Author: Xiomara Spadafora

Almost every day now there is a controversy about “journalists” or pundits twitting outrageous statements. The latest example was courtesy of a contributor at MSNBC who last Tuesday tweeted “This is my nominee for the first ISIS suicide bombing of a Trump property” above a picture of the Trump Tower in Istanbul, Turkey.

As I wrote in one of my most shared columns this year, The Power of the Microphone, “Journalists around the world suffer from visions of grandeur and live as prisoners of their egos.” Continue reading “Cheap News”

Last Palm Sunday was the beginning of the PR penance that United Airlines will have  to endure this Holy Week, due to the video of the violent altercation between a passenger and security officials at O’Hare  International Airport.

After what happened last weekend, I realized that, before I travel by plane in the near future, I will have to take a few self-defense classes and pack a pair of boxing gloves in my carry-on luggage. Continue reading “WWF at 35,000 feet”

April began and with it the showers and thunderstorms that terrify my dogs, Rusty and Sasha. On Tuesday, I woke up at 4 a.m. thanks to the lightning crossing the Southeast. Half asleep, I walked to the kitchen to calm down my four-legged babies with a piece of bread.

Two hours later, while eating breakfast, I read the latest reports about the landslide that occurred in Colombia last Saturday evening. More than 280 people were killed, 200 injured, and over 80 persons are still missing.

For one second I wondered, if I am scared while I listen to the heavy rain–even though I know our house is built up to code, on a sturdy terrain that is designated residential–what did the victims feel before the rivers of mud struck them on April 1st? Continue reading “Landslide in Mocoa, Colombia”

My last vacation in Colombia left me–besides several extra pounds–a new philosophy of life. The days I spent in the country made me reflect about the way I exist in time and how little power I have over it.

The fact is that the Earth moves at the same velocity regardless of the latitude or longitude I am at, and nothing in the Universe can change that. My uncle, who grows rice, lives his life literally and metaphorically, at the speed of light, without rushing. Meanwhile, I live my life as if I were a lab-rat running around in a metal wheel, never reaching the end.

Keeping in mind my geographic limitations, I decided to implement the “country life motto” and apply a couple of small changes to benefit my mental health–if there is any left! Continue reading ““Rushing things can make you tired””

My loyal readers may have wondered why I did not publish my column last week. Well… I ran away with my husband and son for Spring Break, far from our routine in the US. The destination: my homeland, Colombia.

In a big family, secrets are mission impossible. So, with the help from my uncles, I was able to surprise my mother with our unexpected arrival. Although I almost killed her of a heart attack, we cherished an amazing memory.

Besides the anticipated diabetes comma, induced by the culinary delights gobbled during eight days and seven nights, we visited two marvelous regions of the country: The plain in the state of Casanare, and the mountains in Cundinamarca and Boyacá. Continue reading “Colombia Enchanted”

Last Sunday the screens of the world broadcast a TV show with the best special effect of the year; the unexpected error during the Oscars’ Best Movie award. Instead of naming the controversial Moonlight as the winner, Faye Dunaway and Warren Beatty gave a brief moment of glory to the favorite La La Land.

Although I didn’t see the chaotic scene live–I was watching the new season of Homeland–I watched the videos on Twitter the next morning. Immediately, I thought of Steve Harvey. Wherever he was, I am sure he was happily dancing, because he passed on the biggest screw crown by a TV awards host. Continue reading “Do what you do best”

Last Sunday, February 18th, Norma McCorvey died; she was the woman behind the legal pseudonym, “Jane Roe” from the American landmark lawsuit Roe v. Wade. The historic and controversial ruling by the Supreme Court of the United States on February 22, 1973 found that individual state laws prohibiting abortion were unconstitutional.

Before I read this case in depth, I thought that Norma McCorvey had herself undergone an abortion during her life. But she never did. Instead, she gave birth to three children: her first daughter, Melissa–who was adopted by her grandmother against McCorvey’s will–and two other unknown babies she gave up for adoption. Continue reading “Choosing Life”

The political scenario of the US has become so annoying lately that I had to tune out from social media and do what millions of  millennials do to escape reality: wear earphones.

Nonetheless, no matter how hard I try, I can’t stand them. My ears heat up and the cartilage starts hurting after five minutes. I used to think that I was old fashion, but then I read the report of the study conducted by the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention released on February 7th about hearing loss in America and felt relieved. One less thing! Continue reading “Premature Hearing Loss”

Last Wednesday, February 1, a Colombian young woman was deported from Houston, TX to Bogota after the immigration official denied her entry to the US. Immediately, the Colombian and Hispanic american media published the story under terrorizing tittles about the new discriminatory policies from the Trump administration against all Colombians.

Nevertheless, the so called “journalists” that are prompted to throw a stone and then hide, had to rectify their story just hours after the initial news flash due to the inconsistencies. Continue reading “Welcome to the U.S.”