New Paltz, NY – My Second Hometown

Posted on March 15, 2009 by Phil Velez

Yesterday afternoon I headed to the town of my alma mater, New Paltz, NY. Every time I visit New Paltz I am filled with great memories of my college experience. Born and raised in New York City, I left the Bronx after high school to attend SUNY New Paltz. The college town is just 90 minutes from New York City, but for me it was an entire world away. For the first time I was surrounded by mountains and trees and took in cleaner air and starry nights. The historic quaint village is located in the beautiful Hudson Valley.

New Paltz has trendy shops and great bars and restaurants. The area has some fine wineries and is known for apple picking in the spring and pumpkin picking in the fall. New Paltz is also home to Huguenot Street, “the nation’s oldest street with its original houses.” If you want to get away from the crazy city for a relaxing day upstate, consider visiting New Paltz. I am sure you will find the little village of New Paltz quite appealing.

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Posted in new paltz, new york, personal | 2 Comments

Bogota Latin Bistro & Mojito Bar in Brooklyn, NY

Posted on March 10, 2009 by Phil Velez

My family celebrated my mother’s 60th birthday recently at the incredible Bogota Latin Bistro & Mojito Bar in Park Slope, Brooklyn. The place, owned by Farid and George, is one of the hottest Latino restaurants in New York City. The friendly staff is dedicated to excellent service and the Colombian and South American food will satisfy the pickiest appetite. My Puerto Rican family praised the food and filled 15 seats in the restaurant. Everyone left the eatery echoing a repeat visit. The red beans threaten perfection and the Mango Mojito is my favorite drink in town. The restaurant is beautifully decorated with accents of Latino culture and history. The amazing murals can stand alone in any art studio and the music selection caps off the overall Latino experience.

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Posted in latino, new york | 4 Comments

Billboard Latin Music Award Mall Red Carpet Event Can Take You To The Show

Posted on March 5, 2009 by Phil Velez

The 11th Annual Billboard Latin Music Awards will air on Telemundo on April 23rd at 7pm ET from the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida. The Billboard Latin Music Awards honor the most popular albums, songs, and performers in Latin music.

The title sponsor for the Billboard Latin Music Awards, State Farm, is giving away two (2) VIP passes to attend the awards show and the official after-party, round trip airfare to Miami, ground transportation to and from the show, a weekend stay at a South Beach hotel, a makeover, and $500 in cash.

If you want to participate in a red carpet mall experience and sign up to win a VIP trip for two to the Billboard Latin Music Awards star-studded show, you can do so on the following dates and locations:

• Miami: Miami International Mall (March 6-8), Dadeland Mall (March 13-15 and 20-22) and Aventura Mall (March 27-29)

• New York: Newport Centre, N.J. (March 6-8 and 13-15), Galleria at White Plains (March 20-22 and 27-29)

• Chicago: Gurnee Mills (March 6-8 and 13-15), Navy Pier Health and Lifestyle Expo (March 20-22), Chicago Latino Book and Latino Festival (March 28-29)

• Los Angeles: Ontario Mills (March 6-8), Del Amo Fashion Center (March 13-15, 20-22 and 27-29)

• Dallas: Irving Mall (March 6-8)

• Houston: The Galleria (March 13-15 and 20-22)

• San Antonio: Ingram Park (March 27-29)

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Posted in latino, music | 1 Comment

Writing, Reading, and Writing Blogs

Posted on February 28, 2009 by Phil Velez

I believe every writer gets better with time and practice. One of the main reasons I created this blog was to have a vehicle for my writing. I started it several years with no promotion. It was only my little place on the Internet to put down thoughts. Since the New Year the blog is now on several directories and linked to other blogs. It has already taken some turns and the twists will continue. I have written for some time, but there is still so much to learn about the craft.

According to Stephen King, the rule to becoming a better writer is “read a lot, write a lot.” I can definitely do more of both. The focus of my blog is to make content key. The blog has no main topic, which was intentional. I want to be able to write about anything and everything.

In an attempt to sharpen my writing skills, and learn from others on the Internet, I browsed through some writing blogs. I came up with a few that I have bookmarked and would like to share with fellow bloggers. There are many successful writers on the web and we can all learn from their experiences.

Here are some of my favorite writing blogs:

Reading and writing go hand in hand. You must read regularly to write well.

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Posted in blogs, writing | 3 Comments

New York Post Cartoon Crosses Racial Line

Posted on February 21, 2009 by Phil Velez

The New York Post went too far with a controversial cartoon published Wednesday. The tabloid is getting a lot of heat for a racist depiction combining the recent shooting of a wild chimpanzee with President Barack Obama’s work on the US stimulus package. This is not the first time a unit owned by Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation has been accused of racism.

Now the NAACP is demanding the firing of the NY Post cartoonist and his editor. The subject is the talk of the town this weekend. Protesters made their disapproving presence known outside the paper’s office. Many are not happy with the Post’s apology “to those who were offended” by the cartoon and a Facebook cause to support boycotting the paper is spreading like wild fire.

I don’t read the New York Post. I always thought it was a piece of crap.

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Posted in new york, news | 5 Comments