Unsung Heroes of Hispanic Heritage Month: Jed Bartlet

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They were ordinary people living ordinary lives, until one singular sensation of circumstance conspired with fate to make them UNSUNG HEROES OF HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH.

When a liberal Supreme Court justice retired in 1998, Pres. Jed Bartlet and his staff thought this was the perfect opportunity to increase approval ratings with a politically “safe” nominee, Judge Peyton Harrison.

The retiring justice, a liberal, was not impressed by Bartlet’s choice and urged him to consider another candidate. Bartlet asked his aide Toby Ziegler to review their decision. Ziegler, after walking and talking with other habitues of the West Wing, was uncomfortable with the prospect of losing the easy confirmation, but complied.

Zeigler learned that Harrison once argued against a guarantee of privacy, and told Bartlet a backup candidate should be vetted as a possible replacement nominee.

Mas…Unsung Heroes of Hispanic Heritage Month: Jed Bartlet

Victorious Hugo Chavez to Americans: ‘Back my socialist amigo Obama’

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(PNS reporting from CARACAS) Hugo Chavez — re-elected to a third six-year term as president of Venezuela — has again called on Americans to re-elect Pres. Barack Obama.

In a four-hour televised speech to his nation late Sunday, Chavez called Obama the best hope for Socialism in the Western Hemisphere. The left-wing strong man had previously endorsed the President in September.

“El Obama deserves your support, gringos,” he said in a rare foray into English. “He may not admit to being a Marxist-Leninist but inside he is as red as your Danny Glover and Oliver Estone. “

Mas…Victorious Hugo Chavez to Americans: ‘Back my socialist amigo Obama’

Bain Capital’s Mal*Mart gives back to local communities (video)

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This short educational video from Mal★Mart (a Bain Capital subsidiary) explains how the retail chain is a good neighbor, supporting local communities and creating jobs all across America — with a smile. The case study features Latina entrepreneur Maria Muñoz of Maria’s Flan.

Pocho Ocho other things Christopher Columbus got wrong

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Aside from not sailing to “India,” Christopher Columbus got many other things wrong. Since Dia de La Raza/Columbus Day is Monday, we can’t forget the Pocho Ocho top boners he pulled:

8. He forgot the extra pair of chonies his abuela packed for him.

7. He named all of his ships after cholas, but forgot La Sad Girl.

6. He didn’t stop to ask for directions.

Mas…Pocho Ocho other things Christopher Columbus got wrong

Ñewsweek: Romney rocked, America crocked, FDR shocked

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It’s Mitt Romney’s world, and we just live in it.

This ñewsweek the GOP presidential wannabe filled up POCHO’s infotainment bandwidth with debate shenanigans, Big Bird bashing, Latino-loving at Chipotle and a new commercial shot on Los Angeles’ Olvera Street.

Reaction from around the country included emergency rooms overflowing with debate drinking game alcohol poisoning cases, the previously dead Franklin Delano Roosevelt rising from grave and making a YouTube appearance, y mas mas more.

The most popular stories this week:

Mas…Ñewsweek: Romney rocked, America crocked, FDR shocked

Forget Big Bird! Meet Señor Loro, the Latino parrot candidate (video)

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From Los Titeres (the puppets): Don’t waste your vote on the phony mainstream yellow bird candidate until you consider wasting your vote on the Puppet Party’s Latino red parrot candidate — Señor Loro for Presidente! (Borderline NSFW language and a disturbing bird bigote.)

Video by Felix Pire. LosTiteresTV is on Facebook and on the Internets.

–Freelancer Junior Wences PhD writes by hand.

We love you and want to move our relationship to the next level

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MR. POCHO and all the Pochodores love you. We love you all night long.

We love you so much we built this joint and wrote these articles and created these toons and videos and stuff. For you. POCHO has no “pay walls” or user registration to stop you from playing along and our pinche funny original content is turning traditional thinking about Latino media upside down.

Can you kick in
$5 or $10 or $25
so we can
make more ñews y satire?

Por Plis?

MR. POCHO SAYS ¡GRACIAS!

And what do you give us back? You give us love and LULz, and that’s cool. But we want to take this relationship to the next level with more and better stuff for you, but, you see, there is this problem.

We don’t get paid. Huh? That’s right. No money for the “staff.” No money for our contributors.

Mas…We love you and want to move our relationship to the next level

Don’t wait for immigration reform: PORT-A-BORDER is here! (video)

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“Comprehensive immigration reform” is like the weather — everyone talks about it but no one does anything about it. That’s why real Americans are going wild over PORT-A-BORDER, the personal hi-tech illegal immigration solution that keeps those darn Mexicans out of your personal space. (Possibly NSFW language.)

Unsung Heroes of Hispanic Heritage Month: George Romney

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They were ordinary people living ordinary lives, until one singular sensation of circumstance conspired with fate to make them UNSUNG HEROES OF HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH.

When Michigan Gov. George Romney‘s GOP presidential nomination campaign came to the New York World’s Fair in 1964 (photo, left, with son Mitt) an intense young wannabe TV reporter named Gerry Riviera was on the scene.

The nice Jewish boy from Brooklyn was confused after his college experience at the University of Arizona. He had been strangely at home in the desert Southwest, but was still a gefilte fish out of water. What to do with his life?

“I was born to American parents in Mexico,” Romney told reporters as he toured the crumbling, deeply-indebted Spanish Pavilion. “In some ways, it would be helpful to be Latino.” Son Mitt nodded his head in agreement.

Mas…Unsung Heroes of Hispanic Heritage Month: George Romney

Adrian Tafoya: My life as an alien (In space, la raza assimilates you)

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There are certain situations in Hollywood where as an actor you have to have no shame.

This was one of those times as I stood inside a large curtained-off fitting room wearing only a flesh-colored dance belt, the equivalent of man panties. Well, it is true that actors are a strangely alien tribe which are most unique only in Hollywood. I mean, where else would a Latino wear such a ridiculous contraption?

OK, back to my man panties… Key costumer Kim Thompson enters with a box of silver and black shaded and molded latex pieces twisted into sinewy shapes and a box of safety pins. She hands me a stretchy nylon body suit and says, “Put this on,” not asking, knowing full well that I would welcome a cover-up of my nakedness.

Mas…Adrian Tafoya: My life as an alien (In space, la raza assimilates you)

@MexicanMitt Romney: I’m prepped y ready for Debate Number Juan

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I AM TANNED, RESTED AND READY. AND MORE TANNED.

AJUA! I have been preparing all night for my debate against BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA. Tonight there will be A LOT OF JUAN ON JUAN MASTERDEBATING. I will right ALL THE LEFT-LEANING POLLS with my victory!

I will completely dominate, not LIKE A BOSS, but LIKE A CEO.  I want you to take a break from your MOOCHING and FREELOADING to watch me mop up the floor with Obama like I was one of ANN’s FEARFUL SERVANTS.

HERMAN CAIN did not work out as OBAMA DEBATE STAND-IN (all his answers were “NINE NINE NINE”) SO NOW I PRACTICE AGAINST A CARDBOARD CUTOUT OF URKEL.

Mas…@MexicanMitt Romney: I’m prepped y ready for Debate Number Juan

BFFs Mitt, Darryl visit Latino sites for Hispanic Heritage Month (photos)

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They hooked up Tuesday when the candidate visited a Denver-area Chipotle.

Then GOP presidential candidate and Latino-lover Mitt Romney and new BFF Darryl went on a bromance tour of other important Latino institutions to mark Hispanic Heritage Month, as seen in this photo of their visit to Sophia Vergara’s breasts. (She recently described her chi-chis as a “pain in the ass.“)

Inspired by Vergara, the duo made a few more estops:

Mas…BFFs Mitt, Darryl visit Latino sites for Hispanic Heritage Month (photos)

Elvis Presley, undocumented worker: ‘Fun in Acapulco’ (photos,video)

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The year is 1963 and Elvis is on a roll. As his star rises on the American music scene, Hollywood lifts its head and takes notice: he gets signed for a fun Mexican adventure romp entitled Fun in Acapulco.

While gorgeous exterior shots are completed on location in Mexico, Elvis shoots his scenes in “Mexico,” a Hollywood backlot commissioned by Hal Wallis Productions and through the magic of less-than-spectacular editing and rear-projection shots seems to dance and sing his sad way (he’s mourning the accidental death of his brother he may have caused) through this somewhat harmless farce.

Of course (as I’ve written many times before), you’ve got to be a fool to turn to Hollywood for accurate portrayals of “foreign spaces”–still, Fun in Acapulco is not half bad.

The kid in the clip below gives new meaning to the word irony, as Elvis, “American,” conspires to work as an “illegal alien” in Mexico.

Mas…Elvis Presley, undocumented worker: ‘Fun in Acapulco’ (photos,video)

Unsung Heroes of Hispanic Heritage Month: Shep Devereaux

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They were ordinary people living ordinary lives, until one singular sensation of circumstance conspired with fate to make them UNSUNG HEROES OF HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH.

Hollywood, Dec. 23, 1958. Singing cowboy Gene Autry‘s Challenge Records signed hard-drinking rockabilly singer/piano-player Shep Devereaux to produce four sides. Devereaux, originally from New Orleans, booked the Flores Trio (Danny Flores on saxophone and keyboards, Gene Alden on drums, and lead guitarist Buddy Bruce) to back him up. They recorded three rockabilly numbers and an up-tempo mostly-instrumental track composed by Flores, a song jokingly called “Chingate.” The song’s lyrics consisted of just that one cussword, repeated three times and featured a blistering sax solo by Flores.

When Autry, in the control room, heard “Chingate” he knew it was a hit, but realized the name had to change, so he asked for suggestions for three-syllable phrases from the band.

“Horchata!” “Tu madre!” “Rafalca!” The musicians were full of ideas.

Mas…Unsung Heroes of Hispanic Heritage Month: Shep Devereaux

Mayan Apocalypse Doomsday 2012: Volcanoes and tsunamis (video)

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In an age when books have trailers, some trailers float higher in the flotsam and jetsam of mass-market, dead-tree publishing, especially when they graphically portray the destructive American volcanos and Atlantic tsunamis that will rock your world on Dec. 21. [See POCHO’s Mexclusive Mayan Apocalypse Doomsday 2012 Countdown Clock in the right column of this page.]

Need Dia de los Muertos-inspired loteria-looking woodcut prints? ¡Orale!

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POCHO amiga Donna Atwood is a graphic artist in Phoenix with a love of the Southwest. She writes she was

born in San Antonio, TX to predominantly German parents. Maternal grandfather unknown. So, I believe we have “esqueleto en el armario” in my family. I am definitely inspired by Mexican art, especially after studying Mexican art history in college. And this is Phoenix, with a healthy Hispanic population. So, I am immersed in it.

Her most recent project is a set of woodcuts (technically they are “linocuts”) inspired by Mexican loteria cards.

Peep the loteria images below (plus two extras), and if you like, visit her store on Etsy where they are available as signed, numbered, limited-edition prints.

Mas…Need Dia de los Muertos-inspired loteria-looking woodcut prints? ¡Orale!

CA’s Jerry Brown vetoes ‘Trust Act,’ AZ’s Jan Brewer approves

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(PNS reporting from ARIZONA) Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer has deemed California Gov. Jerry Brown an honorary citizen following his veto of the Golden State’s Trust Act which would have ended deportation of undocumented immigrants busted for minor offenses.

¡AltoArizona! reports:

Jan Brewer, Arizona’s governor notorious for her signing of the state’s racial profiling bill, SB1070, issued Brown honorary residence in her state. “Anyone who can manage to deny basic protections to domestic workers, farm workers, and entire immigrant families, all in one night, is bound to need some friends,” explained Brewer. “I want him to know, Jerr, you’ve got a friend in me.”

Mas…CA’s Jerry Brown vetoes ‘Trust Act,’ AZ’s Jan Brewer approves

Unsung Heroes of Hispanic Heritage Month: Yossi Berkowitz

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They were ordinary people living ordinary lives, until one singular sensation of circumstance conspired with fate to make them UNSUNG HEROES OF HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH.

In 1978, a young Chicano actor from Montebello, CA went to tailor Yossi Berkowitz to try on a new suit custom-made for his starring role in a Los Angeles play. Right away, he noticed that the coat sleeves were too long.

“No problem,” said Berkowitz, a long-time shop owner on Whittier Boulevard in nearby Boyle Heights. “Just bend them at the elbow and hold them out in front of you. See, now it’s fine.”

“But the collar is up around my ears!” the actor complained.

Mas…Unsung Heroes of Hispanic Heritage Month: Yossi Berkowitz

Ñewsweek: Mitt’s party pix, Mayan survival tips, Latino outreach

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POCHO photogs landed in Florida just in time to capture candid snapshots of Gov. Mitt Romney’s scandalous party escapades, we published a handy CLIP & SAVE Guide to preparing your Mayan Apocalypse Doomsday 2012 Survival Kit and uncovered the frat-boys-gone-wild music video that rich college student Romney made with his friends — it’s (surprise! surprise!) Mexican-themed and all about Dinero.

These top stories broke the ñews this week:

Mas…Ñewsweek: Mitt’s party pix, Mayan survival tips, Latino outreach

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