You Go Girls!

I went with (J) to see Dreamgirls yesterday. I was determined to see it before going back to work and I'm glad I did. I haven't seen a movie this good in a long time. I was impressed right away with Danny Glover's presence. He gave an air of 'importance' to the movie right away just by his grace and acting skills. I must admit being skeptical of Eddie Murphy but he did not disappoint. In my opinion he is at his best when he is playing dramatic roles. I don't know why he continues to play parodies of Black women which are demeaning to him and to women. The entire cast deserves two snaps and a chicken wing as does the technical crew and director. I could go on and on about the costumes. What I don't like is how the media has hyped Jennifer Hudson. I don't think any one actor carries this movie. It was a strong ensemble effort. I am a bit partial to Beyonce but.....enough already with the hype about Hudson's 'breakout performance.' We'll see what Oscar says. In the mean time where's the soundtrack? I went immediately to Borders and it isn't there. Big mistake. I bought Madeileine Peyroux's new cd so I could listen to her rendition of Summer Wind...AWESOME. I heard it on someone's MySpace site and had to get it.

Vacation is winding down. Maybe that's why I had a nightmare last night. I was in Miami and parked my car in front of a relative's house. The car was towed and I couldn't get it together...The story of my life....

The Sweetest Gift

I should add a new skill to my resume.
Left to my own devices I seem to be a sloth....Ah hem! and it feels mighty, mighty good, except for the nagging thought which creeps in every so often that I should, I must do something meaningful. I dragged my butt out of the house to walk in the park. It was windy, wet and cold but the walking is more tolerable now with the mp3. After that I went across town to the beauty supply store for three bundles of kinky, bulky # 33. I checked in with (R). When I walked in she was on the phone speaking Korean to one of the store's suppliers. It's always surreal to hear her speak the language. She's as brown as I am.... a real Heinz 57 puppy if ever there was one and one of my favorite people. Tomorrow I'll be sitting in (G's) kitchen getting the hair done. These are life's priorities. Back at home in the cozy comfort of my vanilla scented candle lit living room, I even read a magazine (what luxury).

Right now work seems highly overrated after a few days of slothing around, checking the internet (mail came in from (F) in Japan ...yay!!!), making calls in my new pink nighty with the matching pink slippers and cuddly pink robe. When an outrageous thought hits me I have the freedom to act on it. I've also been experimenting (with some success) in the kitchen. After a recent stop to load up on supplies at Kim's Oriental Market, my taste buds wanted Asian. I pulled out the five spice powder, a $2.99 package of lamb, onion, tomato, beef paste, garlic, ginger, chinese cabbage, carrots, chili peppers...the soup pot and mixed up a masterpiece (if I do say so). (M) recorded the whole process on video. I looked like Jaba the Hut in my BU sweatshirt and red plaid man pj's...oh yeah and pink socks! But I was happy and relaxed. I've earned these days of idle abandon. That's the gift I give myself this holiday season...
The Gift of Me

The Flame Has Died

Say it isn't so. James Brown passed away at a hospital in Columbia SC at around 1:30 a.m. Isn't it just like the greatest showman who ever shook a stage to go out by trying to upstage the 'King of Kings' on his B'day. But I ain't mad at James and I'm going to miss him.

My memories of James Brown go back to my childhood days in Miami when Miami Beach held court to the likes of Frank Sinatra. The glitzy hotels and nightclubs though they were only a few miles over the causeway from my neighborhood, might as well have been the moon. But when James Brown's tour buses rumbled into town even the air seem to

get heavy with funk. I could only dream of what power this Black man must have that allowed him to shake and shimmy across the stages in the night clubs of those grand hotels.

Over the years, that soul and spirit never seemed to diminish no matter what the man did . His run-ins with Southern lawmen, drug use and questionable choices for female companionship threatened to make the legend a parody of himself and endangered his rightful status as an icon. He was only human after all and time and time again seemed hell bent on extinguishing the heat of his famous flame. But nothing he did or what others said about him could topple him from the throne he had crafted with hard work and amazing talent. He will never be equaled.

Thank you James for the sweaty nights on the dance floor when my hips jerked and gyrated to, "Get up, get on up. Stay on the scene like a sex machine!" Thank you for the pride I felt every time I heard, "Say it loud, I'm Black and I'm Proud."
Thanks for Making it Funky. RIP