Latina Weekly

Staff Writer

Travel Warning For Pregnant Women – Zika Virus

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Travel news: Pregnant women (& their intimate partners) should avoid traveling to certain countries, including several Latin American countries and the Caribbean (including Puerto  Rico) where Zika virus infections have resulted in brain damage in babies. The Zika virus is spread by mosquitos; infection in pregnant women can result in fetal death and/or microcephaly (a serious birth defect where babies are born with a small brain and developmental abnormalities). The current Zika virus outbreak is relatively recent, first appearing in South America in May. It has now spread to several South American countries, Mexico and the Carribean, amongst others. To find out where the Zika virus is around the world, visit the CDC map and check their website for regular updates. The Zika virus produces no or mild symptoms in adults who contract the virus, but the effects of the virus on a developing baby can be devastating, resulting in severe brain damage in babies who survive. Zika virus infections have been reported in the United States in Texas and Hawaii (as reported in a recent NY Times article here).  At the time of this article, there is no vaccine against the Zika virus and pregnant women should avoid travel to any and all areas where the virus is present.

 

 

Unique Last Minute Gifts

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Finding the perfect gift isn’t always easy. Here are a few last minute ideas with some of the best consumer items we’ve seen. 3 D printers are one of the hottest technology products on the market.  B&H Photo has a great selection of 3D printers and cameras. One is by Scanify. It’s completely portable, handheld and able to create 3D copies of inanimate & living objects including a human face.Next on the list is Seiko’s new Astron GPS Solar watch.  The world’s first solar GPS watch; it’s beautifully designed, able to recognize all time zones, has an in-flight mode and never needs a battery change. Another great gift is Wowwee’s Award-Winning Miposaur, a robot dinosaur that you control by moving your hands or via an app.  Wowwee’s Miposaur is a very cool toy– it features “evolving intelligence” and three different moods. With multiple functions, including the ability to chase balls, dance and respond to commands, it’s no surprise that it’s currently one of the top 3 best selling robot toys on Amazon.

Wild Republic toys also made our list. Want amazing stuffed animal toys at an incredible prices? Wild Republic has both. We received one as a gift a few years ago and it’s been super popular with the kids in our neighborhood. Our favorite is the Northern Leopard Frog shown above. Currently priced at $7.99 USD,  the Northern Leopard stuffed animal frog looks and sounds real. Simply press the button and you’ll hear a realistic frog call for the species. A great way to introduce children to nature and ecology, Wild Republic’s stuffed animal toys are also very soft and durable (ours still looks and works great after more than a year of use). Great product!

Finally here is the last item on our list- chrome. Chrome anything. A chrome car is an eye catcher, but you can also buy kits to add chrome to a variety of objects. For New Year’s eve, try out a set of chrome nails. If you don’t want to chrome your entire car, you can purchase a chrome decal or hitch and apply your favorite theme. Whatever you decide, there’s no shortage of great holiday gift ideas this year.

See Before It’s Gone : Best Street & Body Art NYC

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With the year coming to an end, we decided to publish eight of our favorite photos from our street art gallery for readers to enjoy. While some of these artworks may still be found, many have been lost, moved or painted over. Unlike works of art found inside great museums, these artists and their works enjoy far less permanence but our camera has preserved them here.

A simple column beneath a scaffold is transformed into a colorful group of paintings on west 57th street NY NY.

Also at the same location, a colorful collection of dream-like portraits mingles with the old and new.

A shadowy figure stretches out an exaggerated hand above parked green and yellow cars in Brooklyn near MOFAD.

A young woman exposes an intricate tattoo as part of a collection of body art during fashion week.

A mysterious figure wearing a collage of prints similarly exposes a bare shoulder at Tao downtown’s passageway.

A tree trunk completely wrapped in a variety of colorful crochet patterns on New York’s West Side this summer.

Stunning architectural details greet subway riders passing through a stop in the financial district.

New York Yankees fans enjoyed viewing a custom Toyota Hybrid car at the New York Auto Show this year. Although very different from the other photos shown here, we’ve never seen this car before & aren’t sure where it ended up. Perhaps in a warehouse, showroom or repainted. From street art, to body art & commercial art, images provide an endless supply of creativity to be viewed, while it lasts.

 

 

 

 

LUCERO honored with Award for Outstanding Achievement in Hispanic TV

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New York, NY – Thursday, October 22, 2015:  Novella actress, TV Host and singer LUCERO was honored with 2015 Award for Outstanding Achievement in Hispanic Television at the 13th Hispanic Television Summit & NYC Televison Week. Held at The Park Central Hotel, the 13th Annual Hispanic TV Summit is a highly respected business conference attended by leading executives from television, online and digital marketing, sports and advertising. Lucero personally accepted the award, thanking all those who have helped her achieve great success and fame in the industry. During her warm & inspiring acceptance speech, she stated she feels proud to be Mexican, to have achieved her dreams and continues to strive to be a good role model for young people. During a highly prolific career that began as a child, she has received numerous awards in recognition of her work, including 3 awards in one series for separate performances in the popular telenovela Lazos de Amor (“Ties of Love”) where she starred as the heroines “María Guadalupe” and “María Fernanda” and also as the evil “María Paula”. With a huge fan base that includes over 4 million Twitter followers, LUCERO is also one of the most popular and successful Mexican singers of all time having sold over 27 million albums worldwide.

 

Spain’s Great Match : A Perfect Pairing at IAC HQ

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The iconic Frank Gehry designed IAC HQ Building served as the perfect setting for the 23rd Annual Spain’s Great Match “Wine,Food and Design.” Held on October 23, 2015 and organized by the Trade Commission of Spain, Spain’s Great Match showcased hundreds of world-class Spanish wines paired with gourmet tapas, cheeses and olives. Spain’s Great Match offers an unparalleled opportunity to discover the best classic and cutting-edge Spanish wine selections all under one roof. Perhaps most exciting is the fact that the event is open to both industry insiders as well as to the general public. This unique mingling of seasoned professionals with amateur oenophiles creates an atmosphere where participants can share their knowledge and opinions. At this year’s event, an interesting discussion broke out over the issue of whether or not corks should be used in the wine industry for “ready to drink now” wines. One attendee felt very passionately about this topic and stated “since 90% of wines are consumed soon after they are purchased, what is the purpose of a placing a cork on the bottle?” A debate over the use of corks broke out. One vendor defended their use due to tradition and the fact that you cannot predict whether or not the consumer will opt to store the product. Most attendees were rather neutral on the subject but those who were “anti-cork” were as passionate about their opinion as those who were “anti-screwtop.” One attendee (I believe he was a sommelier in the trade) turned bright red before declaring “there’s no reason to use corks anymore!!” The vendor shrugged in a way that said “the customer’s always right” then chuckled and kept pouring. Needless to say, Spain’s Great Match is a great event to attend if you want to experience some of the world’s greatest wines while simultaneously expanding your knowledge base. One caveat however– you must remember to spit (not swallow) the wine, as the wine professionals all do for obvious reasons. Also, one should select a favorite wine and then grab a tasty tapas and see how they pair together. Spain’s Great Match is truly a wonderfully gourmet event, the wines and food are top flight foodie perfection.

 

Taste The Bronx – Food & Wine Festival

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September 17 2015 NY, NY — The first-ever ‘Eat nYc the Bronx Food and Wine Festival’ was held at the Mall at Bay Plaza in the Bronx. In collaboration with Bronx Fashion Week and sponsored by Pandora Jewelry Store with Pretzelmaker, the event helped raise money for the Food Bank for New York City to feed hungry men, women and children. VIP attendees were treated to a Runway Fashion Show presented by Bronx Fashion Week and its founder Flora Montes showcasing the best in fashion; the show was hosted by Caridad de la Luz. After the show, guests went upstairs to sample some of the best food, wine and beverages from local chefs and vendors. Culinary Ambassador of the Bronx, ‘Baron Ambrosia’ hosted the gourmet Grand Tasting event. Nearly 30 vendors were in attendance to support the event including Havana Cafe, Outback Steakhouse, Limation, Art of Di Lusso, Cabo, Don Coqui, Organo Gold coffee, Whoopies Miniature Dessert Company, Coqui the Chef, Crude Food, Heineken, Atlantico, Tabo Bakery Bar, Frozen Peaks,Cafe Colonial, Enzo’s Restaurant, DIG Farm, Euro Products, Lady O’s Coquito, Flaco Coquito, Zero Otto Nove, Da Giorgio Restaurant.  Also included were authentic hand rolled Cuban cigars with an onsite professional cigar roller by La Rosa Cigars. Live cooking demonstrations showcased talented chefs and local cuisine. An added extra was excellent entertainment, including dancers and live musical performances by R&B singer Kathryn F. Hoxie, QNA (a five-piece Jazz ensemble), Journey of a GemInEye, and hip hop artist Twan Da Dude performing his hit single “Star” and “I Run NY”. And as if the evening weren’t already fantastic, guests were given goodie bags plus a variety of give-aways. The event ended at 9 pm but there was still plenty of food and drinks right up until the end

 

In summary: Eat nYc the Bronx Food and Wine Festival exceeded our expectations. Not only is it a great food tasting, the event also included a fashion show, cooking demonstrations, live high-quality music & entertainment plus great freebies. Both food and beverages were plentiful and there was a nice selection. One of New York City’s best food events.