World's Most Wanted

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Tensions are growing higher, while authorities continue a manhunt for two heavily armed terrorists. They also happen to be brothers and public safety authorities fear these two may be planning to strike again soon.

The methodical killing of 12 Parisians and 11 wounded at a French language satirical newspaper, which caricatured the Prophet Muhammad.

French authorities are warning of a new attack, following several overnight arrests as the world began a day of mourning and public support for free speech.

Revolvers and Pistolas, Vaqueros and Caballeros

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The first European language spoken in the Old West was not English but Spanish and the original cowboys and pioneers were not Anglo but Spanish and Mexican conquistadors and adventurers. Thus, it wasn’t John Wayne and Clint Eastwood who set out at sunset but vaqueros with names like Baca and Armijo.

These are revelations presented in the controversial but engaging book Revolvers and Pistolas, Vaqueros and Caballeros: Debunking the Old West written by Piscataway author and scholar D.H. Figueredo and just published by the prestigious house Praeger. “It is not a revisionist history,” comments Figueredo, a graduate of Montclair State, Rutgers University, and New York University. “It is a retelling of the history of the West accenting the nuances that made the adventure a multicultural experience. But the value of my book is the attempt at giving credit where credit is due.”

According to Figueredo, racist views held by many of the Anglo settlers of the Old West and echoed in contemporary literature, artwork, and early Hollywood films, erased from the popular imagination the memory of Mexicans in the Southwest. Such a major event as the Mexican-American War of 1846-48 allowed the victors – the Americans, that is - to rewrite the history of the Southwest, emphasizing what Anglos did while stereotyping Mexicans and Spanish and dismissing their contributions. “It was also part of Manifest Destiny,” explains the author. “Manifest Destiny advocated that it was the divine right of Americans to expand from the east coast to the west coast and to make of the United States a continental nation.” Adds Figueredo: “Whoever stood in the way…well, that person was removed…so it was with the Mexicans.”

Years of research and writing allows Figueredo to reconstruct the historical presence of the Spanish explorers and the Mexican vaqueros in the West beginning in the 1500s and ending in the 19th century. Those explorers, who sallied forth from Mexico, journeyed into the West looking for gold, especially seven legendary cities of gold supposedly located somewhere in New Mexico and Arizona. While the explorers didn’t find gold, according to the book, they founded towns and cities, introducing the Catholic Church to the region and Spanish and Mexican customs and traditions. “And also the Spanish Inquisition,” says Figueredo.

That is one surprising fact that Figueredo reveals in his book. Since there were many Jewish families who had escaped to Mexico from Spain and then from Mexico to the Southwest, looking for vast spaces that would allow them privacy to practice Judaism, the Spanish Inquisition was sent to the Southwest to track down Jewish heretics. “Many were arrested. Many died. A handful was burned at the stake,” claims Figueredo. “But many others survived and today Jewish families in New Mexico and Texas are re-discovering their roots in the Southwest.”

There are other fascinating findings in Figueredo’s account of the Wild West. For example, it was believed in the 19th century that the Mexican general Santa Anna, of the Alamo fame, lost his campaign against rebellious Texans because he was courting a Texas beauty named Emily West, the possible source of inspiration for the famous song, “The Yellow Rose of Texas.” Figueredo also states that the original Forty-Niners who rushed to California for gold in 1849 were not from the East Coast but from Mexico, Chile, and Peru. Figueredo says “A song they sung while mining eventually became ‘My Darling Clementine’.”

And then there was the horse. The one animal associated the most with the Wild West was in fact brought to the Americas by the Spanish. “Horses first got to the Caribbean; from there they were shipped to Mexico. Left alone in Mexican ranches, horses and mares and mules made it to the Southwest where they roamed the land as feral animals.” He adds that it is also forgotten that Mexicans taught Native Americans and cowboys how to ride horses and lead cattle drive.

The book has received early praises from important authors and scholars, says Figueredo. “I’m told that it’s a good read. That is important. Ultimately I just want the reader to enjoy the adventure of the Wild West and to remember that it was the effort of many nations - including Native American nations and tribes - that created what today we call the Southwest.”

D.H. Figueredo is the author of several children’s books and such award winning works of non-fiction as the Encyclopedia of Cuba, the Encyclopedia of Caribbean Literature, and A Brief History of the Caribbean.

http://www.abc-clio.com/ABC-CLIOCorporate/product.aspx?pc=A4060C

Cable TV Without Cable

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A cable network without the cable? Its called 'over the top' and really means over the top of the pay wall of the cable companies. Streaming TV networks without any cable service over the internet. Must not be C-Able TV.

http://about.dish.com/press-release/products-and-services/sling-tv-laun…

http://www.theverge.com/2015/1/5/7491071/dish-sling-tv-ott-internet-tv-…

http://www.engadget.com/2015/01/05/sling-tv-announced/

Crude Awakening

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For the first time since 2009, consumers are finally saying "it's about time", as the price of crude oil is around $50 a barrel, which appears just fine. However, the global economy could be suffering down the line.

At one moment, the price fell more than a dollar to $49.92 a barrel in early trading on Wednesday before edging back above $50.

Meanwhile, as many consumers and businesses welcome a drop in the cost of fuel, oil producing countries including Russia and Venezuela have been hit as the price of their main export falls.

Baby It's Cold Outside

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With temperatures expected to be dangerously cold through Thursday, January 8th, NYC has issued a winter weather update, urging New Yorkers to take precautions to protect themselves and help others who may be at increased risk of health problems.

The forecast includes temperatures in the low 20s with wind chill values of 10-15 degrees. Wednesday's forecast includes a high near 28 degrees, with a low of 9 degrees Wednesday night and wind chill values between zero and -15 degrees. The National Weather Service has issued a Wind Chill Advisory from 7PM Wednesday evening until 8AM on Thursday.

Three Kings Day

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Today is 3 Kings Day, which was once celebrated in Cuba and perhaps once again soon, it is currently celebrated in Spain, Latin America, throughout the Caribbean, and for many U.S. Latinos as well.

This day is still a traditional day. The 3 Kings Day holiday comes from the traditional Christian feast day of Epiphany, when the Three Wise Men brought gifts to the baby Jesus in recognition of his divine nature, according to the Biblical nativity story.

Learning About Life

As the new year begins, I am reflecting on a time when I was younger, with little knowledge of the wonders of youth and that it is definitely a defining period in life.

I graduated high school, eloped with my sweetheart as we ran away from home, got married, started a family, and rushed into trying to acts like a grown up adult. Luckily there were some things we got right. For example, we are blessed to have great kids, terrific grandchildren, but we eventually got divorced. Luckily I now have wonderful wife.

However, I have seen many friends, or colleagues who have lost their children, and have had to bury their kids too early. But generally speaking, most young people live their lives in such a hurry, they forget to pause, listen and take it all in to gain valuable knowledge that sometimes turns into wisdom.

I now realize that the key is to focus on growing into the person we want to be, not what others expect of us. Learn from each one of our mistakes. They can teach us great life lessons. Whether its falling down, being dumped, or losing a job, looking back I can honestly say that rejection taught me far more and had long-lasting effects. It let me realize that failure isn't the end of the world. Getting divorced taught me the difference between good and bad relationships, something I kind of knew deep inside, but perhaps refused to accept until I experienced a bad relationship.

Staying healthy is primordial. When we're young, it's easy to put off exercise and a healthy diet, but its never too early to establish good habits because when you're younger, body parts are stronger. Avoid junk food, soda, alcohol, smoking, etc. Poor health habits take time to break, so the future is now.

Paying for a high priced education may not always be wort it. The fact that we have done well academically doesn't necessarily mean that we'll immediately succeed. Instead, swallow a big humility pill and realize that great students are not always great in the workplace. An education is important, but its not the only way to gain knowledge, experience and find success. There are many things in life that can help us grow up fast. There are no right or wrong answers to many decisions in life. In fact, instead of seeing the world in terms of black and white, see it as a color chart. There are many perspectives, realities, several ways of doing things and not one of them alone is the right way.

While early choices we make have an effect on the future, some wrong choices don't mean that our life is over. Learn from mistakes, and grow into a better individual because the sun will come out tomorrow, and there will be another day to live and learn. There will always be people who dislike us, and the idea that every single person is going to tell us the truth and get along well with us isn't realistic. Take time to write, or learn a new language. Find folks that we get along with, then build relationships and forget about the ones that aren't worth our time and energy.

Buying new clothes, or moving into a new place will not bring happiness. While traveling is enriching, educational and enlightening, moving should not be used as solution to difficulties. Many young people travel, or seek new surroundings, or buy nicer clothes. But happiness is internal, not external.

Teamwork is more important that competition. Many people see cut throat competition as the only means of rising in their career path, but this is simply not the case. In our early years, a lot of emphasis is put on test scores, awards, and a empirical measurement of our accomplishments. What we're hardly ever told is that collaboration, is a more powerful tool at our disposal. In every worthwhile human endeavor, it was the harmonious, cumulative effort of a multiplicity of persons, often over many years, that yielded truly extraordinary results. The eureka moment for me is the realization that my personal impact can be compounded by orders of magnitude through well-orchestrated collaboration.

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Hell Freezes Over?

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It's going to get cold and I am not just talking about the cold shoulders the Democrats will be feeling in halls of Congress this week. Reach out to your US Representative and insist that they do some work, not like the last two sessions of US Congress. If you're not sure of your congressional district, or who your member is? This service will assist you by matching your ZIP code to your congressional district, with links to your member's website and contact page. http://www.house.gov/representatives/find/

Win By Losing For 2015

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Don't put it off. Take it off and keep it off. Do not risk another dieting dead-end. Set yourself on the road to success with a weight-loss program you can stick with and enjoy!

If diets failed you in the past, then put an end to dieting disappointment for good with health and nutrition professional planning.

Why do most diets not deliver as advertised? In a word: boredom. We start well, but after too many meals that are too restrictive, we lose interest. We're justifiably bored. And we quit.

Sex Updates

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What could be killing sex lives of many couples? Erectile dysfunction and premature ejaculation impair the quality of sexual intercourse for both men and their female partners.

Medical research published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine found that there are actually two more surprising reasons to add to the list: a man’s relationship with his mother as a child, and how old he was when he first fell in love.