Iraq War Casualties Just so we remember US and Coalition Iraq War casualties as of Oct. 29, 2006 -- Days: 1320 (see here) Total US Military Dead Avge. per day: 2,814 2.1 Total US Wounded as of 10/25/06 Avge. per day: 21,266 16.2 See some of the horrible wounds of the war (Washington Post pictures) Total U.S. contractors dead 367 Who were the dead? See here Total Coalition Dead Avge. per day: 3,053 2.31 Iraqis dead 655,000+ US Dead in Afghanistan Wounded Other dead 343 901 155 Total Coalition dead 498 The unfeeling President by E.L. Doctorow Dear Mr. President, a song by Pink Is the US being transformed into a radical Republic?

O'Malley for Governor
Originally published October 29, 2006 by the Baltimore Sun
Putting aside the rhetorical excesses of what has been an extended, if not particularly inspiring, gubernatorial race, voters must choose between an incumbent with, at best, an uneven record and a challenger with a worthy agenda. Both men are intelligent, telegenic and ambitious. But we believe Martin O'Malley, who has performed well in the difficult role of big-city mayor, is the better choice to lead this state through the challenges that lie ahead.

U.N. Reality Check

is a central point in November 7th Election Day. See the ad by Michael J. Fox for the Ben Cardin campaign here [more]

How did we go so wrong in Iraq? Our correspondent Larry De Witt explores the issue with his characteristic analytical depth: " Among the many great obscenities of war, foremost is the treating of war flippantly. We now confront war as seen through the bombsights of a high-altitude airplane as it drops its bombs on some hapless Iraqi racing his car across a bridge we are in the process of destroying. War is now for most of us like scenes from some kind of inter-continental video game. This is pretty much how America has approached its war in Iraq--at least those without family members in the military." [more]

As the immigration debate rages in the halls of Congress and in streets across the country, it is helpful to review lessons from the past. [more]

"La Comunidad Hispana/Latina de Baltimore al igual que en el resto de nuestro estado, le dio su absoluto respaldo al Alcalde de Baltimore y candidato a gobernador en Maryland Martin O’Malley, con el objetivo de eliminar los inaceptables insultos, por parte del actual gobernador republicano, quien recientemente reiteró que, para él, el multiculturalismo es basura. Estos comentarios han despertado un masivo interés, por parte de todos los latinos de Maryland, para ir a votar el día 7 de noviembre por Martin O’Malley y Anthony Brown para gobernador y vice-gobernador respectivamente" dijo el periódico que fué citado con la foto de arriba en la página de Internet de www.martinomalley.com.

Our correspondent Eric Goodman is interviewed on line. His novel Tracks "already has literary agents talking." [more]

Google just bought YouTube for 1.65 billion!!! See what this madness is all about [more]

Europa tiene un logotipo para celebrar sus 50 años de vida. El nuevo logotipo se lucirá en los eventos organizados durante el próximo año, con motivo del 50 aniversario del Tratado de Roma, que estableció la Comunidad Económica Europea (CEE). Europa tiene ya 25 países mienbros y ha aceptado dos más para el 2007.

Hugo Medrano, Director of GALA Hispanic Theater, and Rebecca Read, given the Great Cross of the Order of Queen Isabella by the Spanish Government. From the beginning, GALA had two primary goals: to bring Spanish and Latin American plays to the attention of Spanish-speaking people in Washington, DC; and to make the English-speaking public aware of the richness and variety of Hispanic theater. Through its diverse and innovative bilingual programming, the theater has fulfilled these goals year after year. GALA has become what many consider the country’s leading Spanish-language theater, winning a loyal following and scores of awards. [more]

Ben Bernanke, Federal Reserve Board Chairman, said a more liberal immigration policy would ease some of the burden of a shrinking work force... " it would take annual flows close to 3.5 million immigrants, not today's 1 million, to adequately replace retiring baby boomers." [more]

A display highlighting the 70th anniversary of the Spanish Civil War and its writers in exile has been assembled using material from the José Luis S. Ponce de León Collection. In 2001, Dr. Ponce de León, Professor Emeritus of California State University, donated his collection to the Leonard Lief Library with the instrumental help of Professor Gerardo Piña-Rosales, of the Department of Languages and Literature and Daisy Dominguez, Reference Librarian at the Leonard Lief Library (Lehman College, City University of New York) who assembled the display. For further information contact Professor Piña-Rosales]

Spain's Valencia: New and Improving [more]

Two permanent job positions available @ Earth Security. One is for an experienced person and one for an entry level [more]

High levels of immigration in the past 15 years do not appear to have hurt employment opportunities for American workers, according to a new report. The Pew Hispanic Center analyzed immigration state by state using U.S. Census data, evaluating it against unemployment levels. No clear correlation between the two could be found. [more]

Immigration: Senator Martinez, who fled Cuba by boat as a young boy, embodies that spirit. "The people who come from the Caribbean and Latin America are not looking for welfare," he said. "They want to work, to start businesses. Their dream is to own their own home." And that is why they listened to Bush and the Republicans extol America as a land of opportunity. But...when they start saying that it's un-American to have ballots printed in Spanish, it sends a message that we're not wanted, not respected." [more]

"One thing that strikes me about most of these illegal residents in my daily world is that they are almost ideal citizens. If it were not for that little scofflaw business about crossing from one side of a dry river bed to another without permission, most people would say they are just the kind of people we need more of in America. " [more]

"Americans have heard from politicians for more than 200 years that immigration will cause the sky to fall. Yet each time it has only made us stronger". [more]

La emigración es un fenómeno natural, el hombre siempre ha emigrado a donde hay alimentos, tierra y agua en abundancia. [sigue]

Intelligent Capitalism with a human face. Immigration issues are always ripe for demagoguery, particularly in an election year. But the solution to the very real problems along the U.S.-Mexican border can be found, ironically, in that other part of the world that American demagogues love to ridicule: old Europe. [more]

The stunning architecture of Spain (from Slate magazine) [more]

See Coloquio's Restaurant guide for the Washington, Baltimore and Philadelphia regions. As we develop the guide we will have more information on them including menus, prices and other niceties. [more]

Letters - Cartas

Corresponsales

PERDIDOS EN EL ESPACIO

            Así se llamó una serie televisiva años atrás. Pero ahora la están interpretando, sin querer, nuestros amigos los presentadores noticieros, que ya no sólo sufren de Poca Visión, sino que están ultraperdidos en el vacío interestelar.
            Prueba de ello dieron cuando nos anunciaron que, puesto que era “tiempo de una pausa”, nos iban a contar seguidamente “lo que se perdieron los astronautas en el espacio”. Fíjense que dijeron “lo que SE perdieron”, que cambia todo el significado, puesto que nos da a entender que dejaron de disfrutar de algo, de tener alguna experiencia.
            Pero de nada de eso se trataba, porque cuando volvieron del “tiempo” de la pausa resultó que los astronautas no SE habían perdido nada, sino que, muy por el contrario, “SE LES habían perdido unas tuercas”. ¿No sería que esas tuercas se les habían perdido –escapándoseles de la mollera– a los mismos locutores que nos daban la tan enrevesada noticia?  Sinceramente lo creemos mucho más probable, pues ya no solamente absorben (y transmiten, irradian) toda suerte de anglómanos términos y giros, sino que tuercen y trastruecan la pobre sintaxis española sin el menor remordimiento.
            ¿Hablábamos de “tiempo”? Pues sí. Para ellos siempre es “tiempo” (“time”) de una pausa comercial, es “tiempo” (”time”) de que se haga tal o cual cosa, o es “tiempo” (“time”) de poner las cosas en regla, de aclararlas. (Menos el uso del idioma, claro, que sigue cada vez más turbio.) O sea, que estamos ante una verdadera tempestad de pausas y de momentos propicios para torcer y torturar al idioma español.
            Porque el tiempo, aunque genéricamente equivale al constante transcurso de las unidades en que solemos medirlo –minutos, días, meses, años, siglos–, es término que reservamos mayormente para épocas o largos períodos (en tiempos romanos, en tiempos del Descubrimiento),  para referirnos a la meteorología (buen tiempo, tiempo lluvioso), o bien a la estación del año (tiempo otoñal, tiempo de verano). Estamos en tiempos (años, lustros, decenios) modernos, pero lo de “tiempo de una pausa” (como momento o instante inicial) no nos convence mucho.
            O sea que la fórmula clásica del español se ha echado intempestivamente por la borda. Han pasado a mejor vida el “vamos a una pausa” y el “ya era hora” (no “ya era tiempo”) de implantar una reforma o medida. ¿Para qué, si podemos calcarlo todo del inglés?
            Para concluir, tal vez debiéramos hablar un poco de la lógica o, mejor dicho, de lo ilógico. Lo cual, también, no pocas veces se calca del inglés. Sobre todo si la noticia se origina en ese idioma o en un país donde lo hablan y el presentador se limita a traducir las palabras sin reflexionar acerca de su cordura de redacción.
            Caso curioso de esta naturaleza es una transmisión noticiera que  resumiremos así: “un hombre asesinó a su esposa antes de suicidarse”.  Bueno, menos mal que aclararon que fue “antes de suicidarse”, porque si hubiera sido después, el asesino tendría que haber sido un fantasma.
            ¿Qué tal si dijéramos: “un marido le dio muerte a su mujer y luego se suicidó”?
            ¿Esperamos mucho, acaso, de quienes nos brindan las noticias en español?  ¿O es que ya estamos tan acostumbrados al espanglés que si emplean el castellano de buena ley nos quedamos PERDIDOS EN EL ESPACIO, buscando esas escurridizas tuercas sueltas cuya cerebral falta nos confirma que es “tiempo” de una pausa en este proceso de SUICIDIO idiomático? 
            ¿O es que acaso nuestro español, como víctima, pierde su TIEMPO?

¡Al fin! Un presentador ha caído en su propia trampa sin siquiera darse cuenta. Veamos.

Nos dijo uno de estos señores presentadores de Poca Visión que «una mujer podría terminar en la cárcel» debido a que una cámara automática la fotografió «en el acto» de cometer un delito.

Primero, ¿qué será lo que va a «terminar» esa señora? ¿Serán sus días (lo dudamos), sus actividades delictivas (bien estaría) o «sus planes sediciosos contra la lengua de Cervantes» (ojalá)? Porque si nos quiso decir que podría IR A PARAR a la cárcel, otra cosa sería. Ya que, en nuestro idioma, «terminar» no corresponde a lo que él nos quiso decir. Quisiéramos, eso sí, TERMINAR con esa mala costumbre de transliterar del inglés. Como en este caso ha sido la frase «end up», nos extraña que no haya dicho «terminar arriba».

Pero bueno, para quienes gusten de extranjerismos, «la piéce de resistance» –léase «el plato fuerte»– en este caso es «EN EL ACTO» (o sea, «caught in the act»), que en español no resiste semejante transliteración. «Hágalo en el acto», por ejemplo, es orden de cumplimiento inmediato. Y «en el acto de decirlo, lo cumplió» significa que quien hablaba de un hecho lo llevó a efecto en ese mismo momento. O sea, dicho y hecho.

O sea que hemos «fotografiado» al malhechor, al señor locutor de la Poca Visión, IN FRAGANTI, en el mismo ACTO de decir un disparate. Más bien, él mismo se ha «fotografiado» y, por cierto, de cuerpo entero. La frase se la pudo haber aplicado a sí mismo en el ACTO, o sea en el momento de pronunciarla.

Si vamos a copiar de otros idiomas, ¿por qué no acudimos a los casos tradicionales y ya establecidos? Ahí está nada menos que «in fraganti», que nos llega clásicamente del latín «in fraganti delicto», o sea «en flagrante delito»: sorprendido en el mismo momento de cometerlo. Lo cual nada tiene que ver con «acto» en el sentido en que pretenden usarlo.

Por cierto, ya que hablamos de «acto», también se copia falsamente del inglés con el sentido de «número», «representación teatral» o «porción de un espectáculo». No puede –mejor, no debe– usarse para expresiones de esta calaña: «su acto de magia me dejó boquiabierto». Porque ahí lo que va es «número» o «representación».

Pero sí nos dejó boquiabiertos lo de «TERMINAR en la cárcel» y sorprendidos muy EN EL ACTO (en seguida) al haberse captado IN FRAGANTI a sí mismo el locutor durante la comisión de su falta contra el idioma.

Si los delitos de lesa lengua fueran punibles, ¿cuántos presentadores no IRÍAN A PARAR a las galeras por irrespeto al idioma?

P.D. Ahora que ha llegado el importante día feriado llamado «Labor Day», vamos a tomarnos un breve descanso. Pero nos preguntamos por qué los señores presentadores le llaman «Día del Trabajo». Si así lo fuera, ¿no habría que trabajar? Creo, amigos, que es el «Día de los Trabajadores», que es harina de otro costal. ¿No les parece

How Did We Go So Wrong in Iraq?

By Larry DeWitt
October 12, 2006

Doing Wrong While Doing Right

My title question presupposes a couple of things.

I am not concerned here to debate whether-in 2003-the war was or was not the right thing to do. I thought then it was the right thing to do, for the reason that it seemed to me morally right to liberate the Iraqi people from the tyranny under which they lived. I thought this even though Bush and Co. were pursuing the war for other reasons, and even though we were stuck with Bush and Co. to carry it out. I thought we could use the devil to do the Lord's work. In retrospect, this was not very smart of me. [more]

Con El Regimiento Fijo de Puerto Rico Recreado, en San Juan

Por Hainess Egas

“¡Excelente!¡Perfecto!” Así describió al recreado Regimiento Fijo de Puerto Rico el Capitán de Navío D. Luis Cayetano y Garrido, del buque escuela Juan Sebastián de Elcano, de España. El Fijo y los guardiamarinas del Elcano participaron en una ceremonia en donde el gobierno español hizo entrega al regimiento puertorriqueño de una copia de la bandera de fortificación Española de l797. Esta bandera ondeará durante la recreación que escenificará el Fijo el próximo año del ataque inglés de 1797 a la isleta de San Juan. Recreadores de todas partes del mundo se darán cita en la ciudad, para tomar parte en este magno evento. [sigue]

Freedom
(Part 6)

(see part 5 here)

By Eric D. Goodman

The clunky laptop from his college days went with Joe to Afghanistan, a symbol of his time with Bi’nh and Wu. It was his most valued possession, his one hint that a normal world still existed. During leisure time, he would log on and visit the world he longed for: he read the headlines on the news websites and imagined Marge bellowing them out; he visited the gossip pages to gain some feeling of life outside the hard, uniformed men and women around him; and foremost, he emailed his friends and family — especially Bi’nh and Wu.
You should not be in Afghanistan, Wu wrote in an email, his tone more militaristic than before. The Chinese Navy was rubbing off on him, Joe thought; Wu was submerged in Chinese military thought as surely as he was submerged beneath the ocean in the submarine he crewed. It was wrong to attack the entire nation to find one man and his band. It is the American way: bomb the disposables and think only of self.
Joe keyed his response. The Taliban ran this country before we liberated the Afghani people. They did not cooperate with us. We gave them a choice, and they chose for us to strike. They harbored terrorists and were on the side of our enemy.
Wu retorted. These words are shit from a mad cow. It is the American way, or no way to your mind. And when anyone disagrees with you, you destroy them. You disagree with me, so maybe you should cut my throat or throw bombs at my country?
Of course not, Joe keyed back. You’re not harboring terrorists. We don’t attack those we disagree with, just those who help wage war against us. Joe considered. Over 3,000 people died on September 11. And they’ve said they’ll attack again. That’s why I’m here, why we’re here — to liberate the world from violent militants.
Wu’s emails grew increasingly aggressive. You are the violent militants! You demolished a nation to prove your might to a few religious men, and still didn’t find the man you were looking for!
Joe responded instantly. Over 3,000 people died and the terrorists are going to attack again! Can’t you get that? We’ve got to strike back. I’m fighting for justice, for democracy, to protect the world from terrorism!
Then came an email from Wu that shocked Joe more than anything he’d seen in Afghanistan. Joe, you and your people are naïve. Since joining Chinese Navy, I’ve learned much. The Chinese military knows the truth. Al Queda had nothing to do with attacks on America. Bin Laden claimed responsibility, but he was not the mastermind. It was your own people. Your government arranged the attacks as a way to justify war and stimulate the American economy. And it won’t stop with Afghanistan.
Joe was aghast. That’s wack, Wu! That’s crazy talk! I’m fighting for freedom!
Wu remained steadfast. No, you are not fighting for freedom, you are fighting for the leaders of your country. They knew war would stimulate the ailing economy. They took a calculated risk. They attacked their own to achieve war, support from their people and popularity as strong leaders. I have lost my appreciation for America. I can no longer be your friend.  I am your enemy now.
Joe became ill at the thought of losing a friend to such rot. Whoa, Wu! Lighten up! But Joe had received his final email from his old college buddy. Xing Wu had gone under, surrounded by more than frigid waters; he was surrounded by Chinese sailors, officers and propaganda.
Even when the United States attacked Iraq months later, Joe — reading Internet headlines in dusty Afghanistan — still knew Wu’s conspiracy theory was unfounded. But it was eerie. Wu had predicted the United States would not stop with Afghanistan, and it hadn’t. With Afghanistan still crumbling around him, Joe felt uneasy reading that his nation was also waging a war against Iraq.

TRACKS Hits Big at Baltimore Book Festival
On October 1, Coloquio’s own fiction writer, Eric D. Goodman, read from TRACKS, his novel in stories, at the Baltimore Book Festival – the mid-Atlantic’s premier celebration of the literary arts.  The event was standing tent only and was even the subject of an article in The Examiner.  If you missed Eric’s reading, be sure to catch his next one.  Just visit Writeful, his weblog for writers and readers, at www.writeful.blogspot.com for information on upcoming events.

por Fermín García Rodríguez, Sevillano

-----------------------------------------------------

A CHRONOLOGY

1372 Basques arrived in Newfoundland.  
1492 Cristóbal Colón discovered America for Spain.  
1493 Colón introduced sugar cane in the New World.  
1494 January 6. Fray Bernardo Boil celebrated mass in Hispaniola, perhaps the first mass celebrated in America.  
June 7. Treaty of Tordesillas was signed between Spain and Portugal, which divided the newly discovered lands between the two countries. Under this treaty, Portugal claimed Brazil.  
1499 Vicente Yáñez Pinzón, Alonso de Ojeda, Americo Vespucci, Juan de la Cosa, Alonso Niño and Cristóbal Guerra were sent by King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella to explore new territories. They went along the coast of Brazil to the Gulf of Mexico and the Florida coast. They also reached the Chesapeake Bay. [more]

It’s "The Evolution of Dance."

This video, by YouTube’s tally, has been viewed 34,125,981 times, and counting. It’s the ultimate YouTube video, the most-viewed video of all time. Everyone who uses YouTube has at least tried to watch it. And yet, it’s a mediocre sketch, and it’s way too long, and it’s by no one famous. So why why why why why is it the apex of popularity on YouTube, for which Google paid $1.65 billion?

Great sleigh of hands by a Hispanic magician Nice!

Sergio Mendes: Mas que nada=Timeless Music grows, blends with other musics and the world is more and more beautiful because of it.

Un paseíto por Sevilla Views of the most beautiful city in Spain (the world?) -- Más Sevilla

Curzo de andalú. Ojú, ezagerao! No tiene precio.

" target="_blank">Strange cars you never see

Honda Civic commercial -- All sounds produced by human voices!

See the creative art juices at work.

El juego de los estados Place the names on the maps

Fascinating quick change artists You've got to see this