Patty Godinez – “The Blowing Branches”
http://pattygodinez.blogspot.com/

My blog is about a woman who lives, writes, and shares. It’s an outpour of creative expression to the anonymous world. My intention is to share and to connect with people who read, write, and blog for the sake of doing it. My hope is that my blog inspires more people to share their creativity. I believe whatever our creative inclinations are, we must share them. What good are they if they are kept safely hidden on our bookshelves? Blogging is a way to share fragments of ourselves in order to reconnect with the rest of the world.

I remember learning about Emily Dickinson and how her sister found her poems and published them after her death. That was a terrible fear I lived with for a long time. What if no one ever knew where they were? Could I just tell my own sister about them and hope she outlives me? I believe Emily Dickinson would have blogged if she would have had the expressive freedom we have today. So I write and post. Just like that. With one click, I experience a cathartic release, and hope with all my being that it finds its way to the eyes of a reader who can relate or to one who will respond in one way or another. Bloggers need the feedback like fuel to continue the momentum; otherwise we just wither and die a slow and painful death. By the way, I love melodrama. It’s no wonder I am a huge Morrissey fan.

I believe we are all creators and it is our obligation to share it with the world. That’s why I blog. Nevertheless, I will share that I have experienced numerous fears, doubts, and insecurities when blogging. I have often taken postings off and then put them back on, simply because I was afraid. Other times, I took them down when nobody responded to them. And then I realized that it doesn’t matter if people respond or not so I post them again. I have also experienced the dreaded “writers block” when nothing comes out of me. I continue anyway. When this happens, I look back at old writings and post them. I find that the more I post, the easier it gets to stand naked in front of an anonymous world.

I encourage visitors of my blog to share their talents, whatever they may be; to engage in a conversation about their vision of the world as it may relate or conflict with mine. My hope is that they pick up on the fragments I put out there and construct their own meaning. My blog is my letter to the world, one “that never wrote to me” as Dickinson cleverly writes.

I love you all more than life. Keep writing, keep sharing, love well, and create with your expressive powers, whatever they are. You know them better than anybody else.

Patty Godinez
http://pattygodinez.blogspot.com/
“The Blowing Branches”

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Ian Morales – Ian Loves Music
http://ianlovesmusic.blogspot.com/

My blog is honestly something I do just for fun and a way to archive my work. All my interviews and reviews are archived on my blog. I also experiment with new columns and formats before taking them to a site I write for. I also keep active with it so people can follow me as a writer/editor.

I started blogging in a class at St Edward’s University called “PR in Social Media” taught and implemented by Dr. Corrine Weisgerber. I owe much of my new Internet fame to her, as she showed me the way and sparked my interest. Although we blogged about social media related topics, I started writing show reviews for concerts I attended that same year. It was something I always did anyway, so I figured why not blog about it. I got tired of answering the same questions about how a show was, what I did last night or who people should be listening too. Now people can just hit me up online and they’ll know.

Visitor to my blog, although my stats tell me differently, are primarily people I know. It is just way to keep up with what I’m doing and a way for me to tell them about great music. I also make show recommendations, which in Austin is handy with tons of shows a night next door to each other. I know people who work and have kids but still want to catch a good band on a night out, so I make it easier for them. While my blog does not have a Latino focus, I do include many Latin music posts and Latino musicians. As the Editor in Chief of Austin Vida and being Mexican-American, it is obviously a genre of music I love and has special meaning to me. I also include it because if I didn’t, it wouldn’t reflect who I really was. If I concluded just Latin Music in my personal blog, then I’d be lying about who I was. I love all kinds of music from all walks of life. Obviously I am going to like stuff that reflects my age and where I live, but it is to be expected. People who visit my blog often return because they are my friends or they are people who don’t pigeon hold themselves to one way of thinking. They are looking for information about new bands or they’re current favs.

Ian Morales – Ian Loves Music
http://ianlovesmusic.blogspot.com/

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DarsanaRoldan.com “Activating The Power of Collaboration To Change The World.”
www.CelebrandoVida.org
www.Darsana Roldan.com
Twitter, DarsanaRoldan
Facebook, Darsana.Roldan

Have you ever read or heard about synchronicity? Have you ever stopped to think what are the possibilities for things to unfold the way they do every day? All the unlimited things that could have completely changed the outcome of any particular situation in your life? No, I am not tripping, it is exactly the opposite! Over 20 years ago I made a conscious decision to stay away completely from drugs and alcohol to discover myself and how life would be without them. Because of that one decision, my life has continued to CHANGE in ways that I would have never even begun to imagine. Every day is full of infinite possibilities because I have grown from within, enough to understand that the outside world is only a reflection of what is going on inside of me! That as long as I continue to have passion, determination and appreciation for the present moment, not one thing has to change in the world for me to be happy and celebrate the things I value most!

If you are not becoming more interested in what you are reading by now, I suggest you tie your Self down to the chair and continue reading because this is not about me, this is about YOU. You see, there is no accident to why you have attracted what you are reading and either you can make the decision to take this information to heart and shift the way your life is going, or you can continue doing the same things you have been doing and continue looking for answers in the wrong places. In all honesty, that is actually the way we are programmed to survive by our ancestors, and it’s probably not such a bad idea when you were learning how to walk and talk, but I believe you are ready now to make a conscious choice to unleash the unlimited potential within your True Self, while learning how to gratefully appreciate all the blessings in your life!

Let me just quickly highlight that when we don’t listen to the subtle signs going on in our life, consequently we bring the crazy DRAMA right into it. From there, it can get worst or better, depending on wether or not you choose to be a victim, or reach out and learn that taking risks is what allows us to CHANGE and GROW! After making so many mistakes and making life incredibly hard and painful, I am now experiencing a more loving, prosperous and rewarding way of experiencing life, one day at a time. My heart desire to live a meaningful and purposeful life is what motivated me to create this blog and to activate the power of collaboration to change the World!

When you begin to live life this way, you begin to understand and develop higher levels of awareness that allow you to experience a new reality. All of the sudden life has new meaning and your beliefs, along with your mindset, shift and you are guided to serve others. Prosperity consciousness reveals itself through your passion and purpose and now success is no longer a goal, it is within your Self and it becomes a lifestyle. What others think of you have very little impact on who you are and you express yourself more freely because you are not attached to the outcome.

Remember, it all begins with the conscious choices you make and in order to do that you have to learn how to go within. Part of my life purpose is to inspire, empower and intensify your ability to discover the changes you want to make for the evolution of your individual Soul and for the contribution you add to the shift in Consciousness going on in the world. Together (joinPEACEtribe) we can Be The Change We Wish To See In The World and shape the vision for younger generations to follow. I believe that One Love, One Wealth and One World is the way things were meant to be and I will do everything I can until the day I die to Be loving, Be Giving and Be Willing to equally celebrate humanity, the animals and the planet!

Love and appreciation,
Darsana

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Cristina Burgos – Life in Spanglish
http://lifeinspanglish.wordpress.com 

What is your blog about:

Life In Spanglish is about being bilingual in English and Spanish and having it manifest in all aspects of your lifestyle, culture, mindset, vocabulary. As one of the 8 million (more or less) Latinos living in Los Angeles, I see the way Spanish and English mesh into this fabulous and interesting new experience everyday. Some of the topics I like to write about are LA happenings, news & media (especially TV), marketing, art & photography, food, and of course both languages. Anything that has to do with Hispanics as a demographic force in the US and just random stuff that I find interesting is a topic for the blog.

What motivated you to do your blog?

In April 2009, like many people, I was suddenly unemployed. So honestly, it was the recession and time on my hands that made me create a blog. But more than this, it was the desire to have an outlet for expressing opinions (and rants!) and showing some of the pictures I take on a daily or weekly basis. Since I’ve always spoken “spanglish” and that is how I communicate with mostly everybody I know in LA, this was the natural subject for me to explore. My four loyal readers kept bugging me if I didn’t post anything for a few days, so this pushed me to keep blogging and keep looking for things to write about. I am now working again, thank God, and I now have more than four readers, which is also very nice for the ego.

What do you offer your visitors to your blog? What do you want your visitors to take with them when they leave your blog?

The challenge for me is to come up with interesting bits of information and a real opinion as an alternative to what you may see/read/watch on the media, news, etc. I want to offer an honest voice and always make it entertaining. “Engage” is the magic word nowadays, but it is really what we all strive for. Hopefully readers can connect with the blog and ultimately want to keep reading, coming back for more and inspiring them to leave a comment here and there. And maybe someday all the “Spanglishers” would like to meet and go get a “cafecito” someplace to practice our Spanglish!

THANK YOU!!

Cristina Burgos
http://lifeinspanglish.wordpress.com

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Clarisel Gonzalez
Puerto Rico Sun, http://prsun.blogspot.com
PRSUN Radio, http://blogtalkradio.com/prsunradio
Bronx Latino, http://bronxlatino.blogspot.com
Clarisel’s Photo Place: http://clarisel.blogspot.com

What is your blog about?

Puerto Rico Sun Communications is a Hispanic-oriented independent multimedia for-profit social entrepreneurship registered in the Bronx, New York. A veteran journalist, I am the editor and publisher. PRSUN Communications publishes several blogs, including Puerto Rico Sun, a cultural news and photoblog focusing on themes related to Puerto Ricans and the Diaspora; PRSUN Radio, an online radio show on BlogTalkRadio that also focuses on Puerto Ricans and the Diaspora; the Bronx Latino lifestyle blog that highlights the people, the events and the culture of the Bronx from a Latino perspective; and Clarisel’s Photo Place, a photoblog focusing on my photography and news.

What motivated you to do this blog?

Puerto Rico Sun Communications’ social and business mission is to inform, empower and build community. It is this mission that motivates me. I also want to help change negative stereotypes and share the Puerto Rican/Latino experience with a mainstream online audience.

What do you offer the visitors to your blog?

Puerto Rico Sun Communications is an Internet-based Latina-owned community media and art business. It primarily serves a diverse and influential English-speaking Puerto Rican/Latino community in New York City. As a community-driven Internet business, PRSUN also strives to have a national voice. It hopes to be a bridge between Puerto Ricans/Latinos in NYC, Puerto Rico and other important Puerto Rican/Latino markets in the United States.

Our readers are upwardly mobile Latino men and women who are Bilingual/Bicultural with a preference for English media. They are movers and shakers in their communities.

PRSUN Communications not only reaches Latinos who speak English and have an interest in their Latino heritage, but anyone who is interested in Latino culture, art and information.

PRSUN Communications serves as a forum for community life and issues and maintains relationships with local artists and cultural institutions, civic organizations, individual community and business leaders as well as elected officials. PRSUN Communications covers community news and views, events, lifestyle, culture, arts and entertainment. We produce original content using a multimedia approach. The company, as part of the community, uses technology to report on people, places and happenings going on in the uncovered, underserved yet vibrant Puerto Rican/Latino community.

Here are my blog links:
Puerto Rico Sun, http://prsun.blogspot.com
PRSUN Radio, http://blogtalkradio.com/prsunradio
Bronx Latino, http://bronxlatino.blogspot.com
Clarisel’s Photo Place: http://clarisel.blogspot.com

Thanks for the opportunity to share. –

Clarisel Gonzalez

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Ellen Fernandez-Sacco, Ph.D.
Babilonia Family History
http://www.babiloniafamilyhistory.blogspot.com
efsacco@gmail.com 

What is your blog about?

My blog ‘Babilonia Family History’ deals with links to my maternal lineage in the northwest municipality of Moca in Puerto Rico. In it I consider different individuals and give brief biographies. I also talk about difficult topics, such as slave ownership, and review records as they come up. It’s a way to explore Puerto Rican history and identity on a local level.

What motivated you to do this blog?

I was always intrigued by the oral histories told to me by my mother about her childhood in Moca; they began during my childhood in the South Bronx. Having no photographs of my maternal grandparents, and hearing all of these details about a family with a very distinctive last name always peaked my curiosity. I was able to trace the Babilonias back to a military man from Mallorca who married twice and had 16 children. Recently I had my mtDNA done and discovered that I am of Indigenous descent, and will be writing more about that shortly.

What do you hope the visitor to your blog will take with them after visiting?

It’s not so much pride, but curiosity that provokes my interest in excavating my family’s history. I am hoping that others can learn about researching one’s own family and engaging difficult histories by reading my blog.

Ellen Fernandez-Sacco, Ph.D.
Babilonia Family History
http://www.babiloniafamilyhistory.blogspot.com
efsacco@gmail.com

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Mayra Calvani
Latino Books Examiner
http://www.examiner.com/x-6309-Latino-Books-Examiner

What is your blog about?

My blog is all about books written by Latino and Latina authors: features, profiles, interviews, news, events and reviews.

What motivated you to do your blog?

An opportunity to connect with my roots, to keep up to date with what’s going with Hispanic literature and publishing in the US, and to share this information with readers.

What do you hope your readers to get from your blog?

Information about the latest Latino/a authors, book releases and events.

Mayra Calvani
Latino Books Examiner
http://www.examiner.com/x-6309-Latino-Books-Examiner

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Leticia Teresa Pontoni
LA FLACA QUE VUELA
Un blog para los chicos de todo lugar y para leer poemas, articulos o cuentos en dos idiomas, ingles y español
http://laflacaquevuela.blogspot.com
lety_pontoni@hotmail.com

Fist, I say thanks to Jo Ann Hernandez to explain how I decided to create my blog and I say thanks to this chance to write some words into her blog.

I am Leticia Teresa Pontoni and love to write. I am from Argentina. Nobody is a prophet in his or her land. I have showed my work thanks to North American Editors.

My blog is about and for children. It is a bilingual blog full of poems, drawings, stories, photos, designs, interviews, and much more. I write with my heart for them. If you are a dreamer, you are a writer. You imagine all the time. Moreover, I create new characters all the time, all my days.

I was motivated to open a blog because I needed to show what I can do for them. However, children like colors and nice stories. One time in a month, I add or post my stuff.

Go to http://laflacaquevuela.blogspot.com and add your commentaries.

If you like write to me, please use my email:
lety_pontoni@hotmail.com

Leticia Teresa Pontoni
LA FLACA QUE VUELA
Un blog para los chicos de todo lugar y para leer poemas, articulos o cuentos en dos idiomas, ingles y español
http://laflacaquevuela.blogspot.com
lety_pontoni@hotmail.com

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Tracy Iglesias
The Ascending Butterfly – Not just a blog, not just a destination, but an upwards journey!
http://ascendingbutterfly.blogspot.com/

What is your blog about?

Ascending Butterfly – Not just a blog, not just a destination, but an upwards journey! We are a blog on a mission ‘to seek out and share the best sources of inspiration both on and off the web.’

What motivated you to do this blog?

I was having trouble finding sources of inspiration online that extended beyond a ‘quote of the day’. It was either quote of the day or purely religious and while I respect both formats, my needs fell somewhere in between the two. I wanted a place that would apply positive inspirations to my daily living, that would factor in that I am insanely busy and may not have time for a one hour journey into my subconscious mind, and because I couldn’t find it, I created it. I chose butterflies because they have always been a symbol of luck and change for me and my family. They have often appeared to me regardless of the weather or season to let me know change is coming or just before a stroke of good luck. The full meaning behind my site is as follows:

Ascending: rising or increasing to higher levels, values, or degrees

Butterflies: The change from caterpillar though to the chrysalis and emergence as a butterfly is the greatest change in the animal world. It symbolizes significant change in the course of one’s life, personality, or way of thinking.

Together: Putting them together brings us on an upwards journey of change and transformation, isn’t that what we all strive for?

What do you offer the visitors to your blog?

We offer daily inspirations that use focused breathing to bring positive affirmations into your daily living in a way that fits into your schedule. In a way that allows you to live, breathe and visualize your way into the life you both want to live and most certainly should be living. Along the way I share my journey, as a writer, a daughter, friend, a latina, a single girl in a big city, and an aspiring jewelry designer and author; and most importantly, a spiritual being on a mission to empower myself and those around me. We offer a monthly book club, with an opportunity to win the book and share our ideas. We offer weekly moments of gratitude where we share what we are grateful for and ask that readers do the same. We offer honest product reviews. We offer a ‘Today’s Butterfly’ Featured site of the day. We offer ‘Win-It’ and giveaway opportunities. We will soon be offering a ‘Butterfly in the spotlight’ where we feature someone who we feel is a source of inspiration in the way they live their lives.

Someone tell Oprah and Ellen DeGeneres that Ascending Butterfly is the blog that everyone should spend five minutes of their day with everyday! Hmm…isn’t it about time we had a Latina in the day time talk show space? How about a Latina Butterfly?

Gracias!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Tracy Iglesias
The Ascending Butterfly – Not just a blog, not just a destination, but an upwards journey!
http://ascendingbutterfly.blogspot.com/Facebook Fan Page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ascending-Butterfly/55906234945
Email: tiglesias625@gmail.com
Twitter: @Tracy_Iglesias

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Kidsmomo – Where have all the good books gone?
http://www.kidsmomo.com/ 

Nancy and Karen – Nancy is endlessly entertained by burping, and Karen has been known to eat ice cream out of the carton for dinner.

Welcome to Kidsmomo! Tune in to our podcast, check out our weekly Mystery Book Theater video challenge, read about what’s up in the world of children’s books, and find out which books other kids are recommending. Plus contribute your own thoughts and book reviews.

 What is your blog about?

Our mission at Kidsmomo is to keep kids engaged in reading for pleasure by introducing them to quality books and series, highlighting the sheer variety of reading choices available, and presenting books and reading in a non-academic mode. Basically, we’re curating book info in a way that’s fresh and fun for kids — through weekly podcasts, animated videos, and a joint blog that we update regularly with news and commentary about the world of children’s books. We also enable kids to share their book recommendations and reviews with one another.

What motivated you to do your blog?

We created Kidsmomo because there are many wonderful blogs dedicated to children’s books — but aimed at adults. We felt that something was missing, and so we set out to start a forum where we could talk directly to young readers. Our goal is to curate an online experience that motivates kids to read for pleasure and connect with peers around a shared enthusiasm for books. After all, that’s how kids interact with the TV shows and music that they love — and it shouldn’t be any different with books.

What do you hope your readers/viewers will gain from your blog?

Based on research, we know that self-selection and variety are critical to engaging kids in reading and writing. So our aim is to reach kids directly and convey the breadth of good books ripe for the picking, as well as enable kids to voice their opinions and make recommendations to one another. We want to empower children to feel excitement and ownership of their experience with books — which we hope will translate into not just academic success but also a lifelong love of reading. And ultimately, we’re communicating with kids as fellow readers, so we also hope that kids who visit Kidsmomo are truly enjoying the experience that we offer, above all else.

Kidsmomo – Nancy and Karen
Where have all the good books gone?
http://www.kidsmomo.com/

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Anthony Otero – Latinegro
http://latinegro.blogspot.com/

What is your blog about?

My blog is all about me. While that sounds so normal and almost boring, I think I offer a perspective on love and life that is both honest and raw. This is the type of perspective not often seen by Latino men. I make no apologies for what I say and I say what I mean. I do not represent the typical Latino Male, but I can and will talk about how males tend to lie and cheat their way through life because of lack of self knowledge. Honest is best policy on my blog and it is the only way to find personal freedom and happiness.

What motivated you to do this blog?

The driving force for my blog is my journey toward happiness. I started writing because I need to find a way to express myself. I need to find a way to channel all the feelings that I am having. With the failure of my marriage, I have had to dig deep to be able to come to terms with that loss while being able to move on and pursue happiness. Each day brings a new challenge and extra motivation.

What do you offer the visitors to your blog?

What I bring to my readers is the ability to question love and life. Most people who read my blog often tell me that they relate to many of the perspectives I give to love and life. I also bring my reader along with me on my journey. It was on my blog that I announced that I was getting a divorce and since then they have been able to follow my progress. This is by no means a sob story. I do not talk about how bad my life is, however I do make admit to many things that men tend not to do. My Blogs do not come out a frequent as they once did but the quality of the writing has been greatly improved.

Latinegro – Anthony Otero
http://latinegro.blogspot.com/

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Cristina Rivera – Glowing Faces
www.GlowingFaces.blogspot.com

Professional Make Up Artist
GlowingFaces@Gmail.com
www.GlowingFaces.net
http://GlowingFaces.blogspot.comBeauty Editor “On the Avenue” Magazine
www.OTAMagazine.com
crivera@otamagazine.comMy name is Cristina Rivera. I’m a professional make-up artist and beauty editor for “On the Avenue” Magazine. My blog is about beauty (inside and out) as well as information that can and will help Makeup Artists, Fashion Stylists & Hair Stylists.I blog about upcoming trades shows, work shops, cosmetics news, product reviews, and anything that can help ones business flourish. I am in contact with many CEO’s and Owners of businesses as well as Celebrity MUA’s, Celebrity Hairstylists, Designers etc.. With the information they provide me with, I can bring my readers up to the minute on what’s going on. I’ve made my blog a “one stop shop” for those looking for Beauty Industry Information.I was motivated to write this blog because I found myself logging countless hours on the internet just to find information that would help my business soar. Not everyone has as much time as I had to find what they need. With all of the months and months of research, and questions from fellow artists, I decided that putting all of that info out there on a blog would help others.I guess I just can’t help myself. I want to help others as much as I can for as long as I can.–

Cristina RiveraProfessional Make Up Artist
GlowingFaces@Gmail.com
www.GlowingFaces.net
http://GlowingFaces.blogspot.com

 

Beauty Editor “On the Avenue” Magazine
www.OTAMagazine.com
crivera@otamagazine.com

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Susan McKinney, Writer
www.susanmckinney.blogspot.com

My blog is www.susanmckinney.blogspot.com. No guessing there. It´s about me, Susan McKinney, Writer.

I started it in May, when I started searching for representation for my memoir, Fast Break South. One of the questions I ask readers on my blog, is: Do you like the present title or do you think I should change it to I Married A Mexican Teenager. At first I was told the I Married…
title was irreverant and even disrespectful, but I´ve recently hit myself on the forehead and asked, “What´s wrong with irreverant?”

The great fun about having a blog is that I get actual comments from strangers who have bothered to read and offer opinions on my work!

I write about writing, and about looking for an agent. When I´m not writing, I write about what I´m doing to distract myself from the fact that I´m not writing. I write about living in Mexico. I write about buying clothes in the tianguis with my 14-year old, and about seeing my dude, Don Jesus for a cleansing when I get overloaded with heavy energy from giving people massages.

I´m a gringa married to a Mexican, and you have allowed me to sneak onto this Latina site for which I send you all many besos. I do have Mexican teenaged girls, Mexican in-laws, a Mexican business. I like tamales but not atole. Hablo español. I need the highest number sunscreen available. Whatever that makes me.

I started the blog to have a web presence as advised by all the writer gurus. But I keep it up, not as a chore or as a building block to my platform, but because I like writing about my life in a chatty, intimate way.

Once I get I Married A Mexican Teenager (trying the title out…what do we think?) published, I´ll be able to offer copies of the book as giveaways. Until then, I offer a glimpse into the writing life, and day to day of a chick con ganas in Mexico.

Susan McKinney de Ortega
San Miguel de Allende, Mexico
www.jasminedayspasma.com
www.susanmckinney.blogspot.com

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Ashley Moreno
www.ChaosDiaries.com 

Where Ashley blogs about juggling (not literally, of course)
4 kids, marriage, homeschooling, Down syndrome, ADD,
dueling food allergies, adolescence, clinical depression,
1 llama, 1 horse, 2 goats, 2 dogs, and 1 bulimic cat.

What inspired me to blog? Let’s call it divine intervention. See, every day I pray “Dear Lord, please let this be the day that nothing happens.” But the funny keeps on happening. I finally realized God is just giving me material. And chances are He’s going to keep giving it to me until I use it. So it’s really a matter of self-preservation. I write it down as it happens, and God doesn’t have to go getting more drastic on me.

I’m just your average neurotic mom, juggling four children (not literally, of course), marriage, a writing career, homeschooling, Down syndrome, adolescence, ADD, clinical depression, dueling food allergies, one llama, one horse, two goats, two dogs, one useless fish, and one bulimic cat.

I don’t have a train of thought. I have bumper cars. As such I will digress, tangenticize, and often find myself stuck in the wall, spinning my wheel slowly in one direction (those ride operators at the carnival tell you that like it’s gonna work). Sometimes I manage to cruise along just fine, and then another thoughtcar will ram into the first, which will then go careening off into oblivion. It’s always a toss-up as to which car will prevail. It happens. More often than I’d like. In this blog, as in real life, I will make no attempt to correct this phenomena. Like turning the wheel slowly in one direction, it is an exercise in futility.

Every blog seems to embrace a theme of some sort. There are the ‘how-to-be-frugal’ blogs, the ‘ways-to-do-it-better’ blogs, and the ‘can-you-believe-you-ever-lived-without-this-jewel-of-information’ blogs. Blogdom is a world rife with opportunities to improve your status-quo. Everywhere you turn, at your very fingertips lies a wealth of information to facilitate better living.
This ain’t that kind of blog.

I wish it were. But the truth is, I don’t have it together. I aspire to, but there’s always something getting in the way. Every once in a rare while, I find that I’ve managed to craft a tenuous illusion of togetherness, but then I sneeze or a child falls off of a piece of furniture that was never really intended for standing on in the first place, and the ethereal vision vanishes, like fog on the bathroom mirror when you turn the blow dryer on it. (You didn’t know that? Consider it a freebie. And a fluke).

No, I can’t help you do it better or cheaper, or look better while you do it cheaper.

What I can offer you is a frame of reference, a bar set so low that, on your worst day–the day that you catch the baby eating dog food and your new, uninsured cell phone falls in the toilet and nobody took a nap and your husband calls to say that he’ll be at least three hours late and you’ve looked in all three refrigerators and what’s the point of even having three refrigerators if there isn’t any beer in any of them–hypothetically speaking, of course–that on your worst day, you can stop by, enjoy a laugh or two on me, and go back to your life knowing that in this crazy, chaotic world, there is one person you are more together than.
Fair enough? Good. Let the journey begin.

Ashley Moreno
www.ChaosDiaries.com

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Edi Campbell – Crazy Quilts
http://campbele.wordpress.com
http://twitter.com/editi

“The real act of discovery consists not in finding new lands but in seeing with new eyes.” ~Marcel Proust

Why did you create your blog?

I created it to express myself, tell a bit about what I do and to share information. In the process, I’ve just reminded myself that I’m not going to put a lot of myself out there! I do think my personality sneaks through from time to time, but mainly I just try to promote literacy in all of its forms for teens of color. I love being a librarian and this just takes that to another level.

What you movitated to do your blog?

I had to go back and look at my first post. I began my blog on 3 June 2006! School would have just ended, and I would have been looking forward to trying some new technology. I really enjoyed reading ‘blogs’ and wanted to give it a try. I thought I would write more about working in my library, but I felt there was such a need to help others find books for teens of color, I ended up making sure they could get help.

What do you offer to your readers?

I think I offer a lot of information to help librarians find books for teens of color, to learn about authors, identify new technologies, as well as financial resources for students or libraries. I also offer them access to a wonderful community of bloggers. It amazes me how such a diverse group has come together because we value the stories we have to tell.

Edi Campbell
http://campbele.wordpress.com

http://twitter.com/editi

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Christina Fernández-Morrow
Neighborhoods & Culture blogger for www.examiner.com

Check out my latest post: http://tinyurl.com/dz5o4d

What is your blog about?

It is about the lives of Latinos living in Central Iowa.

What motivated you to do this blog?

Being Latino in a small city where you are the ‘new’ minority is very different than living in bigger cities where Latinos have been around for generations. I like to capture the triumphs, progress and people who help Latinos thrive and make a mark on an otherwise homogenous area.

What do you offer to your visitors?

A glimpse at extraordinary Latinos making a difference, a unique perspective on life in the heartland, and a greater understanding of how cultures adjust, adapt and add to the richness of the cities they inhabit.

Christina Fernández-Morrow
Neighborhoods & Culture blogger for www.examiner.com

Check out my latest post: http://tinyurl.com/dz5o4d

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Color Online

http://www.coloronline.blogspot.com/

“My girls and women, you should live that the world may be better by your having lived in it.”
~Clara A. Howard

I founded Color Online, a youth group in 2005 at Alternatives For Girls. At the time, I thought I clearly knew what I wanted to do: I wanted to marry an appreciation for literature with computer literacy. I wanted to teach girls how to inform themselves. Alternatives for Girls’ mission is to help girls learn how to make better life choices. Well, I believe you can’t make better choices if you can’t make informed choices. At Color Online, we’re about empowering young women.

In order to encourage my girls to read, they needed books and we needed a space to house those books and make books easily accessible so I gutted the existing library of dated, culturally disparate literature and I brought in the brown not only did I build a collection of contemporary works in African American literature, but I began bringing in multicultural collection because our girls needed to know there is a world beyond the city limits and their own experiences.

By the way, I started building our collection by collecting cans. While the agency was glad to have me, they couldn’t provide any funding. I have crazy passion but shallow pockets. Don’t laugh: we boast more than 3,000 titles in our collection today and there is nothing raggedy or unwanted in our library. My girls aren’t throwaways so while we welcome donations I don’t put unwanted castoffs on our shelves. That’s not the kind of message I’m trying to impart here. Our collection says, “You matter, your stories matter. You can find your voices and aspirations here.”

About the blog, as stated, I wanted to marry a love of reading with a computer literacy. I created our blog in order to teach Color Online members how to use technology to express their art and views. Additionally, the blog allows us to inform potential supporters about our efforts and to inform readers about writers that they might not otherwise ever learn about or read.

I want to impact young people. I want to spread the message about the importance of literacy. It is beyond me why there isn’t a real focus on getting our kids to read and write. We have all kinds of youth programs but too many of them of missing the mark by failing to stress literacy, and literacy in the broader sense means having cultural awareness. Knowing how to read and write is not what it means to be a literate individual. It is the awareness of the world around you, an ability to communicate your ideas and views effectively. It is a desire to be connected with others. I want Color Online to inspire young people to become active in their communities. I want Color Online the blog to be a literary portal, a place where readers, educators, writers and activists engage one another, share information and support projects and works that empower women of color, which in turn means empowering communities.

I want Color Online to present a cohesive, consistent flow of information that provides readers and educators with works that are relevant to their populations. It is important to share with readers that Color Online is a vehicle to promote literacy, foster community and celebrate diversity. We focus on women writers of color, because we are marginalized. If we don’t promote women of color, who will? This is not arrogance here. Of course, I’m not the only one promoting and supporting women writers of color, but you take a trip around the blogosphere, you tell me how many sites you know that prominently and regularly promote the work of women writers of color.

Snapshot of features:

* Color Online Quiz: literature and women studies. Quizzes posted twice a weekly with monthly drawing for a book prize

* Reviews on all genres. We love guest reviewers.

* New Crayons: what’s new on our bookshelves. Find new reads and share your new books with us.

* COLA- Color Online Love Alerts. We spotlight writers, publishers, bloggers who promote and support women of color.

*CORA Diversity Roll Call. Bi-weekly meme celebrating diversity and multiculturalism

* Writing Contests

I’d like to close by saying that as a woman of color, inclusion is pretty important to me, important enough that I do not believe in discounting or excluding anyone. We celebrate multiculturalism and diversity here. We are a tribe of varied hues and no hue is singularly more beautiful than another.

Color Online
http://www.coloronline.blogspot.com/

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Single, No Chaser

Icess Fernandez

http://singlenochaser.com/

Single, No Chaser is writing by a group of single women from different walks of life and different parts of the country. We write about being single in all aspects of life — the young career woman, the single mom, the divorcee, and the unmarried in their 30s.

The blog started out really as an occasionally column I use to write for the Wichita Eagle when I was a reporter there. I loved writing the column which was about my observations about everyone else’s single life. The women who read it enjoyed it and could relate to what I was writing about.

So when I moved to Shreveport, a friend of mine were talking about the dating scene and the idea to start the blog popped into my head.

The blog offers readers insight to single life in 2009. What it’s like to be us, what we think about and who we are. We have a regular columnist on Mondays who reviews Daisy of Love on VH1. In July we will have a licensed therapist as our very on Ann Landers. We also offer the stories about life and the complexities of relationships.

Icess Fernandez

http://singlenochaser.com/

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Queer Latino Musings on Literature

Charlie Vázquez

I’m the proud author of many things and have two books on the publishing horizon: a fiction collection due in November and my second novel in spring of 2010. And although I’m constantly writing and refining my fiction, it’s been my blog, Queer Latino Musings on Literature, that has facilitated my making new friends on the blogosphere and beyond. While writing and perfecting fiction is a solitary craft, blogging is “public” and helps to sharpen writing in a casual, journalistic way—one which is not necessary in fiction, where the whims of the imagination can run as far as they please.

I began my blog after my father passed away late last year, as a way to informally communicate his long and unusual story, with those who chose to “read/listen”. Despite the unfortunate genesis of my blog—and my initial experimentation with the format—it eventually evolved into what it is today: A forum where I post interviews with (mostly Latino) authors, share book reviews that I write for AMBIENTE (our nation’s largest Latino LGBT e-zine), and publish other announcements related to my own artistic life as a Latino writer in New York City.

I felt compelled to create this web-space, since it was something that did not exist when I sought it. As an author and reading series host, it has helped me find writers for my monthly NYC readings and has exposed me to new literature which has inspired me on many levels. It has forged new friendships and has allowed me to meet and befriend many of the “wizards” in my field of writing—the elders of the queer Latino literary world. It has been a perpetual joy; one that has consumed much time and energy—fuel.

As for my readership: My subscribers number into the hundreds and thousands of others read my bimonthly posts every month. I believe in quality first and only solicit to people I think might be interested. What I’m trying to do is connect Latino (and other) authors to potential readers and vice versa. There is a rich body of fine Latino literature in this country that continues to evolve as our lives as Latinos do. So it’s important to support our literary heritage by cultivating readerships for our many talented scribes. Both need the other.

Blogging, on my terms, has allowed me to achieve this to an extent. We all need to do our part in telling the fascinating stories of our lives and imaginations. And it’s a great service to bring the hard work and achievements of our writers into the hands of people who want to read their work (this includes our non-Latino allies). Reading in our country seems to be in decline and I hope that we, as literary Latinos, work the other way to enrich our culture. I’m proud to be doing my part and ask you to do yours—it’s easier than you think. Connect crucial websites to authors and readers—we’re all over the place and sometimes don’t know one another. Sometimes sending one email will make a huge impact on other people’s lives. The results of tiny actions can be enormous!

Happy reading!
Charlie Vazquez
http://charlievazquez.wordpress.com/

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Virgina DeBerry and Donna Grant

Twomindsfull http://twomindsfull.blogspot.com

Our blog, Twomindsfull (http://twomindsfull.blogpspot.com) is literally about whatever comes across either of our two minds—much like all that comes up in our friendship, writing collaboration and of course, life. Over the twenty seven years we have been hanging out together—twenty of them writing novels, we have rarely (read never) found ourselves with nothing to say to each other or without opinions about what’s going on in the world, both near and far away. We have broad and varied interests, some of which are the same—writing, books, food, fashion, and others which are separate and distinct—sports, camping and urban living. And we not only have plenty to say about all of those interests, we also have plenty to say about what other people have to say about, well— about anything!

Our conversations frequently begin with “did you hear/read about ________?” and progress from there along whatever winding road our thoughts might travel. It wouldn’t be at all unusual for a chat that started about the rainy weather to go on to cover, the Mars probe, the Minnesota Senatorial elections, dry bread crumbs vs. fresh ones in meat loaf and meat balls, is Scarlett Johansson really too thin, the upcoming conference call, Prosecco vs. Cava for bubbly beverages on the cheap, what we’re going to wear to the (signing, party, play, etc.) should we expand a character’s POV in the book, or eliminate it and have the narrator explain, tire pressure, blood pressure, polka dots and then end up right back where we started at the rainy weather.

Twomindsfull follows pretty much the same pattern.

We had several starts and stops in the blogosphere before finally tackling the process in a more or less regular fashion. Our first hesitation was based on a deep seated fear that our musings about the mundane and inane events and circumstances in our lives could not possibly be of interest to anyone but us. We were however disabused of this notion, when we did a very unscientific poll of the readers on our mailing list. Surprise! They did want to know that we did laundry, made dinner, had dinner with former Vice-Presidents (Al Gore), got good news from friends or a good review. We must also confess that we had a great deal of encouragement from our publicist. Our blogging has been less regular lately because we have been using all of our collective brain cells and words in the effort to finish our latest novel (which we have finally done). Sadly the blog usually suffers at the hands of a deadline—a peek at our archives will support this. Oh well. We have finally come to realize that we can’t do everything—even if we want to!

So while Twomindsfull may cover news, politics, fashion, food, writing, popular culture and relationships—the truth about a blog from DeBerry and Grant, is that you never know what you’re gonna get.

Virgina DeBerry and Donna Grant
http://Twomindsfull.blogspot.com

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Efrain’s Corner

Efrain Ortiz Jr.
http://efrainortizjr.blogspot.com/

Efrain’s Corner is my view on Latino/Puerto Rican life standing with my back to a corner wall in a room, that room being the world, where I can get a full view of what is going on. With that corner view, I can share comments, thoughts, opinions, memories, and culture in relation to Latinos and the Puerto Rican diaspora. My intent being that if even one person reads something on my blog and it inspires that person to want to learn more about the culture then I have helped in preserving the same.

I did not begin blogging with the intention of writing, I only began blogging after a conversation with now fellow blogger, Phil Velez of Velez’s View. That conversation led me to curiously read his blog, and after doing so, I became inspired enough to give it a try. Initially, I didn’t think much about it and didn’t think anyone would even read any of the short posts I had written. Within several weeks of blogging, and finally, receiving a few comments, I realized the opportunity that was before me. An opportunity to share and learn more about my culture. That interest in my culture was there for a very long time, and what was lacking was the interested audience. The conversations I had with several people always seemed to show a disinterest. I decided to take the opportunity to use blogging as a platform for sharing that which I love so much, my culture. It is that sharing of cultural information, whether an event, new talent, historical figure, or comment/opinion on a current event that affects or promotes Latinos or Puerto Rican culture that motivates me. In return, I hope to become a better writer and to connect with others that share the same love for the culture.

I try to offer the reader that stops by my blog something different every time. Instead of keeping it to one subject, I prefer to spread things out. I like to offer that reader looking for a little bit of history a place to begin that search, the reader looking for a cultural event with an opportunity to support our culture, the reader looking for a different perspective on a current event with an opportunity to get that different view. I challenge the reader to learn, share, teach, and support our culture.

Efrain Ortiz Jr.
http://efrainortizjr.blogspot.com/

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SPEAKHISPANIC.COM

Elianne Ramos
www.speakhispanic.com

They say a blog is a labor of love, and boy, whoever said that wasn’t kidding. The speakhispanic blog is a testament to that truth, born out of a desire to honor my culture, the Hispanic culture. Mine was a longing, so to speak, to discuss the things that are both real and un-real, the things that touch banality yet are somehow extraordinary about us, as a non-homogeneous ethnic group.

Living in the United States, we somehow forget there are things that unite us, the roots to our day-to-day behavior, the things that make us strong, proud… alive. And sometimes, by not standing up and talking, by not taking pride in our essential nature, on who we are, on our “Hispanic-ness/Latin-ness” or however else we prefer to call it, we allow other people to create one for us. Unfortunately, some of those people don’t always have the best intentions and even when they do, those intentions may be somehow misdirected.

As Socrates very wisely said: “The only good is knowledge and the only evil is ignorance”. So, here I am, a woman on a mission to shatter the many myths and false assumptions people make about the Hispanic market, especially when trying to communicate to us. Through this blog, I hope to help people to better understand who we are, the things we believe in, the things that make us Hispanics/Latinos/Human. You’ll read about the beliefs, superstitions and cultural tidbits, about our daily struggles in the wonderful yet sometimes crazy path through this, our adoptive country.

Speakhispanic.com is an open space dedicated to all of those who, like me, believe that the more we understand other cultures – and the more other cultures understand us — the better human beings we can become.

ABOUT ELIANNE RAMOS

Elianne has over 13 years of Copywriting, Editing, Public Speaking and TV Commercial Production experience. She has developed communications campaigns for Procter and Gamble, Panasonic, SlimFast and HSBC Bank, among others. As a Hispanic Communications Consultant, she partners with companies interested in targeting Hispanics. She’s also a frequent speaker at international marketing conferences.

For her views on the Hispanic market, visit: www.speakhispanic.com. Her online portfolio is at www.elianneramos.com. She can be reached at: eramos@elianneramos.com.

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Monique
Blogs by Latinas

A directory of Latina Bloggers

www.blogsbylatinas.blogspot.com

Blogs by Latinas is a directory of Latina bloggers. Not only is it a directory, but I also post news, free giveaways, and anything that has to do with Latinas from around the world. We offer the following categories: Life & Love, Blogging, Tech, & the Net, Women & Men, Kids, Teens, Family, & Parenting, Art & Music, Books, Poetry, & Magazines, Fashion & Shopping, Heritage, Culture, & Religion, Beauty, Health, & Food, News, Sports, & Entertainment, and Home & Garden. There is plenty of room for additional categories; if something isn’t covered, we’ll add it. This blog is a place for Latinas to connect, and to see what other Latinas blog about.

The motivation for Blogs by Latinas occurred when I began my blogging journey. Before I typed my first post, I conducted a general research about blogging. I noticed, immediately, there were numerous and different blog directories out there. I searched for fellow Latina bloggers, but couldn’t find any. I thought, Wouldn’t it be nice for there to be a directory of Latina bloggers? That’s when the light bulb went off. I could definitely create a place for the countless blog savvy Latinas. We were being neglected as a very prominent blogger group. There had to be a place for us. Growing up, I never felt like an outcast. That was until I left home at 18-years-old. I lived around the world and have always been on the look out for people like myself. I felt the same way in the blogging world. Now, I know there are bloggers like myself out there. And that is all the motivation I need.

Each person who visits this blog will find the best Latina bloggers and the best blogs on the World Wide Web. Not only are they the best, but they are informative, creative, and colorful. This Directory is a place of endless information, such as, information about raising bilingual babies in this new era, or about fashion design specific to fit the busy Latina today, or about Latina literature, or what is happening to each of us in different environments of the U.S: New York City, Tennessee, North Carolina. And, you will find them in English, Spanish, Spanglish, and bilingual blogs. Visitors will find their new favorite blog here.

A directory of Latina Bloggers

www.blogsbylatinas.blogspot.com

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Writing to Insanity

www.locacrazywriter.blogspot.com

Writing to Insanity is a blog about my writing life. Part personal, it details my journey toward being the writer I want to be. The b log contains some of my writing (poetry and fiction) and my twitter feed.

What motivated you to do this blog?
I started the blog when my friend Tony from Nuestra Palabra started Picasso’s Dragon. The goal was to read a book a week. The books were to help develop Tony’s voice and get him ready to write his book (he’s a writer too). Thought it would be a good idea and a blog was born.

What do you offer your audience when they go to your blog?
An insight to my soul. It’s a way for people to be introduced to me, my writing, and to the writing life.

Writing to Insanity
www.locacrazywriter.blogspot.com

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http://literanista.blogspot.com

Literanista, Blogging Latino Books Since 2006

Back in 2006, when I began Literanista, I had a cushy job as a copy editor with a lot of downtime. Years earlier, I had encouraged my own best friend to write her own blog, now defunct, because she was so witty, funny and had so many tales to tell. A couple of years later, I wondered why I hadn’t taken my own advice and kicked myself for missing out on the chance to be an early adapter. I knew when I started that I had to find a niche, a focus, so I set out to write about what I loved and was passionate about and knew extremely well – books from a Latina’s perspective.

I wanted to highlight Hispanic authors’ works, their contributions, create a place for dialogue about being multicultural, biracial, not fitting in and marry it with the insight and spunk of a young, educated, ambitious, New York professional. I wanted a place to discuss relevant social issues without the negativity and stereotypes that seemed to be everywhere around me. I wanted to talk about being Latina, a person of color, without the exoticism and “caliente” accouterments. But most of all I wanted to create a shelter, a beam of light to shine on the marginalized, the ignored and the invisible in society and in literature.

Out of that place of hope and optimism, Literanista was founded, and it has flourished ever since. Back then, social media was just beginning to become popular, most high-profile authors had websites but few had blogs. I had the luxury of writing what I chose to write about and soon requests from authors and publicists came pouring in for reviews and publicity on my site. In addition, I signed up for every early review program I could find – this was before Librarything and Goodreads so these were also few and far in between but I felt blessed to be able to do something I enjoyed and could also benefit from, especially when it was mutual. I was in bibliophile heaven with all galleys and invites to book events.

While my job then was comfy, it wasn’t very prestigious and because of all the downtime, it was sometimes incredibly boring. Sometimes I barely spoke to anyone all day long and other times I wondered if the lack of challenging work was turning my mind to mush. I found things to keep me occupied; I took classes (HTML, anthropology graduate courses, creative writing, etc.,), I wrote for a local free newspaper and other websites, I wrote poetry and got one of my poems published. The anthology was on sale at the MOMA gift shop! I worked on my novel…and I kept writing on Literanista.

Sometimes I felt like no one even knew it existed, sometimes that bothered me, other times I knew I did it just for me and it did not matter. Every once in a while a loyal reader would email me and write to me about how something I had written, effected him and I remembered that all it takes sometimes is a pebble in the pond. One time, I had someone write to me all the way from Spain and although I felt the constraints of my physical place, I realized that online had no bounds – I could reach anyone, everyone.

I realized the power of my voice and the power of my platform. That realization was made even greater when my little blog helped me move on in my career and landed me a job in the technology industry – in one of the top companies. And then again, when I set out to come back to the publishing world, my experience as a book blogger and my knowledge of social media and tech trends made me the perfect candidate for my dream job – the one I had wanted out of college, the one that brought it all home.

It’s funny how sometimes the road is circular and how it’s the little things, like my little humble blog, the things you sometimes doubt or think that aren’t meaningful that truly make us who we are and help us blossom into who we were meant to be.

Literanista

http://literanista.blogspot.com

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Musings – http://nilkibenitez.blogspot.com

Owner: Nilki Benitez nilkibenitez @yahoo.com

The one thing I have always known for sure is that my mind relishes in fantasy. I am a product of strength, determination, and courage to be independent, free and autonomous. As a child of professional-educated immigrants, I grew up in an upper-middle class suburb of Seattle, a burgeoning progressive city where my sister and I were the only Latinas throughout our entire primary education. If it hadn’t been for the Sunday morning cumbias and pandebonos and visits to Colombia which occurred every five years or so, I wouldn’t have known I was a Latina. I still remember my girlfriend’s shock in high school when she discovered I didn’t fill in the ‘white’ bubble of a form. Yes, we celebrated Christmas with our Latin friends (there was a loose group of about twenty families) by eating dinner just before midnight and opening gifts at midnight. Yes, I noticed the grocery clerks, post office workers, and waiters who refused to understand my parents’ English; heavily infused with tropical nuances. Yes, I noticed the security guards at Nordstroms following us around when we went shopping for our back-to-school clothes. But aside from those things, I was just me. I didn’t know how to be a Latina, and I didn’t know how to be a Gringa.

My parents had rejected Catholicism and had eloped in the late 1960s to Ecuador, the only country in South America at the time which acknowledged civil marriages. We did not go to church as a family. We did not have family to visit on Easter. We weren’t allowed to wear Guess jeans or Keds sneakers. I used to be thrilled when I discovered classmates who were cousins. I would watch them in the hallways, their casual interactions unfathomable. The times we would visit our family in Colombia, we were the Gringas. Well loved, yet strange; outsiders. Both worlds belonged to me, yet I didn’t belong in either. I learned to carve out my identity and an existence at the edge of all well-established community parameters. This is something that has fed my intellect as a writer my entire life, and something I feel eternally grateful for. The ability to observe and immerse myself in people’s lives authentically, without prejudice or bias, has allowed me to have a second-nature approach to characterization in my story telling. Before my daughter was born, I wrote sporadically. Ferociously, but sporadically. I tended to need half a bottle of anything to gain the courage to allow myself this expression. I used to believe it was the genie in the booze that knew what to say. Two years ago, I made the decision to fully devote myself to my writing, and to listen and believe in my muse. They have been the scariest two years of my life. Imagine, after so many years of having kept my writing private, and the constant stories that inundate my thoughts, how I felt to reveal to others around me that I am attempting to be a writer. It was too scary to even say the words “I am a writer.” It’s taken a long time to ignore the village mob in my head that continues to shout “Fraud!” Even though writing is the one and only thing that I truly believe is what I’m meant to do.

On New Year’s Eve of 2007, I gave myself one year to dedicate myself to writing. If I didn’t make it, I would forget about it and get a real job. I wrote a feature-length screenplay and gave myself another year. I have since written the screenplay for a short play, many new poems, and started my blog, Musings. Musings has been exactly that – a place to freely express myself through poetry and random musings. My blog is a safe place where I’ve found my muse feels comfortable coming out. Musings has also helped me establish a place where I can connect with other writers and keep expanding my education as a writer. I have also become a member of Nuncasola which has proved to be an incredible source of inspiration and support. I would not be where I am today, emotionally and spiritually as a writer, if it were not for the members of Nuncasola and their support. Through Musings, I hope to inspire writers, especially those at a similar stage as mine in their careers. I can’t imagine a scarier and lonelier place than that when one chooses to devote their life to writing. I hope visitors to my blog, Musings, will feel welcome and inspired to grow along with me in this fantastic journey.

Nilki Benitez nilkibenitez @yahoo.com
Musings – http://nilkibenitez.blogspot.com