Eartha Kitt and The Shah of Iran

By the end of January, 1959, Fidel Castro's revolutionary forces had taken over most of Havana's businesses, nationalizing private companies, stores, banks, etc., in the name of the revolution, on behalf of the Cuban people. My mom was working at a bank as the Director's executive assistant. When the takeover happened, Castro's first Finance Minister ordered that she be transferred to another department, doing so after learning of her Irish, British and Spanish roots, telling her she was "Cuban by accident!" Although born in Havana, Rita never felt particularly Cuban. She was fluent in English early in her life, sure, but it took the force or impact of the Cuban revolution, and her subsequent exile to Miami, for her to (finally?) feel as if she was, indeed, Cuban. Listen as Rita recounts how her grandparents met -- an Irishman (and former British soldier in Burma, the cop in Chicago) and the daughter of a British man and his Spaniard wife -- and how this merging of anglos influenced her identity before arriving in the U.S. And, of course, what happened after realizing that she would never be returning to Cuba. Things get a bit heavy, so this week's "Who Would You Make a Baby With?" segment came in just in time to go out with a bit of levity. This Episode's choice: Cuban national hero José Martî (aged 30, in his philosopher-poet prime) OR #MeToo Movement-ravaged opera superstar, 80 year-old Plåcido Domingo. Listen!

14 Feb 202138min

My mom moved to Miami in 1962. She had landed at NYC's LaGuardia Airport 3 years prior and lived in NYC and then Naples, FL, before settling and living in Miami for the next 34 years. Who knew how much would or could change in that time; how many waves of immigrants -- Cuban, Nicaraguan, Colombian, Haitian, et al - how much cocaine and power and blood would flow through the streets of a city now poised to become a haven for Wall Streeters and fintech start-ups (joining the Trumps and their ilk). Listen as Rita recounts her journey, my father- and godfather's start as merchant marines, and some CIA black ops alongside Miami's transformation from sleepy snow bird town to full-blown tropical metropolis. AND, of course, as she makes a difficult choice between young John F. Kennedy (who may or may not have an STD) or a young, beardless Fidel Castro (insistent upon wearing a baseball uniform while engaging in, um, 'the act') in this week's "Who would you make a baby with?" segment. Enjoy! Featured Cuban Cowboys' Song: Rococo People "Miami came of age along with me. City of my birth shaken from its sleep by my loud-ass Cuban family; by waves of exiliados and refugees whose flotillas bloodied the vanilla of a place so close to my mami's island home that Havana got itself a front row seat to a wannabe version of The Fall of Rome, OUR wannabe version of The Fall of Rome."

23 Jan 202131min

An insurrection? An act of sedition?  An overdue call-to-arms? Whatever else, the events of January 6, 2021 will cast a long shadow for quite a long time. For my mom, watching Trump supporters rush the capitol building reminded her of what she saw and experienced in Cuba. Repeatedly. Growing up in Cuba during the 1930's, 40's and 50's was not, it seems, for the faint of heart. Neither was the Cuban Missile Crisis. Listen to more of her story. And enjoy this episode's Who Would you Make a Baby With? Segment! This week, Rita is forced to choose between a dashing, young Ronald Reagan (during his "Bedtime for Bonzo" days) or a freshly-graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy Jimmy Carter. The catch?: If she picks the 40th President of the United States (Reagan), Bonzo, the chimp, will be in the room. If she picks the 39th President of the U.S. (Carter), a young, demure Rosalynn Carter will be in the room. Who will Rita choose? Listen to find out!

10 Jan 202134min

My Cuban mom voted for Biden. Given how the rest of the Cuban-American vote went and generally goes, her vote was no small matter. Listen as she talks about her decision, growing up in Cuba, and living in Miami for 37 years. Toward the end of the episode, I ask her "Who would you make a baby with?," forcing her to choose between "A fully sober Nikita Khrushchev, who insists on holding the shoe he infamously used to bang on a table during a 1960 UN General Assembly meeting and/or a clean-shaven, possibly pre-revolutionary Che Guevara." She explains her choice with aplomb and wit. You may as well know: every episode in Season 1 will end with such a (terrible-hilarious) choice.

4 Jan 202131min

Jorge announces Season 3’s focus: the 2024 Presidential election.

3 Jan 202159s