, then, are 10 of the worst ads of the past 10 years:<strong> 1. White Castle: Pole-Dancing Pig</strong> ...<br /><br /><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/utDpVaxT-ok&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/utDpVaxT-ok&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" height="344" width="425"></embed></object>Xiomara A. Maldonadohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16759826955882585699noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-692434648552147064.post-1368771447720715122009-12-24T13:06:00.000-05:002009-12-24T13:22:46.677-05:00Happy Holidays from NYC<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_hHZdsq7hh34/SzOxQ_D-MtI/AAAAAAAACsU/8yNLLANkAMc/s1600-h/BELIEVEMACYS_XMaldonado2009.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 160px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_hHZdsq7hh34/SzOxQ_D-MtI/AAAAAAAACsU/8yNLLANkAMc/s200/BELIEVEMACYS_XMaldonado2009.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5418869682020954834" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCo-nXRffV5PatNxqOYgx4a7Ugtqrrz5t3U7pArxT1q3EOYb2K8L-ByAJN4Tb7-lTr6HzKUD3Dp91BuwPO8W0o0h_qj2SJ3yRR4We4KLj_EzJdxQrCKM3gri9vu9etd4JU6Lwhyphenhyphen4zfkISc/s1600-h/BELIEVE_XMaldonado2009.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 160px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCo-nXRffV5PatNxqOYgx4a7Ugtqrrz5t3U7pArxT1q3EOYb2K8L-ByAJN4Tb7-lTr6HzKUD3Dp91BuwPO8W0o0h_qj2SJ3yRR4We4KLj_EzJdxQrCKM3gri9vu9etd4JU6Lwhyphenhyphen4zfkISc/s200/BELIEVE_XMaldonado2009.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5418869673468838418" border="0" /></a>Xiomara A. Maldonadohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16759826955882585699noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-692434648552147064.post-50518531148414259442009-12-22T15:22:00.000-05:002009-12-22T18:06:58.117-05:00Top Online Reads & Sees<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjnEeujpDje7_14SV2VoLN7jeN-IgJKKisnKGzZ6g37kfuxN16jrst4aDnI2CPeQm8Xx2y28izId-Nr41YM_90x8xkIvKSr9DmsBJNIT7iFt7yHWcpTYFTKVJn-v3fm5w6uhcTDd42QFLE/s320/YankeeStadiumStationWM_XiomaraAMaldonado_2008.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 125px; height: 94px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjnEeujpDje7_14SV2VoLN7jeN-IgJKKisnKGzZ6g37kfuxN16jrst4aDnI2CPeQm8Xx2y28izId-Nr41YM_90x8xkIvKSr9DmsBJNIT7iFt7yHWcpTYFTKVJn-v3fm5w6uhcTDd42QFLE/s320/YankeeStadiumStationWM_XiomaraAMaldonado_2008.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/18/nyregion/18students.html?scp=1&sq=METRO%20CARDS&st=cse"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Students See Hard Future if Free Fares Are Ended</span></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sharon Otterman, December 17, 2009,</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;">The New York Times</span></span><br /><br /><blockquote>When Alejandro Velazquez, 15, was selecting a high school last year, he decided on Washington Irving in Manhattan because of its strong Spanish-English bilingual program. It was a 40-minute trip from his home in the Bronx, but his mother assented, in part because he could travel free.<br /><br />His family’s calculus, he said, would have been different had he needed to pay $40 a month or more to get to and from school, a reality that will begin next fall if budget cuts passed by the <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/17/nyregion/17mta.html?scp=2&sq=%22Metropolitan%20transportation%22&st=cse" title="An article about the board’s vote and the cuts.">Metropolitan Transportation Authority</a> board on Wednesday are carried out. ...</blockquote><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34524436/ns/us_news-military">7 Soldiers Cited in Pregnancy Ban on Soldiers in Iraq</a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">MSN Lifestyle</span></span>, <span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">msnbc.com staff and news service reports, December 22, 2009</span></span><br /><blockquote>Four female and three male soldiers in northern Iraq have been reprimanded for disobeying a ban on pregnancies, but the general in charge of troops there has backed off an earlier threat of courts-martial and prison time for such cases. ...</blockquote><a href="http://lifestyle.msn.com/your-look/makeup-skin-care-hair/staticslideshowrealbeauty.aspx?cp-documentid=22824089&gt1=32002"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Hairstyle How-To: Sleek Evening Ponytail</span></a><br /><em><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">By Danilo, Pantene celebrity hairstylist</span></span><br /></em><blockquote><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://blstb.msn.com/i/D6/9ADCF8C52E6A92FE944B9364C3DD83.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 100px; height: 100px;" src="http://blstb.msn.com/i/D6/9ADCF8C52E6A92FE944B9364C3DD83.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>This no-fuss, sophisticated style is easy to create at home and works well for both the office and all of your after-work events. Get more hair inspiration here.<br /><br />A ponytail is a quick style that can be enhanced with jeweled combs or decorative pins. Since more attention will be drawn to your face, compliment this simple style by playing up your eyes. ...</blockquote><em></em><a href="http://redtape.msnbc.com/2009/12/a-lawsuit-filed-this-week-by-washington-state-against-directv-could-have-a-secondary-purpose-it-could-serve-as-a-textbook-fo.html"><span style="font-weight: bold;">DirecTV Thrives On 'Deception,' Lawsuit Alleges</span></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">By Bob Sullivan, Friday, December 18, 2009</span> <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">MSNBC The Red Tape Chronicles</span></span><br /><blockquote>A lawsuit filed this week by Washington state against DirecTV could have a secondary purpose: It could serve as a textbook for consumers on tricks companies play to take their money.<br /><br />The suit filed by Washington Attorney General Rob McKenna alleges so many forms of misbehavior that he thinks DirecTV, the nation's largest satellite TV provider, has "built deception into their business model." ...<br /></blockquote><a href="http://www.delish.com/food-fun/food-history?gt1=47029"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Food History: How Your Favorite Foods (and One Appliance) Were Invented</span></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">By Lauren Donaldson, MSN Delish</span></span><br /><blockquote><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.delish.com/cm/delish/images/id/pez-candies-xl.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 81px; height: 81px;" src="http://www.delish.com/cm/delish/images/id/pez-candies-xl.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Did you know one of your beloved candies was intended as an anti-smoking treat? Or that chocolate chip cookies were discovered by mistake? Check out the strange beginnings of some of your fave foods and one appliance you probably wouldn't want to live without. ...</blockquote>Xiomara A. Maldonadohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16759826955882585699noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-692434648552147064.post-7509863152839225032009-12-15T12:52:00.000-05:002009-12-15T13:33:13.633-05:00The Next Blog<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://images.google.com/url?source=imgres&ct=tbn&q=http://www.outthereimages.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/hagen_090905_0043_anchoragemtns.jpg&usg=AFQjCNEMvJqKylxyI6tRbuJ8ChEGwKW6ow"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 128px; height: 89px;" src="http://images.google.com/url?source=imgres&ct=tbn&q=http://www.outthereimages.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/hagen_090905_0043_anchoragemtns.jpg&usg=AFQjCNEMvJqKylxyI6tRbuJ8ChEGwKW6ow" alt="" border="0" /></a>Feel like traveling but can't get away from the house? Spend an hour or so clicking on Blogger's "Next Blog" link, and you'll find yourself wandering blogs from all over the world.<br /><br />Before recently embarking on my own "Next Blog" journey, I had been confused as to why my site received seemingly random visitors from locations such as Paraguay, Quebec, London and Iran in addition to America. Once I had finished my journey, though, I understood: simply by clicking "Next Blog," I too could travel into and learn about alternate realities through the minds of various world characters.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.art-reach.org/Blogger%20Button.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 56px; height: 55px;" src="http://www.art-reach.org/Blogger%20Button.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>On my "Next Blog" journey, I reached the sites of all sorts of intriguing bloggers in unique life situations. I visited, for example, a blog that provides updates to a <a href="http://fmshistory.blogspot.com/2009/12/japan-week-2-history-day-info.html">7th grade Social Studies class</a> (and their parents) in Southern California; it includes recent instructions for a History Day project and a hint for extra credit on an upcoming final.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2604/4167527572_fea49b6f0b.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 109px; height: 61px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2604/4167527572_fea49b6f0b.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>I also indulged in the classroom experiences of a student-teacher; and I read about one <a href="http://klinesworld.blogspot.com/2009/12/our-stuff-gets-shipped.html">woman's preparations for her move to Norway</a>, where her husband will further his studies. I even found the blog of a Lutheran pastor from Anchorage, Alaska, who included a post on <a href="http://coslcgrace.blogspot.com/2009/12/pastor-rick-warren-distances-himself.html">Evangelist Rick Warren's dubious denial </a>of any relation to the "Kill the Gays" bill in Uganda. I especially enjoyed the artistic sensibilities of "<a href="http://bloodybunny.blogspot.com/">Bloody Crafts</a>," which showcases Bloody Bunny tote bags, iPhone holders and other products bearing the blogger's original designs.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2468/3805317878_50fde6fa36.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 114px; height: 84px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2468/3805317878_50fde6fa36.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>My favorite discovery of the evening? The blog of a talented <a href="http://etchasketchist.blogspot.com/">Etch-A-Sketch artist</a> who cooly replicates an image of The Breakfast Club. Of course, I am now a follower of this blog and several others; and I am interested in seeing what sorts of worldly information I can glean from the authors' future postings. I encourage you to click on chance too, and check out the next blog! You just may like what you find.Xiomara A. Maldonadohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16759826955882585699noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-692434648552147064.post-71638453442597885012009-12-14T05:24:00.000-05:002009-12-15T08:35:40.704-05:00XAM: Top Online Reads<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.bing.com/travel/content/static/br-images/image-aHR0cDovL2JsdWJlZGJ1aWEwMTo4My9pL0Y4L0YxMzFEMjJFMzVFMzRGNjk3ODEzRDQyODQ0OUUuanBn.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 174px; height: 120px;" src="http://www.bing.com/travel/content/static/br-images/image-aHR0cDovL2JsdWJlZGJ1aWEwMTo4My9pL0Y4L0YxMzFEMjJFMzVFMzRGNjk3ODEzRDQyODQ0OUUuanBn.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><a href="http://www.bing.com/travel/content/search?q=Sparkling+Holiday+Displays+Worldwide%3a+The+Philippines&cid=msn1116032&gt1=41000"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sparkling Holiday Displays Worldwide</span></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:85%;" >Slide show text by Sonja Groset, Bing Travel; photo editing by Connie Ricca.</span><br /><br /><div class="caption"> <div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">Spectacular light displays are a hallmark of the holiday season in many locations around the globe. Amusement parks, gardens, piazzas and plazas all glow under the flicker of thousands of lights. For shoppers in the world’s top cities, window displays are another herald of the holidays, as children and adults alike press their noses against the windowpane to view animated figures and wintry scenes. Christmas in the <strong>Philippines </strong>is symbolized by "parols," or star lanterns. ...<a href="http://editorial.autos.msn.com/listarticle.aspx?cp-documentid=1114032&icid=1162&GT1=22006"><br /></a><p class="date updated"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.nypost.com/rw/nypost/2009/12/06/news/photos_stories/1204_MicroApt_CHE164159--300x150.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 186px; height: 93px;" src="http://www.nypost.com/rw/nypost/2009/12/06/news/photos_stories/1204_MicroApt_CHE164159--300x150.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/manhattan/cozy_crazy_couple_makes_tight_studio_R15ToNFTaJE3c17zkw4efP/0">Cozy-crazy couple makes tight all right in the city's tiniest studio</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:85%;" >By ANGELA MONTEFINISE, <em>Posted:</em> 4:01 AM, December 6, 2009</span><br /></p></div></div> If they can make it there, they can make it anywhere. Zaarath and Christopher Prokop -- and their two cats -- live in the smallest apartment in the city, a 175-square-foot "microstudio" in Morningside Heights the couple bought three months ago for $150,000. At 14.9 feet long and 10 feet wide, it's about as narrow as a subway car and as claustrophobic as a jail cell. But to the Prokops, it's a castle. ...<br /><br /><a href="http://www.popeater.com/2009/11/19/beyonce-crowd-surf-london/?icid=main%7Caim%7Cdl2%7Clink4%7Chttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.popeater.com%2F2009%2F11%2F19%2Fbeyonce-crowd-surf-london%2F"> </a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.popeater.com/media/2009/11/beyoncestagedive.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 186px; height: 115px;" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.popeater.com/media/2009/11/beyoncestagedive.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><a href="http://www.popeater.com/2009/11/19/beyonce-crowd-surf-london/?icid=main%7Caim%7Cdl2%7Clink4%7Chttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.popeater.com%2F2009%2F11%2F19%2Fbeyonce-crowd-surf-london%2F"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Beyonce Takes a Dive at London Concert</span></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:85%;" >PopEater, Posted Thursday 19 November 02:45 PM By: <a href="http://www.popeater.com/bloggers/megan-rumph/">Megan Rumph</a></span><br /><br /><a href="http://www.popeater.com/tag/Beyonce/">Beyonce</a> made an unexpected leap at a free concert in London Sunday night. During her performance of 'Halo,' she took a daring head-first stage dive into the audience of screaming fans, in nothing but a sequined leotard. <strong>Watch the video.... ...</strong><br /><br /><div id="TixyyLink" style="border: medium none ; overflow: hidden; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><a href="http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/11/19/new-minute-maid-juice-packaging-can-it-avoid-the-tropicana-di/?icid=main%7Caim%7Cdl3%7Clink5%7Chttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.walletpop.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F11%2F19%2Fnew-minute-maid-juice-packaging-can-it-avoid-the-tropicana-di%2F"> </a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.walletpop.com/blog/media/2009/11/ojstory.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 105px; height: 133px;" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.walletpop.com/blog/media/2009/11/ojstory.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><a href="http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/11/19/new-minute-maid-juice-packaging-can-it-avoid-the-tropicana-di/?icid=main%7Caim%7Cdl3%7Clink5%7Chttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.walletpop.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F11%2F19%2Fnew-minute-maid-juice-packaging-can-it-avoid-the-tropicana-di%2F"><span style="font-weight: bold;">New Minute Maid juice packaging-- can it avoid the Tropicana disaster?</span></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:85%;" >Wallet Pop, Tom Barlow, Nov. 19th, 2009</span><br /><br />In the world of advertising, the Tropicana disaster of 2008-09 is already legendary. The orange juice container <a href="http://industry.bnet.com/advertising/10001055/arnells-explanation-of-failed-tropicana-design-resembles-his-nonsensical-pepsi-document/?tag=content;selector-perfector">redesign by controversial brand guru Peter Arnell</a> eliminated the familiar straw-in-an-orange image in favor of a photo of a glass of OJ. This killed the brand recognition developed over many years, resulting in <a href="http://thesidenoteblog.com/2009/04/08/tropicana-the-results-are-in/">a 20% drop in sales</a> and the loss of millions of dollars within two months. Tropicana beat a hasty retreat to the old design. Now, according to <a href="http://adage.com/article?article_id=140582">Advertising Age</a>, Coca-Cola is taking a similar risky step, re-branding its Minute Maid line of juices. ...<br /></div><a href="http://editorial.autos.msn.com/listarticle.aspx?cp-documentid=1114032&icid=1162&GT1=22006"><br /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://blstb.msn.com/i/B9/AAAE32BF83DAE363A46634AC44428.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 156px; height: 126px;" src="http://blstb.msn.com/i/B9/AAAE32BF83DAE363A46634AC44428.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://editorial.autos.msn.com/listarticle.aspx?cp-documentid=1114032&icid=1162&GT1=22006">Green Car of the Year 2010</a><span style="font-size:85%;"><cite><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">By </span><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://editorial.autos.msn.com/articles/contributors.aspx" onclick="">Josh Condon</a><span style="font-weight: bold;"> of MSN Autos</span></cite></span><br /><br />Walk around the 2009 Los Angeles Auto Show for any length of time and you'll start to hear the same buzzwords and phrases over and over again. "Moving forward" is the first one that comes to mind — after all, pretty much every company wants this financially dismal period to end. With at least as much frequency, however, you'll hear a spate of environmentally pointed terms: "eco-friendly," "reduced emissions" and the most heinously overused of eco-conscious idioms, "green." Being green seems to be the way automakers plan to climb in their customers' hearts — and wallets - in the future. Some already have the eco-friendly bona fides and are making a difference, right now, on a road near you. Here are the five finalists for the Green Car of the Year, an award given out by the Green Car Journal. Who won? Read on to see. ...Xiomara A. Maldonadohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16759826955882585699noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-692434648552147064.post-64057476431886898942009-12-14T02:37:00.001-05:002009-12-15T14:22:02.962-05:00T-Mobile Didn't Ask Me!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.google.com/url?source=imgres&ct=tbn&q=http://www.thetechherald.com/media/images/200833/TMobileLogo_5.jpg&usg=AFQjCNFvHf2dTPzilFgvLDNimylhHp8STw"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 117px; height: 78px;" src="http://www.google.com/url?source=imgres&ct=tbn&q=http://www.thetechherald.com/media/images/200833/TMobileLogo_5.jpg&usg=AFQjCNFvHf2dTPzilFgvLDNimylhHp8STw" alt="" border="0" /></a>T-Mobile says they asked America... but T-Mobile didn't ask me!<br /><br />I wasn't even looking at the television when I first encountered T-Mobile's most recent commercial. I heard a man's voice ask, "What do you want from a wireless company?" I yelled "Service!" <br /><br />My voice echoed in the tiny studio apartment where I get no wireless service, and I sighed with frustration because I could not even call Customer Service to tell them what I wanted.<br /><br />T-Mobile, you suck!<br /><br /><object width="400" height="255"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/V9ms76Emla4&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/V9ms76Emla4&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="400" height="255"></embed></object>Xiomara A. Maldonadohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16759826955882585699noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-692434648552147064.post-74889522658763926152009-12-09T17:54:00.000-05:002009-12-10T05:48:45.751-05:00I want to write songs like Shakira!<div style="text-align: center;"><blockquote><span style="font-style: italic;">There's nothing scarier than standing in front of a white canvas and not knowing where you're going next.<br /><span style="font-size:85%;">--</span></span><span style="font-size:85%;">Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll</span><br /></blockquote></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/b/b5/Shakira_She_Wolf_2009.jpg/200px-Shakira_She_Wolf_2009.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 174px; height: 174px;" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/b/b5/Shakira_She_Wolf_2009.jpg/200px-Shakira_She_Wolf_2009.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>In this Pepsi Music exclusive interview with Shakira on Yahoo, Shakira speaks about her most recent album, <span style="font-style: italic;">She Wolf</span>, which was released on October 9, 2009. She says, "I wanted <span style="font-style: italic;">She-Wolf</span> to be an album different from everything I've done before...."<br /><br />I remember being a young adolescent buying Shakira CDs in Puerto Rico and falling in love with her the moment I listened to her songs; that was when her albums were in Spanish and could only be found in one section of Union Square's now defunct Virgin store. But it seems that Shakira refuses to be boxed into any one genre. Latin? Latin Pop? Dance? Electronic?<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2yRm3GCZ2U4"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 151px; height: 102px;" src="http://images.google.com/url?source=imgres&ct=tbn&q=http://aceterrier.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/shakira.JPG&usg=AFQjCNEglNAInOjDQSbvnYFzJX8dBwr7xw" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />"It [She-Wolf]," Shakira says, "still keeps the fusion of different elements and influences from India, the Middle East, or even my own country, Colombia, or... Jamaica... but everything within this electronic context." As much as I long to see Shakira <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/She_Wolf_%28album%29"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 113px; height: 162px;" src="http://www.vivashakira.com/red1.gif" alt="" border="0" /></a>with dark hair and red highlights and tiny braids again, I appreciate her evolution as an artist. From Pies Descalzos (1995) to Laundry Service (2001) to She-Wolf (2009), Shakira consistently searches for new ways to express herself. And I am surely enthralled by the fierceness of her lyrics and the synthesis of diverse sounds in her songs.<br /><br />It's only been two months since the release of <span style="font-style: italic;">She Wolf</span>, but I can't help but wonder what artistic masterpiece Shakira will produce next. "I'm like Haley's Comet," she says. "You know, I make an appearance every 4 years, and... that's because I spend a huge amount of time in the recording studio working on the arrangements... and tailoring each song to my needs, to my vision.... It's like craftsmanship." I'll be waiting... for however long it takes.<br /><br /><object id="uvp_fop" allowfullscreen="true" height="255" width="400"><param name="movie" value="http://d.yimg.com/m/up/fop/embedflv/swf/fop.swf"><param name="flashVars" value="id=v218610819&eID=1301797&lang=us&enableFullScreen=0&shareEnable=1"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><embed id="uvp_fop" allowfullscreen="true" src="http://d.yimg.com/m/up/fop/embedflv/swf/fop.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" flashvars="id=v218610819&eID=1301797&lang=us&ympsc=4195329&enableFullScreen=1&shareEnable=1" height="255" width="400"></embed></object>Xiomara A. Maldonadohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16759826955882585699noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-692434648552147064.post-57462479113799818892009-12-07T12:32:00.000-05:002009-12-09T14:20:00.789-05:00Jesus, Yogi Tea, Midol & Always Infinity<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://images.google.com/url?source=imgres&ct=tbn&q=http://cdn.thefrisky.com/images/uploads/period_sex_blood_c.jpg&usg=AFQjCNETPBVKC0Y6NvctyWF6iUMOT5b3XQ"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 171px; float: left; height: 153px; cursor: pointer;" alt="" src="http://images.google.com/url?source=imgres&ct=tbn&q=http://cdn.thefrisky.com/images/uploads/period_sex_blood_c.jpg&usg=AFQjCNETPBVKC0Y6NvctyWF6iUMOT5b3XQ" border="0" /></a>We live in a culture where a woman's menstrual period, and thereby a woman, is often described as "disgusting" and "dirty." I've watched men look away and cover their ears when a pad commercial comes on the television or run away, in actual fright, from the sight of unused tampons.<br /><br />Even worse, I've heard different groups of men say, "You can't trust anything that bleeds for seven days and doesn't die," accompanied by laughter, in response to comments on the natural process of menstruation. "<a href="http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/trust">Trust</a>," as <a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.dictionary.com">Dictionary.com</a> defines it, is "reliance on the integrity, strength, ability, surety, etc., of a person or thing; confidence." Apparently, women cannot be given responsibility or authority because our non-pregnant bodies shed their uterine linings!<br /><br />Furthermore, topics surrounding a woman's period are generally considered taboo, which is why <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i.ehow.com/images/GlobalPhoto/Articles/4758818/MenstrualCramps-main_Full.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 201px; height: 133px;" src="http://i.ehow.com/images/GlobalPhoto/Articles/4758818/MenstrualCramps-main_Full.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>men may use demeaning 'jokes' to quiet a woman who brings them up in conversation. But why should I be silenced and made to feel bad about myself or my integrity when I complain to a male friend about my menstrual upper leg muscle aches and lower backaches? Why the fear and disgust, Man? Why the timidity and shame, Woman?<br /><br />The notion that a woman who bleeds cannot be trusted has existed for centuries. In Old Testament biblical times, an Israelite woman who recently gave birth was considered "ceremonially unclean for seven days, just as she is unclean during her monthly period" (<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Leviticus+12&version=NIV">Leviticus 12:2</a>). By law, such a woman "must not touch anything sacred or go to the sanctuary until the days of her purification are over" (<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Leviticus+12&version=NIV">Leviticus 12:4</a>). In fact, women could only be "purified," after the passage of a certain amount of time, by providing the priest with "a year-old lamb for a burnt offering and a young pigeon or dove for a sin offering" (<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Leviticus+12&version=NIV">Leviticus 12:6</a>).<br /><br />If you grew up in a Christian church like I did, you may remember the New Testament Bible <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.textually.org/tv/archives/images/set3/bible-1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; width: 198px; float: right; height: 146px; cursor: pointer;" alt="" src="http://www.textually.org/tv/archives/images/set3/bible-1.jpg" border="0" /></a>story, found in <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+9&version=NIV">Matthew 9</a>, <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark+5&version=NIV">Mark 5</a> and <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+8&version=NIV">Luke 8</a>, of the woman who had an illness that caused her to bleed for 12 years until she touched the hem of Jesus' cloak. As a woman, especially an "unclean" one, she risked further social ostracization and even physical harm in touching a rabbi.<br /><br />But imagine bleeding and not being allowed to go out because of it for 12 years. Imagine being made to feel disgusting for having your period every day for over a decade. Imagine hoping to just fit in.<br /><br />Jesus' revolutionary reaction to the woman's risky action seems to take these psychological, social, emotional and physical sufferings into account: instead of condemning the woman, as any other man would have in that society, he says, "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace" (<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+8&version=NIV">Luke 8:48</a>). In this story, Jesus regards the woman as a human being, as a suffering person deserving of attention and help. So I am thinking, if Jesus wasn't reduced to little-boy squeals of disgust by a woman who bleeds, why should anyone else be?<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://images.google.com/url?source=imgres&ct=img&q=http://www.healthyhints.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/Menstruation-disorders-anovular-irregular-and-retrograde-menstruation.jpg&usg=AFQjCNEIE5fdXMxxuwvGvaEXMIWXfN5G-Q"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; width: 215px; float: right; height: 155px; cursor: pointer;" alt="" src="http://images.google.com/url?source=imgres&ct=img&q=http://www.healthyhints.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/Menstruation-disorders-anovular-irregular-and-retrograde-menstruation.jpg&usg=AFQjCNEIE5fdXMxxuwvGvaEXMIWXfN5G-Q" border="0" /></a><br />Interestingly, when women complain, "I hate my period!" their reasons for such loathing are not framed by comments on feeling "dirty" or "disgusting." In fact, the appearance of one's period commonly comes with two major woes with which most women can empathize-- physical agony and fears of leakage. Women's remarks about their menstruation usually include: "I am in so much pain;" "I feel so sick;" "I can barely walk or get out of bed;" and "I keep having to check the seat of my pants." Instead of saying "Ew" in response, we can learn a lesson from Jesus and focus on the fact that a woman who is experiencing a painful period is suffering and in need of help.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqPXBbnhU8uE68YWNEAOC_loC_IYN5drUGAWFbVdYE8bF2T19geSydEXd1jHsc5a46H9Qj_U9jvEh9SijgeHdi8gOzURv2qNOJuWGABw6dVS9JcYmr8mHSVmkA5krWiAArVdz8xVzA9s3u/s1600-h/MenstruationProductsDisplayWMXiomaraAMaldonado2009.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 234px; float: left; height: 142px; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5412664110965229858" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqPXBbnhU8uE68YWNEAOC_loC_IYN5drUGAWFbVdYE8bF2T19geSydEXd1jHsc5a46H9Qj_U9jvEh9SijgeHdi8gOzURv2qNOJuWGABw6dVS9JcYmr8mHSVmkA5krWiAArVdz8xVzA9s3u/s200/MenstruationProductsDisplayWMXiomaraAMaldonado2009.jpg" border="0" /></a>Hence, my response to such comments is a list of recommended products that have been helping to ease my menstruation pain and leakage fears this week:<br /><br />1) <a href="http://www.yogiproducts.com/products/details/womans-moon-cycle/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Yogi Woman's Moon Cycle Tea</span></a>: <span style="font-weight: bold;"></span>Although Yogi is sure to say that the statements made on its tea box "have not been evaluated by the FDA," I have been relying on this tea, which was given to me by Krystal, "to help relieve the minor tensions and discomfort" of my period. The tea is made of Dong Quai Root, Chaste Tree Berry, Juniper Berry and a proprietary blend of organic herbs, including fennel seed, ginger root, cinnamon bark, chamomile flower, raspberry leaf, anise seed and parsley leaf. Even if it didn't physically comfort me, I would drink this tea because I thoroughly enjoy this combination of flavors and the tea's texture.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://se.ethz.ch/people/leitner/erl_g/image/tea_cup_small.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 193px; height: 144px;" src="http://se.ethz.ch/people/leitner/erl_g/image/tea_cup_small.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />2) <a href="http://www.midol.com/menstrual_complete_caps.html"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Midol Complete</span></a>:<span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span>Midol, which contains acetaminophen, caffeine, pyrilamine maleate pain reliever, stimulant and diuretic, is used to provide relief of menstrual symptoms, such as cramps, bloating, water-weight gain, breast tenderness, headache, backache, muscle aches and fatigue. I switch between Pamprin and Midol, both which work wonders. Some tips: A) Take two Midol caplets before you feel pain because once your uterus starts contracting to push out the lining, it'll take at least half an hour after you take the medicine for you to start feeling better; and B) Do NOT take Tylenol in addition to Midol because you can overdose on acetaminophen.<br /><br />3) <a href="http://www.always.com/infinity/always_infinity.jsp#/experience-the-magic"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Always Infinity</span></a>: Always has designed yet another pad that I first tried through a free sample I got at a Seaport fair. After the first four hours of <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51p%2BM5fthgL.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 123px; height: 123px;" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51p%2BM5fthgL.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>wearing this pad, I was hooked. Although the pad's wings do not necessarily fit all of my panties right, the "revolutionary wing design for secure protection" works phenomenally and it doesn't feel as if I am wearing a folded up tee-shirt down there. My only issue with this pad is its cost! Note Rite Aid's $5.59 price tag on a box of only 16 pads. Get a FREE SAMPLE of Always Infinity and other Procter & Gamble products delivered to your home within 4-6 weeks by clicking on the link above. It really works!<br /><br />*Try <a href="http://www.always.com/clean/">Always Feminine Wipes</a> too. They come individually packaged now.<br /><br />4) <a href="http://www.playtexsport.com/Demand-it.aspx"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Playtex Sports Tampons</span></a>: These tampons have a contoured plastic <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://thefashionablehousewife.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/09/header.gif"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 123px; height: 130px;" src="http://thefashionablehousewife.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/09/header.gif" alt="" border="0" /></a>applicator, which is so much more comfortable and easy to slide into the vagina than the uncontoured cardboard applicators my mother buys at the 99-cent store. This tampon also sports a "custom fit design" that "expands all around with every move you make" and a "unique second backup layer for defense against leaks." Again, my only issue with such a high quality product is its price. So try it out for FREE by clicking on the link above!<br /><br />Happy period!Xiomara A. Maldonadohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16759826955882585699noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-692434648552147064.post-43342977279920078142009-12-07T11:20:00.000-05:002009-12-07T12:20:49.044-05:00Top Online News<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2009/11/23/arts/synagogue190/articleInline.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 144px; height: 216px;" src="http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2009/11/23/arts/synagogue190/articleInline.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span class="timestamp published" title="2009-11-23T12:52:48-05:00"><a href="http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/11/23/kiki-smith-deborah-gans-to-design-window-for-eldridge-street-synagogue/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Kiki Smith and Deborah Gans to Design Window for Eldridge Street Synagogue</span></a><br /></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">By </span><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/author/robin-pogrebin/" class="url fn" title="See all posts by ROBIN POGREBIN">ROBIN POGREBIN</a><span style="font-weight: bold;">, </span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:85%;" class="timestamp published" title="2009-11-23T12:52:48-05:00" >The New York Times, Arts Beat, November 23, 2009, <span>12:52 pm</span></span> <!-- <abbr class="updated" title="2009-11-24T10:10:02-05:00">— Updated: 10:10 am</abbr> --> <!-- Title --> <!-- By line --> <!-- The Content --> <div style="font-weight: bold;" class="w190 right"><span style="font-size:85%;">Photo: Michael Nagle for The New York Times The Eldridge Street Synagogue</span></div> <p>The Museum at Eldridge Street has commissioned the artist <a href="http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/s/kiki_smith/index.html?inline=nyt-per" class="tickerized" title="More articles about Kiki Smith.">Kiki Smith</a> and the architect Deborah Gans to create a new east window for its 1887 synagogue, a National Historic Landmark on Manhattan’s Lower East Side.... The synagogue reopened in 2007 after a 20-year restoration, but there were no available records of the original window.... While the design has yet to be released, Ms. Smith said it would feature the Star of David at the center “in a field of blue five-pointed stars.” The Eldridge Street Synagogue — reputed to be the first house of worship built by Eastern European Jews in the United States — has a neo-Moorish interior with 50-foot ceilings faux-painted and stenciled ceilings, 68 stained-glass windows. ...</p><p style="font-weight: bold;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.bing.com/travel/content/static/br-images/image-aHR0cDovL2JsdWJlZGJ1aWEwMTo4My9pL0Y3Lzg4REUyMjZDM0Q4QUU2MURBOURFRUUyQzUzNUQ5RC5qcGc.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 220px; height: 150px;" src="http://www.bing.com/travel/content/static/br-images/image-aHR0cDovL2JsdWJlZGJ1aWEwMTo4My9pL0Y3Lzg4REUyMjZDM0Q4QUU2MURBOURFRUUyQzUzNUQ5RC5qcGc.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><a href="http://www.bing.com/travel/content/search?q=Oasis+of+the+Seas%3a+Titanic+Proportions&cid=msn1110916&gt1=41000">Oasis of the Seas: Largest Cruse Ship Afloat</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:85%;" >Text by Robin Dalmas, Bing Travel; photo editing by Connie Ricca</span></p><span></span><div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" style="padding-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; padding-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0pt;">Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas debuts in December as the world’s largest cruise ship. It’s nearly five times the gross tonnage of the Titanic, <span>and 1½ </span>times longer than the U.S. Capitol building, has 16 decks and has a capacity for 6,296 guests. You may also be pleased to know that Oasis has the largest lifeboats in the cruise world. Each one can hold nearly 370 people. ...<br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">*Note: This article features 18 fantastic photographs of the ship's various features, including an aquatic amphitheater, 7 themed neighborhoods (a bar that moves across three decks, Central Park, and the Royal Promenade), a beach pool, a zip line, 2 SurfRiders, a Rock Climbing Wall, loft suites, 24 dining options. Check them out!</span><br /><a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34264774/ns/world_news-wonderful_world/?GT1=43001"><br /></a></div><a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34264774/ns/world_news-wonderful_world/?GT1=43001"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></a><a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34264774/ns/world_news-wonderful_world/?GT1=43001" style="font-weight: bold;">Homeless brothers in line to inherit billions </a> <div style="font-weight: bold;" class="abstract"><span style="font-size:85%;">Hungarian cave-dwellers could split grandmother's $6.6 billion fortune</span></div><div style="font-weight: bold;"><div class="source"><span style="font-size:85%;">msnbc.com</span></div><div class="updateTime"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span id="udtD">updated <span class="time">6:44 p.m. ET,</span> <span class="date">Thurs., Dec . 3, 2009</span></span></span></div><script language="javascript"> function UpdateTimeStamp(pdt) { var n = document.getElementById("udtD"); if(pdt != '' && n && window.DateTime) { var dt = new DateTime(); pdt = dt.T2D(pdt); if(dt.GetTZ(pdt)) {n.innerHTML = dt.D2S(pdt,(('false'.toLowerCase()=='false')?false:true));} } } UpdateTimeStamp('633954806767800000');</script></div><p class="textBodyBlack">BUDAPEST, Hungary - Talk about a reversal of fortunes. Two brothers who are so poor they live in a cave on the outskirts of Budapest and get by selling scavenged junk are in line to receive a $6.6 billion inheritance from a long-lost grandmother, the U.K. Daily Telegraph reports. Zsolt and Geza Peladi have been informed that they are entitled to the fortune, along with a sister who lives in the United States, the newspaper reported Wednesday. “We knew our mother came from a wealthy family but she was a difficult person and severed ties with them, and then later abandoned us and we lost touch with her and our father until she eventually died,” Geza Peladi, 43, was quoted as saying by ATV television in Hungary. ...<br /></p><p style="font-weight: bold;" class="textBodyBlack"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://blstb.msn.com/i/65/B22B9885B7BF4A8F8E650AB8EEB2C.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 120px; height: 131px;" src="http://blstb.msn.com/i/65/B22B9885B7BF4A8F8E650AB8EEB2C.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><a href="http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Investing/Extra/15-cities-top-15-percent-unemployment.aspx?GT1=33002">15 Cities Top 15% Unemployment</a><br /><cite>By MSN Money staff and wire reports</cite></p><p>October's unemployment rate <a itxtdid="12142085" target="_blank" href="http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Investing/Extra/15-cities-top-15-percent-unemployment.aspx?GT1=33002#" style="border-bottom: 1px dotted darkgreen ! important; font-weight: normal ! important; font-size: 100% ! important; text-decoration: none ! important; padding-bottom: 0px ! important; color: darkgreen ! important; background-color: transparent ! important; background-image: none; padding-top: 0pt; padding-right: 0pt; padding-left: 0pt;" classname="iAs" class="iAs"><nobr style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 100%; color: darkgreen;" id="itxt_nobr_0_0"></nobr></a>topped 15% in 15 metro areas -- nine in California, three in Michigan and one each in Florida, Illinois and Arizona. And despite its 30% jobless rate -- the nation's worst -- the situation in El Centro, Calif., actually improved from 32.2% in September, as it did in 168 of the 372 metro areas tracked by the U.S. Department of Labor. Compared with a year ago, not a single metro area showed an improvement. ...<br /></p><p style="font-weight: bold;" class="textBodyBlack"><a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/34240555#34240555">Saving the Last Wild Horses From Extinction<br /></a></p><p style="font-weight: bold;" class="textBodyBlack"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Dec. 2nd - The Przwalski horse came close to extinction in the 1970s, but thanks to research from the Smithsonian's Conservation and Research Center it's making a comeback. NBC's Wendy Jones reports.</span> ...<br /></p><p class="textBodyBlack"><object id="msnbc3667aa" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=10,0,0,0" height="245" width="420"><param name="movie" value="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32545640"><param name="FlashVars" value="launch=34240555&width=420&height=245"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="wmode" value="opaque"><embed name="msnbc3667aa" src="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32545640" flashvars="launch=34240555&width=420&height=245" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" wmode="opaque" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.adobe.com/shockwave/download/download.cgi?P1_Prod_Version=ShockwaveFlash" height="245" width="420"></embed></object></p><p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; font-size: 11px; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; color: rgb(153, 153, 153); margin-top: 5px; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial; text-align: center; width: 420px;">Visit msnbc.com for <a style="border-bottom: 1px dotted rgb(153, 153, 153) ! important; text-decoration: none ! important; font-weight: normal ! important; height: 13px; color: rgb(87, 153, 219) ! important;" href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/">breaking news</a>, <a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032507" style="border-bottom: 1px dotted rgb(153, 153, 153) ! important; text-decoration: none ! important; font-weight: normal ! important; height: 13px; color: rgb(87, 153, 219) ! important;">world news</a>, and <a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032072" style="border-bottom: 1px dotted rgb(153, 153, 153) ! important; text-decoration: none ! important; font-weight: normal ! important; height: 13px; color: rgb(87, 153, 219) ! important;">news about the economy</a></p><p></p><p class="textBodyBlack"><br /></p>Xiomara A. Maldonadohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16759826955882585699noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-692434648552147064.post-39551489368446966662009-12-04T11:22:00.000-05:002009-12-15T14:17:23.803-05:00Birthday Blue<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hHZdsq7hh34/Sxigzc-0MiI/AAAAAAAACoo/9-vq2irmf74/s1600-h/BlueWM_XiomaraAMaldonado2007.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hHZdsq7hh34/Sxigzc-0MiI/AAAAAAAACoo/9-vq2irmf74/s200/BlueWM_XiomaraAMaldonado2007.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5411251758099083810" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">I cling to sleep through night, through day;<br />the sanctions grow stricter when I wake.<br /><br />I walk tenderly, bitter I let him capture me,<br />handcuff my words with fabric trees.<br /><br />Oh, how I long for him who lets me<br />weave theories and dream!<br /><br />If magic existed, I would drink strength<br />from it as if it were a fountain.<br /><br />Copyright Xiomara A. Maldonado 2009</div>Xiomara A. Maldonadohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16759826955882585699noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-692434648552147064.post-66839260786030058052009-12-03T19:47:00.000-05:002009-12-04T01:23:41.754-05:00Amelia McDonell-Parry's Thanksgiving<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://cache.gawker.com/assets/images/jezebel/2009/11/strength112009.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 120px; height: 187px;" src="http://cache.gawker.com/assets/images/jezebel/2009/11/strength112009.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>In <a href="http://www.thefrisky.com/post/246-fun-with-family-roman-polanski-ruined-my-thanksgiving/">"Fun With Family: Roman Polanski Ruined My Thanksgiving</a>," (<span style="font-style: italic;">the Frisky</span>), Amelia McDonell-Parry writes about her experience trying to teach her brother about rape during Thanksgiving dinner. Her rage at men's obvious lack of education about the nature of rape and their insensitivity at its deeply personal aftereffects resonates with my own. She concludes: <blockquote>But beyond drilling the legal definition of “rape” into the male (and female) brain, shouldn’t we also be teaching men about the aftermath of rape and sexual assault? The toll it can take emotionally, physically, and psychologically? Many times rape survivors show no <i>visible</i> scars, but the effects are still there and can be extremely long-lasting. Hell, it’s been years since my virginity was taken from me without my consent and while I’ve never really thought of myself as being extremely “scarred” because of it, the experience was front and center in my brain when I was arguing with my brother. He didn’t understand why I couldn’t look at the Polanski case objectively and withdraw my own personal experience, but considering Polanski’s fate is not in my hands (the judicial system would make sure that it wouldn’t be—I would never be selected for a jury in a rape case, and rightfully so), why should I? And, for that matter, shouldn’t all human beings—men and women—see rape as a deeply personal issue (not necessarily to them, but in general)? Wouldn’t doing so potentially do more to end sexual violence than even the deafening cry of “no means no”? </blockquote>As McDonell-Parry remarks, people's ambivalence about rape thrives because we live in a rape culture. Rape is ingrained into the very fabric of our society - in the patriarchal commands of our bosses, in the unjust taking of land from others by force, in the unacknowledged moment where a girl says neither 'yes' nor 'no' yet has her virginity taken from her.<br /><br />"Fun With family" emphasizes the argument that men and women should receive more comprehensive rape education; this argument is one I introduced in <a href="http://xiomarastreets.blogspot.com/2009/08/comedy-of-errors.html">"Tragedy of Errors: A Story of Rape and Consent."</a> Men and women can spread and gain awareness of rape by sharing and listening to stories of sexual violence and learning about its traumatic life consequences.<br /><br />Hopefully, with people's increased exposure to the concept of consent and the consequences of sexual assault, violence against others will decrease.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:85%;" >RELATED</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:85%;" >Creative Writing On Sexual Violence</span><br /><a href="http://xiomarastreets.blogspot.com/2009/09/incubus.html">Incubus</a> (Posted 9/20/2009)<br /><a href="http://xiomarastreets.blogspot.com/2009/10/karintha.html">Karintha </a>(Posted 10/31/2009)<br /><a href="http://xiomarastreets.blogspot.com/2009/10/en-el-espejo-mio.html">En el Espejo Mio</a> (Posted 10/6/2009)<br /><a href="http://xiomarastreets.blogspot.com/2009/08/comedy-of-errors.html">Tragedy of Errors: A Story of Rape and Consent</a> (Posted 8/18/2009)<br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Online Articles</span></span><br /><a href="http://jezebel.com/5409234/whats-being-taught-in-college-rape-prevention-programs?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+jezebel%2Ffull+%28Jezebel%29&utm_content=Google+Reader">What's Being Taught In College Rape Prevention Programs?</a><br /><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/20/nyregion/20subway.html?_r=2&adxnnl=1&ref=todayspaper&adxnnlx=1258736718-xQVMFTzaI0F60Miwzo/GXg"><span>Sex Offenses on the Subways Are Widespread, City Officials Are Told</span></a><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/20/nyregion/20subway.html?_r=2&adxnnl=1&ref=todayspaper&adxnnlx=1258736718-xQVMFTzaI0F60Miwzo/GXg"> </a>Xiomara A. Maldonadohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16759826955882585699noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-692434648552147064.post-34751681635324760852009-12-03T11:07:00.000-05:002009-12-03T18:35:14.607-05:00NYC Garbage - Part I - Garbage Cans<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hHZdsq7hh34/SxhF7luMVxI/AAAAAAAACoI/lzxrOS0TbVM/s1600-h/NYCGarbageCollageWM_XiomaraAMaldonado2008.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hHZdsq7hh34/SxhF7luMVxI/AAAAAAAACoI/lzxrOS0TbVM/s200/NYCGarbageCollageWM_XiomaraAMaldonado2008.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5411151842326107922" border="0" /></a>Ever step on a banana peel? Or dog poop? Or wet newspapers? Notice a bunch of litter around an almost empty garbage can? Feel thankful when people actually put their food wrappings in the garbage can?<br /><br />Ever rush past the dumpsters late at night in fear of the rats loudly scurrying about? Or rush past the sanitation truck with your fingers clamped on your nose to keep the rot from playing on your tongue?<br /><br />Garbage, whether it is in a can, lying on the floor, falling from your hand, or stuck in a tree, is a prominent feature of New York City. Hence, I give to you Part I of NYC Garbage: original photographs of garbage cans in Manhattan and the Bronx.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">The shape, order and content of garbage cans in New York City attract me for the following reasons:</span><br /><br /><span>1. Each garbage can has a unique situational identity.</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizwtoYGc7IyWWcAtaOoOrkkI_abygWC_y7w3Vk2KUr4hOYczFaWrUsYNgt-A31mIoGeqTwiECFO2bKCztGzid18g3KD-rg-RUcA61g42E1WvWWFUUR10ju_dqnrBRjVUYhZPT_eHjjeu4U/s1600-h/RiversideGarbageCanWM_XiomaraAMaldonado2008.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizwtoYGc7IyWWcAtaOoOrkkI_abygWC_y7w3Vk2KUr4hOYczFaWrUsYNgt-A31mIoGeqTwiECFO2bKCztGzid18g3KD-rg-RUcA61g42E1WvWWFUUR10ju_dqnrBRjVUYhZPT_eHjjeu4U/s200/RiversideGarbageCanWM_XiomaraAMaldonado2008.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5411137541562535474" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif8mznFdGniYG2337O7gauSqZ2XthLEmrmPBDFDL2CRjqABAgf1bncctpuapHauA-FzLtITS5c4PS3FMx9A7ppyaYrqNFowXZWqE2JJWN8IWLL9ouWbimUpMjlB-t-jLEgUDD17-OnYZ4p/s1600-h/GarbageCanToiletWM_XiomaraAMaldonado2008.jpg"> <img style="cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif8mznFdGniYG2337O7gauSqZ2XthLEmrmPBDFDL2CRjqABAgf1bncctpuapHauA-FzLtITS5c4PS3FMx9A7ppyaYrqNFowXZWqE2JJWN8IWLL9ouWbimUpMjlB-t-jLEgUDD17-OnYZ4p/s200/GarbageCanToiletWM_XiomaraAMaldonado2008.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5411137524489910850" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hHZdsq7hh34/Sxg46WNSStI/AAAAAAAACnk/aJaYX4ADt4U/s1600-h/GB183ValentineWM_XiomaraAMaldonado2008.jpg"> </a><br /><br /><span>2. No garbage can look the same from day to day.</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hHZdsq7hh34/Sxg4575j1-I/AAAAAAAACnU/7Zqo_vRPdv4/s1600-h/GarbageCan184ValentineWM_XiomaraAMaldonado2008.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hHZdsq7hh34/Sxg4575j1-I/AAAAAAAACnU/7Zqo_vRPdv4/s200/GarbageCan184ValentineWM_XiomaraAMaldonado2008.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5411137520268466146" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hHZdsq7hh34/Sxg46WNSStI/AAAAAAAACnk/aJaYX4ADt4U/s1600-h/GB183ValentineWM_XiomaraAMaldonado2008.jpg"> <img style="cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hHZdsq7hh34/Sxg46WNSStI/AAAAAAAACnk/aJaYX4ADt4U/s200/GB183ValentineWM_XiomaraAMaldonado2008.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5411137527330523858" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span>3. They are really helpful when they're there.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">All images in this post are watermarked and copyrighted by Xiomara A. Maldonado.</span></span><br /><br /></div>Xiomara A. Maldonadohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16759826955882585699noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-692434648552147064.post-1118238087713884502009-12-01T11:49:00.000-05:002009-12-01T12:29:34.022-05:00Top 5 Online Articles<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.delish.com/cm/delish/images/QR/turkey-veggie-lasagna-xl.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 209px; height: 209px;" src="http://www.delish.com/cm/delish/images/QR/turkey-veggie-lasagna-xl.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><a href="http://www.delish.com/entertaining-ideas/holidays/thanksgiving/leftover-turkey-recipes?GT1=47028"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Round Two: 12 Recipes for Turkey Leftovers</span></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Delish, Lauren Donaldson</span></span><br /><br />When you wake up from your post-Thanksgiving dinner slumber you're likely to encounter a full plate of leftover turkey. Now you have a choice: Eat plain, boring roast turkey sandwiches for the next few days or turn your leftover bird into delicious new dishes you'll actually enjoy. Need some ideas? These 12 flavorful options will leave you (and your family) feeling full and satisfied. But be warned: These delicious dishes may cause more Thanksgiving-like naps.<br /><br /><a href="http://blog.newsweek.com/blogs/nurtureshock/archive/2009/11/24/why-counting-blessings-is-so-hard-for-teenagers.aspx?GT1=43002"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Why Counting Blessings Is So Hard for Teenagers</span></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Nurture Shock, Nov. 24, 2009</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;">By Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman</span></span><br /><br /><span class="BlogPostWords">As Thanksgiving preparations shifted into high gear, media outlets large and small have been opining on the importance of gratitude, but, more specifically, they've often targeted their sights on the most ungrateful creature of all: the adolescent.</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://blstb.msn.com/i/1F/17B5F782ECA09AC84A65330B4895.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 229px; height: 173px;" src="http://blstb.msn.com/i/1F/17B5F782ECA09AC84A65330B4895.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://cityguides.msn.com/articles/cityarticle.aspx?cp-documentid=22658335&GT1=24000">Walking by the score: </a><span style="font-style: italic;">Fall's a fine time to discover America's walkable neighborhood treasures</span></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">By Michael E. Ross for MSN City Guides</span><cite style="font-weight: bold;"></cite></span><br /><br />It's finally here: autumn, the season when the days get noticeably shorter and a sense of things winding down starts to take hold. As the leaves on the trees morph from gold to red to nonexistent, it's a great time to discover the joys of walking during this time between the action of summer and the hibernation of winter.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://blstb.msn.com/i/94/A4570514214F68D683A9D49C4A6A.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 177px; height: 236px;" src="http://blstb.msn.com/i/94/A4570514214F68D683A9D49C4A6A.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><a href="http://lifestyle.msn.com/your-life/evolution-of-shopping/staticslideshowes.aspx?cp-documentid=22656100&gt1=32044"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Top-Selling Christmas Gifts</span></a> - <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">The Evolution of Shopping</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">MSN Lifestyle</span></span><br /><br />From pet rocks and potato heads to Tamagotchis and Tickle Me Elmo, take a year-by-year look back at that one must-have present that put parents in a shopping frenzy. How many do you remember?<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://ndn2.newsweek.com/media/62/Tease.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 247px; height: 163px;" src="http://ndn2.newsweek.com/media/62/Tease.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span class="BlogPostWords"><a href="http://www.newsweek.com/id/223862?GT1=43002"><span style="font-weight: bold;">118 Days, 12 Hours, 54 Minutes</span></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">NEWSWEEK, Nov. 21, 2009</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;">By Maziar Bahari</span></span><br /><br />On June 21, reporter Maziar Bahari was rousted out of bed and taken to Tehran's notorious Evin prison--accused of being a spy for the CIA, M15, Mossad...and NEWSWEEK. This is the story of his captivity--and of an Iran whose rampant paranoia underpins an ever more fractured regime.</span>Xiomara A. Maldonadohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16759826955882585699noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-692434648552147064.post-13443758444825684202009-12-01T02:46:00.001-05:002009-12-01T02:59:33.372-05:00Call for Dancers/Movers!<a href="http://postpomonuyorican.blogspot.com/2009/12/call-for-dancersmovers.html">Call for Dancers/Movers!</a><br /><br />Posted using <a href="http://sharethis.com/">ShareThis</a>Xiomara A. Maldonadohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16759826955882585699noreply@blogger.com0