Tuesday –  09 February 2010
In the words of the Indigo Girls, “I woke up with a headache, like my head against a board…” Not really sure “why” I had it, but it was there. So, I sprawled on the couch and dozed for a bit before getting ready. That seemed to help somewhat. That… and two Aleve. I’ve sent some coffee in as backup. We’ll see how the morning progresses.

Last night, SaraRules had a Junior League meeting, so I started in on this season’s Jack Bauer Kicks Ass, Growls and Takes Names 24. It was amusing to see Anil Kapoor, whom I last saw as the emcee in Slumdog Millionaire, as the president of an unnamed country in the Middle/Far East. It was good. Now, I just need to finish watching the other eleventy-seven other hours of this season’s episodes…

After SaraRules got home, we watched How to Lose Friends and Alienate People. I’d wanted to see this movie when it hit theatres, but I doubt that even The Flash could have caught it, as it was in and out of theatres so quickly. It starred Simon Pegg as the owner/writer/publisher of a small alternative magazine that lambasts the rich and famous. Through an odd bit of happenstance, he’s given the opportunity to work for the magazine that his idol created. To say that he has “a hard time” fitting in, would be a bit of an understatement, but it makes for some good comedy. While not as satirically biting as Shaun of the Dead (I just realized that I used “biting” to describe a zombie movie… I’m sorry), this movie was rather entertaining and fun.

Chew on This: Food for Thought – Black History Month
Today’s person of note is Roy Innis

Civil rights activist Roy emile Alfredo Innis was born on June 6, 1934 in St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands. Emigrating to Harlem, New York City (1946), he dropped out of high school to join the U.S. Army, at 16; he received an honorable discharge at 18. He entered a four-year program in chemistry at the City College of New York. He subsequently held positions as a research chemist at Vick Chemical Company and Montefiore Hospital.

Innis joined the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) in 1963 and advocated black separatism and community school boards. In 1964 he was elected Chairman of the chapter’s education committee and advocated community-controlled education and black empowerment. In 1965, he was elected Chairman of Harlem CORE, after which he campaigned for the establishment of an independent Board of Education for Harlem. Innis was elected National Chairman of CORE in 1968, and has held the position ever since. Initially Innis, headed the organization in a strong campaign of Black Nationalism. However, he subsequently became prominent as a conservative activist. CORE supported the presidential candidacy of Richard Nixon in 1968 and 1972. Since taking over CORE, the organization’s politics have moved sharply to the right.

Never fully accepted by established African-American civil-rights leaders because of his unpredictable positions and personality, he was dogged by charges from associates of being too dictatorial. The New York attorney general’s office investigated him for alleged misuse of contributions and he was forced to pay back $35,000 to CORE (1981).

In the 1980s Innis twice ran unsuccessfully for the US House of Representatives. In 1988 he made controversial appearances on the Geraldo Rivera and Morton Downey Jr television shows that led to scuffles on camera. In 1993, he ran in the New York City Democratic mayoral primary but lost to incumbent David Dinkins.

Stray Toasters

Tally-ho!

Namaste.