On the Up

My grandma always talks about the good ol' days of L.A. transpo; when streetcars would take her from her humble East L.A. abode to the glamour that was shopping in downtown back in the day. I couldn't imagine people riding anything close to a street car in the 'hood I grew up in, let alone a subway. This area had long been among the most transit-dependent yet underserved in the city. Those modes of transportation were reserved for more well-off parts like the westside. Until this past weekend. 

The fourth Thursday in November is a great reason to get together with família, stuff your panza and talk crap about Tio Charlie who fell off the wagon again. Thanksgiving started out as an awkward dinner date between Native Americans and the people who stole their land. Today, it’s a day dedicated to being thankful for what you’ve got. Here at Sí TV, we are grateful for the opportunity to showcase Latinos—who make up only four percent of on-camera talent in the U.S.*—every day.

Morning office talk has to be some of the best dialogue of the day; probably because everyone's not fully awake so words are unedited. Take this morning's On The Up editorial meeting for instance. Sammy Sosa's skin turning ten shades lighter was on rotation and everyone had an opinion about it.

"He said it comes with fame," someone in the meeting explained. "The more famous you get, the more improvements you have to make. His skin was blotchy from being in the outfield too long and he had to even it out."

Model Latina alumns Linda Moreno, Mishell Livio, Melissa Gutierrez, and winner Codie Cabral got the opportunity of a lifetime—modeling for respected designers at Downtown L.A. Fashion Week. The lovely ladies helped spring next year's fashions on to the scene by live modeling for Eduardo Lucero, Julia y Renata, Elizabeth Mason and Violeta Villacorta. They all looked amazing and very fashion forward.

By now every Latino and their abuela should have heard about L.A. Philharmonic's new kid in town Gustavo Dudamel, a hunky 28-year-old Venezuelan who's recently been named music director. Dudamel was born into a musically-inclined family (he's the son of a trombonist and a voice teacher) and began playing the violin at age 10. He went on to pursue conducting at a mere age 14.

What could be better than watching a special brought to you by CNN's sexy sophisticate Soledad O'Brien about tu cultura? (CNN's Latino in America; if you missed it, watch this weekend!) Salma Hayek playing a bearded lady in the next big vampire flick Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant of course! Okay, maybe not the sexiest role in the world, but Salma's so hot she can pull off mustaches, unibrows and yes, beards!

Immigration and boxing are two subjects often associated with Latinos. So, it only makes sense for a film to finally capture both on screen. From Mexico with Love follows the story of Hector Villa (Kuno Becker), a day laborer with a penchant for kicking arse in the boxing ring. Along with Becker, Danay Garcia (Prison Break) and Steven “Yes, he’s still working” Bauer also star in the film. Even though Villa’s earnings as a boxer are paltry they do aid his sickly mother. Ay que buen hijo!

The Alma Awards may have come and gone, but it's not every day you get to see an all Latino cast on a major network like ABC. So in the spirit of Hispanic Heritage Month OTU brings you the best of the Almas. Our hosts Christian Vera and Jorge Aparicio got up close and personal with some of the hottest names in Latino entertainment who took to the brown...err..red carpet that night. Check out exclusive pics here and peep the clip below.

If being a nerd wasn’t hard enough (with the wedgies and all) now the four-eyed population is being hit with Internet addiction. According to the Center for Internet Addiction Recovery, the signs of a web dependency include thinking about the Internet, picking the keyboard over family and friends, headaches, carpal tunnel syndrome, and much more. In today’s web savvy society even jocks might succumb to Internet addiction. Hey, they have to Twitter about bench-pressing 400lbs and the new gel they’re using.