Although not quite the fanfare that the Conan O'brien or Jimmy Fallon shows received, George Lopez will be hosting his own show. The show will air on TBS beginning in November.

Here are four things you should know, and incorporate into your job search.

1. If you are currently employed and looking for a job with a different employer (or a better job within the same company), it is very important that you clearly communicate the value that your language skills have added to your current and past employers and have references to back up those skills.

Too often, we depend on our English language skills to get us the job. We stress how fluent in English we are, omitting the strength of intercompany and external communication that engages the Spanish language. If you have a business writing skill in Spanish, any employer who does business with this community (and what company doesn't in this day and age?) will quickly see your value.

So, while it remains important for you to express your strong English skills, it is equally to your advantage to put forward your Spanish speaking and writing skills.

2. Don't limit yourself to considering that the only jobs using Spanish skills are the ones that post for bilingual skill. At every opportunity, ask if your skills can be of value. If you are currently employed and looking to advance yourself, or secure continued employment in a company that is engaging in layoffs, check within other departments to learn if you can assist. Even if you have to offer up your skills without extra pay, it's worth it today to make yourself a stronger employee and job candidate.

3. Stay connected to job boards, like CareerBuilder.com and Empleoscb.com, and agencies to learn where the opportunities are. Make it a habit to match your current abilities to what employers are asking for, regardless of whether you are looking for a job or not.

You will learn a lot about what companies are paying and about the opportunities to expand your strengths and successes by putting yourself through "phantom" job matches.

4. Remember that the best place to look for career growth is within the job you have right now. This is the best place to shine and show your stuff. All companies are looking for ways to save money and grow market share.

If you speak two languages and do excellent work in your current job, you are part of the magic your company needs. It is not uncommon these days for companies to let the higher-paid employees go and give the lower-paid ones an opportunity to perform. If you are as knowledgeable as your boss or a more senior person in your department and you speak two languages, keeping your job may just be an easier proposition for you.

While Team Venezuela has advanced to the Quarterfinals of the World Baseball Classic, some fans of the team are not in a celebratory mood. Many boos were directed at Detroit Tigers slugger and Hugo Chavez supporter, Magglio Ordoñez.

Lou Dobbs is famous for his anti-immigrant rants on CNN, but even this is going off the deep end for him even. In response to President Obama's speech to the Hispanic Chanber of Commerce, Dobbs had this to say:

"I don’t know what’s happened to this White House, but the wheels appear to have come completely off here over the last several days. Making a decision to talk about a national initiative on education from the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, which is effectively an organization that is interested in the export of American capital and production to Mexico and Mexico’s export of drugs and illegal aliens to the United States. This is crazy stuff."

Trying to capitalize on the fast growing Hispanic population, Walmart will convert two of its neighborhood stores into Hispanic supermarkets. The stores will be in Phoenix and Houston and are expected to open in the first part of this year.

In the competitive toy business, keeping up with the likes and dislikes of kids is a never ending battle. Toy maker Mattel, thinks it has found a way to stay above the changes in kids' interests as they grow older. This decision, however, has angered many parents.

Dora the Explorer, the popular bilingual toddler cartoon will soon undergo a transformation. This, in an effort to appeal to the"tween" kids population. The goal is to keep that demographic of child interested in Dora, once they have started school. The problem is that some parents think the new look makes Dora look like a "streetwalker. A sexed-up version of a children's icon. A poor example for kids." These are some of the comments parents have bombarded Mattel with.

Mattel says they are not eliminating the original Dora for toddlers, just adding this new option for older kids.
What do you think?

Bolivian president, Evo Morales, on Monday expelled US Embassy official Francisco Martinez from La Paz, Bolivia. Morales accused him of having contacts with some of Bolivia's opposition groups. It is not the first time Morales has accused a US Diplomat of unsavory doing in Bolivia. Six months ago, U.S. Ambassador Philip Goldberg was accused of having encouraged anti-government demonstrators to violence.

During a press conference Morales, sounding more like his quasi mentor Hugo Chavez, vowed that, "The times of the colony will end in Latin America."

President Obama on Tuesday addressed The Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and focused the conversation on teachers and the teacher's union. He told the members that he supports the idea of merit pay by saying, "It is time to start rewarding good teachers and stop making excuses for bad ones."
The teacher's union, which backed Obama during the 2008 election, is vehemently opposed to the proposal, saying that it puts teachers against teachers. They say it is unfair to those who work in disadvantaged areas where it can be difficult to increase student performance.

What's your opinion?

a Providence School Administrator (ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL) has been put on paid administrative leave after an incident with a student last week.

http://www.abc6.com/news/40692242.html

The Brookings Institute, a nonprofit think thank based in Washington, has suggested lifting travel restrictions and other measures in the hopes of normalizing relations with Cuba. The US has not had diplomatic or trade relations with the island nation for 50 years.

I think its time to open those borders. If we have trade relations with China and Vietnam, there is no reason for this embargo with Cuba. Especially since every other one of our allies, particularly Canada and Britain, have trade relations and no travel restrictions for their citizens.

If you've been watching the news over the last few weeks, much attention has been placed on the drug wars throughout Mexico. One major city that has erupted into daily violence is Ciudad Juarez, a Mexican town across the US border from El Paso, Texas.

Drug traffickers have become much more defiant of police and government officials. The homicide rate hit a record level in 2008 and all indications are that this number may be exceeded this year.

Things have gotten so out of hand that, Roberto Orduna, Ciudad Juarez's police chief stepped down Friday after criminal gangs told him he either resigned or the gangs would kill an officer every 48 hours. After initially defying the request, Orduna obliged hours after gunmen killed a police officer and a jail guard and left signs on their bodies saying they had fulfilled a promise made.

The US State Department has issued a travel warning to all Americans traveling to Mexico.

I hate to keep posting baseball/sports stories because that is not what the site is about only but, I found this story very interesting.
According to news reports, the Washington Nationals baseball team are upset because a few years ago they gave a Dominican baseball prospect a $1.4 million signing bonus contract. Esmailyn “Smiley” Gonzalez, the player, was 16 years old, or so the team thought. Gonzalez, was sent to the Nationals' minor league team in Florida, where he was the league MVP.
Fast forward 3 years, while the team thinks the player is 19, in actuality he is 23. Also, his name, Esmailyn “Smiley” Gonzalez? Nope, he falsified that too.
Needless to say the team is upset. If I'm the player, do you blame him for falsifying his age? A foreign baseball player has a very small shelf life, when they are young. The age, where most American baseball players are just getting out of college to go and play baseball in the minor leagues, this Dominican has already played 3 years of professional ball and was the MVP of the league.
Is the criticism on the player fair then?