Jennifer Aniston is the One that Better Dresses

Today marks a milestone of sorts for me [Pete], as it was the last formal meeting of my Block 1 Chican@ Literature class. Once I grade their essays, I will be done for the block. Meanwhile, my thoughts are turning to very silly things...

As some of you know, this unexpected class has, unfortunately, coincided with some publication deadlines. One of these was an entry on the carpas for the Encyclopedia of Modern Drama. The editorial assistant asked me to supply six references to that, and then asked me to translate Spanish-langauge titles. This included an article by Tomas Ybarra-Frausto titled "La farandula chicana: Carpas y tandas de variedad." How to translate "farandula?"

For those non Spanish-speakers among our dwindling readership, "farandula" might be translated roughly as "the world of frivolous entertainment." To find a single word for this, I tried doing a Google search for the term and then using Google translator. I had never used this device before and was a little unprepared for the droll results. Here are some choice examples from the MSN "farandula" page.

Jennifer Aniston is the one that better dresses, according to “People”
At the time of dressing, nobody like Jennifer Aniston, according to assures the magazine “People” that already its annual list of the best ones published, and the worse ones, dresses of Hollywood. Aniston is “most natural” of all, in opinion of the readers who this year were in charge to elaborate the annual list that publishes this weekly. Its reign in the fashion is followed close by by Halle Berry, also nicknamed “the classic one” by its style at the time of dressing. And thirdly the Hispanic young person Jessica Alba locates itself, also considered like “last” in elegance and the one that is more in fashion.

Or how about this?

Jennifer Lopez loves a baby
The actress and singer, who is been working in several projects with his husband, Marc Anthony, said that now she wants to do it in one special one: a baby

Or finally...

Britney Spears has another man
Spears gave to light to its second son early Tuesday in a hospital of Los Angeles, according to several magazines specialized in the world of the entertainment.

OK, folks, I admit to being a little punchy, but you would be too if you had just prepared and taught a semester's worth of an entirely new class in three weeks, all on four days notice--while preparing an article for publication.