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The wise speak because they have something to say...
The fool speaks because he's got to say something...

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Breeding  Boricuanism
in USA-Ricans

By Irene F. Vázquez (Mrs. Don Jíbaro)

hen I saw the movie, “My Big Fat Greek Wedding”, I realized how other cultures can identify with it. A group of people can immigrate to another country and still bring their culture with them, bring up the next generation, their kids to be like them… loving the food, the language and marrying into their own race.

Now, those who’ve seen the movie, know that the parents seemed to overdo their culture by ignoring the ways of the land that they live in or looking at the other ethnic groups in a negative way. The heroine of the movie seemed to look into the American way of life wistfully rather than into her Greek’s family’s. Yet, she recognized and understood the traditions … she spoke the language and ate the food. She knew the folkloric ways that identified them. She marries a non-Greek who embraces her culture, seeing the uniqueness of it and makes it his own.
 
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How Pedro Albizu Campos Got a Bad Deal
(September 12, 1891 – April 21, 1965)
Pedro Albizu Campos was a Puerto Rican attorney and politician, and the leading figure in the Puerto Rican independence movement. Gifted in languages, he spoke six; graduating from Harvard Law School with the highest grade point average in his law class, an achievement that earned him the right to give the valedictorian speech at his graduation ceremony.

However, hostility towards his mixed racial heritage would lead to his professors delaying two of his final exams in order to keep him from graduating on time. During his time at Harvard University he became involved in the Irish struggle for independence. READ MORE

The Ponce Massacre of 1937
...was a police slaughtering over a peaceful civilian march, taking place in 21 March 1937 at 3:15 pm, in Palm Sunday, Ponce, Puerto Rico, that killed 19 people and wounded over 200 others. It is the largest massacre in Puerto Rican history. The march had been organized by the Puerto Rican Nationalist Party to commemorate the abolition of slavery in Puerto Rico by the governing Spanish National Assembly in 1873. The march was also protesting the U.S. government's imprisonment of the party's leader, Pedro Albizu Campos, on alleged sedition charges.
READ MORE

The Empty Bed
A few years ago I was playing my guitar at home. I came upon this old tango my Dad used to quote... La Cama Vacía" (The Empty Bed). I remembered the lyrics and went on to sing it as I played. Half way through the song I began to weep. I didn't stop playing, and my singing became a cry of sadness.
READ STORY

The Great Rafael Hernández
Rafael Hernández was one of the great Puerto Rican songwriters of popular music. Born on October 24, 1892, he was the author of hundreds of popular songs in the Latin American repertoire. He specialized in Puerto Rican and Cuban styles such as the canción, bolero and guaracha. Among his most famous compositions are "Lamento Borincano", "Capullito de Alhelí", "Campanitas de Cristal", "Cachita", "Silencio", "El Cumbanchero", "Perfume de Gardenia" y "Los Carreteros".
 READ MORE


The Dangers of Anger
By Don Jibaro Orlando
My son and I were at the local market when and we heard a toddler crying loudly in the next aisle. I left my son with the cart and went to see... Well, there was a lady comparing the price of two items AND a 3 or 4 year old boy kicking the shopping cart and screaming "I want that toy, I want that toy NOW !!!"  

I rushed back to my son and said something like: "Somebody is taking over." Of course... READ MORE



TRUE STORY

Google likes me. I've been with Google since they started.
Not bad for a page without click-bait. Thanks, Google !!!

Puerto Rican Identity: To Be or Not To Be
by Don Jíbaro
The Cultural Quest for Identity is an incredible phenomenon. It has been the theme of  countless works of science, art and literature. One's personal identity can be manifested in any part of the world. All you need is behavior. You are who you are no matter where you stand. We are Boricuas when we behave like Boricuas; otherwise we're John Does. Some live at home and some live abroad. Some behave, some don't... but, what makes one a Boricua? n
READ MORE


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SEE PR EARTHQUAKE PHOTOS

Puerto Rico Hurricane Report
SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO — Never before was the Island hit as hard as this...  Two days after Hurricane Maria flattened this island of 3.5 million people, knocking out all its power and much of its water, the rebuilding of the services and structures needed for people to resume some semblance of ordinary life was looking more complicated by the day.

All or part of three towns in the northwestern part of the island — Isabela, San Sebastián and Quebradillas — were being evacuated Friday because of fears about structural damage to the nearby Guajataca Dam. Close to 70,000 people could be affected if the 90-year-old dam, which is 120-feet high and can hold about 11 billion gallons of water, collapsed, said Puerto Rico’s governor, Ricardo Rosselló




SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO — Never before was the Island hit as hard as this...  Two days after Hurricane Maria flattened this island of 3.5 million people, knocking out all its power and much of its water, the rebuilding of the services and structures needed for people to resume some semblance of ordinary life was lookingmore complicated by the day.
  SEE MORE PHOTOS

Hay que Eliminar las Burocracias y Gastos en Puerto Rico
Por Dr. Edgar León
El día que se eliminen las burocracias en el gobierno de Puerto Rico será el día que se recupere la economía y el servicio eficiente para el pueblo. Todavía seguimos con la mentalidad que hacen falta cincuenta personas para manejar la solución a un proyecto gubernamental. El gasto excesivo inútil y los costos de la burocracia invisible y excesiva en la isla sigue creciendo sin control.


En la política, la burocracia es como ir nadando en un mar de decisiones hechas por otros para determinar quien ha de llamar al jardinero para que corte la yerba frente a la oficina
Lee Más Aquí

Is Happiness For Real?

Happiness is a state of mind or feeling characterized by contentment, love, satisfaction, pleasure, or joy. A variety of biological, psychological, religious, and philosophical approaches have striven to define happiness and identify its sources.
 
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 Viendo y entendiendo el pugilato politico en Puerto Rico sé como se siente el pueblo, traicionado y burlado. No apoyo la violencia ni el desorden pero si la Resistencia en nombre de la Justica y el bienestar del pueblo. ¡¡¡ Pa' encima, Puerto Rico !!!

The Reasoning for Puerto Rican Solution
by Don Jíbaro Orlando
A referendum on the political status of Puerto Rico was held in Puerto Rico on June 11, 2017. The referendum had three options: becoming a state of the United States, independence/free association, or maintaining the current territorial status. Those who voted overwhelmingly chose statehood by 97%; turnout, however, was 23%, a historically low figure. This figure is attributed to a boycott led by the pro-status quo PPD party.
 READ MORE

Factores que Matan la Educación en Puerto Rico
por Dr. Edgar León
Todos los años los niños de Puerto Rico pasan una semana de clases tomando exámenes estandarizados que sus resultados solo indican que el modelo usado en la educación pública como se encuentra en estos momentos no sirve. Se pretende continuar gastando millones de dólares en la compra de estos exámenes mientras los niños se pasan de grado con una buena nota de A sin tener las destrezas que ameritan esa buena nota.  Lee Más Aquí


“This is the day the Lord has made;
we will rejoice and be glad in it.” —Psalms 118:24

On July 25, 1898... during the Spanish–American War, the U.S. invaded Puerto Rico with a landing at the southern town of Guánica. As an outcome of the war, Spain ceded Puerto Rico, along with the Philippines and Guam, then under Spanish sovereignty, to the U.S. under the Treaty of Paris, which went into effect on April 11, 1899. Spain relinquished sovereignty over Cuba, but did not cede it to the U.S.A.


Comerío (Spanish pronunciation: [komeˈɾi.o]) is a municipality of Puerto Rico located in the center-eastern region of island, north of Aibonito; south of Naranjito and Bayamón; east of Barranquitas; and west of Cidra and Aguas Buenas. Comerío was founded on June 12, 1826. Originally named "Sabana del Palmar", but later changed to Comerío, named after a local Taino Cacique (Chief) Comerio.

DROP the  RICAN ACCENT Dept.
To Be Understood in the USA, You Must Kill the Words as You Pronounce Them

In the early 1950s, Puerto Rico had just become an official "Commonwealth" of the U.S.A. and we, as children, learned English as a supplemental way to enrich our horizons. Inasmuch as it was mandatory in public schools, we didn't "need" to learn it, but when we did, we learned the "classic" verbiage. We read "Dick and Jane" ad learned to pronounce the words properly in case we ever needed to come to the States. became a cry of sadness.   READ MORE

Puerto Ricans Have El Cuco
...but Americans have The Bogeyman, a mythical creature used by adults to frighten children into good behavior. Whatever you call it, the creature has no specific appearance and conceptions vary drastically by household and culture, but is commonly depicted as a masculine or androgynous monster that punishes children for misbehavior. Mexicans call it El Cucuy. The "monster" may target a specific act or general misbehavior, depending on what purpose the desired discipline serves, often based on a warning from the child's parents or nanny with something like "You'd better behave or El Cuco will eat you". The term "El Cuco" is sometimes used as a non-specific personification for terror, and in some cases, the Devil.

By the 1960s most train transportation had basically disappeared. Behind the building was a big water tank for the train needs... The tank was called the "cambija". As children in the 1950s we played in the abandoned buildings and around the train cars which came through occasionally. Ah! The memories!

Castillo El Morro
The construction of the fortress and its surrounding walls began in 1539 on orders of King Charles V of Spain, built under the direction of conquistador Diego Ramos de Orozco and its main purpose was to defend the port of San Juan by controlling the entry to its harbor.


►My daughter Frances is now Missionary in Mexico and needs our help

For financial gifts:  PayPal link: Click Here
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Some of the most remarkable classical pieces in music history have been converted into salsa by the genius of Sverre Indris Joner... Wait! This the Symphonies like you never heard them before. Pay attention to the syncopation and the relationship between two or more melodies that are independent in contour and rhythm and are harmonically interdependent. WoW!
Beethoven's Fifth


Popular belief is La Rogativa marks the birth of “puertorriqueñismo,” or local patriotism because it was the first time local civilian islanders fought for their island. Lindsay Daen of New Zealand completed the statue in 1971. It stands 12-feet high in front of an old sentry box and a beautiful view of San Juan Bay.

El Grito de Lares
(The Cry of Lares)

Also referred to as the Lares Uprising, the Lares Revolt, the Lares Rebellion, or as the Lares Revolution, was the first major revolt against Spanish rule in Puerto Rico.
The short-lived revolt was planned by Ramón Emeterio Betances and Segundo Ruiz Belvis. It began on September 23, 1868 in the town of Lares, for which it is named, and spread rapidly to various revolutionary cells throughout the island.

In the 1860s, the government of Spain was involved.... READ MORE


The sugar cane industry dominated the Puerto Rican economy for the longest time between the 1930s and the 1960s. Puerto Rico had sugar processing plants in practically every other town. Yes, they were sweet times... !!

The Puerto Rico Flag
Mainly to suppress the independence movement in Puerto Rico in Puerto Rico in 1948, it became illegal to sing the national anthem "La Borinqueña" or display of the Puerto Rican flag in public (Gag Law) with a penalty of 10 yrs. in prison. The Law was repealed in 1957.

The new flag, which consisted of five equal horizontal bands of red (top and bottom) alternating with white; a blue isosceles triangle based on the hoist side bears a large, white, five-pointed star in the center, was first flown in Puerto Rico on March 24, 1897, during the "Yauco" revolt. READ MORE

How to Read and Understand The Bible
These guidelines are designed for a better understanding of the Bible. You should know the Bible verses by heart and must have sound “hermeneutics” or a correct interpretation for each one of them. This is imperative to avoid a chain reaction of biblical heresy that will be passed on and on.

Incidentally, that's how....  READ MORE

The Importance of Garlic
By Don Jíbaro Orlando
When I was a ten year old child in Puerto Rico sometimes I’d eat dinner at my friend’s house next door, if I happened to be there at dinner time. My friend’s mother cooked the most delicious “arroz y habichuelas colorás” that I had ever tasted. Yummee! That lady could cook! Her rice and beans needed no meat! When I asked her how did she cooked such tasty beans and if I could learn to cook like that, she said her secret was “culantro y ajo” (coriander and garlic) but the main ingredient was garlic. Read More

Recently, man harassed a woman wearing a Puerto Rico shirt because she "should not be wearing that in the United States of America". These are ignorant bullies that harass the innocent, especially women. Had it been a 6' 4" Boricua Mulatto full of muscle wearing that Puerto Rican t-shirt, it would have been a different story.

Mi Incredible Uncle Genaro
When the weather was hot and humid in Bayamón, my blind Uncle Genaro used to say... "¡Que caló, mi amo, que caló... pero no ej el caló, ej el vapó!".

YES! My uncle was an exceptional man...

Everyone has an uncle or member of the extended family that stands out from the rest. Whether it’s the “barrigón” bachelor uncle who drinks a lot of beer or the church going purist aunt who doesn’t shave her legs, we all have one. Well, I have one, too! And if you allow me say it, my uncle Genaro was very special.

READ HIS STORY HERE

The Puerto Rican Black Eye
by Don Jíbaro Orlando
The Black Eye Syndrome is simple. Let's say you have an uncle who's in jail for burglary, that's a "black eye" to the family. You have a sister who wears red and works the street corners... that's a "black eye" to the family. If any of the above is caught on TV Radio or Newspapers... that's a BIG "black eye" to the family and they're on Facebook or Twitter, that's a HUGE "black eye".

So.... READ MORE EYE

Chebo's Heart of Unbelief
When I was a kid our neighbor gave a party and invited the whole barrio (hood). Once at his house, I noticed my friend Chebo was outside by the window, peeking in.

"Come on in, Chebo" I said. But he said: "No, I wasn't invited."
I replied: "But, the whole neighborhood was invited, come in."

But Chebo insisted: "No, I wasn't invited." So he stayed outside.

Chebo's heart was hardened by the deceitfulness of his own heart and unbelief. He lived a life of jealousy, envy and bitter remorse because he didn't always get what he wanted, but hated those who did.

"See to it that none of you has a wicked
heart of unbelief that turns away from
a living God." —Hebrews 3:12

Just a Note:
Because of the failure in the enforcement of laws people are doing whatever they want, rather that what they should. They fail to follow the instruction of police officers when stopped for a simple traffic violation. They run when nobody is chasing them... Such lawlessness will backfire and prompt the government to say: "THAT'S IT! --- No more freedom." This will lead to them tightening the grip they already have on the citizens leading us to a totalitarian degraded world where you will have a microchip embedded in your wrist in order to be able to buy, sell or go about your business. So obey the local laws of the land... It's for your own good!


You can tell that the hut was hand made, with materials found all around. Those were simple days. They didn't have much for what they had was enough... and an oil drum full of water.

Racial Profiling
Racial profiling is the act of suspecting or targeting a person of a certain race on the basis of observed characteristics or behavior, rather than on individual suspicion. More commonly in the United States, racial profiling is referred to regarding its use by law enforcement at the local, state, and federal levels, and its use leading to discrimination against people in the African American, Native American, Asian, Latino, Arab, and Muslim communities of the U.S. In European countries, the term "ethnic profiling" is also used instead of racial profiling.

One of the main reasons we have racial profiling in the inner city is not just the color of the skin as it is the continuity of offenses done by those ethnic groups in the past. If you’re hispanic and you spit on the church floor, then all hispanics are now church floor spitters. So, you must live in a way that we don’t get blamed for what you do.


Puerto Rico Has Another Problem
It's true, even before the hurricane, Puerto Rico had a big problem. Whatever USA thought about overseeing the problem it stayed at just observing the mess and hold their chins. We can agree that the problem lies in lack of Puerto Rican leadership and that maybe the reason why it PR can't get any help from the USA.

They think the island has failed and the governor has a giant stack of money somewhere in some secret bank while asking The Feds for $100 billion to fix the problem. READ MORE HERE


A glimmer of hope... The strength that comes to you when you know you have to move on forward, beyond your inabilities and obstacles, towards that prize of satisfaction of a job well done.

Our lives are determined by our choices. We must then, choose wisely. Wisdom comes from knowing how to use the information and experiences for our own good, Most people are not wise. The Scriptures offer wisdom by giving us advice and telling us about how fools make the same mistakes over and over (ex: Book of Proverbs, Psalms,etc).

Folks don't want to be told what to do or how to do it. They repeat their mistakes. I choose to give encouragement and motivate my friends towards a better life. We all can use that kind of friendship. Most people appreciate and respect me. That's encouraging. Someone who's there that makes you feel comfortable telling them your problems, listening to you.

The world is not going to change to my liking, so I HAVE TO LEARN TO LIVE IN IT... with all the idiots and crazies... and wise men (if you can find them). My wife and my children are happy and successful because we have always make time for them.

There's no greater love that a man laying down his life for a friend. I want friends like that, and when you find them TREASURE them, because they are rare!!!

The Birth of Fake News
by Don Jíbaro Orlando
In the 1960s Jimi Hendrix wrote a song about extraterrestrials visiting Earth... He quipped: "Thank you. As you well know, you just can't believe everything you see and hear, can you?" So today, we hear and see about wars, rumors of wars, people dying, discoveries and a myriad of news. The term "fake news" or "alternative news" comes to mind. It's everywhere and we have to do a bit of research before we bet our lives on them.

News is a big business and news people must have something to say in order to sell information. Some news sources have opted to fabricate news in order to sell sensationalism. Sometimes you read about some celebrity that "bought a new rug" !!! Time Magazine recently twitted an article about what some famous people eat or breakfast

Let's live, therefore, to lift up the reputation of our culture through GOOD works... The culture that others sadly continue to defile. It's up to US to thrive and bring back the Honor and Respect. Think about it. HONOR and RESPECT.

The Religions of the World
A man falls into a hole and realizing he can't get out desperately calls out for help. He hears someone walking nearby:

BUDDAH --- "Use the precious human life and the intelligence and mind that you now possess for the understanding that because you create your own suffering, you can also create your own true liberation and a way to get out of the hole." He then walks away...

SHIVA-VISHNU --- "There is one God who manifests in the form you choose and he is also within you now! So choose the form wherewith God shall deliver you from that hole." He then walks away...

ISLAM --- "Total submission to Allah as ordained in Quran and Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad Sallam's ISLAM... Once you desire such favor to kill some infidels Allah might help you out of the hole." He then walks away...

JESUS --- "Give me your hand so I can pull you out."

Ask Don Jibaro
Dear Don Jibaro,
Why is it that there are some Boricuas that think they are white even though 94% of us are mulatto, trigueño, negro, or taino. I know we are a mixture of 3 races (African, Taino, and Spaniard). Many Boricuas are ignorant of their roots. What do you think?
—Thanks, Jesse Ramos

Dear Jessie...
WELL... White is erroneously equated with "better", and I noticed that you've anglicized your name which is probably José, right?
Anyway, my mother (RIP), who was from Corozal, PR was blond, had green eyes and had no idea what a white person is, as opposed to a brown or black, et al. It's all in the upbringing. If your father told you that you can go "through" walls, you're gonna end up with a lot of bumps on your forehead and a broken nose many times over (unless you get the hint) You are what you are, and what you are is based on how much you know about your roots, more than your upbringing... I wrote an article on Puerto Rican Identity that will shed some light on this dark matter. (pun intended) READ ARTICLE HERE

Ivonne Figueroa...
is one of my inspirations for Internet work concerning Puerto Rico, its culture and its people. She's an internet pioneer with her website about Puerto Rican folklore dating back to 1995...  Both her website and her monthly magazine are dedicated to our descendants, the children of Puerto Ricans, so that they can remember our culture, learn about their roots and history, and be proud to call themselves Boricuas and Puertorriqueños. EL BORICUA, see her work HERE www.elboricua.

On Dreams
by Tony Alicea
PLEASE allow me to tell you an old anecdote that I wrote years ago about dreams... I have always been able to fly like Superman in my dreams, possibly because as a kid I was a devoted Superman comics fan.

Last night, after the usual discussion as to how these dudes and dudettes did not exist except as chemical reactions in my brain, suddenly I said "but wait! I can prove it!". It had not occurred to me in previous dreams... READ MORE

Chulerías ASCII (ext. chars.)
HOLD ALT and enter codes in the number pad right of keyboard, then release ALT (sorry, it only works with the number pad)

Á = 0193
É  =  144
Í = 0205
Ó = 0211
Ú = 0218
á = 160
é = 130
í = 161
ó = 162
ú = 163
ü = 0252
ñ = 164
Ñ = 165
¢ = 155
¿ = 168
¡ = 173
½ = 171
¼ = 172
¾ = 0190
– = 0150
— 0151
° = 248
• = 249
÷ = 0247
¢ = 0162
© = 0169
‘ = 0145
’ = 0146
“ = 0148
” = 0147


     

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“Live in such a way that no one blames the rest of us nor finds fault with our work.” —(2 Corinthians 6:3)

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