On Saturday, Americans across the country will gather to celebrate the 150th Cinco de Mayo. Donning sombreros and dancing to mariachi music, revelers will celebrate everything Mexican, and enjoy a shot of tequila—or three. The holiday has become ingrained in the American calendar, and in 2005 Congress passed a resolution calling on the president to recognize the historical significance of the holiday. Contrary to widespread popular belief, May 5th is not actually Mexican Independence Day, and the holiday is primarily celebrated in only one of Mexico’s 31 states. So, why is Cinco de Mayo more popular in America than in Mexico?

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The real story of Cinco de Mayo weaves together two concurrent wars—the French intervention in Mexico (also known as The Maximillian Affair) and the American Civil War. On May 5, 1862, defending Mexican forces under Ignacio Zaragoza defeated Napoleon III’s French army at Puebla, one of the most important Spanish colonial cities in Mexico. At the time, the French army was considered to be the most powerful fighting force in the world, and the unlikely Mexican victory resulted in a decree by then-Mexican President Benito Juárez that a celebration of the battle be held each year on May 5th. Cinco de Mayo was born, but it was about to be kidnapped.

As the French were making war with Mexico, the American Confederacy was courting Napoleon’s help in its conflict with the United States. At the time of the Battle of Puebla, the Confederacy had strung together impressive victories over the Union forces. According to some historians, the French, who made war with Mexico on the pretext of collecting debt, planned to use Mexico as a &"base&" from which they could help the Confederacy defeat the North, and the Mexican victory at Puebla made the French pause long enough for the Union army to grow stronger and gain momentum. Had the French won at Puebla, some contend, the outcome of the American Civil War could have been much different, as the French and Confederates together could have taken control of the continent from the Mason Dixon line to Guatemela, installing an oligarchical, slave-holding government.

That didn’t happen, of course. In the years that followed, Latinos in California and the U.S. Northwest celebrated Cinco de Mayo with parades of people dressed in Civil War uniforms, giving speeches about how the Battle of Puebla fits into the larger narrative of the struggle for abolition.

Since then, the holiday has been transformed, specifically after a wave of Mexican immigration into the United States following the Mexican Civil War. As Mexican immigrants flooded into the American southwest, they joined in the festivities with their fellow Mexican-Americans who were already living in the United States without really knowing the story behind the holiday, and over time the date came to be a showcase of Mexican ethnic identity rather than a celebration of the battle against the invading French forces.

In an interview with the Associated Press, Jody Agius Vallejo, a sociology professor at the University of Southern California, explained the Cinco de Mayo phenomenon this way: &"It’s very similar to how Irish-Americans celebrate St. Patrick’s Day,&" said Vallejo. &"One way they can honor their ethnicity is to celebrate this day, even when most don’t know why.&"

• Check out U.S. News Weekly: an insider’s guide to politics and policy.
• Read Study: U.S. Exporting Obesity to Mexico.
• Read Obama’s Latest Campaign Ad Hits Romney’s Swiss Bank Account.

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The Korean Veterans Bridge was one of the film locations and was closed longer than anticipated because of the filming that impacted drivers in the downtown area.

The permit was issued for when much of about three miles of Interstate-24 was closed over the weekend – from the I-24/I-65 split north of downtown to the I-24/I-40 split east of downtown.

Similar weekend road closures are scheduled this spring and summer to rehabilitate the Woodland Street and Main Street bridges.

“The (Public Works) department plans to refrain from issuing permits that will negatively impact traffic or hinder access to established detour routes during TDOTs bridge project on I-24,’’ Public Works spokeswoman Gwen Hopkins-Glascock stated in an email. “While this may be an inconvenience to some customers seeking permits in the downtown area, ensuring these detour routes remain accessible is clearly our first priority while the interstate bridge construction is underway.’’

Metro Police did not report any unusual problems with the weekend road closures of I-24, department spokeswoman Kristin Mumford said.

The project is on track according to the Tennessee Department of Transportation. Major work will continue May 4-7.

The eighth-seeded Kings are a team transformed, executing against St. Louis with all the precision, passion and consistency that eluded them for much of an erratic regular season.

And now these late bloomers are one win away from emerging in the Western Conference finals.

Drew Doughty had a goal and two assists, Jonathan Quick made 18 saves and the Kings moved to the brink of an unlikely second-round sweep with a 4-2 victory over the Blues in Game 3 on Thursday.

Mike Richards scored Los Angeles first power play goal in six games before setting up Doughtys clinching goal with 11:48 to play for the Kings, who methodically improved to 7-1 in the postseason with their third straight dominant win over second-seeded St. Louis.

When you have success, you gain confidence, and weve been playing the same system and the same style for a while now, Richards said. Were maybe a little surprised its going like this, but we knew going into every game we have a chance to win.

]]> http://www.b25barbieiii.com/index.php/2012/05/18/kings-within-game-of-sweeping-blues-advancing-to-western-conference-final/feed/ 0 http://www.b25barbieiii.com/index.php/2012/05/17/thompson-hines-washington-office-welcomes-seasoned-transportation-and/ http://www.b25barbieiii.com/index.php/2012/05/17/thompson-hines-washington-office-welcomes-seasoned-transportation-and/#comments Thu, 17 May 2012 19:25:34 +0000 admin http://www.b25barbieiii.com/?p=1400

WASHINGTON, Apr 23, 2012 (BUSINESS WIRE) –
Thompson Hine LLP is pleased to announce the arrival of a highly
regarded team of transportation and international trade lawyers —
Charles A. Hunnicutt, G. Brent Connor and Patricia N. Snyder. The
lawyers will be joined by Scott E. Diamond, a non-lawyer international
trade specialist. The group joins from the Washington, D.C. office of
Troutman Sanders. This brings to nine the number of lawyers in Thompson
Hine’s Transportation group, which is nationally ranked by Chambers
and covers rail, truck, vessel and aircraft transportation.

“We are thrilled to have such a talented group of lawyers join us. They
add depth to our practice in aviation and their range of experience will
help our clients navigate the continually changing regulatory
landscape,” said Karyn A. Booth, Transportation practice group leader.
“Charlie’s government service and significant experience in
international trade will be of particular benefit to our clients as his
practice both complements and expands our trade work,” said Matthew R.
Nicely, International Trade practice group leader. “Clients who move
products, both across international borders and within the United
States, should find the combination of our transportation and trade
capabilities to be a unique resource.”

Hunnicutt has extensive background in aviation and international trade
policy from his years of service with the U.S. Department of
Transportation, the U.S. International Trade Commission and the U.S.
Department of Commerce. He has a broad commercial and international
practice at the intersection of transportation and international trade.
Hunnicutt represents clients before executive branch and independent
regulatory agencies as well as federal courts. He is ranked by Chambers
as a leading lawyer in the category of Nationwide Aviation:
Regulatory. Clients interviewed by Chambers note that he is a
“solid political adviser.” “Thompson Hine was a natural fit,” said
Hunnicutt. “The strong transportation and international trade practices
will benefit our clients, as will the complementary practices of
intellectual property, litigation and corporate.”

The new lawyers have a wide range of government experience that will
benefit Thompson Hine’s clients. Hunnicutt served as Assistant Secretary
of Transportation for Aviation and International Affairs, Legal Advisor
to the Chair of the U.S. International Trade Commission, Executive
Assistant to the Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade and
Assistant to the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Commerce. Snyder served
for 15 years in the International Law office of the U.S. Department of
Transportation and its predecessor, the Civil Aeronautics Board, where
she focused primarily on U.S. international air services negotiations.
During her time at DOT, she spent several years on detail to the U.S.
Department of State’s Office of the Legal Advisor, where she was part of
the legal team that successfully prosecuted the U.S. claim against the
United Kingdom for millions of dollars in improper charges to U.S.
airlines.

In addition to extensive experience with general transportation and
international trade matters, the team has handled significant aviation
matters, including the establishment of international alliances and
joint ventures. They represent alliances and other transportation
entities in many areas of logistics and supply chain management. They
monitor federal legislation affecting the airline industry and represent
clients on Capitol Hill.

Thompson Hine’s Washington office is well poised for growth, having
moved last month to new office space at 1919 M Street NW, after
outgrowing its prior space. “The team is a fantastic addition to the
Washington office,” said David A. Wilson, Washington office
partner-in-charge. “Charlie’s practice bridges two of our key practice
areas — transportation and international trade. The fit couldn’t be
better.”

Hunnicutt holds a J.D. from the University of Georgia, an LL.M. from
Vrije Universiteit Brussel, a Certificate of the Hague Academy of
International Law and a B.S. from American University. Snyder holds a
J.D. from Washington University in St. Louis and graduated summa cum
laude with a B.A. from Lehigh University. Connor holds a J.D. from
The Catholic University of America and a B.A. from Clark University.
Diamond holds an M.A. from Georgetown University and a B.A. from the
University of Virginia.

About Thompson Hine LLP. Established in 1911, Thompson Hine is a
business law firm dedicated to providing superior client service. The
firm has been recognized for ten consecutive years as a top law firm in
the country for client service excellence in The BTI Client Service
A-Team: Survey of Law Firm Client Service Performance. With offices
in Atlanta, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton, New York and
Washington, D.C., Thompson Hine serves premier businesses worldwide. For
more information, please visit
www.ThompsonHine.com .

SOURCE: Thompson Hine LLP

Thompson Hine LLP
Sheila Turner, 202-263-4132
Sheila.Turner@ThompsonHine.com

Copyright Business Wire 2012

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Rapin, a student in visual communications at Careerline Tech Center in Holland, had her storyboard for the 30-second commercial selected from 700 student entries from across the country.

The contest was sponsored by the National Road Safety Foundation as part of its third annual Drive2Life PSA competition for showing during National Youth Safety Month in May.

To see the finished spot click on the link www.awptv.com/clients/NRSF/2012/FINAL/PSA .

I was really surprised they picked mine.