Your One-Stop-Shop For Cuban Political Repression and Caribbean Etiquette

Fausta's pissed off at Colin Cowie (I swear, the man wears more eyeliner and mascara than I do!), who apparently had a feature on CBS' The Early Show yesterday about throwing a "Cuba Libre Party." The premise behind this being if you can't go to Cuba, well, bring Cuba to your home with a Cuban-themed party.

This didn't go over so well with Paxety or Val, because it patently ignores the reality of what's going on in Cuba. But Fausta, well, while she agrees with these two, she has a different sort of axe to grind with Cowie:

But Colin's on a roll:

"Instead of a tablecloth, use potato sacking or jute"

This one really got on my nerves.

Colin, let me hold you firmly by both lapels while I heap scorn at your face,

The most humble Caribbean host would rather DIE than use potato sacking as a tablecloth. Hand-embroidered linen tablecloths are de rigeur, and, if it's a sit-down meal, accompanied with matching dinner or lunch-sized linen napkins. If linen is not affordable, or the hosts want a more casual look, tablecoths of the best-quality fabric the budget would allow. Good-quality paper tablecloths are used for outdoor ocassions, such as picnicking. Not potato sacking, you idiot.

The Early Show's show of cluelessness would only be matched by having Colin feature his watermelon napkin rings at an NAACP convention.{...}

Fausta: The blogosphere's Latina Emily Post.