Jazz sax experimentalist Albert Ayler tooted his horn for the first time this day in 1936 (d. 1970). If this don’t care for John Coltrane’s later offerings, these cuts may not be for you.
Folk-rock singer/songwriter and pioneering 12-string electric guitarist Roger (Jim) McGuinn of The Byrds was born today in 1942. Here are some of his hits:
It’s not surprising that the most corrupt and deceptive politician since Richard Nixon would try to hoodwink the MSM and the American public into thinking he actually had some support at the NAACP, but as shifty and typically Romney as that is, worse is that it seems the major reason for his appearance yesterday at this conference was to produce a videotape clip of him being booed by a black audience to solidify the white conservative racists in the Republican base, a base that must show up to vote for him if Romney is to have any chance of beating Obama. In what has become a pattern for the would-be Misleader-in-Chief, Romney is long on broad statements about creating jobs and educational opportunities but short on detailed plans to accomplish either, save giving more tax cuts to the rich, further deregulating corporations, and crossing his fingers. Common people — you know, college kids, baby-sitters, nail ladies and other such uneducated riff-raff — who don’t understand how Romney’s Reverse Robin Hood system could possibly make the economy better can be forgiven for thinking it all sounds like Junior Bush after a long night swigging 100-proof at the frat house, and they also remember enough of recent history to recall their tax dollars had to bail out the Moneygentsia — the ones who allegedly understand such things — so the entire economic system didn’t go into sudden cardiac arrest in 2008. If Romney is by some chance elected and puts his mad policies into place, will he and his spoiled Hamptons pals front the money for America’s economic revival after the inevitable next crash? Don’t count on it — they’ll be gone visiting their untaxable income in overseas banks, and President Mitt may join them with a crowd of angry torch-wielding nail ladies pursuing him bearing a bucket of tar and a basket of feathers.
According to NAACP official Hilary Shelton, Mitt Romney tried to rig the crowd at the convention by flying in his own non-member African Americans to cheer for him.
After getting booed at the NAACP convention today, Mitt Romney headed straight for the sweet embrace of Neil Cavuto and Fox News to try and spin away the pain. […]
Romney said, “I spoke with a number of African-American leaders after the event and they said, you know a lot of folks don’t want to say they’re not going to be voting for Barack Obama, but they’re disappointed in his lack of policies to improve our schools. Disappointed in urban policies, disappointed in the economy. 14.4% rate of unemployment among African-Americans today. The president has not been able to get the job done. People want to see someone who can get the economy going, so I expect to get African-American votes.”
Romney also claimed that he got a standing ovation at the end of his speech.
Many of Romney’s claims were debunked by Senior Vice President for Advocacy and Policy and the Director of the Washington Bureau of the NAACP, Hilary Shelton who said that the only African Americans Romney met with after his speech were those that he brought with him. Mr. Shelton explained that Mitt Romney flew in his own African-American supporters who were not affiliated with the NAACP, in order to have some people in the crowd cheering for him.
Romney did not meet with any of the convention rank and file after his speech, and only met with the African-Americans that he planted in the crowd.
Classical piano ‘pop star’ Van Cliburn was born on this day in 1934. During the ’50s and ’60s his name was synonymous with classical music and musical genius for most Americans.
Fleetwood Mac’s Christine McVie wailed her first this day in 1943.
Iron Butterfly bass player Philip Taylor Kramer was born today in 1952 and disappeared under mysterious circumstances in 1995. Here’s is IB’s sole hit, from 1968, the annoying psychedelic anthem, “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida.”
