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By Michael Lopez

Hearing this news proves our theory that you can’t keep talented people down. While still in mourning over Freddy Rodriguez's and America Ferrera's “Ugly Betty” finale, we got the word that Hollywood swooped them right back up again.

America is making moves for a major big screen career. She’s been critically acclaimed for her heavy drama “The Dry Land,” dabbled in comedy with “Our Family Wedding,” and even got animated with the hit, “How To Train Your Dragon.” So even though "Betty"’s gone, America definitely lives on!

Luckily, Betty’s main squeeze is also gearing up for a major comeback — Freddy Rodriguez has a starring role in "Chaos," one of next year’s most anticipated new shows. The series is being produced by big time Hollywood guy Brett Ratner (“Rush Hour” “X Men: The Last Stand”) and follows a group of rogue CIA agents taking on covert missions.

Freddy as an action star? We like it! He was awesome as the lead in Robert Rodriguez’s “Planet Terror” and definitely has the chops to mix it up within genres. This new show’s getting a lot of buzz on the TV fanboy sites. You can bet we’ll be watching when “Chaos” premieres in 2011!

Source: [Hollywood Insider]

Are you looking forward to Freddy’s new show? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3!

Tags actor, casting, Chaos, Chisme, Freddy Rodriguez, Gossip, latin, Latino, show, Tr3s

In our latest installment of Deep Thoughts, Blogamole contributor Michael Lopez channels "Stand and Deliver" to remind you that knowledge is power.

By Michael Lopez

We know it’s still summer break and the last thing any of us want to think about right now is school. But let's get serious for a minute — the results of a new study have revealed that the number of Latino students expected to return to school this fall is way lower than we would have expected.

The American Council on Education (ACE) recently released their Gender Equality in Higher Education: 2010 report, a followup to studies conducted in 2000 and 2006. Unfortunately, the results are showing some very discouraging college stats for both Hispanic men and women.

Believe it or not, only 42% of Latino men ages 24 or younger are in college right now. And that figure has dropped since 2000, when the percentage was at 45. Yes it could be worse, but c'mon fellas! Don’t you think we’re more than capable of beefing that stat up?

College education leads to more opportunities, intellectual enrichment, and phatter paychecks once you grab that diploma! And don’t get us started on high school. Only 51% of Latino young adults born outside the U.S. have earned their diploma.

Male immigrants, who represent one out of every three Hispanic young adults, are at a particular disadvantage. But listen to this one: Only 81% of U.S. BORN Latino young adults actually complete high school. 81%? What’s up, all you in the remaining 19%? Get that diploma and keep it moving!

Remember, a person with a Master's degree earns about $31,900 more per year than a high school graduate — a difference of as much as 105%!

Things are a little bit brighter for American Latinas. According to ACE, while only 9% of Hispanic young men go on to earn their bachelor degrees, young women total 14% (the same percentage as African-American females).

The people behind the study take these figures seriously, and so should you. Jacqueline E. King, an assistant VP at ACE said, “Raising the attainment rate of Hispanic men-and women-looms as one of the most significant challenges facing American education.”

Blogamole doesn’t like going for the whole preachy vibe, but we KNOW Latino young people are capable of a lot better than that. So go ahead, enjoy your summer, but when you get back to school STUDY HARD! Work toward college and that degree, because if there’s anything we love, it’s showing all naysayers that we mean business!

For more information on how to pay for your college education, visit the Hispanic Heritage Foundation web site.

What do you think about the results of this study? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3!

Tags College, Deep Thoughts, Education, Latinos, Surveys

By Michael Lopez

OMG Shakira, is that a tutu you’re wearing? Actually it’s a hot pink tulle skirt, but the way she was flexing those high kicks you’d think she was auditioning for the Joffrey Ballet. Hey, we’d hire her! But no, don’t expect a “She Wolf” Swan Lake anytime soon. These pix are from last week's photo shoot in Spain.

Shakira’s definitely flexing her “if you got it, flaunt it” muscle in these snaps. The bright bikini top, the bare abs, and the way she lift her leg like that…It is not easy to look that good. You try one of those grand battements (YES we know ballet moves) and see far you get!

Set in the lush countryside outside Ibiza, some of the final results look phenomenal! For more photos, visit OK! Magazine.

We can only imagine how much fun she must be having over there right now. You know that World Cup festivities will be carrying on all summer long and with the party rep Ibiza has, you can bet that outfit would get crowds roaring!

Source: [OK! Magazine]

What do you think of Shakira’s ballerina look? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3!

Tags Ballet, Ibiza, photo, Photos, Shakira, Spain

By Michael Lopez

She made us cry with her heart wrenching Na’vi performance in “Avatar”; she’s taken us on a wild intergalactic adventure with “Star Trek" — but has Zoe Saldana ever really cracked us up? True, she was “Death at a Funeral” last year, but that was in a fairly straight-laced “girlfriend” role.

We've wanted to see Zoe get silly, make funny faces, and go for hilarity that is entirely unexpected. Thankfully, this FunnyOrDie.com clip covers all of that:

Titled “Idiots,” the video features Janeane Garofalo, "Sex And The City"'s Jason Lewis, and another genre buster, Kate Bosworth.

What makes this skit work so well is that both Kate and Zoe are known for such serious work. Seeing them get dubbed in baby voices and goof around at a bar is awesome because it’s so out of character. It also goes to show that these too very famous ladies don’t take themselves too seriously. We love that!

So Zoe, if you’re reading this, please sign on for a full-blown film comedy, you’d be FANTASTIC in it!….And yes, another “Avatar” too.

What did you think of Zoe’s "Funny or Die" video? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3!

Tags Comedy, Funny Or Die, Kate Bosworth, Video, Videos, Zoe Saldana

By Elis T. Ortiz

For over a year, Bomba Estéreo has been an unstoppable touring machine. The band's debut album Blow Up dropped in 2009 to critical acclaim, and since then they've served their "electro vacilón" sound to packed shows across the country (and the world!).

MTV Iggy's "Best New Band In The World" recently kicked off their U.S. summer tour, which will culminate at the Bumbershoot Festival on September 9. When Team Blogamole heard that our hottest Descubre & Download band of 2009 was going to be in NYC, we had to catch them at Celebrate Brooklyn!, where they braved some scary thunder, suffocating heat and fatigue to give fans some real "Fuego"!

Backstage with Bomba Estéreo

There's nothing like a hot summer night filled with great tunes! Lucky for us, Brooklyn’s Prospect Park Bandshell was wired with Latin music on Friday night (July 23).

Bomba Estéreo rocks Brooklyn

Primero en el escenario was BK’s own Navegante, led by Jean Shepherd of Puerto Rican and Peruvian descent. His electro funk rhythm had local fans dancing and singing along, though they were forced to keep it behind the barricades that held them about thirty feet from the stage.

Navegante's Jean Shepherd

Organizers had the front area reserved for VIP members, and there weren’t many of them there to fill up the space — unfortunately for Navegante, who could have had a nice crowd of dancers right at his feet.

Navegante

Los que estaban ahi para ver a los rockeros puertoriqueños La Secta Allstar also had to sing along from a distance. The recipients of Premio Lo Nuestro’s 2010 award for best rock album of the year delighted the crowd with classics, including "Bombón de Azúcar," canción original de La Secta que fué prestada y llevada a la cultura pop por Ricky Martin.

La Secta Allstar

Thunder and rain threatened to cancel the rest of the concert during intermission, scattering away some of the crowd, so that it was largely a Bomba Estéreo fan base left waiting for them. But the skies dried up, and by the time the Colombian group exploded on the scene, the hipster Latino mix of the BK audience was ready to join them for the ride.

Celebrate Brooklyn! crowd waiting for Bomba Estéreo

Li, la voz de Bomba Estéreo, salió bailando dressed in a mesh see-through top, with gold 80’s style shorts, and a long scarf with black, gold, and silver etchings draped like a robe around her neck, cinched to the front of her waistline by the elastic in her shorts.

She was all a-glitter down to her silver shoes, bailando su electro cumbia con un suave movimiento de cadera que hipnotizaba la gente y los puso a todos de pie. By this time, the VIP area at the front of the stage had a nice crowd filling it up and dancing with her.

Bomba Estéreo's Li Saumet at Celebrate Brooklyn!

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Tags Bandshell, Bomba Estereo, Brooklyn, Celebrate Brooklyn, Concert, La Secta Allstar, Música, Navegante, photo, Photos, Prospect Park, review, show

By Michael Lopez

Time to dust off those plastic guitars and drum pads; Rock Band 3 is almost ready to be shipped! In just three short months, the video game band trilogy will be complete and part 3's got a TON of new features to get excited about.

So far, 83 tracks have been confirmed on the playlist and in addition to Juanes, here’s just a few of the other artists you can jam to: Jane’s Addiction, Ozzy Osbourne, The Cure, The White Stripes, and more!

We had a chance to see a few of the tracks they’ve selected and here are a few of our personal faves:

Juanes - Me Enamora
How awesome is it that Juanes is in this game?! Will we get to play a lookalike avatar, tats and all? “Me Enamora” is a great song and really shows off his chops as an axeman.

Can't wait until October 26? Juanes fans can get a taste of his music before Rock Band 3's release: "A Dios le Pido," "Fiate Bien," "Gotas de Aqua Dulce," "La Camisa Negra," "Mala Gente," and "Yerberato" will be available July 27 on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Wii.

Individual tracks will be $1.99 on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, and $2.00 on Wii. "Juanes Pack 01" will be $9.99 on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. To discuss this DLC, please visit the official discussion thread on the Rock Band forums.

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Tags Juanes, Me Enamora, Rock Band 3, video game

By Simone Hilliard

Fat Joe, Jim Jones, DJ Envy, and industry experts alike were in attendance at MTV2's Sucker Free Summit screening at NYC's Griffin lounge Thursday night (July 22).

The Summit, a round table of industry insiders selected to decide who will win the "Sucker Free" crown, airs this Sunday, July 25 at 12pm ET/PT.

Hosted by DJ Envy, the panel will include Fat Joe, Ron Artest, Bun B, DJ Drama, Elliott Wilson, Miss Info, and Jermaine Hall.

During the Summit, Envy will lead the panel of avid hip-hop heads in a gritty debate about the artists nominated in each category. They will discuss the proven track records of established artists, decide which new music maker has the potential for greatness, and discuss the state of the hip-hop industry as a whole.

A sneak peek at last night's screening showed Gucci Mane winning Club Banger Of The Year for "Wasted" against DJ Khaled's "All I Do Is Win,"  Fast Life Youngstaz's "Swag Surfin,'" Lloyd Banks f/ Juelz Santana's "Beamer, Benz or Bentley," Roscoe Dash's "All The Way Turnt Up," and Waka Flocka Flame's "O Let's Do It."

Do you agree with their selection? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags artist, Celebrities, Fat Joe, latin, Música, Sucker Free Summit, Tr3s

By Simone Hilliard

It's official: Guillermo Del Toro will direct a remake of Disney's Haunted Mansion! The Oscar-winner announced the news on Thursday (July 22) at San Diego's Comic-Con.

Del Toro, who recently stepped down from "The Hobbit", said this film will be a scary 3D live-action take on what he calls "the most precious real estate on earth."

The director visits the popular ride once a year and even admitted to having a Haunted Mansion-themed room at his home.

"This, to me, is a dream come true and I hope to steal as many props as possible."

Del Toro said the flick won't be a comedy, but will be true to the "spirit, art and aesthetic" of the original Disneyland Haunted Mansion.

"We're making it into an e-ticket ride. It will be scary and fun at the same time."

Source: [MTV Movies Blog]

Are you excited for Del Toro's remake? Weigh in below or @MTV3.

Tags Celebrities, CineMas Cool, Guillermo del Toro, Haunted Mansion, latin, Movies, Movies & CineMás, MTV NEws, Tr3s

Did you miss the season 5 premiere of "Quiero Mis Quinces"? We've got you covered: Tr3s was behind the scenes during Jackelyn's epic event and we've brought you some of the best moments right here on Blogamole, including the full episode! Enjoy — and don't miss Leah's quinceañera on Monday (July 26) at 7 PM ET!

By Francisco Arellano

For most young Latinas, turning 15 and celebrating their quinceañera marks the moment when a little girl becomes a woman. This special milestone fiesta generally takes several months or even years to plan. There is always too much to decide: at home or at a venue? Should the cake be chocolate or strawberry? Beef, chicken or maybe tamales for dinner? To have a DJ and play some Banda or Electronica? Who to invite, and for sure, to NOT invite, y claro, the main subject: The Dress.

In this season's premiere (July 19) episode of "Quiero Mis Quinces," it was Jackelyn’s turn to celebrate her quinces a lo grande!

After a long day that started early in the morning with hair, nails and make-up, la quinceañera arrived at the venue around 4:30pm to make sure everything was perfect and to receive all her guests.  The first thing we noticed upon our arrival at the venue was her purple and white dress.

These are Jackelyn's favorites colors and she made sure she was the only person at her party rocking them.  La quinceañera seemed very nervous after a long day and even longer days of planning to make sure her dream of a perfect quinceañera came true.

The tables, the food, the DJ, everything looked great, but as her parents and sister Stephanie mentioned, getting to this point wasn’t easy: “She changed her mind a lot with everything, but today, all that is worth it.”

Family and friends started to arrive. At the entrance, there was a guest book for friends and family to sign in and leave a special note for Jackelyn.

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Tags behind-the-scenes, Jackelyn, Quiero Mis Quinces, quinceanera, shows, Tr3s

By Michael Lopez

You know all about those World Of Warcraft games, right? Technically they fall under the banner of MMORPG (Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game), which means you get to log on with all your buddies and battle in a massive online universe.

Now what if instead of elves and wizards, you entered a world filled with your favorite DC comic book characters? Batman, Superman, The Joker…even the lesser known “cult” faves like Blue Beetle and General Zod! Well this is all going to be possible thanks to Sony Online and the new “DC Online Universe” game!

This project has been getting hyped for years now. Players got a first taste at this year’s E3, and trailers have been hitting the web since way back in 2008. Well, the end date is now almost here (November 2nd) and as the pieces come together, it looks like this will have been well worth the wait!

First, the cast: Sony announced this week that Mark Hamill and Kevin Conroy will be reprising their voices as the Joker and caped crusader respectively (from their classic “Batman Animated Series”). James Marsters from “Buffy The Vampire Slayer” will be doing Lex Luthor and they’ve even got “Firefly” Latina Gina Torres as Wonder Woman!

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Tags Batman, Comics, DC, video games