Song I Hum...update

It's short this time around.
Two women who are just so damn good:
Alice Smith
&
Erykah Badu (the video for "honey" is groovy).

Oh, and there are SO,so,so,so,so,so many reasons why I shouldn't be into this song but I am. "Couldn't hold it if I had four hands"?!

artist's statement - pt. 1

This is a work in progress. It will grow, tighten up, and unfold to be fierce lil' thing:

My work comes from a need to dissect the complexities of life.
I write plays about the (dis)connection among Black American characters living in a given circumstance. I start with a bare stage and fill it piece by piece with bodies, silence, wants, conflicts, and obstacles. The language is driven by rhythm. The energy is direct, travelling as if it were a lit fuse.

Crack the whip

Zzzzzz.
(tick, tock. tick, tock.)
?!!?
Eeek!
....!!...

That's a glimpse into my work habits the past few weeks. In the process of shaking things up. First things first: less tv, less internet.

I'll let you know how it's going.

Sondheim is all up in the mix

Steven Sondheim's groovy musical Sunday in the Park with George is returning to b'way in a few days at Studio 54. I REALLY wanna check it out. Might have to make that happen...

Here's a clip from the original production:



I saw the film version Sweeney Todd starring Johnny Depp.



The first five minutes I was slouching in my seat, cringing at the lack of good singing and truncated story line; but then I realized it's not an adaptation of the stage musical, it's an interpretation of the story that incorporates Sondheim's music. Once I surrendered to Tim Burton's view I actually enjoyed the film. The sucky thing is Depp and Helena Bonham Carter, et al. don't have particularly strong voices. Sondheim's music is too beautiful to have it come out of inadequate throats.

DJ Tellin Tyme

Hot watch from Flud:


[click the pic for more]

Supa bowl

VS.

I know Tiki Barber's like "what the hell? As soon as I retire, ya'll go to the super bowl??"

I'll cheer for both teams for different reasons. If I can't have Payton on the field, I'll take the baby brother. And the Patriots are making history.

Paula Vogel goes to Yale.

Read about it here.

radio '08

Lasonic i931 ipod ghetto blaster:

Details courtesy of gizmodo.

Radio Raheem on the stroll:


No more double D batteries, Raheem!

cra needs a time out.

i've been working A LOT for the past 5 weeks. finished a draft, banged out a treatment, hammering out the screenplay, piddling another first draft, redesigned the site. my salvation has been nestled in cups of tea and blog posts.

it's unfortunate i'm losing steam because i have two rather large projects due within the week. what is a lady to do? hmmm. well, i might just have to suck it up and discover small yet productive actions that get me closer to the finished product. that sounds very mature and level-headed. yea, that's nice.

or...i could wail, shout, weep, collapse...

just kidding.

i've been cleaning everything in the house for most of the evening. it helps to do something mindless and physical because my mind can chew on the work. i love words, ideas and spewing 'em on the page, but sometimes i need a rest. it's kind of like wrestling in tofu. have you tried that? that's what my mind feels like right now. the cleaning is helping...or maybe it's the fumes.

Dammit Payton!

The Indianapolis Colts are done. They just lost a playoff game to the San Diego Chargers.
I think Ladainian Tomlinson is a cutie, but I didn't want to see the Colts go home.

(sniff, sniff)

Macbook Tablet computer

I don't know the story behind this concept, but it's the sweetest possibility my young gadget loving eyes have ever seen.
Watch it in action here.

i should be working on my screenplay, but i'm watching this:

Curb Your Enthusiasm

I LOVE this show. It's so funny.

In season 6, Larry and Cheryl took in a displaced Hurricane Katrina family called The Blacks.
In the finale, a recently separated Larry falls for Vivca A. Fox's character and becomes a family man.
This is, quite possibly, one of the greatest season finales EVER.
Vivca knows how to cuss somebody out!

jeffstaple and Bobby Hundreds

i like this dude:

He's designer/business man/dj/blogger/cutie/smarty pants Jeff Ng aka jeffstaple.

Bobby Hundreds interviewed him. Here.

Naked Trees

And the Inked Baby script:

Believer's 50th Issue

Believe me when I speak of Believer Mag's magical ability to make life groovy. I've always been a fan of their layout. It's a great read when you want to swim in thorough, well-paced commentary, interviews, and essays. The 50th issue is out, and it's a celebration in a few bookstores.


[Click the pic to get the scoop on what's inside.]

Songs I Hum While I Walk...

This time around it's about Aaliyah. Working with Missy and Timbaland, she put out some GREAT music. She and I were born the same year. I forgot how young she was when she passed away. (1979-2001)

Shiny Toys

Sony's latest attempt to soak up youtube action:

Videos and images are saved on memory stick. It has a nifty LCD screen, and a picture stabilizer. You can plug it directly into your computer via USB and upload your madness for the world to see. It's only $150 so I can finally post my James Brown drag king routine.

[click pic for more info]

AND

Lenovo's IdeaPad Y710 notebook looks pretty damn snazzy.


It comes with a face recognition security system. How wild is that!? I'm considering going back to PCs if my beloved Powerbook kicks the bucket. Sniff, sniff. I like the Thinkpad line, and I'm excited they're broadening their line to appeal to the creative consumer.

[click le pic]

In the NyTimes Technology section, Virginia Hefferman's feature "A Interface of One's Own" discusses her dislike for Microsoft Word. She nails pretty much everything I hate about the program when I'm writing a first draft. She highlights a program called Scrivener. It's basically a program that holds everything I need when working on a particular project: notes, videos, pictures, audio, text; I can organize these items in one pane WHILE writing in a second pane. It sounds wonderful, but I'm worried it's too good to be true. I'll download the trial offer...

Status

The rehearsal draft for Inked Baby is done. (yay!)
I'm working on the 1st draft of my screenplay. (ugh.)
The shift key on my mac is temperamental. (boo.)
Kansas University won the Orange Bowl in college football. (oh yea!)

I'm very tired. (sigh.)

Updates big and small

We celebrate a fresh year with a fresh site.

Also, if you scroll along the left column, you'll spot an introduction to the Africa Trilogy. I'm SO excited about this project.

There's also a new (depressing, creepy, stalkerish) way for me to participate with the blog in a new category called I Caved... I could blame a recent upgrade in a text message plan, or I could just admit my lameness. Either way, I'm introducing my Twitter updates. I hope to make this thing relative to writing. Or...creating. Or...something like that.

Playlist update

I had a guh-rate holiday vacation, and decided to commemorate it with a new "Songs I Hum While I Walk" playlist. The theme this time around is TV Songs:

*SHIPOOPI- Family Guy's rendition from the musical Music Man.

*THE RODE TO RHODE ISLAND - An original hit from Family Guy featuring Brian and Stewie.

*GOOD TIMES Theme - Was J.J. always that annoying??

*MIAMI, MIAMI - Dorothy and Rose's ode to the Golden Girls town.

*THE YOUNG ONES Theme - An 80's British comedy about punks being all punk-like.

*THE COSBY SHOW Theme - The James Brown version. I like the Bobby McFerren version, too.

*SPEED RACER Theme - Have you seen the trailer for the new movie? Looks damn good.

*DR. MARTEN BOOTS - A random song I like from The Young Ones.

Another 12 months

Mr. Rooster says, "HAPPY 2008!"