Adolfo Carrión Jr: America's Czar for Cities

President Barack Obama named Bronx Borough President Adolfo Carrión Jr. as his Director of Urban Affairs to oversee federal investments in America's cities. The appointment is a key part of Obama's strategy to lift the American economy through targeted investments in education and infrastructure.

Carrión's appointment "will bring long overdue attention to the urban areas where 80 percent of the American people live and work," Obama said in announcing the selection.

"Vibrant cities spawn innovation, economic growth and cultural enrichment. The urban affairs office will focus on wise investments and development in our urban areas that will create employment and housing opportunities and make our country more competitive, prosperous and strong," the president said.

Carrión earned a master's degree in urban planning from Hunter College in 1990. He also served on New York's City Council, as an urban planner for the city, and as a public school teacher. He currently is president of the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials.

Carrión will report directly to Obama and coordinate all federal urban programs.

Related:
Adolfo Carrión Jr.: The Most Powerful?
Carrión Jr. - Bronx Borough President's website
Adolfo Carrión Jr. - Wikipedia
Joel Rivera v. Ruben Diaz, Jr. for Bronx Boro Prez?

Gilberto Miguel Calderón (aka Joe Cuba) has Passed: R.I.P.

The "Father of Boogaloo," Joe Cuba, passed away on Sunday, February 15, 2009 at Mt. Sinai Hospital in New York. He was 77 years old.

Joe Cuba was the most popular exponent of the boogaloo, a fused Latino and R&B rhythm that exploded onto the American top 40s charts during the turbulent 1960s & ‘70s. Hits such as “Bang Bang,” “Push Push,” “El Pito,” “Ariñañara,” and “Sock It To Me Baby,” rocked the hit parades establishing Joe Cuba and his Sextet as the definitive sound of Latin New York during the ‘60s & ‘70s

His music was at the forefront of the Nuyroican movement of New York.

Joe Cuba will be viewed at the R&G Ortiz Funeral Home (204 E. 116th Street, Manhattan between 3rd & 2nd Avenues; 212.722.3512) Wednesday & Thursday, February 18/19, 2:00 to 10:00 p.m.

Link

"Thank You" - The Julio/Sly Remix

Bocafloja's Soul Rebel

Mexicans are the fastest growing Latino community in New York City -- and they'll likely surpass their Puerto Rican and Dominican counterparts within the next decade.

Musician, rapper, urban poet and Mexicano, Bocafloja presents Soul Rebel from el Bronx, Nueva York.

Selma Hayek's Beautiful Act - Breastfeeds a Hungry Baby

Actress Salma Hayek recently traveled to Sierra Leone to raise awareness about tetanus, a leading cause of death in the developing world. While there, she witnessed firsthand the devastating effects of extreme poverty. Hayek, who has a 16-month-old daughter named Valentina, was moved to offer herself quite literally to a starving child. Without hesitation Hayek began breast-feeding a hungry African baby.

Hayek tells of her grandmother performing a similar tender and humantarian gesture as a young woman in a small Mexican village.

'Phoenix the Rapper' on The Late Show with David Letterman

Phoenix was definitely acting weird in his appearance on The Late Show, which seemed to unnerve Letterman. Q: Was Letterman punked?

I'm also starting to think that Joaquin Rafael Phoenix -- who in my opinion is one of today's greatest actors -- has taken his artcraft up a notch and is now producer, writer, actor of a performance that merges reality and fiction, happens across all media forms and venues, and obliterates the 90 minute timeframe.

In the process, is he careening to the edge of madness?

Joaquin Phoenix the Oscar Nominee vs Phoenix the Rapper

Joaquin the Actor in 'Walk The Line' 2005
Joaquin earned an Oscar nomination for his role as Johnny Cash and he won a Grammy for his performance in the soundtrack.


Joaquin Phoenix Quits Acting - October 31, 2008
"This is not a joke. Might I be ridiculous? Might my career in music be laughable? Yeah, that's possible, but that's certainly not my intention."


Phoenix the Rapper debutes- January 16, 2009
A bearded Phoenix drops three rhymes at Lavo inside The Palazzo, Las Vegas, NV.


Maybe Joaquin never really quit acting.

Related: Joaquin Phoenix Quits Hollywood for the Guitar
Joaquin Rafael Phoenix - Wikipedia

The Nadya Suleman Family Website: Show Your Support

If you have words of support for the Nadya Suleman Family, or you'd like to help the family defray some of the costs of providing for the babies, you're welcomed to do so via The Nadya Suleman Family website.

And if you're one of those who just knows there's no way Nadya can afford 14 children, it's even more important to be generous. It's the right thing to do.

Nadya & Her Babies: Show Them Love

More NBC Octuplets Videos:
The First Look at the Octuplets
Nadya talks about the father of her babies

I'm sure Ann Curry's just doing her job, but the judgemental look on her face and her ridiculous questions are very telling. She just can't understand why the young, pretty and articulate Nadya would want so many children. But even more insulting, however, is when Curry asked if Nadya wasn't ensuring a lack love and connection with so many babies?

A very stupid question!

1) How can anyone answer such a question?
2) Why should anyone -- especially a new mother -- be asked such a question?
3) And Ann, fewer children in a family does not guarantee more love per child -- just ask Nadya!
Clearly, Nadya has touched a nerve. Her nontraditional story has sent so many people over the edge. I'm stunned by people's negative attitudes and hateful comments. The young woman has even received death threats. Why?

Instead of looking to support the woman, people want to tear her down. It's like a pack of wolves have been unleashed from some dark and primitive strain.

As for me, I'm praying that Nadya and her children survive, prosper and have wonderful love-filled lives. And I hoping that the good people of her community (and beyond) give their love and support to the 14 babies and their mother.

A Stimulus for Julio Osegueda

Julio Osegueda, 19, was a big hit at President Obama's Town Hall in Ft. Myers, Florida. A pimpled faced Edison College student and MacDonald's employee, the hyper-enthusiastic Julio and Obama fan was called by the president to ask a question. Hardly able to contain his excitement, Julio asked the president if his economic recovery plan could help get more benefits to workers like himself.

The answer is a resounding Yes!

Almost immediately, Julio--a broadcasting major--was invited to call a local baseball game and offered an internship with a local radio station.

Way to go, Julio!

Nadya Suleman's Story: Class and Race

What's most disturbing about Nadya Suleman Gutierrez Doud's story is not that she gave birth to eight at once (albeit, a major medical/ethical/moral story), nor that she now has 14 children to love and care for. It's not even that she's a single mom that's unemployed. No. What's most disturbing is the level and volume of the venom directed at Nadya.

Granted there are legitimate medical, ethical and moral questions involved related to implanting 6 embryos at one time into a clearly fertile woman and the risks associated with multiple birth pregnancies. But so much of what I'm hearing from those condemning Nadya is doused in race and class. (BTW: Nadya's father is an Iraqi immigrant and her mother is said to be Ukranian. Gutierrez is the name of Nadya's former husband.)

For example, one 'therapist' on the Today Show said it's wrong for Nadya to want lots of children. Period. That was her point. Well, I come from a large family, my aunts and uncles had large families, my wife comes from a large family, and most of us would not have traded growing up in large families for anything. And contrary to elitist pontificators, large families are not uncommon around the world.

The same therapist declares without a stitch of evidence that there will be issues of neglect. Really? Tell that to my Tia Rosa and her 14 children--all whom turned out great. Everyone that knows my Tia Rosa knows that she loves everyone of her children and everyone of my cousins dearly love, respect and honor their mother. Tell it also to Doña Geni who had 16 children and everyone of them dearly love the woman they view as saintly.

Actually, some of the nuttier, self-centered, arrogrant people I've met in my life were from single child, two parent, well-to-do families.

Nadya says that she would never have agreed to discard any of the embryos nor to selectively "reduce" the fetuses. Because, she says, they're her babies--and she's right. But this truth seems to horrify commentators. They suggest that she was simply being selfish. Really? It seems to me that it's quite the opposite. She saved her embryos and she risked her own health and life for the babies.

As if to put a loud exclamation point on the classist/racist reaction to what Nadya's has done, here's Bill O'Reilly's expected, angry and assumption-ladened explosion.

Jon Stewart on Blago's Hair and Geraldo's Mustache

Jon Stewart pokes fun at Geraldo Rivera for his weird interview of impeached Governor Blagojevich. Geraldo, defending Latinos immigrants against the FOX jackals is good. But chasing Blagojevich for an interview and then breathlessly defending the ethically challenged Chicago pol is, well, tacky.

Puerto Rico 's Taino Roots on Native America Calling -Thursday, 2.5.09

Before it was Puerto Rico, it was known to the Taino people as Borinquen – “land of the brave noble lord.” Many of today’s Puerto Ricans, both those born on the island and in the states, trace their indigenous roots to Taino ancestors.

One geneticist discovered 3 out of 5 native Puerto Ricans have remnants of Taino DNA streaming through their blood. As the legacy of the Taino people of the Caribbean is rediscovered, what is turning Puerto Ricans back to their Borinquen roots?

Native America Calling's Special Guest: Roberto Mukaro Agueibana Borrero, President and Chairman of the United Confederation of Taino People.

Thursday, February 5, 2009, 1-2pm EST

To participate: call 1-800-996-2848, that's 1-800-99-NATIVE

TO LISTEN ONLINE:

KNBA-FM 90.3 Anchorage, Alaska

NV1 Albuquerque, NM

KISU 91.1 FM Pocatello, Idaho

KUNM-FM 89.9 FM Albuquerque, New Mexico

KSJD 91.5 Cortez, Colorado

KSUT-FM 91.3 FM Ignacio, Colorado

KSFC 91.9 FM Spokane, Washington

WOJB-FM 88.9 FM Hayward, Wisconsin

KGVA-FM 88.1 Fort Belknap, Montana