Pocha Yari Rodriguez wants to live (and die?) on Mars (video)

marspochaCalifornia-born Yari Rodriguez wants to be a crew member on that one-way trip to Mars – but she’s scared.

For Smith College engineering grad Rodriguez, the most terrifying thing about a one-way trip to Mars isn’t a rocket malfunction, lack of oxygen, or the probability of death on Mars, she told Fox News Latino. It’s the cameras.

“It’s the scariest part about the whole mission,” Rodriguez, 27, said. “I’m really shy and nervous…I’ve been coming to terms with being on TV.”

Mas…Pocha Yari Rodriguez wants to live (and die?) on Mars (video)

Cutty Flam’s new Spanglish ‘Sugga’ has space rocks, explosions! (video)


SoCal pochos Cutty Flam say their music is the sound track to a 1950’s B-Movie starring Ritchie Valens opposite Betty Page directed by Quentin Tarantino. Señor Cutty sings and plays guitar, Ms. Bang Bangs kicks butt on vocals and drums and Chewy Lewy is the man on bass. In Sugga, a black and white home movie from the future, Cutty Flam saves themselves (or their body doubles) from a sky burst of meteorites with a white box of something that’s not wrapped in aluminum foil and doesn’t attract falling prop rocks. Also there is a greedy music promoter, a life support transfusion, a dead band member RIP, auditions, more aluminum foil and surf style guitar. We know — it’s everything you ever wanted in a music video. Plus Spanglish!

PREVIOUSLY ON CUTTY FLAM:

Mas…Cutty Flam’s new Spanglish ‘Sugga’ has space rocks, explosions! (video)

Dear Virgin Mary: What should I wear for Halloween? (photos)

astrovirginDear Blessed Virgin Mary:

What should I do for Halloween? Do you have any costume suggestions? I am out of ideas.

Unhappy Hyna in South Carolina

Dear Hyna:

South Carolina? Oh, Dios Mio, you have to get out of there pronto! But until you do, I think I can help you with some Halloween costume ideas. It’s one of my fave holidays — I put on my red pumps and go out and get a little crazy. Virgins just wanna have fun, tu sabes?

And I’ve worn a bunch of different costumes over the years, like this astronaut outfit in the pic. Or see if my other photos offer a look that’s right for you!

Your BV, Mary

Mas…Dear Virgin Mary: What should I wear for Halloween? (photos)

Ñewsweek: @Astro_Jose is A-OK, Zimmerman’s ‘Latinidad’ revoked

Formerly-Latino Zimmerman is shown on police surveillance video
This week’s ñews ran from A to Z as California Democratic Congressional candidate Jose Hernandez (@Astro_Jose on Twitter) didn’t need to show his papers to “prove” he is an astronaut, a national organization stripped alleged Trayvon Martin killer George Zimmerman of his official Latino credentials and our new columnist Dear Abuelita dispensed unexpected advice on love and life.

These were the big stories (plus Zimmerman’s 911 call, below) this week on POCHO:

Mas…Ñewsweek: @Astro_Jose is A-OK, Zimmerman’s ‘Latinidad’ revoked

GOP to José Hernández: Where’s your space certificate? *Updated

CLICK HERE FOR  MORE POCHONAUT COVERAGE

*(SACRAMENTO) A judge ruled Thursday afternoon that Democratic candidate José Hernández can indeed call himself an “astronaut” on the official ballots for U.S. Congress, according to a late report from the California state capital.

Yo no soy astronauta?

(SACRAMENTO March 26) He’s a NASA veteran who has been to the International Space Station and back and here we have a photo of him in his pinche space suit, but GOP lawyers who oppose Democrat José Hernández’s bid for seat in the U.S. Congress are demanding he stop calling himself an “astronaut.”

Unless Californian Hernandez can prove he is still an astronaut, the lawyers say, he has to stop referring to himself using that title.

“Astronaut is not a title one carries for life,”  Republican operatives  asserted in a lawsuit filed in Sacramento County last week.

The suit notes that Hernandez did not make any money from NASA last year. From the Fresno Bee:

Mas…GOP to José Hernández: Where’s your space certificate? *Updated

Meet America’s first Latino astronaut: José Jiménez (audio video)

Just around the time actual Latino astronaut José Hernández was born, actor and comic Bill Dana (not a Latino) got famous playing José Jiménez, a sweet but dimwitted astronaut with a thick Latino accent.

It was the beginning of the Space Race and astronauts were America’s new heroes, but the very idea of a Chicano in space was a joke.

Mas…Meet America’s first Latino astronaut: José Jiménez (audio video)