Puerto Rico Lifestyle Magazine

Puerto Rico Lifestyle Magazine - News and Reviews

When news breaks, we fix it, and post it here. Our staff of seasoned writers are dedicated to bringing you the latest news and information about Puerto Rico like no one else does

Latest News Headlines:

Understanding the Politics of Puerto Rico - Politics are everything in Puerto Rico. First off, even in the last election 70% of the voting-age population cast a vote, which is significantly higher than the statistics for the U.S. Politics are constantly discussed on the streets, on the radio, in the newspaper, everywhere. It can be a little overwhelming if you’re not really interested. The only comparison I can think of is how Americans talk about football during football season. It’s really, really big.

A Super Short History of Puerto Rico, Part-1 - All right, this is going to be Puerto Rican history in a nutshell. Before Christopher Colombus arrived in Puerto Rico in 1493, the island, like much of the Caribbean, was populated by Taíno Indians. The Taínos became slaves for the Spaniards and were practically exterminated... there are a few different opinions to whether the Taíno is "extinct", I wrote a paper on this in Spanish so I'll be sure to upload that eventually. Anyways, in response to a lack of workers the slave trade was born. Other than this, Spain more or less ignored the island. It was attacked by the English, Dutch, and French for years and it was a popular place for pirates, notably Puerto Rico's own Cofresí.

A Super Short History of Puerto Rico, Part-2 - So, the Spanish-American War ends after the U.S. blockades Puerto Rico for long enough that the people were very welcoming to the American troops. It doesn't help that they were promised the liberty that the Spaniards didn't give to them. Of course, as you might have noticed, that's not really what they got.

Word(s) of the Week: Fruits - I wrote a post about bananas on the island (and how they're called guineos rather than plátanos amarillos or bananos or what-have-you from other countries). I've been meaning to follow that up with some more (emphasis on "meaning to"; I'm a bit forgetful I suppose). Anyways... fruit!

Referendum or Restitution? - So the never-ending status question has been raised again, this time with the can of worms by Gil the Jenius and then the can of snakes from DONDEQUIERA. In this second post a series of questions are posed and in my usual fashion I've decided to respond. Not in order of the questions, of course, but in the order they fall in naturally. If we're going to stick with metaphors, let's call this the can of anacondas, shall we?

Satire News Site Announces Twice Daily Publication Schedule - One of the oldest satire websites on the net, Glossy News, has announced to the surprise of many that they are returning to a twice-daily publication schedule. While traditional news may be dying off, this misfortune may be the very grounds for the 7-year-old spoof news bellwether has been able to get back on top of the fake news game.

Go to Puerto Rico! Please! - So again, I'm urging everyone to go to Puerto Rico. Not because I or anyone I know gets something from it (I wish!), but just because it is an amazing place with something for everyone.

Seattle Felony Criminal Advice: Never Take the Plea - If it was a year ago and you were brought up on charges, I'd have suggested you might not want to take the plea deal, even if you believe you committed the crime for which you were accused. Today it's a whole new world, and you'd have to be crazy to take a plea deal today. The system is now as bankrupt financially as it always has been spiritually, and the chances that you'll face a worse fate for facing trial is finally approaching zero.

El Día de Soy Americano - A Brief History of American Citizenship in Puerto Rico - So apparently the Puerto Rican legislature is trying to get a(nother) holiday celebrating American citizenship added to the calendar (for May 20th). Well, technically, it already existed, but they're reviving it. The other holiday celebrating American citizenship is March 2nd, "el Día de la Ciudadanía Americana", in case you were wondering.

Word(s) of the Week: Cucubano and Cucullo, Plus Tony Croatto - Tonight I was outside, enjoying the breezy dusk we were having here. It's summertime, of course, and the cool nights nearly make up for the muggy days. Anyways, I called my friend over to look at the fireflies, which were everywhere. She was pretty impressed with how many there were... enough, I suppose, to call her mom and tell her about it.

Jorge Nunez Advances, Tatiana Blows Her Second Chance - Just a couple days ago we made the bold prediction that American Idol finalist Jorge Nunez was sure to be eliminated, and that Puerto Rico's best chance at the finals was the unlikely possibility that Tatiana Nicole Del Toro would be brought back in the judge's wild card round… boy did we miss the mark on that one. Jorge wasn't ranked 4th out of all the guys, but 3rd overall. And Tatiana finally got a fair shot, she just didn't live up to it.

Use of English in Puerto Rico, or, How to Deal with the Inevitable "Gringo" Label - So I was asked recently if Americans speak English or Spanish while living in Puerto Rico. The answer is a bit complicated so I want to start with some history first.

Idol's Jorge Nunez Slated for Elimination Tonight - If you've been reading Puerto Rico Lifestyle the last few weeks, you know we've done our best to promote the best and brightest of Puerto Rico in America's biggest popularity contest. Our promotion of Jorge Nuñez and Tatiana Nicole del Toro hasn't been a strict matter of pride, but a matter of talent, even in the face of the odds we know are stacked against them. Well, sadly, Jorge Nuñez put on a show-stopper of a performance, and tonight he'll leave American Idol.

Puerto Rico Expects Decades More of Flooded Streets - The director of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers says it will take another 20 years before it can control Puerto Rico's infamous flooding problem because no money is available.

American Idol's New Low: the Tatiana Del Toro "Nude" Libel Begins - We can't pretend for a minute that Tatiana Del Toro is our favorite to take the top spot in this 2009 American Idol competition*, but she's still a human being, and as hard as Idol executives are working (Fremantle, 19-Entertainment) to undermine the very humanity of Puerto Ricans, this new revelation has simply gone too far… Now, it seems, there are naked photos of Puerto Rican finalist Tatiana Del Toro. Don't believe it, folks, you've got the propaganda all wrong.

Walgreens and the American Corporative Takeover of Puerto Rico; Plus, Farmacies - So, this post from Dondequiera about how Walgreens has bought 20 Farmacias El Amal has inspired me to confront two important topics.

American Idol Shuns Puerto Ricans, Embraces Nude Model "Bikini Girl" - American Idol's contentious and often despised "Group Week" has come and gone, but if there is one thing we now know for sure, it's two things: Puerto Rican's are only being included for the sake of novelty, and tasteless, human jokes are still free to move forward in the competition. Sure, we're looking at you, Norman, but worst of all, we're looking at the nude photo posing "Bikini Girl" Katrina Darrell, whose naked photos have already shown up online.

Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga for Nintendo Wii - Of all the cut-rate games I've bought for the Nintendo Wii, none meant much for me than headache. After buying the Nintendo Play (which came with a controller, so I was warned to have low expectations,) and falling for another title I won't even bother naming, my faith in the system was entirely shaken… and then I found Lego Star Wars, and my modern gaming life just may now be complete.

Blair.com Might Not Be a Scam, Except It Is - I've made the mistake of buying from an online retailer with a short name before, with disastrous results (thanks for nothing, lousy Buy.com,) but the jokers at Blair.com are real scammers in ways I couldn't have even imagined. Order hasn't materialized, tracking numbers never work, and the telephone help is rude at best… good work, guys!

Man Assaults Puerto Rico Ex-Gov – Ordered to Counseling - A businessman that punched the former governor of Puerto Rico, apparently because he criticized President George W. Bush, has been ordered to anger-management classes. Although he's never met the exiting 43rd US president Bush the junior, and didn't even wage his attack with so much as a shoe, he was facing up to eight years in prison for his lashing out. He was also sentenced to more than five years of probation and required to take counseling for alcohol abuse.

Shell Oil to Pay Mere $1 Million for Puerto Rico Water Pollution - Long time "friend of the environment" Shell Oil has graciously agreed to pay just over a million dollars, plus another quarter million, because they've been compelled to do so, following guilt in the illegal discharge of pollutants into a creek that flows to the Caribbean Sea.

Humor: The Universal Language - In Puerto Rico, as elsewhere in the US, 2008 was a year when race and national identity were front and center on the national stage as Obama waged his historic campaign to become the first non-Anglo Saxon man to win the White House. It's no wonder then that even in the world of satire and humor, Obama remained at the center of it all (despite the fact that humorists everywhere lament the departure of the easy target that Dubya provided).

Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony Fly Back to Puerto Rico - Even though there were early reports on muck-raking sites like TMZ, it seems none of them were worth any more than the paper nobody even bothered to print them on. All these rumors and reports aside, pop singer and Hollywood A-Lister J-Lo was seen boarding a flight with music master husband and mega-hunk Marc Anothony. Break-up rumors were largely distributed by the E! network, but no substantiation has yet come to fruition.

Montana Travel Site Offers Unique Take on Tourism - Travel and tourism sites come dime a dozen, even in places as famously empty as the US state of Montana, but one publication is looking to shake things up a bit, and they're already doing it with the next generation of journalists. MontanaWithKids.com offers news, views and reviews of all the hottest – and most unique – tourist attractions in the state, and all from the perspective of the kids who see it as tourists.

Puerto Ricans Seeking Savings in T-Mobile@Home Find Short End of the Stick - Since VOIP calling began, Boricua have been on the cutting edge of it. Just placing simple calls to new friends and old family that once cost a fortune became virtually free almost overnight. The most popular method of calling the mainland early on was cell phones, specifically those with any number of assorted "free minutes". Now it's all about Skype, Vonage, and to the regret of some early adopters of it, the terribly mis-marketed T-Mobile@Home.

Alicia Rickter Destroys Website Critical of Her, Mike Piazza - Last week one of the oldest satire web publications was taken offline due to complaints by former Playboy playmate Alicia Rickter and/or her Major League Baseball slugging husband Mike Piazza. The complaint allegedly stemmed from a less-than-flattering depiction on the satire site GlossyNews.com, but ended with the site being completely removed from the internet for almost a full day.

Judge Throws Out Select Charges Against Gov. Acevedo - Monday a U.S. judge tossed out the majority the federal corruption charges against Puerto Rico's governor, Anibal Acevedo Vila, who is facing a federal trial for alleged campaign finance violations. The judge threw out 15 of the 24 charges against the governor, and all but two were dismissed with prejudice, meaning they can't be filed again regardless of what future evidence may come to light.

Bus Drivers Seeking $30million in Back Pay Compensation - Puerto Rico school bus drivers are in the process of planning a strike in Puerto Rico, pressing the government to pay $30 million in back wages they claim were not rightfully paid. Union spokesman Carlos Ramirez says the school bus drivers represented will begin their strike in around the island Monday, if demands are not met.

Obama Offers Hope Puerto Rican Style, But Can He Deliver? - President-elect Barack Obama has already made history by being nominated, then elected to the United State's highest office. Although Puerto Rico caucused for Hillary Clinton, his message and his story still resonate with our proud, historic people. Top it off with the fact that Mrs. Clinton appears headed for Secretary of State appointment, and the portrait of hope looks complete, but how do Puerto Ricans feel about it?

Obama to Name John McCain as Secretary of Defense? - President-Elect Barack Obama has pledged to fill his cabinet, as did Abraham Lincoln, with highly qualified persons whose skills compliment his own, even if their ideals may at times seem in stark contrast. Questions remain as to how far he might take such a commitment. Former President Richard Nixon famously surrounded himself by sycophantic yes-men, but Obama has already made a number of controversial appointments to his transitional team, including polarizing figure Rohm Emanuel.

The FTC Is Wrong About Credit Repair - Credit repair has its share of detractors, and perhaps for good reason. The FTC campaign against credit repair scams makes perfect sense. But for every consumer that has been disappointed by a questionable credit repair scheme, there are so many more that have benefited from the service of a genuine credit repair professional. It is time for the FTC to acknowledge the good guys in the credit repair industry?

When Credit Repair Becomes a Necessity - Credit Repair Causes and Cures - Credit repair becomes a consideration in our lives when things go wrong. Some of the events that lead to credit issues are our fault, while others take us by surprise. Here is our take on the events that cause credit trouble, and our perscription for a potent cure.

Bringing YouTube Into Modern Era (and What's All Wrong) - We recently interviewed a number of video publishers about the qualities of YouTube in their video enterprises and the ways in which it can (and should) be adjusted to bring it into the modern era. It's a cutting edge site, no doubt about it, but there is still a handful of pretty obvious way sin which it's still lacking. Fix these problems and you'll have a mastery-grade site, no two ways about it.

Craig's List Approaching Critical Mass in Puerto Rico - Savvy browsers the world over are quickly contributing to the downfall of traditional newspapers thanks to their understanding of Craig's List and the basic need for a better way to post classified ads. In many markets Craig's List has struggled to catch on, but Puerto Rico is one of those markets in transition, and it's finally gaining the traction it's long held elsewhere.

Buick Enclave Meets Premium CUV Market Ideally - Of all the crossover SUVs out on the market this year, none have found any way to identify themselves. The Buick Enclave faced a battle more uphill than many rivals on the market, being a bit of a lost, middle-market brand than their competitors, but they've developed a product to offer that bridges that gap in better, if not just different ways, than many of their big-motor rivals.

Hurridean Cain is Super, Man: Category-3 - We're a bit behind the ball reporting on this one, but Hurricane Dean swept through our Puerto Rican quasi-paradise, and we lived to tell the tale. Sure, you might point out it was barely a category-3 hurricane when it swept across the open ocean some 300-miles to the south of us, but we were pelted with torrential rains, screaming winds, and it was still the sort of thing that makes news, and not just by our own admittedly low thresholds of newsworthiness.

August Christmas in Full Swing at K-Mart - I'm no chronologist but I do know that Christmas is a time of reindeer, penguins, polar bears and bitter cold. Snow is hit and miss, and I guess that since none of these things exist in Puerto Rico, the launch of the Christmas season is open for interpretation. Thanks to K-Mart, we now know it starts in August.

Brazilian in Atlanta Hits the Spot - I'm not a snob when it comes to food, so when I was asked by my editor to review everything authentic I could find in Puerto Rico, I had no problem saying yes. I was there for almost three months, and I found some really interesting finds in the mix. What I found most interesting was how much I missed American levels of service and the really unique finds like the Red and Green Steakhouse in Atlanta.

Syndication Deal Inked with Puerto Rico Lifestyle Magazine - I probably could be more excited about it, but I'm not sure how. Maybe if I knew I was a journalist, what a magazine is or how to read, but no matter what, we are very excited about this latest arrangement to spread our young, timeless wisdom to a handful more of the myriad masses.

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