There are 2 things that have me excited about November…..

"American Gangster" the movie and "American Gangster" the concept album by Jay-Z.

You all have probably heard the first single off the C.D, Blue Magic produced by Pharell. I dont know what yall thought….but i was kind of dissapointed. the single was very lack luster. Now i know it was supposed to reflect the sound of older hip hop, but c'mon…that sound was beneath the standards of what Hova has set for himself. Regardless though….im curious about what the rest of the album will sound like.

So last night my boyfriend took me to the Arclight in Hollywood to see the infamous film "Across the Universe." Although i had extremely high expectations it didnt fail to meet almost all of them.

"El patriotismo require la ofrenda y en esto no hay parcialidad. O todo o nada." 

Today marks the b-day of one the greatest Independance fighters of Puerto Rico's Time. My aunt, my grandmothers sister Titi Tere, used to roll with Don Albizu back in day and she used to tell me stories about him, She was a member of the PNPR. She used to tell me about when he used to come over for dinner and how inspiring he was. Everyone at that time would follow him to the death, and some did.

His fight still continues today. We still fight for a FREE PUERTO RICO.
please visit September23.org for more info

He was called "El Maestro" by all who loved him and valued his leadership. Pedro Albizu Campos was the most prominent Puerto Rican political figure of the 20th century, a National Hero who sacrificed his life for the freedom of his country. Under his direction, the Nationalist Party of Puerto Rico became a major force in the fight for independence. A powerful speaker, thousands would gather to listen to his passionate discourses of freedom. He urged the Puerto Rican people to reclaim their cultural history and national symbols such as the flag and the national anthem.

Pedro Albizu Campos was instrumental in winning an island wide sugar cane strike and exposing secret medical experiments sponsored by the Rockefeller Institute. He developed the theory of non-collaboration (retraimiento) with the colonial structures, i.e. boycotting elections and military service. He soon became a target of the colonial forces and was arrested and charged with seditious conspiracy. From the mid-thirties to the early sixties, Pedro Albizu Campos would be in and out of U.S. prisons (25 years). During his incarceration, he repeatedly charged that he was a target of human radiation experiments. His skin severely swollen and cracking he covered himself with wet towels. Jailers thought he was crazy, but today there is proof that radiation experiments did take place.

He never accepted the United States rights to govern in Puerto Rico. He did reach that "Éif they won't listen to legal reason, then we must take up arms against the invaders." When he issued his call to arms, he cited as legal precedents the Boston Tea Party and the drawn sword of George Washington. Ironically, he also mentioned that Luis Muñoz Rivera got Puerto Rico's Autonomy from Spain by means of a threat to take his case to the U.S., both parties understanding that the liberal Yankees, would sympathize with the concept of independence. It is curious to note that both Cuba and the Philippines where the Spanish/American War was fought were granted their independence. Only Puerto Rico where there was no major fighting is still controlled by the U.S.

Because of his teachings, the Puerto Rican people and the Latino world called, Pedro Albizu Campos, "El Maestro". He was the first great Puerto Rican theoretician of anticolonial thought and the first to describe the contradictions of the colonized. Today there are parks, streets and schools named after him. Institutes and scholars study his work as well as activists look to his example to continue their struggle for Puerto Rico's independence. People of all ages wear T-shirts adorned with his picture and famous quotes. In all the major struggles presently taking place in Puerto Rico you will always see and feel the presence of "El Maestro" at a demonstration or at rally.

I just saw the western flick 3:10 to Yuma and I'm giving it a definite Thumbs Up!  This movie kicked ass. 

First off, it's rated R, which means no PG-13 "safe" shootouts…This is violent, rough, and ready!  Second, it's a breath of fresh air…good action, good performances, and great storytelling that doesn't need any CGI crap to get the audience excited.  It's nice to see an old-fashioned western modernized and done right…and it's even nicer to see a solid audience response, which helped push it to #1 at the box office this weekend.

Remember teenage love so good it made your heart hurt?  The kind that made your belly warm and solar plexus tingle? The kind that made you smile so wide, your teeth and tongue dried up?

You know.  The kind that made, even “good” girls (and boys), want to “lose it”. (ha! lose what , I ask?)

Now, imagine if you were HIV positive.  

New York original (cause these days, no one that lives here is actually from here) Andrea Williams’ debut film, A Spoonful of Sugar tells that teenage love story.

And it is absolutely beautiful.  

HIV-infected teen, Patrice, navigates first love, sexuality, stigmas, secrets, and responsibility while still managing to captivate us with her courage, raw honesty, and yes- innocence.  Shot in 35mm and edited on Final Cut Pro by Bill Mack of Diaspora/Aerolith Studios, Spoonful is New York coming of age tale that manages to combine grit, light, and a beautiful cast of black and brown characters.  Silvestre Rasuk (Raising Victor Vargas) plays the love interest of newcomer Noelle Gift, who plays the HIV-infected Patrice, born with HIV which she contracted from her mother. 

An official selection at a number of international festivals, including the Independent Feature Project (IFP-NY) Film Festival, Toronto Film Festival, and London Film Festival, Spoonful is also the recipient of numerous awards and accolades.  The fresh-faced cast and complex approach to exploring the life of an HIV-affected young woman speak for itself.   Featured as part of the Reel New York Film Festival, hosted by Channel 13, A Spoonful of Sugar is one of 29 independent films and videos “by New Yorkers and about New Yorkers”.  Thirteens’ Reel NY Festival airs A Spoonful of Sugar tonight at 10 pm on Ch. 13 (WNET-NY).  If you miss it, simply catch it online at on Thirteen’s website.

According to the I Stand With Magic campaign which seems to have hit bus stops and public gathering spaces all over New York City, 81% of all peoples living with HIV/AIDS in New York City are African-American and Latino.  Women of color, we know, represent the growing number of new cases.  If you’re a New York Boricua, then you also know that Unidos Dandole Cara al Sida (United Giving a Face to AIDS) has been raising hell about the recent federal cuts to HIV/AIDS funding on the island and its impact on treatment, social and support services, and HIV/AIDS focused agencies who are now soliciting support from across the nation for the AIDS crisis in Puerto Rico.

Mi gente, DO SOMETHING!

And as for my sister, Andrea Williams, keep your eyes and ears open. I promise that you’ll see her work soon, at a theater near you.