Real Housewives Of Atlanta Recap: Cynthia And Porsha Have It Out!

     I've been away from blogging for a while, but I thought that the new season of RHOA was the perfect time to return to "It Is The Lifestyle". Tuning in, I was a little bit skeptical of what would be of this season after last season was so explosive, but I have not been disappointed at all. On the season premiere, it was pretty much about Phaedra and Apollo, as Apollo was sentenced to eight years in prison, leaving Phaedra to cope with raising her two sons without a father. Meanwhile, the other ladies talked about the aftermath of Porsha pulling Kenya's hair during last season's reunion. Speaking of Kenya, the second episode was explosive as ever as Apollo admitted that he had lied about Ms. Moore offering him sex and seeing her in L.A. This is where this past week's episode picked up.

(From bet.com)

    To start the episode, Kandi lets Phaedra know about Apollo's confession, and Phaedra graciously says that she needs to offer Kenya and apology. Meanwhile, Kenya tells her aunt what Apollo said, and her aunt tells her that she needs to make a mends with the other ladies. Stressed out from all the gossip going on around her, or so I assume, Kandi and Todd have a little bit of playtime in the bedroom after. It's not all fun and game for the newlywed though, as Todd's daughter moves in to their ATL home. The meeting between Todd's daughter and Kandi's daughter was hysterical as the two obviously seemed to clash, but I think they will end up liking each other by the end of the day. After all that was over, we see Apollo consulting with one of Atlanta's top divorce attorneys about a potential divorce from Phaedra, as Phaedra, seemingly unaware, plays with her kids at home in the pool. Across town, we are introduced to Claudia, who I can tell is going to spice things up.  Next up, things got super heated, as NeNe and Porsha discuss the new girl Claudia and their mutual dislike for Cynthia, which eventually leads up to the Cynthia and Porsha meeting to hatch things out. After showing up an hour late, Porsha dominates the conversation and does not let Cynthia get a word in edgewise. Cynthia fights back though, claiming that she is not a flip flopper, like Porsha claims, and she also says that she only commented on Porsha's anti-gay video clip because Porsha talked badly about her. In the end, Cynthia storms out of the restaurant, leaving Porsha alone in a room with all eyes on her, and the episode ends. What do you think about this season so far? Whose side are you on in the Cynthia/Porsha feud? Let me know below.

Quick And Easy Fiesta: Beef Burritos And A Delicious Cadillac Margarita Recipe

Waiting for sprinkle of cheese

     The sun is out, and, to me, that's a reason to celebrate. And what better reason to celebrate than a fiesta night at home? K Dub and I had a few friends over the other night, and we made them margaritas, burritos, and all the fixings for a Mexican fiesta. This is how we did it.
     For the burritos we chopped a half of an onion and cooked it in a pan with an entire 8 oz. can of black beans. We then added a half a pound of beef and approximately one half of a red bell pepper. To be honest, we had made way too much beef stew the night before, and we fished out the beef and pepper from that. It's called being thrifty and efficient people. From there, we added about 1/2 teaspoon of paprika and a few teaspoons of pepper. Seasoning, to me, is a personal matter, so you can add more or less if you want. Finally, we added about 1/4 cup of tomato sauce and stirred the ingredients together.
   After we cooked the mixture for about ten minutes  (or until the onion becomes softened), we got out six tortillas and filled them with the mixture. We then put plenty of cheese in them, and rolled them up. To top it off, we put sour cream and more cheese on top. What we got was pure deliciousness.

   Then, it was time for the margaritas. For those, we decided to go with one of our favorites, the Cadillac Margarita. We mixed 4 1/2 oz. of 100%  agave Tequila, 3 oz. of Grand Marnier, 3/4 oz. fresh lime, and 3 oz. of sweet & sour mix in the blender. Of course, we added plenty of ice in their too. When it was all blended together, it yielded three servings. For the sake of tradition, we took the lime, rubbed it around the edges of the glass, and dipped it in salt before we poured the tasty mixture in. Let me tell you something, it worked because those drinks were super good.
   I'm not the only one who thought this though. Our guests loved the drinks so much, we had to make them several times that night. Fair warning, they can be a bit strong so make sure the lightweights at the party mange themselves. Nevertheless, the drinks and the food turned out great so if you are in need for some ideas for your next fiesta night, both recipes are ones that I would definitely recommend. Do you have any fiesta suggestions, stories, or ideas? If so, please leave them in the comment section below so we can all share in them. Happy eating and drinking folks!

Popular Queen: Marti Gould Cummings Chats With RuPaul''s Drag Race Contestant Bianca Del Rio

   If you haven't figured it out yet, Bianca Del Rio has captured the hearts of America on RuPaul's Drag Race. She's done this through showing both sides of her personality, a biting comedy queen on one hand and a caring person who wants to see her drag sisters do well on the other. Bianca recently sat down with Marti Gould Cummings to chat about how it feels to have done this, her first foray into the drag world, and her friendship with Lady Bunny.  This is sure to be one in a line of many interview's that Bianca will probably do as she gets closer to the crown on RuPaul's Drag Race so watch out world because here she comes!                                        
                             

Betty White Is Baffled By Homophobia

    Betty White recently sat down with Larry King, and, among other things, she stated that she doesn't understand homophobia. After all, she see it as a personal matter that is none of her business. Now, if we could get the rest of America to think like this, we'd be getting somewhere. You may recall, Betty White had gay friends, such as Rock Hudson during her career, and this could certainly be what makes her spot on about this issue. After all, studies have shown when someone knows a gay person they are more likely to have positive opinions about gay issues such as marriage. Just another reason to love America's sweetheart even more!

Calling Them Out: Why LGBT People Should Get Behind The People Exposing Corruption With The #myNYPD Hashtag

     It was June of 1969. Cops stormed the Stonewall Inn in New York City, arresting gay folks for living their lives. Having dealt with abuse from the police force for years, the LGBT men and women finally had enough. They stood up to the brutality, and the gay rights movement began. Today, folks are still standing up to the NYPD, which some say has become more violent in the years since Stonewall, but they are doing it in a much more peaceful way. They are taking to social media to stand up to the violence.

(From www.benswann.com)

     The New York City Police Department first asked people to send pictures of their force earlier this week using #myNYPD. Expecting to see smiling faces of their force, the NYPD got a surprise when Twitter users took the opportunity to call them out for their abuse of the public. From photos of an elderly man who took a beating from the NYPD after jaywalking to the story of a boy whose legs were broke by cops, New Yorkers are letting the world know about the abusive police state that exists in the Big Apple.
     As a minority community, we as LGBT folks definitely need to support this kind of thing. After all, minorities, both racial and sexual, are the ones who are mainly the victims of this kind of abuse. We have been, and still are to a degree, targeted by law enforcement simply for being who we are, and we need to support others who share our struggle to exist peacefully in a discriminatory world. So, if you have any stories or pictures of police abuse, make your stories heard by taking to Twitter using #myNYPD or whatever your city's police department is, so that we can make sure that this kind of abuse towards our fellow humans comes to an end once and for all. After all,  if Stonewall taught us one thing it was that speaking out against injustice is the only way to ensure that more injustice in the future. If we do this, who knows, we might be able to give future generations a better world, free of  hate, discrimination, and corruption where no one has to fear their local law enforcement officials. 

You've Got Mail: RuPaul's Drag Race Praised And Attacked For Dropping Phrase From Show

From omgblog.com

        
     As you know, RuPaul's Drag Race has dropped the phrase "You've got she-mail" from the show after complaints poured in from transgender advocates that the popular catchphrase on the hit reality show is transphobic. While many former contestants weighed in saying that the line should be kept on the program, former contestant Carmen Carrera, who is transgender, came out swinging saying that she thought the word "she-male" was inappropriate in any case. While she may hold this opinion, other trans women, including Our Lady J, have come out saying that Logo dropping the term is nothing but scensorship.
  As a cisgender male, I must say that I don't see what the fuss is about. To me, RuPaul never referred to a transgender woman as a "shemale", and I don't know if calling a drag queen a "shemale" qualifies as transphobia at all. After all, I see tons of movies where a straight man calls another straight man "the f word", and I take no offense to it. Now, if they referred to a gay person as that word, it would be a whole different story because that is blatant homophobia. If this is the case, I would not take RuPaul's word as an attack on trans people unless they were directed at a trans person.
   Though I don't find Ru's words to be transphobic, I understand that some people in the transgender community do take offense to the words, and, if it makes them that upset, it's no skin off my teeth that they drop the words from the show. After all, I watch the show for entertainment value, not for one catch phrase. To make such a big fuss over them getting rid of the words only wastes time getting accomplished what we need to as a community. So, let's come together and respect one another's opinions. This way, we can be a united front in fighting for equality for all people regardless of sexual preference or gender identity in the years to come.

Dive Into Gay Portland, Oregon: Five Great Gay Bars In The City Of Roses

    Portland, Oregon is one of the most gay friendly cities in America. While you can feel comfortable as a gay person pretty much anywhere in the city, there are a few bars that will have you feeling right at home with your gay brothers and sisters. Here are five that you should check out if you are ever in town.

1. CC Slaughters. This great dance club is a Portland institution. It's been around for thirty years, and it still remains the number one spot to get your groove on with your fellow gays. Even better, there's no cover so you can party on a budget. It's located at 219 NW Davis Street.

(From gaytravel.com)

2.) Darcelle's. Right next door to CC's, Darcelle's is the number one place to see Portland's top drag queens and female impersonators. The shows are fun and campy, but the only downside is the $15 cover. It's located at 208 NW 3rd Avenue.

(From Pinterest)

3.) Silverado. A few blocks over, you can get a different kind of entertainment at Silverado. This gay bar and strip club is popular with locals who want to see buff guys baring all. During the week, they have no cover most of the time, but cover is three bucks on weekend nights. It's located at 318 SW 3rd Avenue.

(From silveradopdx.com)

 

4.) The Eagle. The Eagle is probably Portland's number one most popular gay bar on the east side of Portland. While its patrons can sometimes be burly bears and the leather crowd, they are accepting of everybody. It's a great place to grab a beer and chill on a Friday night. It's located at 835 N. Lombard Street. 

 

 

(From www.oregonlive.com)

5.) The Local Lounge. Last but not least, we have The Local Lounge. Also on the east side, this bar is one of the newest gay spots in the city. It's a laid back bar with a relaxed feel, and it will have you feeling right at home. It's located at 3536 NE MLK Boulevard.

(From www.gaytravel.about.com)

  So there you have it. There's five great gay dives to check out next time you find yourself in Portland. Like the people in this city, they are all a little unique, but they will entertain you nevertheless. Enjoy!