"The Color Purple" Reunion

I haven't watched Oprah consistently in over a year, since I moved to Cairo. I used to watch regularly and recorded them too. Sometime soon I plan to purchase a TV and then I'll be back on track (well, sort of ... at least I'll catch the tail end of the last season).

At any rate, I sometimes check the Oprah website to see what I've been missin

g. Actually, I get the emails daily about the shows. I was so happy to see the highlights of the show about "The Color Purple" Reunion.

I read the Alice Walker book years ago. I know that I read it for my African American Literature class in college, but I thought that I'd also read it on my own. Point is, I loved the book. Alice Walker wrote scenes so vividly and the characters were so true to life.

When I found out that there would be a movie version of "The Color Purple", I was skeptical. Even w/Steven Spielberg as the director and Quincy Jones producing. Even when I saw the casting, I was still unsure that they could bring a book that I absolutely adored, to life on the big screen.

photo borrowed from George Burns/Harpo Studios

I don't remember when or where I saw the film, but I know that I was excited about it. There was one scene in the film that I thought was just as it was described in the book. I was satisfied w/the movie version. There were obvious differences, but I liked what I saw in the film.

The acting was phenomenal. I had hoped that someone would get an Oscar nomination from that movie. I was happy when the nominations came out. My fav in the movie though was Adolph Caesar. I'm just smitten when he's on the screen. But his acting as Mister's father was riveting. The others were just as good too.

"The Color Purple" is one of those movies where me and my friends often quote lines from the movie. One of the most frequent lines repeated is "You tole Harpo to beat me" complete with all of the sullenness of broken down Sofia (Oprah's character).

It was nice to see the cast on Oprah for the 25 year reunion.

Music Monday 73 :: Eyedea from Eyedea and Abilities

The other day I wrote a blog post on my Indy Hip Hop World blog about Eyedea (Mike Larsen) from Eyedea and Abilities. They were a rap duo from Minnesota. Eyedea died last month and there was a tribute concert to him a few days ago put on by his Rhymesayers label, family and friends.

Check out the Indy Hip Hop World blog post on A Celebration of Mike Larsen :: Eyedea. He's good peeps and he will be missed.

BOOK REVIEW: "I Am Not Sidney Poitier" by Percival Everett

BOOK REVIEW: "I Am Not Sidney Poitier: A Novel" by Percival Everett (2009)

The story is about a character named Not Sidney Poitier. The word play is there and Everett takes advantage of it.

This book has a lot of funny moments. Actually, the first 20 pages of this book are pure comedy. Everett eventually goes over the top with his ridiculousness. I'm not mad about it, but funny is funny until ... well, until it's not funny.

Interestingly enough, some people's real life names are a major part of the book, though the novel is obviously fiction. For example, there's a Ted Turner in the book (Not Sidney's guardian); that character seemed true to life. I also like that the author is an outrageous character in the book too. Meaning there's a character in the book named Percival Everett and he's a bit of a loose cannon.

I was more than a little bit annoyed at the number of times the main character receives a blow job. And when I say the number of times, I'm saying it was more than two and I lost count. None of those instances seem to have any humor. Or maybe it's the kind of humor that's not my kind of humor. Whatever, the case, Everett lost me there. I had an attitude and almost didn't finish the damn book.

So back to the funny stuff ... many of the scenes in Atlanta will have you in stitches. There are several different conversations with Not Sidney's accountant, his guardian and his professor; those are bonfide funny. Oh, and the towns people are a riot too.

And for some reason, Everett decides to poke fun at Black Entertainment Television (BET) and he just make a mockery of them. Well, the truth is they've made a mockery of themselves for years, Everett's just piling on.

Overall, I'm glad that I read the book and finished it. It's a different style of writing. It's as if the book is a string of short stories; though there's some connection (almost like Langston Hughes' Simple character). I know that I kept reading because I wanted to know where the book was going? How would it end? It ended up as more of a decrescendo ending, but not too disappointing.

The Egyptian Way :: A Blog Series

After living and working in Cairo for a year, I've decided to write a blog series called "The Egyptian Way". Friends and people who find out that I'm living abroad always want to know what's it like to live in Egypt.

I've posted a few things about my life in Cairo, but overall, I've been rather low key. But some days, things happen and the only explanation is that it's "The Egyptian Way". So it's time for me to exploit the phrase.

Of course I'll tackle the issue of traffic and taxis and crossing the street, but I'll also talk about other lifestyle and social issues and how basic household chores get done. Things are different here, but only occasionally do I stop w/a look of surprise on my face.

I'll try to get in the habit of posting something every Wednesday, but don't get mad if I'm just caught up in "The Egyptian Way" where sometimes deadlines are missed and things just don't get done.

Image: Walking Tour in Islamic Cairo March 2010 (copyright Kim Fox)

MUSIC MONDAY 72 :: Rihanna & Shy Ronnie "Ronnie & Clyde" (Saturday Night Live)

MUSIC MONDAY 72 :: Rihanna & Shy Ronnie "Ronnie & Clyde"

I usually would bypass anything like this, but I was curious. Turns out this video is a bit funny.

Technology in the Classroom :: Audio

Here's a brief Prezi presentation on Technology in the Classroom.

I teach Radio Production, as well as some other courses that utilize audio. So I've done a bit of an inventory what what resources could work for you if you teach, but you don't have a large budget. Many of the programs that are listed are FREE or low cost.

The presentation content includes information about:

• audio editing software
• audio web hosting solutions
• where to find music and sound effects for audio projects

Let me know if you have questions.

Prezi presentation: Technology in the Classroom :: Audio

Technology in the Classroom :: Audio on Prezi