testing!!!!!!

Raising Latino film without Violence or Stereotypes

From the Rotten Tomatoes page

It's IMDB page

Why do I call it a "Latino film"? It's not because of the director -- who is a white male from Bensonhurst. It's the same argument people have about what is considered a "Black film" For me, it's not about whether the director is black or the cast is all black. In Vargas' case, it's a Latino film because its themes (coming of age, first love, family) are universal yet unique to the characters and their surroundings in the Lower East.

When the main character's scene-stealing Dominican-born Grandma (Altagracia Guzman) first entered the picture I smiled a Kool-Aid because I was seeing my Grandmothers on screen. She was the over-protective, over-bearing, religious woman who dearly-loved her Grand children. She saw Victor, her oldest, as a bad influence on his younger sister and brother, when he really was just a normal 16-year old with hormones.

This one key aspect of the film separated it from the slew of Latino films coming out of the Hollywood as of late (2002's highly panned Empire) that seem to still spend time reigning stereotypes. I made the joking remark that Vargas was a film with Latino characters accompanied by no violence or "sexual explicit content (some dialogue targeted towards Victor's love interest, Judy, was though). Most immediately got it and laughed and to me that says something about what entertainment culture feeds us.

I am not ethnically of any Latin origin except for the Dominican connection. But as many know we tend to get the same treatment by American media. I wouldn't have problem with a films like Head of State and the new comedic film Chasing Papi (directed by and starring Latinos) or TV series like Kingpin existing if films like Vargas got the same exposure. Yet for now, the audience that deserves to see Vargas (I think) probably doesn't know it even exists because of its art house status.

Go see Vargas for its authenticity (all the actors are untrained), to support, but mostly to smile.

Do I still have power here? I suppose there's one surefire way of finding out...

Fall ---> Winter ---> now?

Is Web logging Giving to Much of U?

Of me?
I thought about this last week as I was cautioned by a trusted older person about putting up really personal feelings.

To me, an online journal is giving "away" part of you to the cyberspace public; even if u only write about current events or observations like her.

Does it "scare" people away to read things they may be feeling themselves? I recall debating paper versus online journaling to some female and she fervently was about paper. She said she could never see herself putting her "stuff" out there. I consider her old fashioned traditionalist but also dedicated t something I did not have the discipline to maintain.

One of the reasons i began online web logging was of my lack of consistency with keeping my paper journals. i liked very much the fact that i could make journal entries come alive with links and pictures. And I still do to this day.

And my one strict rule about my entries is that once i put them up I do not edit or delete them. Only changes made are to grammar errors and broken links.
will never edit or delete them, unless ther is a grammer error or broken link.

what truly calms me down and destresses (sp) me?
Sometimes writing
Sometiems talking a "person"
Sometimes taking some pictures with no real direction

Anyway i got this email for in regards top a special photography project i had submitted an application for

 A Day In The Life <adayinthelife@positivefocus.org> wrote:

From: "A Day In The Life"
To: "adayinthelife"
CC: "Brooklyn-DIL"
Subject: A Day In The Life Brooklyn [9]Date: Sun, 6 Apr 2003 17:51:28 -0400

Dear photographer,Congratulations! You have been selected as a participating photographer for a Day In the Life Brooklyn, a photo documentary event to take place on April 26, 2003. This event is being organized by Positive Focus (www.positivefocus.org), and Adayinthelife.org (www.adayinthelife.org.

Since posting our Call For Photographers we have received a large volume of incredibly enthusiastic responses from aspiring participants. That, combined with the intent of the event, to showcase the glorious diversity of everyday Brooklyn life, has led us to open up the flood gates and accept everyone as a participant! This only contributes to the magnitude and meaningfulness of the event. You will be one of over 200 photographers participating in this momentous Brooklyn event!

This email contains important information about your participation; please read the entire document thoroughly.

I got the news as i settled down at home this afternoon, and my friend who i had just left from a house warming in Harlem with (that began at 5pm the day before) called and gave me the news.

I can say i am excited, but subdued, because of this rough cold I’ve been trying to get over, and a little nervous. I will be one of the photographers documenting Flatbush area of Brooklyn -- a place i know but don't really "know". So I plan on preparing by talking to people who can guide me in the right direction as to what I should look for there.

Wish me luck!

Song Lyrics on my mind



Trouble by Coldplay

Oh no, I see,
A spider web is tangled up with me,
And I lost my head,
The thought of all the stupid things I said,
Oh no what's this?
A spider web, and I'm caught in the middle,
So I turned to run,
The thought of all the stupid things I've done,

I never meant to cause you trouble,
And I never meant to do you wrong,
And I, well if I ever caused you trouble,
Oh no, I never meant to do you harm.

Oh no I see,
A spider web and it's me in the middle,
So I twist and turn,
Here I am in my little bubble,

Singing, I never meant to cause you trouble,
I never meant to do you wrong,
And I, well if I ever caused you trouble,
Oh no, I never meant to do you harm.

They spun a web for me,
They spun a web for me,
They spun a web for me.