We Can Haz Marrege!

Lotsa stuff happened on this historic day, mis bonitos. 

First and foremost, same-sex marriage came one step closer to finally becoming a reality in the District!  Congratulations to all of the happy couples that went to the courthouse and got their marriage licenses.  Hooray for a hella important first step on the path to true first-class citizenship! 

The big ceremony on the 9th is sure to be off the chain!

Also today, because they don't know what else to do instead of fixing the health care system or the economy, House Republicans announced that they want to put Ronnie Reagan's mug on the $50 bill.  This cult of personality surrounding Reagan perpetuating how great he was will never cease to confuse and confound me.  It's like rich Miami Cuban ex-pats who romanticize the "good ole" days of Batista, I swear.  Haters, the whole lot of 'em.

Whatever.  We have marriage!

(Photo of Candy and Darlene by Matt Dunn.  Aren't they adorable?  You can definitely feel their love for each other through the picture.  More of Matt's photos here.)

Sotomenor

Me no likey how the Sotomayor nomination is playing out. Who's racist now? Congress may not like the Ricans, but thank goodness the Repubs have no chance of preventing her confirmation.

La Semana in News #18

I don't think this recipe is in the Betty Crocker cookbook.

Credit woes for credit unions.

KC area breaks 2,000,000.

All those people will need to be fed. Sloppy Joe's are a good way to do that.

The jury let Anibal go?! On all counts?!

Today in 1873.

Where are Ricans gonna find boxes to use as their luggage now?

Selena to the rescue (as in Lopez and stray Rican dogs).

La Semana in News #17

Keep your fingers crossed, Jayhawk. Waiting for that No. 2 (to No. 4) seed.

Kathleen: The Bad Catholic.

This ain't the kind of spice anyone needs in their chili.

The Estonians are coming (to Johnson County)!

A good Saturday night for Rico: Rico pummels the U.S. in the World Baseball Classic.

Makes up for a bad Wednesday night for Rico: Smiley and Pretty voted off on the same night.

The stress and the drama of the losses were apparently too much for the Rican earth to handle.

13% unemployment, anyone?

And the Pot Melted, Indeed

Thursday night was Dine Out for Life. The Jayhawk, me, Rita Jean, Candy & DJ Skittles, Dags, and Robert kept it real yummy by going to The Melting Pot, which I hadn't been to in like 12 years. We had a blast, and were obviously the loudest table. But you know who had more fun than us? Dick Gephardt! He was at the table behind ours with his family. And was TANKED. And all drunky fighty with his daughter, Krissy, about being able to drive home. It was awesome to watch. It’s just like Us Weekly says: They really are “Just Like Us.” Ha!

Eye See, You See...

Picture it: 1420 Clifton St., NW. 6:30ayem. Woke up just fine to turn off the alarm. Ten minutes turned into fifty when the Jayhawk nudged me. And then the mad dash starts. Pick outfit (cute yet sensible for the big chill outside), iron, shower, listen to report on the radio about the Sri Lankan cricketers getting shot in Pakistan, shave, brush teeth, confirm weather report, get dressed, do hair, stuff bag, what the hellz is this about Obama speaking differently to blacks v. whites (?!...effin' Politico), throw on scarf/coat/bag over my shoulder, where's my Metrocard (?), grab keys, turn on iPod, adios sleeping Jamie, out the door, avoid getting hit by traffic while walking on the street to the bus stop because the sidewalk's iced over, get on the bus, really wanting a bowl of Cream of Wheat. All in less than an hour. It's happened twice in just as many days. I really need an alarm clock that will keep trying to wake me without annoying the Jayhawk. Maybe one with disturbing googly eyes that keep staring at me impatiently will work. If only he were for sale...

Forget Oscar Fashions

Obama fashions are much better. Jeebus, they look awesome in this photo! They could make a Snuggie look good, though (even though the Snuggie is so December 2008; the Lippi Selk Bag is where it's at now, mis bonitos). Sean Penn said it alright: We most definitely have an elegant President in the White House. Thank goodness.

(Photo courtesy of Getty Images)

Que No Cunda el Pánico

That's what Prezzie Obama asked us to do in these troubled economic times at his first press conference last night. We need to worry, of course, but we need to channel that worry into positive action and not let it explode into panic or despair. So, don't go the way of the Wall Street brokers who facilitated the vote of no-confidence as soon as today's news broke that the stimulus package had passed. And definitely don't go the way of Chris Brown and go beat up on your Princess RiRis. If anything, beat up on the A-Roid and his stoopidity for causing that reporter to ask Obama about steroids in baseball when there are more important things to worry about. Jeebus...such a douche.

(Keep Calm and Carry On poster available at Barter Books. Read story of it here. Me wanny.)

Colossal!

Not about the Rican juices*, but about the painting in El Prado. Looks like "The Colossus" by Franciso de Goya y Lucientes is not Goya's at all. Just so happens that Goya's quietly (since he's been dead, to be fair) been taking the credit for having painted the gentle giant for decades now. But he's really the work of one of Goya's apprentices, Asensio Juliá. Once, again, the fame ho' takes the credit while the real talent stands in the shadows. Kinda like how Eleanor Waldorf took credit for Little Jenny Humphreys' designs on the Gossip Girl. But Little Jenny showed Eleanor who's the real bosslady, didn't she? And now Little Asensio's showing Francisco who's the boss, too. Jeebus, the art gods will strike me down for having written that.

The point is that you can't trust an amigo, onetime. Much like you should never trust our favorite amigo, Alberto Gonzalez. He's really going around proclaiming that he's another good guy misrepresented by the evil media? Berto and the Blago should get together and start their own Church of Delusions. And yeah, neither Alberto nor Rod are mis amigos. Blech. Shizz...

(*El Coloso is a Registered TM of Colón Brothers, Inc.)

Not the Chamber of Commerce; the Department of Commerce

That's what I have to tell everyone every time I go to Rico. I'm 33 years old and have been working at the DOC for over 8 years now, but the Don Q and the Medalla must affect everyone's short-term memory more than I like to admit because peeps can't keep my story straight. But maybe there won't be a need to keep the story straight if Barack listens to the gays and taps (drrty) former SBA Administrator Fred Hochberg. At least Fred's got a proven track record in trade issues, unlike Señor Panetta with intelligence, and isn't a TV personality like Dr. Gupta. Makes sense to hire him, no?

¡Date Prisa Que Vamos Tarde!

Latino Standard Time (LST) refers to the amount of time between when someone of Latin American origin says that they will be somewhere and when they actually are there. Generally, Latino standard time ranges between LT (Local Time) + 30min and LT + 2h. In rare instances, LST can be LT + up to 1 day. Now, everyone knows that I run on LST for the most part. I may be a bad Rican (no pool, no salsa, and no baseball), but I'm good through and through when it comes to how it's plain impossible for me to adhere to Gringo Time. But sometimes even this Rican's get his act together and show up on time, especially when it comes to big-arse Latino Presidential Inaugural Gala party times. I gotta find me a ticket! Special Friends works for La Raza, right?

You Ain't Woman Enough To Take My Man

Dianne...I love you, chica. But keep to your own damned self and stay away from my King of Beers. If Adrian wants to let us drown in the sauce until just before sunrise, then let him. It's not like we weren't planning on doing it anyway. Just sayin'.

Pretty Pictures Version 12.09.08

Still no plan approved to save the Big 3 from going kaput. I'm not altogether sure I agree with bailing out the 3 car companies asking for help (their cars suck), but I do hope the apathy and fear don't immobilize Congress into approving even the scaled-back plan that's been tentatively agreed to. Maybe today's Pretty Pictures can motivate them: Lily Allen with "The Fear."

No Star Chef for You!

No need to apply for a position in the White House if you're a celebrity chef. They don't want you. Best stick to the Food Network. Although how great would it be to have the Neely's be co-chefs? Or even Paula Deen?! Can you imagine the poundage Barack would gain if that ever happened?

(Photo courtesy of Metrocurean)

And Our New Poet Laureate Is...

La Palin! Talk about keeping it bipartisan in the new Administration. I always thought that Palin's way of speaking was poetic hick in a way. And, apparently, I'm not the only one. Although, don't it take a lot of boredom on the part of liberal gotcha media to think of her lipstick pit bull soundbite as the perfect example of modern haiku? Friends...

Fashion Ba-rocks!

Who da style icon? Not just Michelle. Barack's rockin' his own fashion scene. We've all been reading about how Obama's going to bring the cool back to DC. Well, he's promising to bring the cool style back to town, too. Of course, Hart Schaffner Marx gloating that I, too, can look "Presidential" if I wear their clothes is a bit much, but it's a brutal out there for retailers right now, so latching onto our new hope in politics makes sense as a business move. And they do have some demmed nice ties. Just sayin'.

Go-bama!

Hours upon hours of lost productivity right here. But, hey, you get to fight pork barrel spending and greedy Wall Street tycoons out to get you. I love me some Super Obama World!

We're Here!

Awesome recap of last night's march in NYC against the Prop 8 vote. I'm hoping that the one in DC (along with others planned all over the country) are just as successful and covered just as widely.

Now, somebody please shut that greasy old queen, Elton, up.

Now What Am I Spoda Do?

It's so very true that now that the elections are over I haven't known how to use the Interwebs to pass the time when I don't feel like working. Luckily Slate is there to help a Rican out.

I think I'll make my next e-time occupier the post-Prop 8 events in California (and around the nation), though. The issue of gay marriage is much too important not to follow. And it's not just a benefits issue, either, but one of basic human rights and equal protection under the law. No group of people deserves to be targeted as a group and excluded from the Constitutional rights and privileges enjoyed by others in society. I think that's the one aspect of this whole debate, shamefully, that hasn't been hammered home and may have led to Prop 8's "yes" win. And let's not forget that we have DOMA to fight against in addition to the battles under way at the state level. Hopefully the strides made in MA and CT (and CA, for now) will count for something at the federal level when DOMA is finally done away with. That requires mega coordination and a renewed activist spirit, which you can see rising but isn't quite there yet. Maybe if peeps watch movies like "Milk" they'll be more motivated to become involved in the matter. I saw the movie last night at a Victory Fund event in Mazza Gallerie with Shaterproof and actually cried I thought it was that good. And I tell you it got me motivated. I'ma gonna give $$ to the Victory Fund as a first step. Another step will be to march this Saturday in protest of Prop 8. Who knows where I'll go from there? Political position in the new administration? Hmmm...

How Sweet It Is

See that? It's made of cupcakes! Yum! Maybe this is a physical representation of how sweet the Obama Administration will be. It looks like it will be in many important policy respects. And in social respects, too. You had to have seen the throngs of people hanging outside the White House a little bit ago to see Barack and Michelle caravan in to meet Laura and Jorge. The gaggle of older ladies all giggling and cackling away like giddy schoolgirls when he waved at them was priceless. Hee, hee...Too sweet.