Wednesday – 03 February 2010
It’s Comics and Sushi Wednesday. Selah.

Last night was fairly low-key. SaraRules made pasta (stuffed with cheese and shrimp) for dinner. After eating and NCIS, we headed to the local Best Buy where I exhibited an uncharacteristic amount of willpower and only bought three things: Planet Hulk, Zombieland and a pack of batteries. I picked up – and put down – Mass Effect, Mass Effect 2, DC Universe vs. Mortal Kombat and… “a few” Mac-related items. I was rather proud of myself. Next, we stopped at Toys ‘R’ Us and Target to pick up a couple of things for Bit’s upcoming birthday. While at Target, my superpower kicked in: We ran into Fiona and Jamie, whom I haven’t seen in… many moons.

Back at home, we tested out a brownie recipe for the Brownie Challenge, coming up at the end of the month. The experiment worked out fairly well, but I think I’m going to explore a couple of other options. As the brownies baked, we watched last night’s NCIS: Los Angeles.

Chew on This: Food for Thought – Black History Month
Today’s spotlight will focus on Shirley Chisholm.

Mrs. Chisholm was the first black woman elected to Congress, representing New York’s 12th Congressional District for seven terms. Chisholm joined the Congressional Black Caucus in 1969 as one of its founding members.

On January 25, 1972, she became the first major-party black candidate for President of the United States and the first woman to run for the Democratic presidential nomination; she received 152 first-ballot votes at the 1972 Democratic National Convention.

“I stand before you today as a candidate for the Democratic nomination for the Presidency of the United States. I am not the candidate of black America, although I am black and proud. I am not the candidate of the women’s movement of this country, although I am a woman, and I am equally proud of that. I am not the candidate of any political bosses or special interests. I am the candidate of the people.”

She continued to serve in the House of Representatives until 1982. From 1977 to 1981, during the 95th Congress and 96th Congress, Chisholm was elected to a position in the House Democratic leadership, as Secretary of the House Democratic Caucus. Throughout her tenure in Congress, Chisholm worked to improve opportunities for inner-city residents. She was a vocal opponent of the draft and supported spending increases for education, health care and other social services, and reductions in military spending. She retired from politics after her last term in office.

Chisholm retired to Florida and died on January 1, 2005.

Stray Toasters

Namaste.