Wednesday, November 14, 2007

Morning Edition - 11/14/07


Feeling: I learned from the Best; Whitney

Baby Fat
A U.S. gym operating in London is signing-up babies as young as 4 months old to encourage exercise at an early age. Though some say the gym rats are operating on parent’s fear that their child will be the one in five children under 11-years old that is found to be obese, others believe there’s no such thing as too early to start on a good exercise regimen. There are already over 500 children scheduled to attend the baby gyms and grandparents are said to be considering it one of the hottest gifts for the holiday. At over $600 a pop, the gym isn’t cheap. Experts say that there is no benefit to having a child that can barely crawl, do any real exercise. Meanwhile, the folks at the gym are saying that parents will be pleasantly surprised with the amount of exertion the gym brings out in the babies.

Die Now or Live With HIV?
Not since 1985 has an organ transplant recipient been infected with the virus that causes HIV/AIDS. Unfortunately, even with screening potential donors for the virus that causes HIV, the set-up is not 100% safe. Two weeks ago, four patients who received organs from an infected donor back in January while at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Rush University Medical Center and the University of Chicago Medical Center were informed that they are HIV and Hepatitis C positive. Ultimately, the doctors say that all precautions were taken – including testing the donor for HIV and Hepatitis, but the negative test results were not capturing the reality that the donor had been infected shortly before his death. The donor questionnaire shows that the donor engaged in high-risk behavior a short time before his death. Doctors say that the risk calculation is simple; if a patient will die without the transplant, then taking the risk of transplanting an infected organ outweighs the threat of immediate death. With over 400,000 organ transplants taking place without a hitch since the 80s, it’s safe to say that the screening process has worked well.

Commodity: Puerto Ricans
Since the Jones-Shafroth Act in 1917, Puerto Ricans have been U.S. Citizens. Whether born on the U.S. mainland or on the island of Puerto Rico, Puerto Ricans are Americans. Since 2004, the U.S. mainland Puerto Rican population has managed to match (and some say surpass) the four million inhabitants presently living on the Caribbean island. Before you start any ignorant talk about tacos or Ricky Ricardo, neither of these are Puerto Rican and do not stem from Puerto Rican culture. First, tacos (taco bell included) are Mexican based. For the record, Mexicans are the largest Latino group in the U.S. with over 26 million Mexicans spread across our nation. Second, Ricky Ricardo (Desi Arnaz) was Cuban. Although Cuba is a neighbor of Puerto Rico, Ricky was not Puerto Rican. Finally, you won’t ever hear a Puerto Rican refer to someone as “Hey ‘Ese’ how’s it going?” Puerto Ricans do not use the word ‘Ese’ to refer to friends or family – EVER. Although likely to be found anywhere in the U.S., Puerto Ricans are said to be concentrated in New York City, Connecticut, Chicago, Florida and Houston – notice that there is no mention of Los Angeles. The city of Angels’ largest Latino population is mainly Mexican. So before you go labeling every Latino person you come across as Puerto Rican, recognize that when put into context, Puerto Ricans are a rare commodity.

On Blast
What culture outside of your own would you be curious to have a sexual experience (encounter) with? Why?

Keep passin’ the open windows…

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

I moved to the left coast in 1999 having grown up in Mt. Vernon, NY and moving here from Lowell, MA. Being Mexican, I was not taken for Puerto Rican by the Puerto Ricans, but they still managed to try to get some spanish out of me. I'm fully versed in PR spanish, and trust me, it is its very own language....
Now, I have one PR friend, who is only a quarter PR, but it's the quarter she is most proud of. I know a Martinez is a PR and a Chavez is a Mexican. You guys can keep your "On the Border" though...I'll catch the tamale lady next week on her monthly jaunt up from Ciudad Juarez...
Peace

That Dude Right There said...

Damn Cocoa, did someone call you Mexican?

But I would love to have a sexual experience with a Black British man. You did say culture and not race, didn't you?

Why? There is something about a Black man speaking a British accent that gets my attention.

D.LavarJames said...

I hate when people show their ignorance and lump a group or culture of people together.

A sexual experience with anyone from Puerto Rico or the Carribbean Islands would be ideal. Or someone from Africa like the Ivory Coast or Kenya.

Joey Bahamas said...

I think Caribbean people have the same experience being lumped together...I'm Bahamian, there is little more than 450,000 0f us in the world!

Ummmm I am steadily falling in love with Latino men. The swagger, the rhythm, the accents! It's all very enthralling...teehee

JLG

Unknown said...

Sammygirl...glad you're joining us again... I hear u... I don't care for Taco Bell either and it has me running for the bathroom, not the border.

TDRT - nah, no one called me Mexican. I just hate when ig'nant ass folks refer to all Latinos as Puerto Rican - especially behind some negative shit.

D - Let me know when you hit some Boricua stuff...careful tho...Ricans are addictive... LOL

Joey - you ain't seen swagger and hot accents until you deal with a Puerto Rican man...go ahead and treat yourself to a Latino! Talk about advertising and promotion...LOL

As for me, I've always loved my African American men, but am curious about Japanese men (for that ultra passive masochistic experience) and Dominican men (for that all-night-ver-wear-it-down action). In the end, BD fits all my bills... He's my chinky, redbone, built-right Dr. Feelgood. LOL

Unknown said...

We have a pretty large community of Puerto Ricans in my hometown of Harrisburg, PA, so therefore I was educated quite early by my neighbors and school mates.

bLaQ~n~MiLD said...

Hmmmmmmmm... Well I've had PR, Dominican, Trini, Guiyanese (sp), American of African descent, and Lil Dred is Jamaican. Don't really know if I have some overwhelming desire to be with a specific culture at this time... And yes Cocoa you're right about PR's being addictive. (Whew the memories...lol)

~Damnit!

iii said...

I back Cocoa!!! LOL ! I feel sadness for the organ recipient's who contacted the virus. I can not imagine ehat they are going through. They fought to get a organ so they dont doe and know they are faced with battling eith the hiv virus. Thank you for educating us on the differences of culture. Not everyone Latino is Puerto Rican. Well I been with a the Latino, Asian,Blacks. I want to get with an European. They seem so mysterious.

Mr. Jones said...

The gym thing is stupid. Rich people doing rich people shit aka wasting money.

As for PR, set these hoes straight man. You have to. Some people just don't get it. I hate that people think everyone from a Spanish-speaking background is Mexican. That really bothers me.

We don't have many Puerto Ricans in Maryland. Our largest Spanish population is Salvadorian. We also have a HUGE (and i mean BIG) MS-13 problem.

Mr. Jones said...

Oh, I forgot the important part. I've dreamed of visiting St. Kitts or St. Martin or PR or DR or wherever and falling in love with a hottie of African decent. I love me some afro-Cubans, afro-Brazilians...I just love boys who are black and originate in countries near the Tropic of Cancer. That's my weakness.

Anonymous said...

being from the midwest i had never really met any PRs til i moved to nyc. i laughed at this post because i think the phenomenon is exactly the opposite of what you describe. i think most americans would label a spanish speaking person mexican before calling them PR. in my experience, the NE is about the only region where PR is most likely to first come to mind. e.g. my mother said the other day, "what is up with those mexicans (talking about PRs) using the word "nigga"?

while we're at it, can we talk about that for a second. why have nyc PRs taken such liberties with the "n" word? I just don't get it and although i've gotten used to hearing it, sometimes it grates my nerves to no end. do you guys not realize that altho accepted regionally around nyc that this term would get the living ish beat out of you if used around blacks from other parts of the USA? namely by the ones who would classify PRs as mexicans due to the spanish speaking element? (lol) just a question. please dont put me on blast.

Anonymous said...

anonymous -
you put YOURSELF on blast. Black people all over the United States of America us the word "nigga". Who cares if you're from the midewest, people from the midwest use the damn word too. Please. stop being so sanctimonious. The problem started when black folks called each other "nigga" as in 'thats my nigga' or 'whats up my nigga'. Oprah Winfrey went on record to say that even SHE uses the word in jest at times. So lets not act as if the term is sacred. The only sacred words I know of are "God" and "Jesus Christ". Does that mean I promote the use of the word "nigga" as a symbol of ignorance - survey says XXX. But at the same time, it grates MY nerves when people get on their soapbox and tell other people of color (mexicans, hispanics etc) that they don't have the right to use the word "nigga". Last time I checked, the slaves were freed in the 19th Century and although it has not been a cake walk for most African Americans, the only whippings going on now are predominantly being given by and received by other African Americans i.e. black on black crime. Check the statistics on crime, incarceration rate, drop out rates, single family homes in the African American communities and then get back to us on the word "nigga". YES, THE WORD IS USED IN THE MIDWEST. Just like the Klan is everywhere, so is the "n" word. Might i suggest you read Bill Cosbys "Come on People - Victims to Victors". Its not OK for ANYONE to use "nigga". Period.
Cas608

Anonymous said...

whitney was lip synching that performance

Darius T. Williams said...

Aaaayyyy papito - me gusto puerto riquenos!