http://deepakln.com/blog ideas : proyectos : writings ≥ deepak lamba-nieves Sun, 29 Aug 2010 22:35:10 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 ideas : proyectos : writings ≥ deepak lamba-nieves no http://deepakln.com/blog/?p=258 http://deepakln.com/blog/?p=258#comments Sun, 20 Sep 2009 16:17:15 +0000 Deepak http://deepakln.com/blog/?p=258 http://deepakln.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=258 0 prestado de frecuenciasalternas.com Escuchar a Radio Universidad de Puerto Rico los sábados es casi un requisito ineludible para los amantes de la música. La programación es de primer orden y varias de las producciones son en vivo–un toque especial para los que aprecian ese gesto. Hace unos días, el equipo de Frecuencias Alternas les abrió el studio a Superaquello, una super banda musical que manufactura sonidos precisos y letras bien pensadas. Son parte de un cúmulo de bandas del patio boricua que navegan por otras corrientes comerciales y les gusta madurar un proyecto. Soy un fan desde el 2001, cuando los escuché por primera vez en un segundo piso en el Viejo San Juan. Desde ese entonces les he seguido la pista y me he dejado llevar. A través del tiempo he conocido a varios de los integrantes: son personas sensibles y buena onda, intelectuales con dotes musicales. Ayer se presentaron en Santurce y cuentan que fue un gran espectáculo. Mi exilio voluntario no me permitió verlos, pero gracias a Frecuencias Alternas pude disfrutar de algunos cortes de su nueva producción, más una buena conversación sobre los nuevos rumbos y cosas del pasado. Aquí les dejo la grabación. De paso, si quieren leer una buena entrevista reciente, échenle una mirada a: Superaquello Explores Cyberspace. . For those of you who would rather deal with this post in English, check out Superaquello, one of my favorite bands from Puerto Rico. They’ve got a new record out and it’s amazingly good. Be sure to read some of the reviews from past productions and a recent article: Superaquello Explores Cyberspace. The audio above is from a recent radio program–Frecuencias Alternas–where the band played some tunes and talked about recent ventures. It’s in Spanish, but if you listen carefully you might end up understanding lots more things than imagined. Escuchar a Radio Universidad de Puerto Rico los sábados es casi un requisito ineludible para los amantes de la música. La programación es de primer orden y varias de las producciones son en vivo–un toque especial para los que aprecian ese [...] http://deepakln.com/blog/?p=249 http://deepakln.com/blog/?p=249#comments Wed, 16 Sep 2009 14:28:36 +0000 Deepak http://deepakln.com/blog/?p=249 http://deepakln.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=249 0 This past Monday the people of El Caño Martín Peña went to court, again, to continue making a case against Law 32–ushered in by San Juan’s Mayor and several pro-statehood legislators–which dismantled the Caño Martín Peña Land Trust, the island’s first community land trust. For the past months, the residents of the eight communities surrounding the Martín Peña channel have been caught in a legal storm that has many complicated angles. The government fears that many more communities will try to emulate what the residents of El Caño have accomplished. If that happens, and organized community groups start controlling valuable parcels of land, they can start turning the tables on the patronage system that has ruled over the island for centuries. Never mind that this is the most forward-looking planning exercise that Puerto Rico has witnessed, nor that a reversal of fortune for the trust will leave many without protection from the avalanche of real estate speculators that want a piece of the pie. This is not what is at stake for those in power. Interestingly, the parties that went to court had to travel thousands of miles away from Puerto Rico to plead their cases, for the hearing was held in the United State’s Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, in Boston. Given the long history of injustices that have been handed down in the Puerto Rican courts (due mostly to partisan divisions and tensions), the communities are relying on the federal forum (known by some as the “colonial courts”) to attain justice. But even the Puerto Rico-based federal judges can be problematic; this is precisely why the battle travelled north, where the lawyers representing the community argued that the preliminary injunction filed against the implementation of Law 32 should be extended until the case is decided in the Puerto Rican federal court. In other words, Monday’s court appearance was just a procedural matter, albeit an important one since the Mayor has already started handing out individual land titles to families whose properties are situated in the land trust. I attended the hearing with my partner, who covered it for Primera Hora, one of Puerto Rico’s daily newspapers. For several years, I belonged to the advisory board that was in charge of figuring out how to design the community land trust. The lengthy discussions and deliberations with members of the communities and legal experts over key details served as important planning lessons for me. In other words, I support the communities’ efforts wholeheartedly. In court, I was a biased observer who could not help but feel disdain for the opposing side. They seemed like smug henchmen who were in charge of doing the dirty work for dishonest politicians who have zero sensibility and are in the business of self preservation. The hearing did not last long. Like most court procedures, it is was a performative act where the content of the message is as important as the demeanor and swagger of the arguing parties. It was clear to me that Judith Berkan and María Hernández, who represented the land trust, were more eloquent and gracious. We still don’t know how the panel–consisting of three judges: Torruella, Ripple and Boudin–will rule on the matter. Until then, you can hear the arguments (below) and judge for yourselves. Let me know what you think. Update– The Court of Appeals has spoken: they want the district court in Puerto Rico to hear the arguments and make a ruling regarding the preliminary injunction to stop the effects of Law 32. In other words, the matter goes back to the island where a judge that has been less than sympathetic to the community will hear the arguments. In declarations made to the Puerto Rican press [spa], Mayor Santini said that the community and the defenders of the land trust were left with “la carabina al hombro” (the rifle on the shoulder) and argued that he’s going to conduct a census of properties and neighbors [...] This past Monday the people of El Caño Martín Peña went to court, again, to continue making a case against Law 32–ushered in by San Juan’s Mayor and several pro-statehood legislators–which dismantled the Caño Martín Peña Land Trust, [...]