Salinas

My parents just celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. My brother Angel flew down from PR to be here with us, my sister didn't bother to call, she must be busy you know, working part time and all... I'll post the wedding vows pics later, right now I just wanna show the big ass chillo I ate in Salinas with my folks and brother !

Adios

I can vote !

Yesterday I decided that I was NOT gonna let the upcoming gubernatorial elections pass by without me having my say. For months my mother has been subersively telling me I can't register 'cus I haven't lived here long enough. I knew she was full of shit, I mean, I work in a damn newspaper I ask people who know about these things. The reason she's been trying to get me NOT to vote is that she and all her siblings and relatives are hardline statehooders. Most of my aunts are Rossellistas who will write in the hijoeputa. Mami knows I will probly vote green or orange. But, I'll let you in on a secret; I will cast a vote for Tomas Rivera Shatz. This is one of the most hated statehooders in PR. He's really special. He makes enemies really fast. He was a Rossello's enforcer. Very abusive with his rethoric and demagoguery. After Rossello's fall from grace, he joined forces with the pussy who defeated his jefe in the primaries, Luis "el bisco" Fortuño. The same guy he had demolished verbally when Rossello was his man. Anyway, why would I vote for a statehooding fascist ? Well, back in 1984, I was struggling to pass the 12th grade in el Colegio Santa Cruz in Trujillo Alto. No matter what I tried I couldn't get a passing grade in the accounting class. One F and I would not graduate with my classmates. Here is when my loyalty to Tomas Rivera Shatz was born. You see, back in '84 we knew Tomas as Tomito, Colegio Santa Cruz '84 class president. Tomito's dad was the mayor of Trujillo Alto. The motherfucker always won the ever present political debates in our classes, especially the history class where our former teacher Mr. Toraño, would always instigate a political debate between the pro-independence faction of the class and the statehooders headed by Tommy. Anyway, thanks to his debating prowess and "patea's en el culo" style, he actually talked the accounting teacher, who hated me like poison, into giving me a passing grade. I actually found out about this several years later. So, Tomito, has my vote, and some orange or green party will get the rest of my X's.

Oh yeah, I forgot, it took me all of 4 hours to get my g-damn voting card. My neighbor got to the registration place early, got me a number. I arrived half an hour later. and was ready to wait up to 5 hours. A lucky break came when someone left and dropped his/her number. It was 187. I got it from the lady who picked it up and got out about 1 1/2 hours ahead of time.

I'm voting bitch !

El mardito marbete

I had to renew the inspection sticker known as el marbete for my car last month. My license has to be renewed each year. YOu also have to get a compulsory insurance for your car @ a cost of $99. I got a full cover for my Subaru so that is covered but because I got the old license from the dealer I had to get a new one and pay for the insurance and marbete and then get reimbursed. Got it ? I didn't either. Lemme just list all the things I had to do to get my marbete:
1-Inspect the car (about 45 mins, $11)
2-Go to the insurance company to get a document so I wouldn't have to pay the $99 insurance. Couldn't get the document 'cus I have an xpired license from the dealer.
3-Go to Banco Popular to try to get the marbete. Couldn't get the marbete there.
4-Go to a Texaco to get the marbete 'cus the Banco Popular folks told me I could get it there. Couldn't get it there. Was told to go to the place I had the car inspected.
5-Went to the original garage. Couldn't get it there and the inspector dude told me he didn't keep copies of my license which is BULLSHIT ! I know he did 'cus I gave him the 4 original copies.
6-Go to the Colecturia in Fajardo to get the marbete. Couldn't get it 'cus I had to get the new license i the Obras Publicas office.
7-Go to the casita amarilla to get a photo copy of my driver's license.
8-Back to Obras Publicas, GOT A NEW LICENSE FOR FREE !!!
9-Back to the Colecturia to pay for the marbete, pay $185 and GOT MY MARBETE !!!

All this took one week.

I drove without the thing for 9 days. The fine is pretty nasty; $500, the cop takes your tag and the car is towed away @ your expense.

Bottom line, if they had automated systems in PR one wouldn't have to do all these hoop jumping. This of course would mean efficiency and a smaller government payroll. This of course is a problem in a colony where @ least 60% of the labor force works for the government. Most of those jobs are political appointments which translate into votes for the same politicians who appoint them. Understand now ? That's why it takes almost 2 weeks to get a stupid sticker for your car.

Push this bitch...

So it's been pointed out to me that the door sign picture is not mine ! Holy shit, I stole a picture and didn't even know. For the record, I've seen something like that, but now I'm thinking I saw it in my damn computer. Sorry David, however I think it's a compliment that I thought one of your pics was so good that I shot it...

Fidel se murió

This was the last Fidel se murió crazy Miami Cuban reactionary party in front of Versailles en la calle 8. I've no idea how many times I've covered Fidel's death in So/Fla. The worst time the SS was trying to get me and a reporter to Cuba based solely on a rumor. I had a visa that had just expired a couple of days before. That's my friend Alan Diaz from the A.P. who although he looks like he's getting a closer view of the nice Cuban Chonga Q-lo, is actually trying to avoid walking in the mamacita's stand up shot.

Hay razones para el optimismo

My favorite road sign in all of Cuba. I've shot this one a ton of times, every time I drive past it I get out and shoot it. I'm with Sun-Sentinel former Cuba correspondent Vanessa Bauzá.

Camp Elian

I have this old pic from the Elian Gonzalez media camp. I started out with a 3 foot ladder and gradually moved up to a 5 footer, then a 6 and finally a 12 footer.