Happy Valentines Day! Originally planned to release this episode on the actual day, but decided to give it as an early V Day gift, much like our gifts which we exchanged early, Mimi bought me a shirt with the Iron Man Arc reactor logo that says "I Love you 3000" and I bought her Disney's Dream Light Valley for the Nintendo Switch. Instead of an episode on the history or lore of St Valentine's Day celebrated in February 14th, we decided to dedicate an episode to our own personal Love Story. Although we met in summer school in the year 2000 we didn't date (or barely even interact with each other save a handful of times) yet despite the time and incredibly unlikely odds, our 10 Year Reunion for Miami Southridge Senior High class of 2003, which neither of us attended, suddenly became the catalyst for a most unlikely love story. Ups and downs, in, out, and all around, this is how Mimi and Paulie came together, and eventually reproduced...cue diabolical laugh! 

This episode is a bit of a throwback. Recorded last month during Kanye West aka Ye's most recent public meltdown, and the arrest of Andrew Tate in Romania for human trafficking. Mostly, we discuss Toxic Masculinity; and the fake alpha males that are masquerading as gurus and experts on social media and the internet. What is the perception among woman, why do young males fal into this trap, and what is the allure? There is plenty to discuss on these topics, and we will most definitely revisit this subject in the future but this episode was recorded prior to a traumatic ER visit with our youngest that threw a wrench in our recording / uploading schedule. 

Trigger Warning! This episode get intense, with special guest "Pops" we get an old school perspective from a Boricua who grew up in the Bronx during the 60s and 70s, and he sounds off on the state of police reform in the US as of 2023. He gives his unfiltered opinion on "America's Favorite Sheriff" Grady Judd of Polk County Florida, and holds nothing back as he unloads on the Tyree Nichols tragedy in Memphis, Tennessee; the first "mass shooting" incident in Lakeland, Florida; honoring the brave hero Brandon Tsay of Monterrey Park, California; and finally the unfortunate and utterly devastating Uvalde Texas elementary school tragedy. Honestly, this episode went in a different direction than intended, instead of easing into the conversation emotions went sky high and what was sa clearly needed to be addressed, which is exactly what we aim for on this show. Raw, unfiltered, TRUTH. Everyone is allowed to have their opinions, and sharing those opinions, can bring conflict, but with conflict comes resolution, which would have otherwise gone unresolved unless the issues are addressed up front and appropriately. That being said, please be respectful of everyone's opinion, their right to have them, and speak their truth, and all our experiences are subjective. 

This episode is kind of a warning to parents who are unaware how dangerous something a simple as a straw can be to a one year old. We had our first Hospital scare with our youngest child, at 18 months. Thankfully he is okay, but the situation could have been dire. The experience was so traumatic that it caused us to fall a little behind on some episodes and thankfully we are getting back on track, but once you hear the details it might make more sense as to why the break was needed. 

This is the first test of our new recording studio sponsored by CoHatch. 

Speaking a bit more about my history and career, and more specifically September 11th, 2001 (more famously known as 9/11) and what effect that day had on the trajectory of my life. This is the story of how and why I joined the US Army, as well as some of the experiences I had while I served. From using video games like Metal Gear Solid to get me through basic training to standing on the spot where World War 1 started in Bosnia, deploying to Iraq, and many many other adventures. 

Latin Xperience Episode 4: ¡Feliz Año Nuevo! New Year 2023, Good Riddance 2022. As we begin 2023 let's take a look back at 2022 as talk about the movies of 2022, and what the year was like overall. Wanted to do a top 22 list, listing the Top 22 songs, TV shows, Movies, and events of 2022 but it was just too much, plus I didn't have my hot co-host, Mimi, with me on this one. (Because of our kiddos, it was basically "divide and conquer", meaning they divided and conquered us--Hah!) So let's ring in the new year with a quick look back, and some predictions and expectations for 2023.

What is the Difference Between Latin and Hispanic? In this episode I talk about Latin American History, Hispanic Culture, the Truth about Christopher Columbus and the origin of Columbus Day. I also briefly touch on Latin/Hispanic contributions to entertainment, diversity, inclusion, as well as the cultural impact of Into The Spider-Verse, and In The Heights.    Birth certificates and Census in the US are confusing documents. What makes a person Black or White when their Ethnicity is Latin / Hispanic, and what does that even mean/ Are all Latinos Hispanic? Are all Hispanics Latino? Do LatinX Hispanics have African or Native American origins? Who were the Arawak, the Taino, Lokono, and Caribs? What does all of this have to do with Florida? Do all Spanish people eat rice and beans? All these questions and more in the first of a new series meant to dive deeper into the lost history of Latin Americans.    The US Department of Transportation defines "Hispanic" as "persons of Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Dominican, Central or South American, or others of Spanish or Portuguese culture or origin, regardless of race."