LatISM on: Twitter / FaceBook / LinkedIn

The first national tour taking place in three states – NY, TX, FL - during the Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15th – October 15th).

This two-day event will provide a networking opportunity and conference presentation, bringing together the leading minds and innovators in social media and technology.

All are welcome to learn, understand and support Latinos in the current dynamic social media enviornment.

With 21 million projected Latino internet users by 2010, Latinos are adopting social media as their primary source of communication, news and entertainment faster than any other group.  Their buying power is projected to reach $1.3 Trillion by 2013.

It is paramount to learn what cultural factors are driving this shift, and understand how to reach Latinos where they are primarily active in emerging technologies.

The Latinos In Social Media Heritage Tour, will present these topics and more:

-Latest trends in social media and effective marketing strategies.
-Case studies of top brands/companies; challenges and obstacles.
-Developing and social media technologies and trends
-Latino culture, heritage, demographics in the U.S. today

We believe the best way to reach Latinos is through Latinos.  LatISM will bring Bloggers, Twitters, Facebook, MySpace, Hi5, LinkedIn Leaders and many more together to learn about the latest Social Media trends.  All this while celebrating our culture!

• Event Highlights

The LatIsm Heritage Tour will bring a combination of learning and deal making, it will provide sponsors and social media professionals with incredible opportunities to strengthen relationships while obtaining key industry insights that can be used to drive results.

The Tour will take place during the Hispanic Heritage Month in Texas (Sep. 24-25), New York (Oct 1-2), and Florida (Oct. 8-9).

• Latism Awards

The LatISM Awards will give official recognition to the best Latinos and Latinas in Social Media.  Awards will also go to the best companies and non-for-profit organizations targeting Hispanics through Social Media.

We are now calling for nominations in the following categories:

• Best Latino Blogger
• Best Latino Tweep
• Best Facebook Leader
• Best Linkedin Leader
• Best Latino Marketer
• Best Latino Social Entrepreneur
• Best Latino Social Media Business Man/Woman
• Best Hispanic Marketing Campaign
• Best Non-For-Profit Hispanic Outreach
• Best Latino Social Media Professional

• Latism in NY

Recently, Mayor Bloomberg unveiled a new initiative to vitalize the media industry in NYC to maintain its role as the media capital of the world.  Combine that with over 2 million Latinos who make New York their home it is no surprise that the LatISM tour will take place here.

LatISM NY will take place at the Pier Sixty in the heart of Manhattan on October 1st & 2nd. Take a look at the agenda and take advantage of the early bird registration discount.

Our local partner:

George Torres

George Torres aka The Urban Jibaro is a bi-lingual social media guru, cultural activist, radio personality and founder of cultural online magazine SofritoForYourSoul.com. Having been born & raised between Brooklyn & Bayamon, he was reared with traditional Puerto Rican values and incorporated that with what he learned in the streets of East New York. This mixture of elements in his life earned him the nickname “Urban Jibaro” that former Young Lord and Community Leader, the late Richie Perez bestowed on him.

George has over 12 years experience developing projects that market to the urban Latino demographic on the internet. His current projects include Capicu Poetry, a monthly open mic poetry / cultural showcase in Williamsburg Brooklyn he founded with Urban Legend PaPo Swiggity from Espacio Latino. There is also the first Latino radio show on Blog Talk Radio called Radio Capicu that he co-hosts with La Chica Que Pica. It is through this work that he hopes to continue to empower the community to promote and document the evolution of Latino culture in order to help second and third generation Latinos reconnect with lost elements of a cultural legacy they rightfully own.

• Tickets (http://latism.org/tickets.php)

Early Full Registration until August 14 – $150

Full Registration – $200

Network, Award, and Party Only – $80

• Agenda

[Source: LatISM.org]

Job losses slow to 247,000; jobless rate dips

WASHINGTON — Employers throttled back on layoffs in July, cutting just 247,000 jobs, the fewest in a year, and the unemployment rate dipped to 9.4 percent, its first decline in 15 months.

It was a better-than-expected showing that offered a strong signal that the recession is finally ending.

The new snapshot, released by the Labor Department on Friday, also offered other encouraging news: workers’ hours nudged up after sinking to a record low in June, and paychecks grew after having fallen or flat lined in some cases.

To be sure, the report still indicates that the jobs market is on shaky ground. But the new figures were better than many analysts were expecting and offered welcomed improvements to a part of the economy that has been clobbered by the recession.

Analysts were forecasting job losses to slow to around 320,000 and the unemployment rate to tick up to 9.6 percent.

“There’s clearly been a turn for the better. The worst is behind us in terms of layoffs. Now we need to see more hiring,” said economist Ken Mayland, president of ClearView Economics.

The dip in the unemployment rate — from June’s 9.5 percent — was the first since April 2008. One of the reasons the rate went down, however, was because hundreds of thousands of people left the labor force. Fewer people, though, did report being unemployed.

All told, there were 14.5 million out of work in July.

If laid-off workers who have given up looking for new jobs or have settled for part-time work are included the unemployment rate would have been 16.3 percent in July. That’s down from 16.5 percent in June, which was the highest on records dating to 1994.

Also heartening: job losses in May and June turned out to be less than previously reported. Employers sliced 303,000 positions in May, versus 322,000 previously logged. And, they cut 443,000 in June, compared with an earlier estimate of 467,000.

The job cuts made in July were the fewest since August 2008.

The slowdown in layoffs in part reflected fewer jobs cuts in manufacturing, construction, professional and business services and financial activities — areas that have been hard hit by the collapse of the housing market and the financial crisis. There also were fewer layoffs in the temporary-help industry, which analysts watch for clues about future hiring. Retailers, however, cut more jobs in July.

Those losses were blunted by job gains in government, education and health services, and in leisure and hospitality.

The worst of the job cuts have passed.

The deepest job cuts of the recession came in January, when 741,000 job disappeared, the most in any month since 1949.

Since the recession began in December 2007, the economy has lost a net total of 6.7 million jobs.

Slower job losses are occurring because companies aren’t cutting investment and spending as drastically as they had been during the depths of the recession which came in the final quarter of last year and carried over into the first quarter of this year.

With companies feeling a bit better about the economy’s prospects and their own, they boosted workers’ hours in July. The average work week rose to 33.1 hours, after having fallen to 33 hours in June, the lowest on records dating to 1964.

And, employers bumped up wages.

Average hourly earnings rose to $18.56 in July, up from $18.53 in June. Hourly earnings were stagnant in June. Average weekly earnings, which fell in June, rose to $614.34. Those gains raised hopes that consumers — whose spending accounts for the single-largest slice of economic activity — will feel more confident and more inclined to spend in the months ahead, thus helping the recovery.

Other recent barometers have shown some improvements in manufacturing, housing and construction activity.

The government reported last week that the economy shrank at a pace of just 1 percent from April-to-June, another sign the recession is winding down.

Many analysts predict the economy could start growing again in the current July-to-September quarter. And, the Fed recently observed that the economy is finally showing signs of stabilizing in some regions of the country — especially in parts of the Northeast and Midwest — bolstering hopes of a broader-based recovery this year.

Even with the improvements, it will take time for the jobs market to fully heal.

The Federal Reserve has predicted the unemployment rate is likely to top 10 percent this year. Some Fed officials think it could rise as high as 10.6 percent in 2010. The post-World War II high was 10.8 percent at the end of 1982, when the country suffered through a severe recession.

An elevated unemployment rate could become a political liability for President Barack Obama when congressional elections are held next year. The last time the unemployment rate topped 10 percent, the party of the president — then Ronald Reagan’s GOP — lost 26 House seats in the midterm elections in 1982.

Obama has urged Americans to be patient and give time for his $787 billion stimulus package of tax cuts and increased government spending to take hold. Most of the money will flow in 2010.

When the economy is healthy, employers add a net total of around 125,000 jobs a month just to keep the unemployment rate stable. To get the jobless rate down to a more normal 5 percent range, it would take stronger job growth — of at least 200,000 jobs a month. Economists say it might take until 2013 to drive down the unemployment rate to 5 percent.

In this Aug. 3, 2009 photo, people looking for work search on computers at a Worksource office in Portland, Ore. Employers throttled back on layoffs in July, cutting just 247,000 jobs, the fewest in a year, and the unemployment rate dipped to 9.4 percent. It was a better than expected showing that offered a strong signal that the recession is finally ending.(AP Photo/Don Ryan)

Zina Mixx, 44, who is homeless, fills out a job application in a South Florida Mobile Workforce van at the Community Partnership for the Homeless in Homestead, Fla. Thursday Aug. 6, 2009. Mixx has been unemployed since she lost her waitress job in April. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

[Source: By Jeannine Aversa (AP)]

Another One of our major events in our so called LIFE!

This year has been one of many events… Obama the first Black President, Generation Y Great Depression, the Death of the King of Pop – Michael Jackson, and the list goes on, but now introducing the first Latina in the Supreme Court Justice.

It is a great time to be a Latino, a great time to be a woman. Minorities have all gone through tremendous struggles! In reality if you are not Native American we are all Immigrants and Minorities. We have fought in what we believe in and pushed ourselves to accomplish our goals. Obama wanted to be President of the United States. I don’t think he had planned to be the first Black President. This is only encouragement to dream BIG, it is never unrealistic until you believe it is. Don’t let anyone tell you different: Be the first…

As we reflex today… Today being a Latin Woman is a beautiful and powerful thing. Sotomayor – Beautiful and Powerful Latina! Proud to be a Latina!

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Sotomayor Confirmed by Senate, 68-31

Doug Mills/The New York Times

Sonia Sotomayor during her confirmation hearings last month in Washington.

WASHINGTON — Voting largely along party lines, the Senate on Thursday confirmed Judge Sonia Sotomayor as the 111th justice of the Supreme Court. She will be the first Hispanic and the third woman to serve on the court.

Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. was expected to administer the oath of office to Judge Sotomayor, 55, in the next few days, with a formal ceremony likely in September. She succeeds Justice David H. Souter, who retired in June.

Democrats celebrated the successful nomination and relatively smooth confirmation process as a bright spot in a summer when they have been buffeted by several challenges, including rocky progress on their attempts to overhaul the nation’s health care system, President Obama’s falling approval ratings, the climbing unemployment rate and other lingering economic problems.

Judge Sotomayor’s confirmation was never in much doubt, given Democrats’ numerical advantage in the Senate. But the final vote — 68 to 31 — represented a partisan divide. No Democrat voted against her, while all but 9 of the chamber’s 40 Republicans did so. Senator Edward M. Kennedy, Democrat of Massachusetts, is ailing and did not vote.

During three days of debate on the Senate floor, Republicans labeled Judge Sotomayor a liberal judicial activist, decrying several of her speeches about diversity and the nature of judgments, as well as her votes in cases involving Second Amendment rights, property rights and a reverse-discrimination claim brought by white firefighters in New Haven.

“Judge Sotomayor is certainly a fine person with an impressive story and a distinguished background,” the Senate minority leader, Mitch McConnell, Republican of Kentucky, said this week. “But a judge must be able to check his or her personal or political agenda at the courtroom door and do justice evenhandedly, as the judicial oath requires. This is the most fundamental test. It is a test that Judge Sotomayor does not pass.”

But Democrats portrayed Judge Sotomayor as a mainstream and qualified judge whose life — rising from a childhood in a Bronx housing project to the Ivy League and now the Supreme Court — is a classic American success story. And they called her judicial record moderate and mainstream.

“Judge Sotomayor’s career and judicial record demonstrates that she has always followed the rule of law,” Senator Patrick J. Leahy, Democrat of Vermont and chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said Thursday. “Attempts at distorting that record by suggesting that her ethnicity or heritage will be the driving force in her decisions as a justice of the Supreme Court are demeaning to women and all communities of color.”

From the moment Mr. Obama chose her in May, many political strategists warned Republicans that opposing the first Latina nominated to the Supreme Court would jeopardize the party in future elections. In the waning days of the debate, some Democrats sought to portray Republican opposition as a grave insult to Latinos.

“Republicans will pay a price for saying ‘no’ to this judge,” Senator Robert Menendez, Democrat of New Jersey, said in Spanish at a news conference Wednesday.

And in July, the National Rifle Association, which historically has stayed out of judicial nomination fights, came out against Justice Sotomayor and said it would include senators’ confirmation vote in its legislative scorecard on gun-rights issues for the 2010 election — a pointed threat to Democrats from conservative-leaning states.

But attempts to appeal to interest-group politics in the confirmation process largely faltered.

The final vote was “a triumph of party unity over some of the interest group politics that you would have expected to play a bigger role,” said Curt Levey, executive director of the conservative Committee for Justice, which opposed Judge Sotomayor’s confirmation.

Many Republicans took pains to emphasize that their vote against Judge Sotomayor did not mean they were anti-Latino. They praised her credentials and her biography, saying they were troubled only by what they said was her judicial philosophy.

Before announcing his opposition to her nomination, Senator John McCain of Arizona, last year’s Republican presidential nominee who has been sympathetic to calls by Latinos and others for reforming the nation’s immigration laws, first described her as an “immensely qualified candidate” with an “inspiring and compelling” life story. And he dwelled on his support for Miguel Estrada, an appeals-court nominee of President George W. Bush whom Democrats blocked from a vote even though “millions of Latinos would have taken great pride in his confirmation,” Mr. McCain said.

Many other Republicans echoed Mr. McCain’s approach in explaining their votes. On Thursday, for example, Senator Orrin G. Hatch, Republican of Utah, spoke at length about the “unfair and disgraceful” treatment of Mr. Estrada, while criticizing Judge Sotomayor’s record.

“I wish President Obama had chosen a Hispanic nominee whom all senators could support,” Mr. Hatch said.

Juan Hernández, who served as Hispanic outreach coordinator for Mr. McCain’s presidential campaign, said most Republicans had not done enough to persuade Hispanics that they were welcome in the party.

“It’s not good enough to give two or three lines about Hispanics and then say, ‘No, I’m not going to vote for Sotomayor,‘ “ he said. “We’re just losing Hispanics left and right. It’s amazing, in the Republican Party — we’re doing it to ourselves.”

But Manuel A. Miranda, chairman of the Third Branch Conference, a coalition of conservatives who opposed the Sotomayor nomination, said Hispanics were ideologically diverse and would understand that Republican opposition to a particular liberal-leaning judge did not mean they were hostile to Hispanics — especially since her confirmation hearing was civil, he said.

“Hispanics are not going to be offended by the opposition because Republicans didn’t torment her,” Mr. Miranda said. “Republicans can take this vote because they treated her well.”

For many Hispanic voters, the symbolism of the first Latina joining the Supreme Court — and the memory of who opposed her — could be all that lingers, said Janet Murguía, president of the National Council of La Raza, an Hispanic advocacy group.

“This is a singularly definitive historic moment,” she said. “So it is a vote, I think, that will matter to the Latino community and will be remembered by the Latino community.”

What also remains to be seen is whether Democratic senators — especially those from conservative-leaning states and those who have received high ratings from the National Rifle Association in the past — will pay a political price for voting to confirm Judge Sotomayor despite the group’s opposition.

Andrew Arulanandam, an N.R.A. spokesman, declined to comment about the vote, but he did say it was too early to know how much weight his group would give to the Sotomayor vote when putting together its scores and endorsements for the 2010 election cycle.

Still, despite the seeming impotence of the gun-rights group’s ability to intervene in the nomination fight, Mr. Miranda said he believed the threat of lower ratings might have had led more Republicans to vote against Judge Sotomayor, noting that many had cited her alleged lack of support for Second Amendment rights in explaining their votes.

“That was a seismic shift,” Mr. Miranda said.

Matthew Dowd, a former political adviser to Mr. Bush who had warned Republicans to be civil, disagreed. He said the Supreme Court confirmation process had simply become increasingly polarized along party lines, regardless of a nominee’s qualifications or the stance of groups like the National Rifle Association.

“My view is that gun rights had nothing to do with it,” he said. “Supreme Court nominations have become dodgeball games, with Democrats lining up on one side and Republicans lining up on our side.”

[Source: NY Times]

Sell your unwanted Gold at our event!

Visit our Site: http://www.KenBarbieEvents.com for more information. Register at http://KenBarbie.EventBrite.com, space is limited. Come one, come all. This shopping expo is surely to be one you don’t want to miss. Enjoy local vendors, and free activities. Many prizes to giveaway and fun surprises.

DE-CLUTTER, RECYCLE & GET PAID at My Gold Party with Sharron.

You will receive top dollar for your unwanted gold.

Here’s how… Register and attend the Ken & Barbie Event Expo Extravaganza on 8/21/09. Bring all the old gold you can find e.g., single earrings, broken chains, old rings, gifts from exes, even crowns and fillings, they know they will never use again. Sharron will weigh the gold and test it for karat content. She’ll pay top dollar on the spot!

5% of the whole event totals will go to Feed the Children.

Help us on our efforts as you party, shop, meeting new people, network with businesses, and have a smashing good time! The first 3 people to sign up will get FREE VIP tickets. 10 people will get half off ticket price. Sign up for your FREE or half price ticket at OneWed.com.

Ken & Barbie Events

Viva@Nydailynews.Com

Wednesday, August 5th 2009, 5:50 PM

Singer Ricardo Arjona

Lisa Lisa will perform at Red Hook Park on Tuesday.

August 5

JAZZ: New York-based Sabrina Lastman Quartet, influenced by music from South America and Israel, at Queens Theatre in the Park Studio, 8 p.m. Tickets, $15-$20.

POETRY: The spoken word Latino collective El Grito de Poetas hosts annual open mike at Queens Theatre in the Park Cabaret, 7 p.m. Free.

FILM: Screening of “The Golden Age,” a documentary about immigrant workers in Corona, Queens, and their passion for soccer, at Queens Theatre in the Park Main Theater, 8:30 p.m. Free.

SALSA: Los Salseros del Hudson, led by Jimmy Sabater Jr., at Battery Park City’s Wagner Park, 7 p.m. Free.

FILM: The seventh Cine Fest Petrobras Brasil, featuring top Brazilian films, continues at Tribeca Cinemas, 54 Varick St. For schedule, visit www.brazilianfilmfestival.com. Through Friday.

TOMORROW 6

DANCE: Argentine choreographer Luis Garay and his Buenos Aires Dance Company debut at Queens Theatre in the Park with “Gag,” a piece commissioned for the Latino Cultural Festival. At the Main Theater, 8:30 p.m., free. RSVP required.

TV: “Assault in the Ring,” a documentary about the ill-fated 1983 junior middleweight fight between Billy Collins Jr. and Luis Resto, airs on HBO at 12:30 p.m. and 8 p.m.

JAZZ: 3D Ritmo de Vida band at Gonzalez  y Gonzalez restaurant, 625 Broadway, 9:30 p.m.

FRIDAY 7

POP: Guatemalan star Ricardo Arjona brings his 5to Piso Tour to Madison Square Garden, 8 p.m. Tickets, $61-$141.

FOLK: Afro-Colombian singer Totó la Momposina at Queens Theatre in the Park Main Theater, 8:30 p.m. Tickets, $20-$25.

JAZZ: Latin Jazz All Stars, featuring Little Johnny Rivero on the congas and Willie Martínez on drums, at Creole Restaurant, Third Ave. at 118th St., 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. shows. Also tomorrow. Tickets $15.

MIX: Troubadour Raul Midón and bassist Meshell Ndegeocello at Damrosch Park Bandshell at Lincoln Center, 7:30 p.m. Free.

SATURDAY 8

KIDS: Baby Loves Salsa featuring José Conde’s band, brings salsa to kids and adults regardless of whether they speak Spanish, at the Highline Ballroom, 12 p.m. Tickets $12-$15.

SALSA: The Third Annual East Harlem Multi-Cultural Festival, featuring live music, continues every Saturday at La Placita of La Marqueta, 116th St. and Park Ave., noon to 6 p.m. Free.

SUNDAY 9

FOLK: Mexican son jarocho singer Don Fallo Figueroa and the Grupo Son Candela, Queens Theatre in the Park Main Theater, 7 p.m. Tickets, $25-$30.

MUSIC: Poets and bands, including Estudiantina Boliviana, Hernán Bravo, José Conde, Don Fallo Figueroa and Grupo Son Candela, La 21 División and Bonafide Rojas, come together at La Casita: A Home for the Heart, five hours of performances at Lincoln Center’s North Plaza, noon, free. Also Monday at 1 Bowling Green, Manhattan, 5:30 p.m.; Tuesday at The Point CDC, 940 Garrison Ave., the Bronx, 5:30 p.m., and Thursday at Teatro Pregones, 571-575 Walton Ave., the Bronx, 5:30 p.m.

SALSA: New York’s Abakuá Afro-Latin Jazz Company and Los Angeles’ Contra-Tiempo, two salsa-rooted modern dance companies, at Lincoln Center’s Damrosch Park Bandshell, 7:30 p.m. Free.

MONDAY10

JAZZ: Annette A. Aguilar & Stringbeans at Jazzmobile Summerfest, Tappen Park, Staten Island, 7 p.m. Free.

TUESDAY 11

JAZZ: Arturo O’Farrill at Jazzmobile Summerfest, 34-56 107th St., Corona, Queens, 7 p.m. Free.
BACHATA: Andy Andy at Manhattan’s Highbridge Park, 7 p.m. Free.

FREESTYLE: Cult Jam front woman Lisa Lisa at Red Hook Park, Brooklyn, 7 p.m. Free.

FILM: Screening of “La Venganza de Correa Cotto” (“The Vengeance of Correa Cotto”), a 1969 film about a Puerto Rican outlaw. At 8:30 p.m., in the community garden at 103rd St. and Park Ave. In Spanish, no subtitles. Free.

READING: Miami-based author Anjanette Delgado discusses her book “The Heartbreak Pill” at the East Harlem Cafe, Lexington Ave. at 104th St., 6 p.m. Free.

• Hudson RiverFlicks. Photo: Crist Figueroa

• Hudson RiverFlicks. Photo: Crist Figueroa

  

  Hudson RiverFlicks. Photo: Crist Figueroa

July 10 – August 21, 2009

Every week: Friday

For a smooth reentry, do simple chores before you go:

• Stop mail. Save yourself a trip to the post office and put a hold on your mail at USPS.com. You can also specify a day for the mail delivery to resume.
• Tidy up. Nothing makes you lose your post-vacation calm faster than returning to a messy house.
• Water your plants. If you’re going on a long trip, ask someone to come and add water to the flower pots or purchase Aqua Globes. I have purchased these in the past and they work great. If your plants don’t need a lot of water, simply move them away from direct sunlight.
• Protect your home. Put your lights on timers to deter would-be burglars. Look for devices that turn on at random times, like the Intermatic DT620CH 15 Amp Indoor Astronomic Digital.
• Make a list. Assemble a packing checklist at dontforgetyourtoothbrush.com. Be sure to print out two copies before you leave, and put the other in your suitcase as a reminder for when you’re repacking at the end of the vacation – you don’t want to forget something in the hotel. If you are traveling overseas, always make three copies of your passport. Leave a copy of your passport with your itinerary with a family member, as well keep a copy on person and in a hotel safety box.
• Switch off. Unplug your coffeemaker, TV, small appliances, and any other electronics to protect them from power surges and fires. You will also see a cut in the energy bill.
• Give yourself a warm welcome home. Change your sheets the night before you depart so you return to a fresh and enticing bed.
• Leave a list. Create a spreadsheet with information about your trip and give it to a friend or family member.
• Make sure to pay bills. Pay your bills on time. A great website that I like to to use for online payment is Mycheckfree.com. The service is free.
• Lastly plan something fun for after your return. It will help you get over those end-of-vacation blues.

[Source: All You]