Yesterday’s raid on NW 62nd reminds us that the war is not just in faraway Iraq and Afghanistan - it is right here in the US - Miami , New York, Chicago - the front line is everywhere.

The Miami Heat Parade will be held Friday at 2 PM . It should be a blast - bring plenty of water !

We still have a few days to sign up 5 or 6 new bloggers. You should be able to write well and often - about Miami - from your point of view. If you express interest today, we can probably have you signed up in about 5 days or less. This is probably the last opportunity in 2006. Those of you who expressed interest before , or signed up, please post !

Sencillamente no puedo creerlo. Están jugando con Italia! Los mejores futbolistas del mundo. Acaba de terminar el primer tiempo y no puedo evitar escribir lo que me pasa mientras veo el partido de USA versus Italia. Yo se que para muchos de ustedes les puede parecer normal que USA este peleando en las grandes ligas del fútbol mundial. Pero no es normal, no lo es. El fútbol es un deporte de tradición, de jerarquía, que requiere de mucha experiencia, astucia, y pasión. Creo que estamos viendo lo que será una transición histórica del fútbol norteamericano. Que no es cualquier cosa. Yo no se si los americanos se han enterado, pero para el resto de la población mundial, ni el American football, ni el básquetbol, ni el béisbol tienen importancia. Lo único que importa domingo a domingo al pueblo que no vine en Norteamérica, es el fútbol.

Será muy interesante ver a los estadounidenses interesados en el fútbol. El único deporte que, como ya dije en un post anterior, se juega con los pies. El fútbol es el deporte de las masas, del pueblo. Ese es una de las características que lo hace especial. Es el deporte universal, el deporte de las masas. El único deporte donde la nacionalidad de los mejores equipos no tiene correlación con la riqueza de los países. Da lo mismo si el país es pobre o rico, si hay talento, hay resultados. Diferente a cualquier otro deporte. Por eso quiero verlos aquí, en la arena más democrática de todas. Esa que tanto les gusta a los estadounidenses.

By now, many of you have heard about Net neutrality. Basically it works like this: Right now you go online and go to whatever site you want. Even more important- if you want to create your own website - anyone in the world can see it - if they can find it and can download it easily.

All of this could change. Large companies like Comcast, Verizon, Cox, etc. would like to charge a premium to guarantee fast delivery of your site - sort of like the Mafia encouraging you to buy “insurance” so your store doesn’t burn down. It means that if you start up a local entertainment site - people can still see it, but perhaps at dialup speeds - whereas Disney will download in seconds- because they will pay extra - millions extra.

Cox - which has it’s own classified service, has blocked Craigslist for the past 3 months. Bell South is suspected of blocking MySpace. While this sort of behavior is currently illegal, it may become legal if the Senate does not pass the Net Neutrality Bill. The Senate commerce committee votes next Tuesday.

This is not only a serious threat to our community and social networks - it is a serious threat to business as well. Companies could start charging for email. Small net businesses might never get off the ground. Skype, Vonage and Lingo could be blocked in favor of your cable company’s own call metered service. Airlines like the next Jet Blue would never take off because big airlines like American and United would pay to make sure they were the only online choices. Instead of finding a local sailboat charter in the Caribbean, your only choice might be the Disney Cruise.

Please contact our local Senators right now to let them know how you want them to vote:

Senator Mel Martinez : 305 444-8332
Email link

The office of Senator Martinez says that he will issue his stand shortly.

Senator Nelson:

305-536-5999
Email link

Senator Nelson’s office says that he is for Net neutrality and will vote for it and is on the commerce committee. He is also up for re-election this November

This post is a simple explanation for a complex issue. Study it online - all of our futures are at stake.

CityGuide trying to find America’s Hottest Bartender. They have scoured the US to find 10 finalists in 10 cities. Now its up to you to vote and decide on which bartender is the hottest. Here is a link to the hottest men and women in Miami: Click here.

Los latinos residentes en Miami estamos con EEUU en esta copa del mundo. Quisieramos ver a la nación entera vibrar y gozar como nosotros con el deporte mas popular del mundo. El único deporte que se juega con los pies. El fútbol. Esta vez no se pudo y las cosas se ponen cuesta arriba. EEUU perdió 3 a 0 frente a República Checa. Es verdad, le tocó un grupo muy complicado al equipo de todos. No importa, eso es lo que tiene la adicción al futbol. Se pierda o se gane, los que amamos el fútbol estaremos con nuestro equipo. Para ser parte de una hinchada, hay que entender que la pasión futbolera no se alimenta solo de triunfos, sino de saber que hay 11 guerreros en la cancha dejándolo todo por el equipo. No te precupes U-S-A, vayas donde vayas estaremos contigo. El fútbol es así, mas que una pasión, es un sentimiento. Y si algo que los latinos tenemos es eso, sentimiento.

The original TV show, Miami Vice is being shown Tuesday nights (7pm) at the Art Deco Welcome Center Auditorium, 1001 Ocean Drive, in South Beach. RSVP by calling 305-674-1736.

I’ve seen the shows lately on tv and they are pretty cheesy, but the best part is seeing Miami and South Beach they way they were back in the day. I remember seeing them film so many episodes back in the ’80s. You could literally be feet from the action all over the county.

I remember one time I was leaning on a director’s chair and who was sitting in the chair? Karen Black, who was a guest star on one episode, being shot at the old Hari Krishna hotel near 25th and Collins. Another time, I was feet from a car chase on Ocean Drive. I don’t know how they allowed people to be that close, but I guess it was a simpler time back then. Now I doubt that you could get that close to any local filming.

This show opens up tomorrow, and runs through July 31st at the David Castillo Gallery. It features up and coming artists from New York, Texas, Cali, and Miami, with the opening reception this Saturday 7-10pm.

Should be interesting, plus there’s a chance to meet some of the artists.

I miss Miami. Don’t get me wrong. I’m glad to be home jumping in canals and climbing skyscrapers of haystacks to the sounds of friend’s banjos but I cannot deny the excitement our traffic-ridden, corrupted government, mojito, bling-bling South beach, Cuban coffee, Shaquille O’ Neil, real-estate boomed, construction site, hurricane hang-out of a city gives me. I miss my little apartment located right on the border of Little Haiti and the Design District where I am a direct product of gentrification (check out Design Place). I miss going for walks on Sunday mornings down 2nd Ave in Little Haiti to buy a stick of sugar cane to masticate. I miss the transparent Atlantic where my soul dives among statues of coral.
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