Café Media

Cuisine Cruisers Photo Essay

photoblog@cafemediallc.com (Café Exposure) — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 22:10:51 +0000

That Makes Me Worry

christina@cafemediallc.com (Christina Rodriguez) — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 16:08:17 +0000

Sometimes I worry about this country that I live in.

Yesterday I was asked what I identify with, you know, those phrases that make you, you. Well, I said, I’m Latina, first and foremost. Why? Because I’ve been judged as such and I’m a girl that can’t escape from the fact that I come from some exotic type of background, whether people think I’m South American or Asian. I embrace the fact that I speak another language and when people think I was born in a Spanish-speaking country, I happily tell them that I was born in the United States. Chicago: Born and bred! But the fact that I have to explain to people who think it’s weird that anyone who speaks more than one language, that worries me.

I look Mexican, but what about the people who don’t? A red-haired, six foot man who has the palest skin can be Mexican, just like someone with a German last name or that girl who looks Chinese. We don’t all look the same. I’m serious. But when you have people carding and identifying people in Arizona because of how they look or sound, that makes me worry.

This country was founded on Christian idealisms and was also founded on the freedom of religion, or lack thereof. But what about the people who are persecuted for being non-Christians? The fact that some Southern minister is having a Quran burning day on Sept. 11 because, well, it’ll make him and all those people who participate feel better about themselves is my idea of ignorance, not any kind of freedom, least of all, being American.

Other countries around the world endure ridiculous amounts of violence, terrorism and natural disasters yet we’re the only country to document, re-document, reopen those feelings and make everyone remember the feelings of hatred toward other people, yet keep citizens oblivious and ignorant to real reasons why things happen to the United States. If you’re going to learn one piece of the story, you might as well learn all sides or at least most. The lack of education makes me worry.

There are many Latinos who choose not to educate themselves, yet those who do get pointed at as the liberal, radical and too much to handle. Why? Because there are some truths that aren’t told to you as children or young adults, that you have to learn on your own and once you do learn them, you become that angry “minority” that everyone claims you to be, not because you want to but because you can’t help it? There are things that happen that can’t be controlled by one thing or the other, but once your eyes are opened they can’t be shut and for that, those people should not be shunned. When they are, it worries me.

How can I live in a place that claims everyone who is aware of their surroundings and acknowledges things that others turn their gaze from, a socialist? How can I live in a place that claims that those who want to help their neighbor, give people equal opportunities and support one another, a socialist? How can I live in a place that claims that those with affiliations or friendships with people of Middle Eastern decent, a terrorist? How can I live in a place that labels, shuns, hates people of color, where many people are xenophobic, where people don’t allow for others to live, where people bitch and moan for the sake of bitching and moaning, where residents want to be above everyone else around them, where the entire point of living is to make money, where people do care for one another, but only care about themselves? These thoughts worry me.

But I plan on being that different person. That person who is going to make a difference, who will educate, enlighten and broaden horizons. I plan on being that educated, patient person who works for something they believe in and spreads the love in all the right methods. I plan to be open-minded, non-judgmental and realize that I can’t control the world, but can only control myself. I plan to set myself apart from the rest, being that person and I know plenty of people who feel the same way. Jump on this bandwagon, I dare you.

America Baez’s Experience at the NSHMBA Conference

mitch@grupoentrada.com (NSHMBA 2010 Conference Blog) — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 20:14:23 +0000

By America Baez, Talent Acquisition and Diversity Consultant.

Imagine over 8,000 Hispanic business professionals in one place… it is amazing to see so many Hispanic professionals at the NSHMBA National Conference and Career Expo every year. They have different cultural, field and industry backgrounds which make the interactions all the more interesting.

In addition, the variety of topics and caliber of speakers of the professional and leadership development sessions is outstanding. There are typically CEOs and C-level executives speaking about leadership, management, diversity, marketing and branding, entrepreneurship, and their own company’s leadership and diversity initiatives among other topics. The networking that takes place is powerful and the connections are priceless.

Another important component of the conference is the career fair. With over 250 companies and universities looking for talent, it becomes a must attend event for those looking for jobs. NSHMBA also has a Career Management Program to help prepare members for the career fair and offers pre-conference and on-site resume critiquing, mock interview and coaching sessions.

The NSHMBA Conference has become a destination conference for the many sessions, events and benefits it offers to Hispanic business professionals, companies and universities. The quality of the individuals and organizations attending along with a flawless execution makes it a first class event that everyone should attend.The conference is almost like an annual family reunion where you see friends from all over the country that you might not see throughout the year. The camaraderie and support among NSHMBA members and attendees is great and it makes a fun and interesting event!

America has held several NSHMBA leadership positions including Chicago Chapter President, National Director and Co-Chair of the National Leadership Task Force. She recently won the NSHMBA 2010 Brillante Award for Member Services Excellence.

Who knew there was a North Coast?

christina@cafemediallc.com (Christina E. Rodriguez ) — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 17:04:32 +0000

Claiming to be summer's last hoorah, the first annual North Coast Music Festival this past weekend with some pretty stellar guests including the Chemical Brothers, Moby, Lupe Fiasco, Holy Ghost!, the Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Loyal Divide, Hey Champ and a few others I didn't name, like Damien Marley and Nas.

Apparently Nas treated Damien, from what I read on a tweet while I was sitting at home twiddling my thumbs. Why didn't I stick around to see those two? Seen 'em! Check!

Besides that, the weather was absolutely perfect for the outdoor festival that took place in Union Park. It was so great that I rode my bike all the way to the park on Saturday, like the part hipster that I am, with my pants rolled up and everything. I rang my little biker bell and almost got attacked my some kind of bird related to the duck family. I digress.

There were plenty of us running around with our little yellow tags, trying to get good pictures of the girls with the hoola-hoops, guys with the crazy body suits and even more people tripping on any kind of drug you can think of. By the way, there were numerous tweets about how people felt left out because they weren't on drugs. In solidarity, we stand together! (or something like that.)

Sunday had the best music during the day. The Dirty Dozen Brass Band was excellent. The New Orleans based band was so awesome and exciting. They jammed out and had people dancing whether or not they were intoxicated. The trumpeter played two trumpets at the same time and the tuba player played better bass lines than could've been played on the bass!

Although the electronic music was the highlight of the weekend, it was the bands that did really well and made me want to stick around. I had heard of but never heard Holy Ghost! and I was pleasantly surprised to hear them on Sunday afternoon. It was fantastic. Trew on the Red Bull Local Stage was also great to hear and I look forward to hearing them play around Chicago. DJ Skeet Skeet was also thrilling as he played some great juke and house beats, ending it with Electro Cumbia! That was an awesome surprise.

On Friday night, we found out that artists such as The Chemical Brothers and Paul Van Dyk didn't allow photographs of themselves. What?! That was preposterous. If you're playing at a music festival and you want attention to be drawn to your excellent table turning, then you best let the media be your friend. That's all we have to say.

If you hit up the festival this weekend, let us know who you saw and what you liked. From twitter reviews, it seems that North Coast won this one. People will be looking forward to it next year. It better be there.

Who knew there was a North Coast?

mitch@latinlounge.tv (Cafe Con Musica) — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 16:46:02 +0000

By Christina E. Rodriguez

Apparently Nas treated Damien, from what I read on a tweet while I was sitting at home twiddling my thumbs. Why didn't I stick around to see those two? Seen 'em! Check!

The funny part about this festival was that there was no media area. Like at other festivals we go to, like Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza, Pitchfork, there was no place for the media to sit and do their work. It was perfect! This, in itself, forced the media folk to be creative and sit anywhere to make their own work space. There was free Wi-Fi though, that was a plus. There were plenty of us running around with our little yellow tags, trying to get good pictures of the girls with the hoola-hoops, guys with the crazy body suits and even more people tripping on any kind of drug you can think of.

By the way, there were numerous tweets about how people felt left out because they weren't on drugs. In solidarity, we stand together! (or something like that.)

Sunday had the best music during the day. The Dirty Dozen Brass Band was excellent. The New Orleans based band was so awesome and exciting. They jammed out and had people dancing whether or not they were intoxicated. The trumpeter played two trumpets at the same time and the tuba player played better bass lines than could've been played on the bass!

Although the electronic music was the highlight of the weekend, it was the bands that did really well and made me want to stick around. I had heard of but never heard Holy Ghost! and I was pleasantly surprised to hear them on Sunday afternoon. It was fantastic. Trew on the Red Bull Local Stage was also great to hear and I look forward to hearing them play around Chicago. DJ Skeet Skeet was also thrilling as he played some great juke and house beats, ending it with Electro Cumbia! That was an awesome surprise.

On Friday night, we found out that artists such as The Chemical Brothers and Paul Van Dyk didn't allow photographs of themselves. What?! That was preposterous. If you're playing at a music festival and you want attention to be drawn to your excellent table turning, then you best let the media be your friend. That's all we have to say.

Schools and Money

silviatoday@gmail.com (Silvia Martinez) — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 15:27:03 +0000

My son returned to school a couple of weeks ago and one thing’s for sure; the size of his class has grown. His teacher appears to take it in stride. She’s one of those boundless energetic, irrepressible teachers one always feels fortunate to get. Like so many these days, too, she probably just feels fortunate to have a job and a classroom at all. Many of her colleagues are looking for work as substitutes this semester.

In the midst of all this, the question keeps coming to my mind, “When does it all end?” Is there a class size that simply hits critical mass? Where even the best, brightest, and most energetic teachers cease teaching and can only be classroom managers? A class size where the sheer number of paper cuts, mandated testing, bathroom breaks, Kleenex requests, and hair knots grinds the whole pedagogical thing to a halt?

I ask these questions in the context of our current economic circumstances and wonder if AIG, to name just one, really needed the whole 100-160 billion (depending on whose account you read) to keep from failing? What amount would we need to keep our schools from failing? Of course, some argue that more money for schools is just throwing good money after bad. Reasonable folks know success in schools requires more than money, but it does require some money. I’m just wondering if the bailouts are being rationally distributed?

In the meantime, I don’t want to just complain without trying to be a part of the solution, no matter how small. So if you want a chance to win $50,000 for your school, check this out!

Silvia - Mama Latina Tips

The Power of One – How a Revolution is Made

fernando@espuelas.com (Fernando Espuelas) — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 19:48:08 +0000

Nicolae Ceausescu was one of the most brutal dictators of the Communist-era. Ruling with his wife Elena, the Ceausescus spread terror and poverty across Romania. They jailed, tortured and killed their opponents.

They lived like a king and queen, while enforcing a brutal austerity program meant, in part, to pay for Elena's insane dream of building Europe's biggest palace – a Communist Versailles that would stand as a symbol to the Ceausescus.

But in 1989, as the Soviet empire began to crumble, Ceausescu sought to show the world that he still could keep his power, that the rising tide of democracy that was washing through Central and Eastern Europe would not threaten his Communist autocracy.

As he had done before, when his power was at its zenith, he ordered the people to the main square. He planned to deliver yet another speech – complete with banners proclaiming the people's loyalty to him and his regime. He would show the world that Ceausescu would endure.

But then the unexpected happened: somewhere in the back of the crowd, one person, one individual began to do the unthinkable – he jeered the all-powerful dictator.

Suddenly, others joined this person, and like a tsunami hitting a coastline, it overwhelmed the crowd which went from pliant props in Ceausescu's demonstration of his own power, to the spark of revolution. The tsunami then washed over the dictator's balcony.

Dazed by the shouting crowd, Ceausescu for the first time showed fear – and his people saw it.

In an unforgettable film that captures the turning tide, Ceausescu hesitates, he looks blankly at the crowd in disbelief. Then his face changes, he tries to weakly wave down the rising chorus of the people now totally aligned against him.

And then the face: the great dictator in terror, in terror of his own people.

And so his seemingly iron-willed dictatorship unraveled, as first the people, and then the army abandoned their own fear and overthrew the regime. In the final coup-d-grace, the helicopter pilot that was to spirit Ceausescu and his wife to safety also turned on him and he was arrested, jailed in a tank (for fear that he would be captured by his still loyal secret police), tried in a summary court, and shot in a court yard.

Ceausescu today is the iconic example of the arrogance of power brought to an end by the will of the people. That one person who first jeered, the most brave of the supposed slaves of the Ceausescu-regime, started a revolution with a shout and gave freedom to a whole nation.

This is the real power of personal courage – this is the power of one.

For more espuelas.com, click here.

The Magic of 99

james@exhibitorsdaily.com (Café Geeké) — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 11:17:25 +0000

Well it seems as though everyone is trying to imitate Apple again. Not that this is unusual. Without the precision, vertical integration and perfection demanded of Apple by the Jobs man, we would all be using cheap, virus infested, confusing, boring tech.

You have no idea how happy I am to say, "I don't do windows," whenever a friend of the family learns that I am the geek. It has saved my countless hours of trying to tell them that in order to fix their problem they should just get a Mac.

So now in the last two days after Apple has announced a slew of great integrated products, firms are falling over themselves to imitiate Apple.

First we have Amazon offering 99¢ TV shows to compete against the new Apple TV, followed up by Samsung and Toshiba offering their own ersatz version of an iPad. But like Steve Jobs likes to say, "Go where the puck is going not where it was."

I am sure some of these imitation will gain favor. Heck, the fact that we can start truly getting shows on demand vs. paying extortion to the monopolistic cable companies is certainly a great step in the right direction.

I don't know about you, but I am so old, I remember when cable was offered as a way not to have commercials. Yea, I am that old. However, the promise that lured me then into their devious trap, is back. I watch approximately three cable shows a week. In the 99¢ world this would cost me about $12 a month vs. the $99 a month I am paying now. If I could also get a great Internet connection, for say $25 dollars a month, I would drop the hated Comcast right this moment.

But alas, I have no real choice for Internet. Living in the freest monopolistic country in the world isn't really what it is cracked up to be. Evidently, we sheeple are just test cases for one world everything.

But, this will be a slow process. Luckily Apple has just made Steve's little hobby affordable at $99. I think I can trade in a few old silver quarters and silver half dollars hidden in my ancient couches and comfort chairs to obtain the magic of 99 and get myself this Apple TV.

Though as a true Apple fanman, I would have taken a shift... hmm are there any shifts available... oh never, mind. Nonetheless I will get one of these magic devices and report back.

But before I leave, the sad thing about the other guys new tablets is that they require you get a phone contract. Yea, that will be real successful, unless of course they price the new extortion fee at 99¢ per month.

Then the power of 99 would again work its magic.

The Geek

Speak English. This is America.

christina@cafemediallc.com (Christina Rodriguez) — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 17:56:57 +0000

Speak English. This is America.

I have so much beef with this statement, it’s not even funny. First of all, I can speak any language I want BECAUSE I am in this country. Secondly, within the Americas there are thousands of different languages. THOUSANDS. And English does not dominate, although people think it does. Isn’t that something?

Anyway, teaching me Spanish was probably the best thing my father could have done. I say my father for a specific reason; they both say that if it wasn’t for him talking to me in Spanish and making it pertinent that I speak, understand and write the language, I probably wouldn’t have learned it at all. My mother is fluently bilingual in both languages (is that even right?) and finds it more comfortable to speak in English than in Spanish—she’s acculturated if you will.

But did you know that when you’re bilingual, you’re smarter? You know twice as many things and are even more inclined to understand concepts from multiple angles.

“The bilingual brain develops more densely, giving it an advantage in various abilities and skills, according to new research.” This is from Web MD in 2004. The research was done in London by Andrea Mechelli along with some other experts from the Fondazione Santa Lucia in Rome, who looked at brain densities of bilingual people.

Bilingual people also have more gray matter in the brain, something stimulated by learning a second language. The earlier you learn the language, the more gray matter in the brain.

“Studies have shown an association with gray matter density (or volume and intellect), especially in areas of language, memory, and attention.”

In 2002, the U.S. Census found that there were more than 7.5 million bilingual children. Can you just imagine what that number is now?

Although being bilingual is not a choice sometimes, but a matter of surviving and surviving well, it's good for people! There are so many non-native bilingual people who are trying to get their kids into programs and learning how to speak multiple languages at once. You know why? Because they've done the research! They know that down the line, their kids are going to have better test scores, have better cognitive skills and be able to communicate in various ways and they LIKE IT!

It’s really sad to think that people who are monolingual want to cut bilingual education in schools because they’re a bunch of xenophobes. Instead of opening their own minds to learn a bit more and find the benefits of their children being cultured, they want to cut it out. Well, that’s just stupid and all those people are jealous and uneducated.

There has been so much research pertaining to the importance of being bilingual which gets misinterpreted by parents and teachers alike. It’s ridiculous.

I made the cutoff. I wasn’t put into bilingual schooling but I grew up bilingual. I chose to educate myself and I benefitted so much from it.

If you are bilingual and you rock at it, good for you! Keep it going in your children and beyond. You’ll be doing them more good than you even realize.

Expectations (a.k.a Don't Hate Your Doctor)

dr_mclaudio@yahoo.com (Marina Claudio) — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 11:19:28 +0000

Shared expectations are important in a doctor/patient relationship. Unfortunately, during many patient encounters in an office setting, we seem to have mismatched ideas of what we are trying to achieve in a 15-20 minute span of time. One thing that many patients are not aware of is even though they are scheduled to be seen at a certain time, that time is limited. If you show up late, you limit the time that we can spend together. If I am running late (not uncommon because the patient before you was late or needed extra time), I can still only give you the time that I have carved out of my daily schedule for one or two issues.

I like patients that bring me lists of health issues that they would like addressed, but the expectations of providing such a list must also be understood. If you give me a list of 20 issues, I will NOT be able to address them all in one visit. In fact, in the time allowed to me, we can probably only address one or two of the most pressing issues.

These lists are also problematic during a scheduled physical visit. Many people don’t understand the concept of “well visits” and “sick visits”. We bill your insurance companies according to the content of the visit. A physical has special billing codes that distinguish well visits from sick visits. For reasons that are unknown to me, many insurance companies do not like to reimburse us for both visits in one. This creates much frustration for us physicians when you schedule a visit for a “checkup” but then bring a list of 5-10 issues that you would like addressed at the same time. When I try to explain this idea to patients, I am usually met with disappointment and the following utterance: “You mean I have to come back to address these issues and pay another $40 copay?” The simple answer is…well, yes. If I am to provide a service, no matter how seemingly intangible, like giving professional medical advice, the insurance company should provide reimbursement for my services, right?

Are you also aware that the copay you leave at the front desk is taken into account when I get reimbursed? The copay is not in-addition-to my payment, it is part of the total insurance reimbursement.

Getting back to expectations, try to prioritize your health concerns by level of urgency or importance to you. Nothing is more frustrating for doctors than a patient who comes in for a something like a rash (usually a fairly quick visit for us unless the rash is puzzling and requires a biopsy or referral to a dermatologist). As my hand is on the doorknob out the door, on my way to the next patient, we are informed, “oh by the way, doc, I have been having chest pains lately on the left side of my chest and it makes my left arm kinda heavy.” Seriously??? What really brought you in that day? Was it a rash due to wearing that cheap nickel-based costume jewelry that you know you have an allergy to or was it the chest pain? Now, our quick visit has caused me to release the doorknob, sit back down and ask more questions, probably get an electrocardiogram and order blood tests, a cardiology visit or a visit to the emergency room. We always wonder why this physical complaint is pretty much the #1 “doorknob sign”.

One way to not accumulate a huge list of medical issues is to see us more often. If you come in once a year with a two-page list of issues, I will ask you to see me every few weeks in order to address each item with the time owed to it. Do you really want me to rush through your list?

Another expectation that is not in line with ours is forms. Not counting visits specifically for school or work physicals, where forms are assumed (and please fill your part out before you see us - it will save so much time. If there is a language or literacy barrier, we’ll try to help in the office as best as we can, but, remember, some sections of forms are your responsibility), we are unable to address multiple issues in a visit and then fill out an FMLA or disability or other form before you leave. This is very time consuming and puts us further behind schedule. I have had patients bring me or drop off 4-5 page forms with a note that says, “doctora, I need this form ASAP. I will come by tomorrow to pick it up.” Wait! I may not have it ready by tomorrow! I need more time for these things. Many businesses will set an expectation for the processing of forms (i.e., 5-7 business days). Some businesses even charge for this service since it is time that we are spending in addition to our office hours. If you have a form that needs my attention, please do not wait until the last minute and drop it off.

I can’t end the forms discussion without addressing a very important and sensitive issue. Please do not request handicap stickers, placards, posts in front of your house, or worse, disability, if you are not truly disabled. There are very specific criteria that must be met to be considered handicapped or disabled. Not finding a nearby parking spot at the mall is not an excuse for handicapped placards. I have heard this excuse before. I will reject your request. Don’t get mad, because I will not commit fraud and risk being fine thousands of dollars or worse.

Disability, as solicited from the Social Security Administration, is a big deal. Applying for disability means that you have a medical or psychiatric condition(s) that will not allow you to be gainfully employed in any capacity, whether short-term or long-term. Diabetes that is uncontrolled because you continue to shove “arroz con gandules y pan” in your mouth and not take your medications regularly doesn’t qualify you for disability and I, unlike some doctors, will tell you this. Just because I get the forms, it doesn’t mean that I will help to disable you.

I will end with the following: we, as physicians, have expectations that our patients come to us seeking medical advice in order to live healthier and, subsequently, happier lives. If you choose not to take our advice, for whatever reason, that is up to you. You must then live with the consequences of your actions in the short and long-term. Your expectations, I suspect, are similar. So, let’s work together to continue to share expectations.