Sonia Sotomayor: Supreme Niuyorican!

President Barack Obama has nominated Appellate Court Judge Sonia Sotomayor for the U.S. Supreme Court. If confirmed by the U.S. Senate, Sotomayor will become the first member of Latino heritage to serve on the nation's highest court.

From the AP (Obama picks Sotomayor for high court):

Judge Sonia Sotomayor is a self-described "Niuyorican" who grew up in a Bronx housing project after her parents moved to New York from Puerto Rico. She has dealt with diabetes since age 8 and lost her father at age 9, growing up under the care of her mother in humble surroundings. As a girl, inspired by the Perry Mason television show, she knew she wanted to be a judge.

A graduate of Princeton University and Yale Law School, a former prosecutor and private attorney, Sotomayor became a federal judge for the Southern District of New York in 1992.

As a judge, she has a bipartisan pedigree. She was first appointed by a Republican, President George H.W. Bush, then named an appeals judge by President Bill Clinton in 1997.

Drums Along the Hudson: A Native American Festival May 17th

The Seventh Annual DRUMS ALONG THE HUDSON: A NATIVE AMERICAN FESTIVAL will take place on Sunday, May 17th, 2009 in Upper Manhattan’s Inwood Hill Park from 11:00 am until 6:00 pm, rain or shine. The event is FREE to the public and presented by Lotus Music & Dance.

DRUMS ALONG THE HUDSON features Manhattan’s only open air pow wow, which is a celebratory gathering of Native people. This year’s pow wow will be led by Louis Mofsie and the Thunderbird American Indian Dancers and will feature other indigenous and international artists.

A multi cultural family-oriented festival, DRUMS ALONG THE HUDSON includes exhibitions of world dance and drumming traditions as well as Native American crafts and international cuisines. The festival combines a celebration of Native American heritage, culture, and art with the diversity of New York City itself.

More

NYJets' Mark Sanchez: Franchise Player & Latino Role Model

Viva Mark Sanchez! New Jets QB celebrates his Mexican heritage NY DailyNews

NYJets 2009 NFL Draft pick QB Mark Sanchez:


Jets fans react to selection of Sanchez:


Sanchez' USC '08 highlights & USC fan reaction the draft:


Sanchez on being Latino & a role model:

Gov. Paterson's Wheelchair Skit

From the Daily Politics Blog....

Gov. David Paterson, who is legally blind, used his response to last night's LCA show to hit back at an 1199/GNYHA TV ad released during the budget battle that featured a blind man in a wheelchair slamming the governor's proposed healthcare spending cuts.

Three thoughts:

1) While the audio is bad and hard to hear in parts, it's clear that the skit is a 5 minute whinefest by an unpopular politician.

2) It's one thing to skewer critics using humor. It's quite another to do so in a way that's demeaning to yourself and others.

3) In a state in which Wall Street billionaires pay the same rate in state taxes as the very poor, is it really funny to mock the disabled worried about cuts in healthcare funding?

On the plus side, Paterson did a funny impersonation of Sheldon Silvers--and the folks in the jaded Capitol reporters in the room laughed throughout the monologue.

The question though is, were they laughing with the governor, or at him?

Gov. Paterson's Skit


Healthcare Cuts Ad

Immigrant Heritage Week - April 17-23