Ethel The Frog

  • Los Suns

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    July 3rd, 2010EthelCurrent Affairs, Latin America, Politics, Sports
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    Los Suns

    For an NBA basketball game on May 5, 2010, the Phoenix Suns organization decided that the players would wear uniforms that said “Los Suns”.

    At the time, I simply thought that this was done in recognition of Cinco de Mayo (Spanish for “fifth of May”, which is a celebration in the United States of Mexican-American culture and experiences.  It is only somewhat celebrated in Mexico. It commemorates the Mexican army’s unlikely victory over French forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862, under the leadership of General Ignacio Zaragoza Seguín. Cinco de Mayo is not Mexico’s Independence Day, the most important national patriotic holiday in Mexico, which is celebrated on September 16).

    Robert Sarver

    At the time, the comments of the Sun’s owner, Robert Sarver, seemed consistent with my understanding.  He said that the wearing of “Los Suns” on the team’s jerseys in  was “to honor our Latino community and the diversity of our league, the state of Arizona, and our nation.”

    However, many felt that the team’s decision was not primarily “to honor the Latino community”, but rather to protest the passing of Arizona’s controversial immigration law.

    Sarver’s subsequent comments appeared to confirm this. Sarver said frustration with the federal government’s failure to deal with the illegal immigration issue led to the passage of what he called “a flawed state law.”

    “However intended, the result of passing the law is that our basic principles of equal rights and protection under the law are being called into question,” he said, “and Arizona’s already struggling economy will suffer even further setbacks at a time when the state can ill-afford them.”

    AZ Gov. Jan Brewer

    I recently received an email suggesting that Arizona Governor Jan Brewer posted the following on Facebook, after the “Los Suns” game:

    “What if the owners of the Suns discovered that hordes of people were sneaking into games without paying?

    What if they had a good idea who the gate-crashers are, but the ushers and security personnel were not allowed to ask these folks to produce their ticket stubs, thus non-paying attendees couldn’t be ejected.

    Furthermore, what if Suns’ ownership was expected to provide those who sneaked in with complimentary eats and drink?

    And what if, on those days when a gate-crasher became ill or injured, the Suns had to provide free medical care and shelter?”

    I have no idea whether or Gov. Brewer actually posted the foregoing on Facebook, or whether this was just propaganda dreamed up by supporters of the Arizona law, and I made no effort to verify the fact.

    It really is irrelevant whether Gov. Brewer penned the post, or whether it even appeared on Facebook at all.  I just though it was an interesting analogy.

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    Did you know this: A cat has 32 muscles in each ear. . . .Now you do!

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  • Hispanics Have More And Better Sex . . . And Are Happier

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    June 12th, 2010EthelHealth and Wellness, Latin America
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    According to the AARP, Hispanics have more and better sex than non-Hispanics.

    Aida Gonzalez says one word describes her last relationship: nitroglycerin. Her partnership with the Hispanic man in his early forties lasted two and a half years. Many issues pulled them apart, but none happened in the bedroom, she says.

    The 63-year-old social worker in Trenton, New Jersey, still actively dates—mostly Latino men. Gonzalez, who asked that her real name not be used, believes Hispanics put a higher priority on having great sex and passion in their relationships than do other Americans. And she’s not alone. AARP’s latest sex survey, “Sex, Romance, and Relationships: AARP Survey of Midlife and Older Adults,” found surprising intimate details about U.S. Hispanics age 45 and older.


    More Sex, Better Sex

    According to the survey, Hispanics 45+ have sex more frequently than non-Hispanics their age. Almost 40 percent report having sex at least once a week, compared to just 28 percent of the general U.S. population. Hispanic men report having sex slightly more often than Hispanic women in the same age group.

    Findings also suggest that, more than quantity, Latinos seem more satisfied with the quality of their sex lives. Fifty-six percent say they’re “extremely” or “somewhat” satisfied with their sex lives, compared to only 43 percent of the general population.

    Survey findings, however, don’t shed much light on exactly why older Hispanics might be having more sex than other people in their age group. The data suggest that Hispanics may place slightly more value on sexual intimacy in their relationships. For example, they’re more likely to agree that “sex is critical to a good relationship” (68 percent vs. 58 percent) and “sex is a duty to one’s partner” (43 percent vs. 33 percent). But in seeming contradiction, Hispanics are also more likely than non-Hispanics to agree that “sex is primarily for procreation” (15 percent vs. 8 percent) and “I do not particularly enjoy sex” (13 percent vs. 7 percent).

    “It’s important to note that Hispanics are not a homogeneous group,” says Manuel Gomes, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist and founder of the Washington Institute for Intimacy and Sexual Health in Lynnwood, Washington. Salvadorans, Colombians, Puerto Ricans, Mexicans, Dominicans, and other groups respond differently to these questions—and responses would have been heavily influenced by where they were born and raised, what values their family emphasized, their religious beliefs or exposure, and their own individual situations concerning relationships. According to Gomes, survey findings may highlight the influence of cultural stereotypes.

    “From a relational perspective, Hispanics value family and traditional gender roles,” says Gomes, who is a certified sex and marriage therapist. “There is a complicated ambivalence of sexuality in Hispanics cultures where sexuality is openly valued and yet feminine virginity is promoted as well. This represents the duality of machismo and Roman Catholic influences.”

    Spiritual well-being may also have something to do with satisfaction. AARP’s survey found that spiritual well-being was slightly more important for Hispanics: 73 percent of Hispanics said that spiritual wellbeing is very important to them, compared to just 59 percent of the general population.

    Some experts also contend that sensuality, not just sex, may play a more important role in the lives of Latinos compared to other ethnic groups.

    The survey suggests, for instance, that older Hispanics display more affection to their mates, a behavior that tends to be rewarded with more sex.

    “I’ve found that Hispanics tend to communicate more openly about sex—the spontaneity, the ability to talk about sex, to be romantic on the phone… The differences in these areas are huge with Hispanic men,” adds Elbie B., 50, a Cuban woman in Miami who asked to remain anonymous and who has dated men of varied backgrounds since her divorce 18 years ago.

    It’s Recession-Proof

    The financial stresses of the last few years have hit many 45+ Americans right where it hurts—their libidos. But unlike findings for the general population, the survey showed no dip in sexual frequency or satisfaction for Hispanics. According to Gomes, many studies show that the quality of relationships is a significant factor in weathering the ups and downs of life. While such a protective factor doesn’t depend on one’s background or culture, many Hispanics may have an advantage here. Having a greater ability to draw on a support network may offer one possible explanation as to why older Hispanics didn’t see the same drop in their sexual activity and satisfaction during the hard economic times that the average 45+ person experienced.

    Gonzalez, who works with many different racial groups as a social worker, says she observed these benefits among several Hispanic families when the going got tough.

    “During the recession, the Hispanics I worked with definitely had more family to rely on if they lost their job,” she says. “I really think we have more people to be concerned about us if something bad happens.”

    The survey, though, may not reflect the views of Hispanics who grew up in households where the word “sex” was never uttered. Hispanic culture is varied enough to hold many different experiences. Other Hispanics feel these findings ring true, and romanticism comes just as high as sex or sensuality.

    5 Reasons Hispanics Are Happier

    Maybe Hispanics are happier with sex because they’re happier with life. AARP’s survey found that Hispanics 45+ have a much more positive outlook on life as compared to other people in the United States of similar ages. So what can Hispanics teach them about enjoying life?

    1. Learn to live well with less. Many of the older Hispanic people living the United States were born in poor societies that lack basic necessities, says José R. Pando, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist and AASECT-certified sex therapist in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico. “This may have prepared them to confront bad times with a lesser sense of instability.”

    2. Don’t go it alone. Your family and friends are the most precious resources you have, so give them attention and make them the greatest priority in your life. You’ll draw on their support during rocky times, just as they’ll turn to you.

    3. If you don’t attend church, spending a little more time practicing your faith (or finding one) probably won’t kill you. And believing that “God always provides” can be a big help when provisions are hard to come by, says Pando.

    4. “Give yourself permission to enjoy sensuality in all aspects of life,” says Madeleine M. Castellanos, M.D., a New York City psychiatrist who specializes in sexuality. “Sumptuous food, a nice piece of fabric on your skin, a nice bath, music, dancing—you can find sensuality in everything.”

    5. Strive to be more existential. “Live for today,” advises Pando. That doesn’t mean maxing out your credit cards, but rather enjoying the moments that each day offers you.


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  • Tsunami Update For Costa Rica

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    February 27th, 2010EthelCosta Rica, Current Affairs, Latin America, News, Travel
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    Despite my warning not to panic, some people continue to be anxious about the “tsunami watch” that was issued earlier today for Costa Rica.  Indeed, I’ve received reports that some Pacific coast hotels have been evacuated.

    Please, everyone calm down!

    First of all, the earthquake hit Chile at 3:34 a.m.  Now, look at the tsunami travel time chart issued by the United States’ National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (“NOAA”):

    You can see that any tsunami effect would have hit Costa Rica approximately 7 or 8 hours after the earthquake occured.  Therefore, if anything were going to happen, it would have happened already.

    Next, take a look at the NOAA’s “preliminary forecast model energy map” which predicts the impact of any tsunami:

    You will see that the Panama/Costa Rica area (where I’ve drawn a crude white circle) is in a yellow area, indicating the prediction of only a minor impact.  Even if it wasn’t past the time that any tsunami would have hit Costa Rica, the effects of an such tsunami would have been minor – if even noticeable.

    You can follow what people are “tweeting” about the tsunami alert in Costa Rica at http://www.TweetCostaRica.com.

    I don’t profess to be an expert on tsunamis or earthquakes . . . If anything I’m saying is incorrect, please leave a comment or write to me at ethel@ethelthefrog.com.

    Did you know this: A cat has 32 muscles in each ear. . . .Now you do!

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  • 8.8-Magnitude Earthquake Strikes Chile

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    February 27th, 2010EthelCosta Rica, Current Affairs, Latin America, Travel
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    Earthquake damage in Chile

    A giant earthquake occurred off the coast of Chile early today.  Apparently, this earthquake was 1,000 times more powerful than the earthquake that recently caused devastation in Haiti.

    Although a “tsunami watch” has been issued for Costa Rica, do not panic!  A “tsunami watch” is far different than a “tsunami warning”.  I would be surprised if we even notice any different wave activity in Costa Rica.  Even most tsunami warnings pass with no impact.

    Other parts of the world, however, should be on alert (but, again, not in a panic).

    According to the New York Times:

    RIO DE JANEIRO — A powerful 8.8-magnitude earthquake struck Chile early Saturday, shaking the capital of Santiago for 90 seconds and sending tsunami warnings along much of the Pacific basin.
    Chile’s TVN cable news channel was reporting 122 deaths, with the toll expected to rise, as communications were still spotty around the center of quake, near the city of Concepción in the south. Chile President Michelle Bachelet declared a “state of catastrophe.”
    The Associated Press quoted Mrs. Bachelet as saying that a huge wave had swept into a populated area in the Robinson Crusoe Islands, 410 miles off the Chilean coast, but there were no immediate reports of major damage there. Those reports bore out early fears that a major tsunami was on its way across the Pacific.
    A Department of Homeland Security official said early Saturday that FEMA was monitoring the situation and was in contact with state emergency personnel in Hawaii, which is under a tsunami warning. But the decision to evacuate coastal areas and handling this evacuation is the responsibility of state and local officials in Hawaii, the Homeland Security official said.
    The quake downed buildings and houses in Santiago and knocked out a major bridge connecting the northern and southern sections of the country.
    It struck at 3:34 a.m. local time and was centered about 200 miles southwest of Santiago, at a depth of 22 miles, the U.S. Geological Survey reported. The epicenter was some 70 miles from Concepcion, Chile’s second-largest city, where more than 200,000 people live.
    Phone lines were down in Concepcion as of 7:30 a.m. and no reports were coming out of that area. The quake in Chile was more powerful than the magnitude 7.0 earthquake that caused widespread damage in Haiti on Jan 12, killing at least 230,000, earthquake experts reported on CNN International.
    The U.S. Geological Survey and eyewitnesses reported more than two dozen aftershocks, including two measuring magnitude 6.2 and 6.9.
    “We have had a huge earthquake,” Mrs. Bachelet said from an emergency response center in an appeal for Chileans to remain calm. “We’re doing everything we can with all the resources we have.”
    Mrs. Bachelet said that the government had dispatched three emergency response teams to coastal areas. “Without a doubt, with a quake of this kind, of this size, of this magnitude, we can’t rule out that there are other deaths and probably injuries,” Mrs. Bachelet told reporters.
    Witnesses on Facebook and Twitter reported that the quake was felt from Japan to Argentina. The quake struck at the end of the Chilean summer vacation, with hundreds of thousands of people expected to be traveling back home this weekend.
    The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued a warning for Chile and Peru, and a less-urgent tsunami watch for Ecuador, Colombia, Panama, Costa Rica and Antarctica. [Emphasis added].  The White House said Saturday morning that it was closely monitoring the situation, “including the potential for a tsunami,” said White House press secretary Robert Gibbs.
    “We are closely monitoring the situation, including the potential for a tsunami. Our thoughts and prayers are with the people of Chile, and we stand ready to help in this hour of need.”
    Evacuation alarms sounded at 6 a.m. Saturday in vulnerable coastal areas in Hawaii, as the region prepares for what federal officials say could be a dangerous, but most likely not catastrophic tsunami to hit the islands in the aftermath of the earthquake in Chile.
    Statewide television news was reporting that the southeast areas of all the islands would likely be the most impacted, which include the heavy tourist zones of Waikiki, and Poipu on Kauai. News reports said that a corridor to the airport on Oahu was being established, and that visitors should go to at least the third floor of their hotels.
    Brian R. Shiro, a geophysicist at NOAA Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Ewa Beach, Hawaii, said that computer models show that the impact will be greatest in spots such as Hilo Bay on Hawaii Island and Kahului Harbor in Maui.
    In those areas, the tsunami waves could reach as high as 6 to 10 feet, Mr. Shiro said. Elsewhere in Hawaii, the waves will likely be only about two to three feet.
    Already, some boat owners were moving their boats away from the coast, to avoid damage when the waves arrive. Beaches will be closed and pre-determined evacuation zones in certain coastal areas will be cleared.
    Tourists saying in modern, high-rise resort hotels will be safe, Mr. Shiro said, as long as they are above the third floor. Anyone in the coastal areas should listen to directions offered from local authorities.
    “Get off the shore line. We are closing all the beaches and telling people to drive out of the area,” John Cummings, Oahu Civil Defense spokesman, told Reuters. Buses will patrol beaches and take people to parks in a voluntary process expected to last five hours, Reuters reported, adding that more than an hour before sirens were due to sound lines of cars snaked for blocks from gas stations in Honolulu.
    Overall, the event should pass in Hawaii without widespread, catastrophic damage or major loss of life, Mr. Shiro predicted.
    “We are taking it very seriously,” Mr. Shiro said. “But this is not a big one.”
    But particularly in certain vulnerable harbor areas, he warned that area residents should take the warning seriously.
    The tsunami was expected to arrive in Hawaii at 11:20 a.m., or 4:20 p.m. Eastern time.
    A tsunami is essentially a wave. But it will look like a rise in sea level, or more like a flood, he said, and takes place very quickly. An initial wave will come in and then follow up waves will arrive, most likely 20 or so minutes later, in a pattern that could continue for several hours.
    “The waves are so big that to the observer it looks like a very big tide,” he said.
    The last time there was a Pacific wide tsunami warning—as has now taken place—was in 1964, Mr. Shiro said.
    There have been past regional warnings in Hawaii, such as in 1964, that passed with no tsunami impact at all. But tsunamis historically have caused major damage and loss of life in Hawaii, most recently in 1975, when two people were killed in one event, Mr. Shiro said.
    “So far, the models and based on the information we have, in Hawaii, most shores will experience two to three feet, which is not that big,” he said. “But you should still avoid swimming or surfing.”
    Lying along the mountainous Andean coast, Chile is accustomed to earthquakes. The largest earthquake ever recorded struck the same area as Saturday’s quake on May 22, 1960. That quake, which registered a magnitude 9.5, killed 1,655 people and left 2 million homeless. The tsunami that it caused killed people in Hawaii, Japan and the Philippines and caused damage to the West Coast of the United States.
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  • Mardi Gras

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    February 18th, 2010EthelCosta Rica, Current Affairs, Latin America
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    For the last few years I have produced a video of the Mardi Gras festivities in the Playa Flamingo area in Costa Rica.

    This year, I was (unfortunately) out of the country.  Therefore, the best I can do is offer this video of the celebrations in Brazil, which are very similar to those in Playa Flamingo.  (Just turn down the volume and pretend that it was filmed in Playa Flamingo).

    ____________________________________________________________________________________

    Here is Episode 22 of Pilot Season:

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  • Swine Flu Outbreak Beyond Containment; Deaths Mount in Mexico, California, Texas

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    April 25th, 2009EthelCurrent Affairs, Health and Wellness, Latin America
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    (NaturalNews)  A virulent new strain combining elements of swine flu, human flu and avian Natural Newsflu has leapfrogged past containment measures and is now circulating “in the wild” in Mexico, California and Texas. Up to 60 deaths may have already occurred from the new viral strain called H1N1. Over 1,000 people may have been infected. The CDC does not really know how many are infected, as it’s still very early in the spread of the viral strain and reliable data isn’t yet available.

    Importantly, just as I warned NaturalNews readers many times over the last several years, there is no vaccine for this swine flu. Vaccines are virtually useless in any pandemic outbreak because in-the-wild viral strains mutate and become immune to vaccines very quickly. Subscribers who listened to my preparedness audio course released in late 2008 are already prepared with herbal anti-viral medicines, well ahead of the rush: http://www.truthpublishing.com/Heal…

    Is this viral outbreak the “big one” that will become a global pandemic? No one knows for sure, but important clues are found in the geographic locations of the current infections: Mexico City, San Diego and San Antonio, Texas. This indicates the virus is already beyond containment and is likely to spread even further. “There are things that we see that suggest that containment is not very likely,” said Dr. Richard Besser from the CDC, in a Reuters report (source below).

    The World Health Organization, meanwhile, issued a statement saying “Because there are human cases associated with an animal influenza virus, and because of the geographical spread of multiple community outbreaks, plus the somewhat unusual age groups affected, these events are of high concern.”

    The WHO admits the new virus is already resistant to amantadine and rimantadine (two popular anti-viral drugs), but appears to be sensitive to Tamiflu (at least for the moment). Health care workers in Mexico have already been infected by the H1N1 virus, reports the CBC (Canada).

    “We have determined that this virus is contagious and is spreading from human to human,” says the CDC on their web site (http://www.cdc.gov/flu/swine/invest…) . But they don’t know exactly how contagious the disease really is, or what the fatality rate might be. U.S. residents who were infected have recovered, while many infected people in Mexico have died. It is not yet clear why there is a difference in the survival rate across these two countries.

    Notably, the CDC website does NOT report infections unless they are confirmed by CDC laboratories. Thus, the infection numbers on their website (currently showing only 8 cases in the U.S. and 7 in Mexico) are extremely low and do not accurately reflect the real number of infections occurring on the streets. (See link below.)

    Symptoms of H1N1 infection include fever, sore throat, muscle pain, coughing and shortness of breath. This can escalate into serious respiratory illness with difficulty breathing and, ultimately, death.

    None of the people infected have had contact with swine or birds, according to news reports. This is a clear indication that the disease is being transmitted from human to human.

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  • Latin Foo – New Latin American Forum

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    April 1st, 2009EthelInternet, Latin America
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    latin_foo

    Latin Foo (found at http://www.LatinFoo.com) is a new English language forum for the discussion of Latin American issues.

    Although, often (particularly in the United States), the term “Latin America” is used to refer to all of the Americas south of the U.S., including countries in which the English language prevails, for purposes of Latin Foo, “Latin America” includes Mexico, Costa Rica, Guatemala, El Salvador, Panama, Nicaragua, Brazil, Uruguay, Bolivia, Chile, Argentina, Colombia, Venezuela, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Ecuador, Paraguay, Honduras, and Peru.  (See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latin_America).

    The home page of the site includes scrolling Latin America news.

    The forum component of the site encourages the open discussion of such topics as:

    • Travel and destinations;
    • Health and safety;
    • Politics and government;
    • The arts (dance, theater, art);
    • Literature and books;
    • Music;
    • Sports
    • Current events;
    • Any other topic concerning the listed Latin American countries.

    You will also find links to the futbol (soccer) conference Web sites that include the teams from the Latin American Countries.

    If you live in, or visit, a Latin American country, please join the discussion!

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