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Hybrid cars, "green" products, solar powered homes and energy saving appliances have made Earth Day more en vogue than ever. Today, communities across the country held all kinds of events, but the biggest gathering — The Climate Rally — is happening at the National Mall in Washington, D.C. this Sunday (April 25).

Sting, John Legend, the Roots, Q-Tip, and a slew of artists are scheduled to perform, and organizers  will urge Congress to pass clean-energy legislation in 2010.  Also participating in the event are "Avatar" director James Cameron and civil-rights activist Jesse Jackson.

On the 40th anniversary of the day a bunch of 20-somethings organized the first Earth Day to raise environmental awareness, Vice President Joe Biden announced this week that the Obama administration will invest $452 million to retrofit buildings in 25 communities from Wisconsin to New York.

This use of Recovery Act funding will be part of the White House's ambitious plans to cut down energy use and reduce America's dependence on foreign oil.

Do you want to be part of the solution, but aren't sure where to start? No worries, we got you covered!

Simple Ways To Go Green

Change a Light Bulb
Installing a compact fluorescent bulb (CFL) is the quickest, easiest way to save energy and money. Unlike incandescents, CFLs convert most of the energy they use into light rather than heat.

Good for You: They consume about 75 percent less electricity and last up to 10 times longer (10,000 hours as opposed to 1,500). Replace one 75-watt incandescent bulb with a 25-watt CFL and save up to $83 over the life of the bulb.

Unplug Things That Glow
Anything that has an LED (light emitting diode) that glows even after you turn it off continues to draw power (that you pay for). Your TV, cell phone charger, and printer are likely culprits. Unplug the offenders from wall sockets and plug them into power strips instead. When you leave a room, flip the strip switch to cut the flow of electricity.

Good for You: Unplug appliances and electronics that glow and you could save $200 a year.

Recycle Your Electronics
Americans tossed out a whopping 5.5 billion pounds of electronics -- TVs, stereos, cell phones, and computers -- in 2005, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. The result? Millions of pounds of chemicals and heavy metals ended up in the ground even though it's easier than ever to recycle electronics. The Consumer Electronics Association created mygreenelectronics.org to help people find a recycling resource in their area. The site also provides a list of electronics, from laptops to baby monitors, that are easier on the environment and your energy bill.

Good for You: The average American household has three cell phones stashed in a drawer. Sell unused cell phones to greenphone.com. You'll receive about $35, and the phones will be refurbished and resold. If 1 million people recycled one cathode-ray tube TV this year, we'd keep 4 million pounds of lead out of the ground.

For more great tips, check out this list from Better Homes and Gardens.

Earth Day was founded by the late U.S. Sen. Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin to raise awareness about environmental issues and was first held on April 22, 1970. It has since turned into an international event that often features a week's worth of activities centered on conservation and clean-energy awareness.

Tr3s Comunidad, how did you reduce your carbon footprint today? Tell us in the comments or @MTV3!

Tags 2010, Earth Day, go green, tips

Team Blogamole is scouring YouTube and other video sites for rising Latino stars. What does it take to pown the web? Find out for yourself, in our first profile with JD Con Su Flow. He's the teen behind the "'I Got Swagger" and “Watagatapitusberry” viral hits. Do you have what it takes to be featured? Hit us up in the comments!

A few weeks ago, our @MTV3 timeline was blowing up with a mysterious hashtag: #postigotswagger. The tweeps behind this were fans of @JDConSuFlow, a Dominican senior at Manhattan Bridges High School.

Team Blogamole challenged JD's fans to request "I Got Swagger," and boy did they deliver! We agreed to post the video, along with a Q&A. In typical teen fashion, JD took some time to get back to us. Here was his reason:

“I started workin' last Wednesday — they had me working all these days, plus school.”

We forgive you, JD! Let's do this! First, here is what all the tweeps have been waiting for:

It's hot, what more is there to say? Now, on to the Q&A!

JD Con Su Flow: Director, Artist & Student

Tr3s: OK, JD. Please introduce yourself to the Tr3s Comunidad. What would you like them to know about you?

JD: My name is Joserny Disla (JD). I was born in the United States, but [I was] raised in the Dominican Republic until I was 11 years old. I identify myself as a charismatic, quiet, trustworthy, confident, honest and very positive person.

Tr3s: What is your background?

JD: My mother and father are Dominicans. When I was in the Dominican Republic, I used to live with my grandmother. She basically was the one that raised me while my mom was here in the United States. [She] was working to send us money, to bring me and my little sister to live here to have a better life USA. I have lived in the Bronx now for about six years. I’m currently living with my mom, grandmother, step-father and my two sisters.

Tr3s: When did you start creating your own music? What inspired you?

JD: Music has been my passion since I was little. At the age of 6, I started to play the flute. At the age of 9, I took piano lessons until I was 11. Every time my family asked me, “what do you want for Christmas,” I always asked for musical instruments.

When I came back from the Dominican Republic to live permanently in New York, my main luggage was my piano. I started to take music more seriously at the age of 13. When I was just a freshman, I wrote my first song and — for the first time — stepped on stage in front of more than 300 people at my school assembly. The appreciation of the people inspired me to take music seriously.

Tr3s: Let's talk about "I Got Swagger." What was going on behind-the-scenes?

JD: When we made the song, we recorded a little video — just to show the people what was coming next. [Our fans] gave a lot of support to the song, [so] we decide to make a video.

When I do not appear in the video, I shot the video. Sometimes my younger sister or someone else shot under my direction. We used a camcorder JVC HD Everio and a small digital photo camera canon power shot that we have in our house, is not professional one.

I edited the video myself at home with a PC, [using] Adobe Premiere Elements CS4.

Tr3s: How long did it take you to make the video?

JD: Usually I make all my videos and write songs in my free time, on the weekends and during vacations. I usually do this when I don’t have anything pending from my school.

I shot the “I Got Swagger” video with 3patine and Corona. This song was written by us, as part of The DreamTeam. It took 3 days recording the scenes. Editing took 3 to 4 days; we made this one mostly during Easter vacation.

Some videos take more time to edit than another. For example, I shot and edited “Toy Yaniqueque Video” in one day, “Watagatapitusberry” took one week, and “La Porcina” (my song, written by me) took about a week as well.

Tr3s: What were some challenges you faced while making “I Got Swagger”?

JD: We didn't record a lot of scenes. I usually record a lot because I believe that’s better than leaving things out or for them to be missing. I overcame that problem by moving the scenes around. Sometimes my computer freezes and I lose work, so I often have to [re-edit] video all over again.

There's more from JD about his production techniques, relationship advice and some surprising revelations, after the jump! Read more...

Tags I Got Swagger, interview, JD Con Su Flow, Pitbull, Q&A, Watagatapitusberry, YouTube

By Simone Hilliard

Antonio Banderas, Melanie Griffith, and their daughter Stella were on the cover of this week's Hola! Magazine.

It's hard to believe la pareja will celebrate their 14th wedding anniversary next month. Who thought this pairing would ever last?!

Banderas has even helped Melanie through three stints in rehab and her struggles with what she describes as a 30-year-old substance-abuse problem.  Hey, now that's love!

The couple was spotted at last night's premiere of "Shrek Forever After," in which the handsome Spaniard is "seen" as the swashbuckling feline Puss in Boots.

Having Griffith back in top shape must be wonderful. Banderas had this to say:

"Absolutely. We are stronger right now than we were."

Also in attendance at last night's premiere was Antonio's Shrek co-star Cameron Diaz. The blonde surf girl wore her hair pulled back in a low ponytail and looked wonderful while decked in Lanvin from head to toe: a black knee-length dress with peplum and black elastic belt, single-drop crystal earrings and bracelet, as well as nude leather pumps with a clear stiletto heel and a black satin bag with a tulle & chain strap.

"Shrek Forever After" will be in theaters May 21. Look for it in 3D and IMAX 3D!

(images via Getty)

Tr3s Comunidad, are you excited about "Shrek Forever After"? Weigh in below or @MTV3!

Tags Antonio Banderas, Cameron Diaz, Hola! Magazine, Shrek Forever After

By Simone Hilliard

It was "Idol Gives Back" week on the popular Fox series. With Alicia Keys as this week's guest mentor, the top seven competed with inspirational songs.

On Tuesday (April 20), Crystal Bowersox brought down the house (and mood of the show), bursting into tears while performing a cover of the Curtis Mayfield classic, "People Get Ready." The pierced & dreadlocked, 24-year-old mother told Ryan Seacrest that it wasn't the song that made her emotional, but seeing her father in the audience.

Judge Kara Dio Guardi had this to say after her performance:

"Thank you so much for taking a risk. MamaSox, you know why they call you that? 'Cause you just schooled all those contestants."

Wednesday (April 21) was the official two hour "Idol Gives Back" telethon. The contestants wore white, George Lopez stopped by, and a bevy of artists, actors, President Obama and La Primera Dama lent their voices to the cause. MTV News reported a few hilarious music highlights:

"Each member of the Black Eyed Peas performed a separate song simultaneously (also of note: Fergie dressed like Wonder Woah-man). Mary J. Blige dramatically took off her sunglasses during an "all-star" "Stairway to Heaven." Alicia Keys left her voice at home and it was most unfortunate when a demon entered the body of Joss Stone and ruined her performance with Jeff Beck. I hope she gets exorcised soon. Perhaps "Idol" will raise money for that cause next year."

In the end, Casey James, Aaron Kelly and Tim Urban were in the bottom three and it was Urban who said goodbye. MTV News' "American Idol" expert Jim Cantiello said that the mop-toppers' undoing was deviating from his proven formula: singing songs with limited range that he could mostly nail.

Tr3s Comunidad, do you think Urban deserved to leave? Weigh in below, or @MTV3!

Tags Alicia Keys, American Idol, Crystal Bowersox, Idol Gives Back, recap

By Daniela Capistrano

What if your religion was very non-traditional? "American Mystic," a new documentary by Alex Mar, explores the lives of people who have separated themselves from mainstream America to attain spiritual goals. The film will premiere April 22 at the 2010 Tribeca Film Festival.

Intertwining very intimate, apolitical portraits, "American Mystic" attempts to capture your imagination with compelling characters: Kublai, a Spiritualist in the former revivalist district of upstate New York; Chuck, a Lakota sundancer in the badlands of South Dakota; and Morpheus, a pagan priestess living off the grid in old mining country in southern California.

I contacted Cuban American director Alex Mar to learn more about what her journey into Spiritualism was like, obstacles she faced during production and how her Catholic upbringing influenced her work. "American Mystic" is her feature debut.

Alex Mar on location for "American Mystic"

Tr3s: What are some myths or negative misconceptions about Spiritualism that you’d like to clarify for the Tr3s Comunidad?

Mar: As I understand it, Spiritualism is about the continuity of life after our physical body has died, and the continuity of our relationships with those who have passed away before us. So you can speak to the dead through mediumship — but, as Kublai asks in the film, "What's death?"

Spiritualists have also historically been among the most open-minded and progressive Americans. The first women allowed to speak openly in a public forum were Spiritualist pastors. Abraham Lincoln consulted with a Spiritualist advisor.

There's a lot of emphasis in the history books on the showmanship of the early days of Spiritualism — table-tipping, seances, spoon-bending (as you see in my film) — but that was merely meant to bring attention to the bigger picture.

Could you sacrifice comfort for your faith? Watch the trailer and read more of our "American Mystic" Q&A, after the jump! Read more...

Tags Alex Mar, American Mystic, documentary, Q&A

Oh No! Rude Gal Rih Rih was briefly hospitalized Monday night (April 19) after performing a concert in Zurich, Switzerland. The singer was admitted to a private clinic for an injured rib, and released 3 hours later. Ouch!

Her rep later confirmed to People that the injury was, "Nothing serious," and that "all was ok."

Rihanna soldiered on, continuing the European leg of her "Last Girl on Earth" tour Tuesday night with a concert in Lyon, France. She is expected to play in Marseille tonight (April 21).

Rih Rih will return to the states in July when she kicks off her North American tour in Seattle with fellow pop star Ke$ha. She may even return earlier to see her cute L.A. Dodger novio Matt Kemp! Team Blogamole will definitely keep you posted as those stories come in!

(image via Getty)

Tr3s Comunidad, what do you think of Rih's new man? Let us know below or @MTV3!

Tags hospitalized, Rihanna, Rude Boy

"American Idol" has had its share of A-list music talent drop by this season. From Alicia Keys to Usher, a slew of artists have participated as guest mentors. Next up is our favorite Bionic vixen, Christina Aguilera! She told Atlanta's Star FM on Tuesday (April 20) that she will appear during the show's finale on May 26.

Aguilera did not elaborate on what she planned to sing on "Idol," but she did go into detail on the rumors surrounding her reported rift with Gaga. When asked if Gaga ripped off her theatrical style during her four year hiatus, Aguilera had this to say:

"No rip-offs, we're all inspired by different things. I was inspired ...... by artists that came before me. That was the whole point of my Back to Basics record, accumulating all of that. I love that there are newcomers. You know what I love about the new breed of newcomers is that they're risk takers. They're doing things that aren't so safe. ... I always had the guts and passion to do things like that. ... I'm happy to see that people have come full-circle and are now accepting it and are into it and these girls have the guts to do it."

No beef between these broads! That was a very classy response from Ms. Aguilera.

Next up for Xtina is the release of her Bionic LP on June 8, her summer tour kicking off in July, and of course her silver screen debut in Burlesque, hitting theaters Thanksgiving weekend.

"You will see me dancing and singing and acting for my very first time. I wanted to really open myself up to the character. Appreciate the art form and craft of acting. I didn't want to breeze my way through it. For every crying scene, I wanted to evoke the real tears. It was kind of an emotional roller-coaster ride. It was really challenging and hard for me to play with my emotions like that on such a quick, short-notice basis."

Sounds like Christina has been keeping busy. We're happy to have Ms. Dirrty back!

Tr3s Comunidad, are you excited for Christina's comeback? Weigh in below or @MTV3!

Tags American Idol, Christina Aguilera

Back in February, Team Blogamole noticed that similarly named, Latino-themed channels had appeared on Vimeo, YouTube and MySpace. It turns out that behind all of this is John Leguizamo, the mastermind of a brand new portal called URBANO.TV.

Billed as "a new online video destination from actor & comediation John Leguizamo," the site's ambitious goal is to be "the #1 online video/entertainment [hub] created by Latinos, for Latinos."

Latino content producers will be able to upload, promote and monetize their content as an affiliate partner on URBANO.TV. With celebrity co-signs from Franc Reyes, Soledad O'Brien and Calle 13, this site will definitely be worth investigating.

We've seen rumors that the portal will feature content from Latinas En L.A. & LosTiteres.TV, so at least we can look forward to lovely ladies and puppet action:

There is no official launch date, but according to Sofrito For Your Soul (who referenced John Leguizamo's discussion at NGLC), URBANO.TV will make its debut sometime in April.

Watch what Leguizamo had to say at NGLC (New Generation Latino Consortium) about his career and Latino representation in the media:

John Leguizamo wants to empower Latinos to create their own content, something Team Blogamole definitely supports! We'll keep URBANO.TV on our radar and report any updates.

Edit: There is an UrbanoTV Twitter account, but you won't find much except video links. Leguizamo hasn't posted any updates about the portal on @JohnLeguizamo either. OK, now we're in suspense!

Tr3s Comunidad, what do you think about "URBANO.TV"? Tell us in the comments or @MTV3!

Tags John Leguizamo, URBANO.TV

Team Blogamole is all about Zoe Saldana this week! We can't wait to see her shine in The Losers," hitting theaters this Friday (April 23).

On Monday, Saldana told us which hip hop artists have what it takes to join "The Losers." The film is going to have a bangin' soundtrack, but we know what our Tr3s Comunidad wants — action, and this film shouldn't disappoint!

Not one to shy away from new experiences, the actress dove into her first real screen fight. "It's exciting," Zoe said, "the fact that I'm able to do something I've never done before intrigues me like you wouldn't believe. It's the hook that gets me, always."

There is a scene in "The Losers" where Aisha (Zoe Saldana) and Clay (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) have an intense conversation — while beating the crap out of each other. In this clip, Saldana shares what it was like to take on a big guy like Jeffrey:

Zoe has mad style, speaks her mind on better roles for women and is crazy talented. On top of that, she has action chops? Watch out, Angie! Could there be a new leading lady in town — winning hearts and kick butt?

In a recent interview with Latina Magazine, Zoe had this to say about preparing for an action role:

"It’s definitely difficult, because you are doing something that does not come naturally. What helped is having a dance background. I have this relationship with my body. I’ve been an athlete the entire time. I love when women can incorporate their body with their character. Since I was very little, I was never Snow White or Cinderella. I was Sarah Connor (from the Terminator movies) or Ellen Ripley (from the Aliens movies), or a ninja. There were days that I was down for three days and had to go to the doctors, but I love the challenge. It definitely helps when you can incorporate your body into your character."

Like Angelina Jolie, Saldana doesn't appear to be satisfied with being pigeonholed. Team Blogamole would like to think Hollywood can handle more than one multifaceted actress, with Zoe Saldana leading the way for others.

Can't get enough of Zoe Saldana? Watch everything we've got in our "The Losers" video playlist.

Tr3s Comunidad, are you hitting theaters this weekend to see "The Losers"? Share your verdict in the comments or @MTV3! We'll include your thoughts in our "The Losers" review post next week.

Tags The Losers, Zoe Saldana

YouTube may create celebrities (ever heard of kidrauhl?), but Hollywood stars continue to be discovered on the streets and in restaurants. VH1 is banking on this with "Desperate Housewives" star Eva Longoria Parker's new pilot, "Beso: Waiting on Fame." The show, which was recently green lit for their new slate of programming, will air sometime on VH1 this fall.

Taking place in Eva's Hollywood restaurant BESO, the series will be about the real stories of people waiting on the famous, while waiting to become famous.

Many celebrities already dine at BESO, so the mix should bring a lot of drama!

While Eva's restaurant guests on the west coast have their every move recorded, she'll be getting ready for her close up in the Big Apple — the actress has signed on to star in Franc Reyes' new horror film "Tenement," which will be about a purchase gone terribly wrong in the Bronx. Filming is set to begin in New York in May. We're intrigued!

Tr3s Comunidad, what do you think about this idea for a reality show? Will you watch "Beso: Waiting on Fame"? Tell us in the comments or @MTV3!

Tags Beso: Waiting on Fame, Eva Longoria