Curtis Lee Mayfield (June 3, 1942 – December 26, 1999) was an American soul, rhythm and blues, and funk singer, songwriter, and record producer best known for his anthemic music with The Impressions and composing the soundtrack to the blaxploitation film Super Fly. From these works and others, he is highly regarded as a pioneer of funk and of politically conscious African-American music.[1][2] He was also a multi-instrumentalist who played the guitar, bass, piano, saxophone, and drums.
Born on June 3, 1942 in Chicago, Illinois, Mayfield was the son of Marion Washington and Kenneth Mayfield. Mayfield’s father abandoned the family when Mayfield was five and his mother moved Curtis and his siblings into various Chicago projects before settling at the Cabrini–Green projects when Mayfield reached his teenage years. Mayfield attended Wells Community Academy High School. He dropped out of high school early to become lead singer and songwriter for The Impressions, then went on to a successful solo career. Perhaps most notably, Mayfield was among the first of a new wave of mainstream African-American R&B performing artists and composers injecting social commentary into their work.[1] This “message music” became extremely popular during the 1960s and 1970s.
Justice Alito will be a no-show for Obama’s next State of Union
http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/world/50485776-68/court-justice-alito-brennan.html.csp
When Supreme Court justices enter the House of Representatives in their black robes for the president’s next State of the Union address, Samuel Alito does not plan to be among them.
The justice said the annual speech to Congress has become very political and awkward for the justices, who he says are expected to sit “like the proverbial potted plant.”
Of course, Alito did not remain impassive at the most recent State of the Union speech by President Barack Obama. He reacted to Obama’s unusual rebuke of the court for its decision in a campaign finance case by shaking his head and mouthing the words “not true.”
The 60-year-old justice, an appointee of President George W. Bush, acknowledged with a smile that his colleagues “who are more disciplined refrain from manifesting any emotion or opinion whatsoever.”
Alito, answering questions following a speech Wednesday at the conservative Manhattan Institute in New York, also said, “Presidents will fake you out.” The institute provided an online video link to Alito’s talk and question-and-answer session.
The president will begin a sentence with an invocation of the country’s greatness, Alito said. If justices don’t jump up and applaud, “you look very unpatriotic,” he said.
Do us a favor, Alito? Step down
Appeals Court Orders Sheriff Arpaio to Be Humane
http://colorlines.com/archives/2010/10/court_orders_sheriff_arpaio_to_comply_with_court_mandates_for_jail_reforms.html
On Wednesday, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a ruling by a lower court that charged Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio with mistreatment of detainees in his jails for serving them spoiled food and neglecting their health.
Arpaio’s cruelty toward his inmates is legendary. Tent cities, physical abuse and hard labor, pink underwear, chain gangs—he’s imposed all of these sadistic measures on his prisoners. In 2008, the ACLU took Arpaio to court, arguing that because of his well-documented abuses, his jails necessitated federal oversight.
U.S. District Court Judge Neil Wake ruled in October 2008 that Arpaio broke the law by failing to meet basic requirements in food quality and housing conditions for inmates. Arpaio appealed the ruling.
How can this be? Why isn’t this monster in jail?
How the hell can Arpaio be humane when he isn’t human?
See the Kanye West Album Cover Banned From Wal-Mart
9:20 AM 10/18/2010 by Lindsay Powers
“I wanna sell albums, but not at the expense of my true creativity,” the Twittered.
Kanye West’s new album has been banned from Wal-Mart stores, the rapper announced on Twitter Sunday.
“Banned in the USA!!! They don’t want me chilling on the couch with my phoenix!” wrote West of the artwork for “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy” (due in stores Nov. 22), which features a painting of what appears to be two monsters having sex painted by blue chip NYC painter George Condo.
“In the 70s album covers had actual nudity… It’s so funny that people forget that… Everything has been so commercialized now,” continued West. “In all honesty … I really don’t be thinking about Wal-Mart when I make my music or album covers.”
He added, “I wanna sell albums but not at the expense of my true creativity…So Nirvana can have a naked human being on they cover but I can’t have a PAINTING of a monster with no arms and a polka dot tail and wings.”
West isn’t too upset though: “I know that cover just blew yall minds … I wish yall could see how hard I’m smiling right now!!!”
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/see-kanye-west-album-cover-30993
Supreme Court Will Hear Case Regarding Arrests Of Muslims Post-9/11
Elena Kagan Forced To Recuse Herself
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/10/18/john-ashcroft-supreme-court-unlawful-arrests_n_766471.html#comments
WASHINGTON — Abdullah al-Kidd had an all-American background: Kansas native, then a football star in college. That’s when he converted to Islam.
John Ashcroft was the attorney general who approved a policy that led to the arrests of al-Kidd and dozens of others without evidence of crimes in the Bush administration’s aggressive response to the 9/11 attacks.
Now the Supreme Court will decide whether al-Kidd can try, through a civil lawsuit, to prove that Ashcroft should be held personally responsible for his arrest.
It is just one of several instances where Ashcroft’s push-the-envelope style during the fear-filled period that followed the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks has ended up spawning lawsuits.
Al-Kidd was arrested at Dulles International Airport outside Washington, D.C., in 2003, preparing to board a flight to Saudi Arabia. FBI Director Robert Mueller boasted in congressional testimony that al-Kidd’s arrest was one of five major anti-terrorism coups for the agency, including the arrest of alleged 9/11 mastermind Khalid Shaikh Mohammed.
Workers say they were ordered to vote Republican, Obama threatened (updated)
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2010/10/18/911318/-Workers-say-they-were-ordered-to-vote-Republican,-Obama-threatened-(updated)
In recently filed lawsuits, five black employees of Altec Industries, in Birmingham, Alabama, say they were ordered to attend a rally at the firm for Sen. Jeff Sessions (Republican) in October 2008, were given pre-marked ballots, and ordered to vote Republican.
The workers add, in separate federal complaints, that when Barack Obama was elected president, “an employee drew cross hairs or a target on a picture of President Obama and posted it in the workplace.” (Courthouse News, October 18, 2010)
One of the plaintiffs, Australia Harris, describes an environment hostile toward President-elect Barack Obama.
Harris claims that when he wore an Obama shirt after the presidential election, a white co-worker told him to “take that damn shirt off.” He says the co-worker told him that the “O” on his shirt “was the perfect circle for a cross hair. I can reach you from 500 yards away,” and added, “I’m not kidding.”
The hate was and still is palpable since Barack Obama was elected POTUS. These southern crackas really do believe we’re still in the 1950s. That dude was crusin’ for a brusin’.
Obama is like a Chilean miner, Harry Reid says
President found himself in ‘a hole’ when elected to White House, but ‘rolled up his sleeves’
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39717311/ns/politics-decision_2010/
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has compared President Barack Obama to a trapped Chilean miner.
In a speech to supporters in Las Vegas on Sunday night, Reid said that when Obama replaced George W. Bush in the White House he found himself in a “hole so deep that he couldn’t see the outside world.
“It was like the Chilean miners, but he, being the man he is, rolled up his sleeves and said ‘I am going to get us out of this hole,'” Reid said at an “Early Vote GOTV” event.
At a Democratic rally in Boston on Saturday, Obama acknowledged Democrats in general were in a hole, heading up to the mid-term elections.
“There is no doubt that this is a difficult election,” he told the crowd of 10,000. “That’s because we’ve been through an incredibly difficult time as a nation.”
Damn, Harry! LOL So that’s that’s why CNN decided to run the Chilean miner rescue for the 50-11th time last night during PBO’s Ohio rally speech
Not a myth
Obama taped ‘MythBusters’ cameo
By CAROL E. LEE | 10/18/10 6:28 AM Updated: 10/18/10 8:33 AM
President Obama will appear on an episode of the Discovery Channel show “MythBusters” on Dec. 8, White House officials said Sunday.
Obama has already taped his cameo on the show, which, according to the Discovery Channel, “aims to uncover the truth behind popular myths and legends by mixing scientific method with gleeful curiosity and plain old-fashioned ingenuity.”
The Obama episode will air at 9 p.m. The Discover Channel says Obama “challenges hosts Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman to revisit an ancient and somewhat controversial myth: Did Greek scientist and polymath Archimedes set fire to an invading Roman fleet using only mirrors and the reflected rays of the sun?”
The announcement comes as Obama hosts on Monday the White House Science Fair, which will feature winners of science, technology, engineering and math competitions across the country.
http://www.politico.com/politico44/perm/1010/not_a_myth_c1801013-09ec-4d39-ae9f-ccdad3233e1e.html
PBO to deliver remarks at White House Science fair today.
Obama to issue mythbuster challenge at White House Science Fair
WASHINGTON (CNN) – President Barack Obama has a myth that may need busting.
Obama will announce Monday that he has a walk-on role on Discovery Channel’s “Mythbusters” program in December to challenge the ancient myth that Greek scientist Archimedes set fire to an invading Roman fleet using sunlight reflected by mirrors.
The announcement will come during a White House Science Fair to celebrate the winners of competitions across the country involving science, technology, engineering and math projects.
“If you win the NCAA championship, you come to the White House,” Obama said last year when he launched his Educate to Innovate campaign intended to improve the performance of U.S. students in math and science. “Well, if you’re a young person and you produce the best experiment or design, the best hardware or software, you ought to be recognized for that achievement, too.”
HYPOCRISY: Scores Of Republicans Who Opposed Stimulus Sought Funds In Private Letters
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/10/17/republicans-economic-stimulus_n_765772.html#comments
Scores of Republicans and conservative Democrats who voted against the $787 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act subsequently wrote letters requesting funds for projects in a massive, behind-the-scenes letter-writing and phone call campaign, documents obtained by the Center show.
No good dirty mofos!
It’s the American way, doncha know! GOP Rethugs let others do their heavy lifting, then they steal, distort, lie, and cheat to claim it as their own victories.
see, this is the kind of shit that Pelosi should have stopped. should have been blunt – your ass doesn’t vote for it, your district doesn’t get shyt. there is no reason why these mofos should have their cake and eat it too.
Conservative Democrats were in on it too. Isn’t that some sh*t? They’re nothing but republicans. They’re fronting before the cameras for the white people and knowing their district needs the money. Coward a-holes!
Tell it, SG2! And those Dems who want to distance themselves from POTUS, I’d tell them to kiss my black ass.
Love FLOTUS… Check out BO, what a ham for the cam!
Hat tip Political Carnival
Video- Michelle Obama Surprises White House Tour Visitors
http://www.thepoliticalcarnival.net/2010/10/video-michelle-obama-surprises-white-house-toor-visitors/
LOL! Here’s the article from Wonkette re: above video on WH tours with FLOTUS
FLOTUS FILES
World’s Most Powerful Lady Mingles With Peasants, Cures Disabled
Our sassy FLOTUS stirred up some controversy last week when she stopped on the South Side of Chicago to cast an early vote, and then whispered to a bunch of people that they better vote Democrat, or else. This made some people angry, because they thought maybe it violated an Illinois state law (or not),) and also because everyone knows that Michelle Obama can, with her words and her giant accessories, force Americans to do all sorts of things they would otherwise avoid, like voting a certain way, or exercising. She has super powers, our FLOTUS, and she used them just a few days prior to the voting non-incident to freak out a bunch of strangers.
Last Tuesday, Michelle Obama got bored of force-feeding broccoli to America’s obese children and decided to wander aimlessly through the White House, greeting a suspiciously diverse crowd of visitors that included an Italian lady, some disabled folks, and a toddler boy wearing a cape.
http://wonkette.com/426724/worlds-most-powerful-lady-mingles-with-peasants-cures-disabled
More nonsense, as the media carries water for the RETHUGS.
Obamas try to rekindle magic of 2008 during trip to Ohio
By Karen Tumulty
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, October 17, 2010; 10:19 PM
COLUMBUS, OHIO – Sharing a campaign stage for the first time since the presidential campaign two years ago, Barack and Michelle Obama tried to rekindle the magic of 2008, with the president pleading for supporters to “keep believing.”
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Meanwhile, yet another Ohio congressman – Republican House Minority Leader John A. Boehner – is in line to become House speaker if his party picks up 40 seats.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/10/17/AR2010101703848.html?wpisrc=nl_politics
The Media is full of sh*t. They cannot deny the size of the crowd so they peddle another meme. Ohioans showed up & made the media shame last night.
Hello everyone!
Hi yam, Dannie! Is Ohio still ROCKIN’ this morning? Y’all brought the fire last night. Rock teh vote, baby!
Morning, Dannie!
Good Morning, Ametia & 3 Chics!
It was some rally indeed. It was 08 campaign all over again!
Happy Monday!
Hi ya, SG2! Mr. Mayfield’s song is very apropos for this election season.
Here’s your morning java: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/45/A_small_cup_of_coffee.JPG :-)
This hits the spot. Now I’m ret to rock & roll! Good coffee! Thanks!
I get so inspired listening to Curtis Mayfield!
We’re a Winner…
Wonderful… Thank you!
Happy MUN-dane, my peoples! :-)
That was some rally in Ohio last night. 35,000 supporters. Let’s get to the polls and vote November 2.