Radio Girl

Music Monday 123 :: Whitney Houston

2012-02-13T15:13:00.001-05:00

Whitney Houston. Image borrowed from Pop Bytes.

Sometimes my Music Monday posts are written in advance. Sometimes I have no idea what I'll write about. Today is not one of those days, but the came easy: Whitney Houston.

I feel the need to share how I learned of her death. I woke up to an alarm and I'd plan to go to campus and to take the 10 a.m. bus. But I wanted to get online, quickly, and check a schedule to make sure that I'd be arriving on time. I'd posted this schedule on Twitter, so I thought the easiest way to check the schedule would be to check Twitter. I rarely look at the trending topics, but somehow RIP caught my attention and I notice Whitney's name in front of it. I immediately, thought 'how cruel' and 'this better be a joke.' But then I saw other hashtags and I felt like I should investigate more and I immediately did a Google News search.

So I sat in shock at what I was reading; couldn't move. I know that others have had similar reactions.

Thank goodness for YouTube. I've found refuge there in terms of playing Whitney Houston songs. "I Have Nothing" is one of my favs outside of her first album.

You should check out my YouTube playlist of Whitney Houston songs.

Hang in there folks. The trifecta of losting Etta James, Don Cornelius and Whitney Houston is a bit much. But we shall persevere.

Cairo Life :: Near the Ramses Train Station

2012-02-12T18:27:00.001-05:00

This area near the Ramses Train Station in Cairo is always busy. Lots of micro busses, and vendors too. Taken Sun., Feb. 12, 2012. (iPhone)

Music Monday 122 :: M.I.A. "Bad Girls"

2012-02-06T10:30:00.000-05:00

Music Monday 122 :: M.I.A. "Bad Girls"

How I ever discovered the link to this video on this day; I don't remember, but boy I wish I could remember.

I want to say that I don't know how I feel about this vid, but ... actually I know exactly how I feel.

Why? Why? Why?

It's so cliche in some ways; edgy in other ways.

So I had to ask myself, well, what did you or do you expect? And unfortunately, my expectations are too apparently high:

be a role model
be creative
be responsible

Frankly for some reason I had more expectations for M.I.A.

What do you guys think? Because I'm just shaking my head. Oh, and here's a review from the L.A. Times.

Testing Out SoundCloud's Audio Player

2012-02-03T09:39:00.000-05:00

Testing Out SoundCloud's Audio Player

I use a good amount of web tools and technology.

Now that I'm a bonafide Apple Girl, I've been trying to get my MacBook Pro up to speed w/all of my usual tools:

Picasa
Microsoft Office
Evernote
And a variety of fonts including my fav Pea Andrea

Right now, I'm testing out SoundCloud's audio player to see if I can do a few things:

Stack multiple audio players (yes; see below)
Create my own embeddable playlist in SoundCloud (yes, see last track; you have to create a set and then you can add tracks to the set)

Cairo Life :: Sunset on Saturday, January 28, 2012 #Jan28

2012-02-01T00:59:00.001-05:00

Many people went to the Kasr el Nil Bridge on Saturday, January 2012 for an anniversary prayer. A year earlier the bridge was a pivotal point and a battle ground as Egyptians took a stand against the Mubarak regime.

~kim
The power of positive thinking.

Music Monday 121 :: Kanye West's "Power (Remix)"

2012-01-30T16:04:00.002-05:00

Music Monday 121 :: Kanye West's "Power (Remix)"

With the Grammy Awards fast approaching, thought I'd highlight one of the nominees.

I know that Kanye is not highly regarded by some. Meanwhile he continues to be one of the most nominated artists annually at the Grammys. This year Kanye's the top nominated artist for the third consecutive year.

Whether you cringe or congratulate, his music, continues to stretch the boundaries of the hip hop genre. This song, "Power (Remix)," has some punch to it. It's one of the ultimate workout songs.

One of my fav lyrics is "I've seen people abuse power, use power, misusin' and lose power ..." That's ironic; cliche and profound.

Seems hard, though, to locate the 'official' video.

Kanye West - Power (Remix) feat Jay-Z and Swizz Beatz (Official Video) #eLijTV

And Just Like That I'm An Apple Girl

2012-01-26T09:20:00.000-05:00

And Just Like That I'm An Apple Girl

My brother's been using Apple products since I can remember. It might be true that he's only had two Apple computers in his 40+ years. I'll try to confirm that later.

I, on the other hand, have had a subtle dislike for Apple for some time. Ever since learning that they used proprietary audio files. That's when I first discovered that Windows Media Audio don't play well w/Macs and Mac files don't play well w/others either. That, my friends, was a long time ago.

My nice and shiny new Macbook Pro. (Dec. 2011)

A lot has changed over the years and to make a long story short, I broke down and purchased a Macbook Pro over the Christmas holiday. Now this is after I'd been working on a Mac in my office on campus. I remember when I arrived at AUC in Egypt in 2009 and they asked if I wanted a Mac or a PC. "I'll have a Mac," I recall saying. But I'd never paid much attention to Macs and I didn't even know how to turn the damn thing on. Still, often in my office, I'm frustrated at how to do simple things on the Mac like jump to the bottom of the page or jump to the end of a sentence.

Last Christmas I broke down and bought an iPad. Now that was a worthwhile purchase. I don't think a day has gone by when I haven't used that device.

Add to that the fact that I lost my mobile phone traveling from Washington, DC to Cleveland, Ohio at the airport in Philadelphia. I know, why was there a layover in Philly anyway. Whatever. Point is, I lost my phone and was 'eligible' for an upgrade. And into my life walks "Siri."

It looks so pretty in the box. (Dec. 2011)

Of course, now I'm sucked into the expansive and expensive world of Apple:

Apple Care ... enough said!
With three devices tethered to each other, I need more storage from Apple (ching ching)
I'm considering iTunes Match (ching ching)
I bought some iTunes gift cards for Christmas (ching ching)
Additional devices and accoutrements (protective shell, hard drives, mic, bluetooth devices, etc)
Those irresistible iPad apps (ching ching ching ching ching ching)

But after that briefer at the Apple store in my hometown, I'm all full of knowledge, ready to conquer the world and even ready jump to the bottom of the page.

Cairo Life :: The Big Mosque

2012-01-24T03:28:00.001-05:00

Going to and from the AUC campus on the bus, it's hard to miss this large mosque near the 6th of October flyover. I don't know the name of the mosque, so let me know. Captured this pic in December, 2011.

Music Monday 120 :: Madcon's "Beggin"

2012-01-23T15:03:00.001-05:00

Music Monday 120 :: Madcon's "Beggin"(2008)

Today, I'm sort of recycling blog posts. I originally blogged about Madcon's "Beggin" in March of last year on my Indy Hip Hop World Blog.

Lately, I've been playing the song non-stop; I built a playlist that includes nothing but this song (I can't seem to figure out how to loop a song in iTunes). Love the tempo and the energy! Great for a workout too.

Okay, so w/all my history working in Black radio, I should be ashamed to mention that I didn't know that Madcon's "Beggin" was a remake of the same classic from the Four Seasons. Yeah, take me down a notch but I'm being up front about the situation. The Four Seasons track was released in 1967. I love that every old is new again.

Oh, and the video is quite nice.

Madcon's "Beggin"

Music Monday 119 :: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

2012-01-16T14:36:00.002-05:00

Music Monday 119 :: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day - The Memorial

I went to the Martin Luther King, Jr. monument in 2009 when it was just a marker. So much has changed since then ...

Martin Luther King, Jr. marker in Washington, DC in 2009 (Taken Jan. 2009).

For me the change is quite pronounced ... I no longer live in US.

What started out as 9 months in Cairo has turned into 3 years living in Egypt and traveling extensively. Awesome.

The controversial inscription on the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial. Taken on Wed., Jan. 4, 2012

And now this ... the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial. It's stellar but has come under some controversy.

Change is good when embraced!

Sunset in Washington, DC near the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial. Taken on Wed., Jan. 4, 2012

Oh, and as for the 'music' component of this blog post, check out DJ Matt Werner's Martin Luther King, Jr. Mix Tape. It's a FREE download w/some of Dr. King's speeches set to music.

Music Monday 118 :: 8tracks

2012-01-09T23:00:00.001-05:00

Music Monday 118 :: 8tracks

Just a little something for this Monday. Something I just discovered a few days ago: 8tracks. Mixtapes galore. Love that. Music curated by people who love music - like you. Since I just found out about 8tracks, I haven't added to the 'mix' - yet. Oh, but I'm thinking of something real nice ... you guys will be the first to know about my 8tracks mixtape.

Meanwhile there's a lot to keep me busy for a while.

Music Monday 117 :: The Roots LIVE at The Fillmore

2012-01-02T08:19:00.000-05:00

Music Monday 117 :: The Roots LIVE at The Fillmore

My return home from Cairo has been pleasant. But so far the highlight has been seeing The Roots perform at The Fillmore in Silver Spring, MD.

The Roots perform at The Fillmore on Fri., Dec. 30, 2011. Taken by Kim Fox.

The Roots are my favorite band. They're a true reflection of what music is and should be. They're true musicians and know music.

They did "Proceed (1995)" and at the bridge then threw in some go-go music. It was crazy cool. The Roots guitarist Capn Kirk continues to be a beast and rocked out the scene on Friday. Of course Questlove and Black Thought, probably the most well known members of The Roots, did their thing; they strong represent their artforms - percussion and lyrics respectively. Bilal was in the house and so was Dice Raw.

Capn Kirk (standing on the drums) goes toe-to-toe w/drummer Questlove. Taken by Kim Fox. 2011.

They did some of their old joints like "You Got Me (1999)," "The Seed (2002)" (for the encore); they threw in some Kool and the Gang, some blues and some rock; they just put it down.

The Roots drummer Questlove gets the spotlight to show off a little bit. Taken by Kim Fox. 2011.

We went up for the drum stick toss from Questlove at the end of the show. I wasn't hopeful because we weren't quite close enough. You see, I've been to numerous Roots shows and I've never been fortunate enough to catch the coveted Questlove signed drum stick. However, my friend has a virtual collection of signed drum sticks from Questlove. Point is, the drum toss went quick and we both came out empty handed. But it's all good because The Roots show did not disappoint.

Cairo Life :: Mobile Phones

2011-12-29T17:16:00.001-05:00

Sometimes teaching colleges students is like teaching kindergarteners. You have to tell them to quiet down. You have to tell them to pay attention. And sometimes you have to confiscate their mobile phones like the ones in this picture. Taken on Sunday, December 11, 2011.

~kim
The power of positive thinking.

Cairo Life :: Foggy Morning

2011-12-19T21:51:00.001-05:00

A foggy Monday morning as I wait for my EgyptAir flight to board at the Cairo Intl. Airport.

Music Monday 116 :: Childish Gambino

2011-12-12T09:43:00.000-05:00

Music Monday 116 :: Childish Gambino

Childish Gambino (ne Donald Glover). Image borrowed from Dedica.la

If you watch the show "Community" on NBC, then you know Donald Glover and if you know Donald Glover from "Community," then you know that he's got some talent. And if you dig a little bit deeper, you'll find out that Donald Glover's quite young AND talented.

Then it should be no surprise that Glover's the front for Childish Gambino. It's true that lots of folks listen and love rap and hip hop. And many people pine to be a 'microphone-welding showstopper.' That career has worked out well for some folks (see Jay-Z). Might work out well for Glover too.

I've only hear pieces of Childish Gambino, but I like the quirkiness to it and most importantly I like the lyrics. He doesn't really flow about how much money he has and how many cars he's tricked out or any of the jet setting lifestyle that too many mainstream artists rap/sing about. Gambino hasn't had that kind of life - yet. And so we get a different and refreshing narrative.

Listen to Childish Gambino on SoundCloud
IamDonald blog
Donald Glover on Twitter
NPR's First Listen: Childish Gambino's "Camp" (audio no longer available)
NPR Interview on Morning Edition w/Donald Glover

Music Monday 115 :: Pretty Good Dance Moves f/Heather Christian "600 Days"

2011-12-05T09:23:00.000-05:00

Music Monday 115 :: Pretty Good Dance Moves f/Heather Christian "600 Days"

(image borrowed from Stereogum)

The music to this "600 Days" by Pretty Good Dance Moves starts a bit slow and glum and ephemeral. But then Heather Christian's voice smoothly fades in. It's a rich and sultry sound; almost akin to Adele. "600 Days" is a great lounge song and I like it just the way it is especially since the tempo picks up.

Tahrir Square :: Mon., Nov 21, 2011

2011-11-21T16:45:00.001-05:00

Nov 21 2011, a set on Flickr.

Just a few pics taken on Monday, November 21, 2011 at Tahrir Square in downtown Cairo. There was some calm in the Square while most of the action took place on the side streets.

Music Monday 114 :: Patrick Stump "This City" f/Lupe Fiasco

2011-11-21T09:36:00.000-05:00

Music Monday 114 :: Patrick Stump "This City" f/Lupe Fiasco

I can't believe that, again, I'm not up to date on music. Thank goodness I have a TV now and satellite (I live and work in Cairo and for two years, I didn't have a TV) and American TV shows.

So I was watching The Tonight Show the other day and I looked up from the computer and saw this guy and heard this voice singing this song and I had to stop what I was doing to fully grasp all the goodness that is "This City." It's got this funky kinda vibe to it and his voice: just smooth. The bonus for me was the contribution from Lupe Fiasco on the video (he wasn't on The Tonight Show) because I love that thing called hip hop.

Music Monday 113 :: LMFAO "Party Rock Anthem"

2011-11-07T08:49:00.000-05:00

Music Monday 113 :: LMFAO "Party Rock Anthem"

My apology for not posting a Music Monday blog post for the past few weeks. It's always on my mind on Sunday and Monday and then the next thing I know, it's Tuesday.

But have no fear Music Monday's not going anywhere.

As for this week's selection: this song is quite the party starter. Just upbeat and fun and danceable. So get to shufflin!

A Great Blend of Tea

2011-11-04T09:00:00.000-04:00

Have you ever tried Rishi Tea's Organic Jamaica Red Rooibos? Well, neither had I until yesterday. I bought the tea, probably in April when I was in the U.S. For some reason, I haven't used it. My loss - or my gain depending on how you think of it.

I originally learned about the Rishi Tea brand when I asked a friend, who was coming to visit me in Cairo, to bring me some caffeine-free tea.

Image borrowed from Rishi Tea

I thought that the Jamaica Red Rooibos would be really sweet because of the hibiscus, but it's a nice flavor combination - there's also some lemongrass. I like it because it's caffeine-free so it's great for the afternoon and evening.

Do yourself a favor and give it a try. Oh and FYI: I'm not paid to write about this product.

Music Monday 112 :: Billboard's Top 20 Tweets of the Week

2011-10-10T18:02:00.000-04:00

Music Monday 112 :: Billboard's Top Tweets of the Week

Every now and then I check out Billboard.com's Top Tweets of the Week list just to see what kind of shenanigans the celebs are up to.

You can put it on your short list of things to read because it's quick and easy and sometimes it's kinda cool and possibly funny.

Music Monday 111 : Profanity in Music

2011-10-03T17:03:00.000-04:00

Music Monday 111 :: Profanity in Music (circa late 80s/early 90s)

Recently I was hangin out w/some colleagues and the topic of 2 Live Crew's "Face Down ..." was mentioned (don't exactly remember how that came up in casual conversation among academics, but it did). Wow, all of a sudden a batch of memories came flooding to the surface.

Remember in the late 80s and early 90s and all of the crazy, profane music that was released? I was working in 'black radio' at the time and lots of rap music came through the radio station that we were unable to play on the radio due to FCC restrictions on profanity. Just didn't make sense to try to edit out all of the cuss words.

DJ Quik's debut album "Quik Is The Name" (1991)

Remember PMRC? Parents Music Resource Center? Tipper Gore? And their crusade to save the youth from evil lyrics in music? Ha. Good times indeed.

I won't provide a parental advisory sticker, but here's a short recap of some of the rappers who stand out in my mind that I listened to, but that we never actually played on the radio:

Closing out w/the now classic vid from Sir Mix-A-Lot "Baby Got Back."

Now that's a way to start the work week, right?

Music Monday 110 :: Sexy Sax Man Careless Whisper Prank

2011-09-26T17:30:00.000-04:00

Music Monday 110 :: Sexy Sax Man Careless Whisper Prank

Let's start the week out w/a good laugh. This is a bit absurd (I mean does he really have to be bare-chested and in pleather pants?) but that alone makes me smile and laugh. I can't remember how this got on my radar but I remember laughing then like I did when I saw it today.

Unfortunately, now I can't get the song "Careless Whisper" out of my head.

Music Monday 109 :: Discovering New Music

2011-09-19T16:54:00.000-04:00

Music Monday 109 :: Discovering New Music

As I was thinking of a music related blog post for this week, I decided that I wanted to focus on some new music. Problem is, I don't recall hearing any new music lately. Well, I did hear the latest from Cee-lo "Cry Baby". But I've written about Cee-lo several times already and so I want to go in another direction.

So I started to think of places where I go to discover new music and not hip hop. I get a lot of hip hop already and I know precisely where to find new hip hop music.

Here are just to share a few of my resources for discovering new music:

thesixtyone
thesixtyone is killer when it comes to discovering cool, new music. There's such a variety there and the layout of the website is attractive and fun.

NPR's Fall Preview 2011
National Public Radio (NPR) is always a good bet for finding new music. But this Fall Preview should offer up some good listening options. I only listened to a few; I thought they were okay, but nothing that really got me to say Oh-emm-gee!

Here are a few things I saw while doing a quick search on the topic. I haven't had a chance to follow up on these though (and when will I have the time):

5 Essential Tools for Finding New Music (or Music That's New to You) from Wired
Great Way to Discover New Music from DJ Tech Tools (check the comments on this one)
Google Just Launched a New Music Discovery Site Called Magnifier (from TNW)

So there you go, let's all discover some new tunes. Oh, but one more thing, how do you go about discovering new music?

Lazy Journalism from the UK's Guardian Newspaper

2011-09-15T13:17:00.000-04:00

Lazy Journalism from the UK's Guardian Newspaper

FULL DISCLOSURE: I'm an American, a former journalist, a current journalism professor teaching at The American University in Cairo (AUC).

One of the first articles I read this morning about the #AUCstrike was from The Guardian:
"Egyptian student protest hit elite Cairo university."

I quickly sent a tweet on Twitter that the article is/was poorly written and, in my opinion, is/was biased.

The article was written by Jack Shenker and has been retweeted all day. In his defense, Shenker sent me a few direct messages and tweets on Twitter addressing my issues with the article. NOTE: I'm working on a Storify about this.

However, someone took things a step further and conducted a bit more research than Shenker or his editors bothered to do. This is not my research, but I support the research below. Note to the Guardian: it's pretty simple: As a journalist and editor, you should do the basics: do some research, ask some questions and report the facts.

Report errors or inaccuracies: reader@guardian.co.uk
Guardian UK...what a disgrace...
---------- Forwarded message ----------
Subject: Where are the standards? - "Egyptian student protests hit elite Cairo university"
To: reader@guardian.co.uk

Poor journalism
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/sep/15/egyptian-student-protests-american-university-cairo

1. Enrollment at the American University in Cairo (AUC) is 5984. Faculty number 383. Staff numbers are around 700. If the entire AUC community was on campus at the same time the number would be around 7000. This is impossible...
http://www.aucegypt.edu/about/Facts/Pages/default.aspx

In Jack Shenker's article, he states that, "within a few hours thousands of students and staff at the American University in Cairo had joined the demonstration, bringing Egypt's most elite educational institution to a standstill."

Pure rubbish. It might have been in the hundreds. To state that 1/4 to 1/3 of the entire university was involved in these protests is sensational, delusional and shows that Shenker was not present.

2. The debate over the tuition increase of 9%:
USA - "Private College Tuition Increases 4.6 Percent for 2011-12; Institutional Student Aid Up 7 Percent" http://www.naicu.edu/news_room/private-college-tuition-increases-46-percent-for-2011-12-institutional-student-aid-up-7-percent

USA - "The 12-month change in the all items index edged up to 3.8 percent after holding at 3.6 percent for three months."

http://www.bls.gov/news.release/cpi.nr0.htm

USA - Tuition increases outstripped inflation 4.6% to 3.8%. In short, in real money terms education became more expensive.

UK - "Proposed tuition in the UK to jump 300% for 2011-2012"

http://chronicle.com/blogs/innovations/the-uk-student-protests-continued/28177

UK - "UK CPI inflation rate rises to 4.5% in August"

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-14895510

UK - Proposed tuition increases to outpace inflation 300% to 4.5%. In short, in real money terms education becomes more expensive (much more...)

Egypt - The American University in Cairo raises tuition 9%

Egypt - "Egyptian Inflation Slowed to 8.5% in August as Food-Price Increases Eased"

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-09-10/egyptian-inflation-slowed-to-8-5-in-august-as-food-price-increases-eased.html

Egypt - The tuition rate at the AUC almost matches the current inflation rate of 8.5%. When the decision was made to raise the tuition to 9% in May 2011 the inflation rate stood at 11.5%

3. Regarding the snipers (an extremely sensitive and potentially volatile topic). You could have gone to the AUC website and did a search for "sniper" you would have found this article.

WEB EXCLUSIVE: AUC President says use of Tahrir campus to fire on protesters 'illegal and unauthorized'
http://academic.aucegypt.edu/caravan/story/web-exclusive-auc-president-says-use-tahrir-campus-fire-protesters-illegal-and-unauthorized

4. What school of journalism encourages the construction of statements such as, "On Tuesday, it emerged that striking university cleaners have been threatened with dismissal if they do not return to work within 10 days."

Who is your source for this information?

Abysmal reporting. An absolute disgrace. It's a difficult time in Egypt and poorly researched journalism absent of context does not help matters.

VIDEO: The Food in Barcelona and Madrid

2011-09-08T08:31:00.001-04:00

VIDEO: The Food in Barcelona and Madrid

My three week ala carte trip to Barcelona and Spain this summer was quite the learning experience. It was my first solo trip that was planned without a package or a tour company.

Planning for this type of trip is key. In the end, it all worked out and I had a nice time.

Over the next few weeks I'll be recapping my trip. I'll highlight:

the hotels
some of the restaurants
the activities and sites

But for now ... how about some pics of the food in Barcelona and Madrid? Delish.

VIDEO: The Food in Barcelona and Madrid

Music Monday 108 :: Kanye West "Monster"

2011-09-05T13:39:00.001-04:00

Music Monday 108 :: Kanye West "Monster"

I must admit that over time I've sort of lost interest in Kanye West. I used to thrive on his music. "Jesus Walks" was epic. And although his "George Bush doesn't care Black people" moment was priceless, his personality has been, mostly, a turnoff. I do, however, manage to keep one eye on him and his music has and does extend the possibilities for what is hip hop. (NOTE: I have, but haven't listened to "Watch the Throne.")

When I first heard "Monster" I may have cringed. I think it was the excessive use of profanity (see the lyrics to "Monster"). But somehow I ended up listening to it more than once and I now find it to be an exceptional track. It's not all Kanye either. Bon Iver. Rick Ross. Jay-Z. Nicki Minaj. I'm particularly surprised that I really love Nicki Minaj's part. Her lyrics aren't so empty as I'd expected. Oh, and I love how Kanye switches up the beat near the end of the track.

I usually listen to "Monster" at least once a day ... great motivation for the gym and working out.

Now, the video is another story ... I won't even embed it. I know that it's creative and what not, but ... well, if you want to check it out, then do that.

Kanye West - Monster [Official Video HD] - YouTube

Music Monday 107 :: Slow Club "Two Cousins"

2011-08-29T10:52:00.015-04:00

Music Monday 107 :: Slow Club "Two Cousins"

This video from Slow Club for "Two Cousins" is every bit of cool. It's obvious that the music and the dancing don't match up, but the vid is so likable because of the energy from the dancing. Love that it's in black and white too.

Slow Club - Two Cousins - YouTube:

Music Monday 106 :: Breakdancing and Street Art in Barcelona

2011-08-22T19:06:00.000-04:00

Music Monday 106 :: Breakdancing and Street Art in Barcelona

I've been absent from blogging because I was on an extended vacation. The first time I've ever gone on an official vacation for a full three weeks. Whoa! Three full weeks in Barcelona and Madrid - and solo traveling (mostly). More on the actual trip in blog post or two later this week.

But to keep this blog post focused on Music Monday, I'm sharing some photos that I took in my first week in Barca in early August. Imagine my surprise as we were heading to beach one evening around 7 p.m. and I spotted a crowd around this breakdancing team. I didn't catch their name, but a couple of them had some really cool moves.

My bad, but there's no music ... of course, it's music related because breakdancing and hip hop go together like ham and cheese.

Breakdancing and Street Art in Barcelona SlideShow in full view

Music Monday 105 :: ‪Lenny Kravitz "Stand"

2011-08-08T08:56:00.003-04:00

Music Monday 105 :: Lenny Kravitz "Stand"

The website SoulBounce brought this video to my attention. ‪It's a funny vid, but I do like the song. Lenny comes correct - again! Love that.

His new project, "Black and White America," will be released in late August.
Check him out on Twitter: Lenny Kravitz

Lenny Kravitz STAND Director's Cut - official HD video‬‏ - YouTube

Music Monday 104 :: ‪Nickelback - Rockstar‬‏

2011-08-01T09:03:00.003-04:00

Music Monday 104 :: Nickelback "Rockstar"

This is a nice twangy track from Nickelback - "Rockstar." Love the lyrics on this one.

‪Nickelback - Rockstar‬‏ - YouTube

Music Monday 103 :: Amy Winehouse

2011-07-25T17:34:00.003-04:00

Music Monday 103 :: Amy Winehouse

There's not much that I can say about Amy Winehouse, now that she's passed away, that hasn't already been said. Heck I said some things (good things) about her years ago before all of the cool kids picked up on her sultry singing.

Though I can't take credit for discovering Winehouse, I will say that I was an early adopter. Here's a blog post that I wrote about my first experience listening to Amy Winehouse; oh, and this one too with a few more details. The short story is that I fondly remember reading something by Questlove from The Roots where he was raving about Winehouse. So I went and searched online for her then latest project "Back to Black". It was only avail from a UK website, but I bought it. I listened to it and thought it was okay; I proceeded to make a cd copy to give to my sister for Christmas. I thought that she would love it (my sister has recently admitted that she lost that cd ... smh).

Amy Winehouse (image credit: unknown)

I hadn't planned on listening to the cd again, but I did. Of course, I went on to love it and kept it in my heavy rotation for a quite while.

Looking back, I've written about Winehouse on this blog several times. But, boy, was I taken aback after re-reading this article about Winehouse in the Washington Post that was originally published in February of 2007. That was about the same time that I wrote my first blog post about Winehouse on this blog. The article ... well, the writer just nails it in terms of her future. But I think many music writers probably wrote this ending.

Regardless of how she died, we have lots of music from Winehouse to appreciate and videos to watch. Let's put a candle up for that girl with the great voice; gonna miss her sassy ass!

My fav: "You Know I'm No Good" Remix w/Ghostface Killah; "Frank" is also a fav.
Oh, and one more good read: A Tribute to Amy Winehouse from NPR's music blog.

Here's Winehouse's performance of "You Know I'm No Good" - not the best quality (and her name's misspelled)!

Music Monday 102 :: Gigawatt {The Illuminated Mixtapes}

2011-07-25T08:34:00.005-04:00

Music Monday 102 :: Gigawatt {The Illuminated Mixtapes}

I discovered this webbie via Delicious on my iPad. The layout of Delicious on the Safari browser on the iPad is different - at least it is to me. And I like that I've been able to discover lots of new links this way - not the most efficient use of my time, but I'm getting lots of info and inspiration.

What caught my attention was 'mixtapes' in the title. I love, love, love a good mixtape. Though the truth is that Gigawatt is not a mixtape in its true form complete (imho) w/some blending of tracks and scratching. What Gigawatt is is a curated list of music.

Gigawatt is kinda cool in that it's another way for me to discover - this time music and artists that may not have been on my radar, but those artists are mixed along side artists that I'm already familiar with like Atmosphere, Talib Kweli, Talking Heads, etc.

Also, the illustrations on the page is uber cool.

Gigawatt {The Illuminated Mixtapes}

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

2011-07-20T09:17:00.016-04:00

I've been threatening to make some cookies for several weeks now. The threat is an empty one since no one stands to gain from this but me.

That's partly why I used this Thick, Chewy Oatmeal Raisin recipe from smitten kitchen. The recipes is a halfsy. The last time I made cookies in May, I had cookies for days. Not a good thing. I did end up giving lots of them away. But it's not just the amount of cookies, but the amount of time it takes to bake them as well.

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies (July, 2011)

The cookies look quite tasty and they are, but they're not quite sweet enough; I mean, they are sweet, but this recipe only called for a bit of brown sugar (and I think I measured it inaccurately because it was clumped together). I did add raisins as well as some cranberries and walnuts.

Previously I'd used this Easy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies recipe and though it makes a large batch, I'll continue to use it in the future because I liked that batch better. Besides, I can always freeze the batter or the cookies.

And that's it ... I need to bag these cookies to give away to my friends.

Music Monday 101 :: ‪Sade "Love Is Found‬‏"

2011-07-18T08:30:00.006-04:00

Music Monday 101 :: Sade "Love Is Found"

Well, now that I'm just over the 100 mark for Music Monday blog posts, I can't slack off, right? Keepin it real and keepin it strong, here's one from Sade. Love this ... the vid in the background provides just enough illusion. And check out Sade gettin her dance moves in - love that!

Of course the song has just the right vibe: great beats, smooth and sexy~

YouTube - ‪Sade - Love Is Found‬‏

Feelin Geeky

2011-07-14T10:50:00.029-04:00

I spend a good amount of time on Twitter. It's my source for current events, learning new things and basically eavesdropping on other people's lives. Though it's true that I'm also on the G+ wagon.

But this post is about Twitter and specially this little infographic about my Twitter use (see image below). Since I gnerated this infographic, I decided to pull up my recent Klout Stats. Actually for my Klout stats (51 out of 100 for @KimFoxWOSU), I just went to my about.me page. But my Tweet.grader.com stats give me 98.2 out of 100. Whatever, I'm not even a teeny bit concerned about my ranking in the Twitter world, but it's obvious that Klout and Tweetgrader operate on different criteria.

You can also retrieve data on your tweeting from Twentyfeet, though it's not as cute as the infographic from visual.ly/twitter.

FYI, for other statistical data I use Statcounter for a quick and general peek at who's checking out my blogs. It's a bit creepy though, since I can see also exactly where the traffic to my blogs and websites is coming from. It provides ISP addys, OS info and a lot more and yes, that's a free service (though obviously, with some limitations).

Of course, there's Google Analytics for the uber geek. I have a lot of accounts on Google Analytics, but I'm a bit overwhelmed by the information there; or maybe just the organization of the information is confusing to me. But I do pay attention to that bounce rate; it's a bit unwieldy.

Yeah, I'm just a little bit geeky. How about you?

Oh, and btw, that girl should have a skirt on ... and I'm not quite a gamer ... just some Words with Friends, BeJeweled, Sudoku and Fruit Ninja and all on the iPad.

The Egyptian Way :: #Jan25 Protests Photo Essay

2011-07-12T11:51:00.000-04:00

The Egyptian Way :: #Jan25 Protests Photo Essay

I've been living and working in Cairo for two years and I'd just returned to Cairo and specifically from a Nile Cruise when the #Jan25 protests broke out earlier this year.

Although I was in Cairo on Tuesday, January 25th, I didn't go to Tahrir Square until Friday, January 28th - the truth of the matter is I was having my apartment painted and the job had been rescheduled numerous times over a three month period; I had planned my entire holiday break around getting my apartment painted. So I sat at home and while the painters painted, I monitored the protest activity on my laptop, mostly via Twitter. But then ... from Friday, January 28th until Friday, February 11th, me and my friends went to Tahrir nearly every day and all day.

Despite being a former journalist and a professor teaching journalism, I haven't written much about my experience going to Tahrir. I have lots of mixed emotions, but I've finally pulled something together.

I'm thinking that this is just one version of this photo essay. I have hundreds of images to sift through and I also have some sound and a few interviews.

But this is where I begin ...

You can also view a larger version of the #Jan25 Photo Essay.

Music Monday 100 :: 2011 BET Awards by guest Kevin C. King

2011-07-11T08:39:00.012-04:00

Music Monday 100 :: 2011 BET Awards by guest Kevin C. King

Wow, it seems like just a few weeks ago that I drummed up the idea to write a weekly blog post about music: something simple, but fun. That was in November of 2008 and the first Music Monday blog post was Will.i.am's "It's a New Day".

Sometimes, weeks go by and often the only post that goes up is the Music Monday blog post. Lately it just seems that life away from the computer is way more fun than being on the computer - and then there's the part about recuperating from all of the fun.

At any rate, I was trying to come up with ideas for the centennial blog post and this idea just fell in my lap: I'd seen the tweets and Facebook status updates about the 2011 BET Awards that aired on Sunday, June 26th and I was curious about a few things: Rick Ross taking off his shirt, Alexander O'Neal and Cherrelle's not so stellar performance, Anita Baker's tried and true black dress and more. Then my brother posted on FB that he had missed the original airing too, but then he saw a repeat of the show. He then sent a note on FB with his thoughts and comments on the show - hilarious. So I'm re-blogging his note from FB.

I did finally watch many of the highlights, though I did not see the clip featuring the Smith kids.

Here's the link to the official 2011 BET Awards • Hosted By Kevin Hart.

And here's my brother, Kevin C. King's debut blog post:
2011 BET Awards Breakdown:

OK I just watched the BET Awards since I heard so many things, good and bad about them and here is my BREAKDOWN of the show.

1. Mary J and Anita Baker love them both but it was blah-say to say the most.

2. Who the hell put the nominee list together? I mean who are half of these people.

3. Jill Scott’s Big Sexy Ass Set was the sh*t!!! It was like it was just dropped in there from somewhere else.

4. My Boy Chris Brown did his thing…Side note "Aye Chris. Leave that (edit) alone she mean you no good. DIG UP YOUR DRAWS MAN, DIG THEM UP!!!"

5. Willo Smith must still have had some of that paint left in her hair from waving it back and forth. That’s the only thing that could explain that hairdo. And the tie sh*t…. COME ON!

6. Didn’t the home wrecker Alisha Keys hair look like frizzy straw and weren’t her arms looking kind of on their way to Elephant Ears?

7. Nikki Minaj won? No sh*t, who were those no name (edit) she was up against. And since we on her ass “What the HELL was that Nikki and Justin Beiber thing. CORN!

8. Who was the black baldheaded chick in the tutu? NOT A GOOD LOOK!

9. Loved Cherelle and Alexander O’neil but he looked like he was back stage with Bobby and Whitney doing a little something, something. And did you see his mouth…OMG! Life after the 80’s did not treat him well. I actually thought he was dead. Ooops.

10. Trey Songs took all of 2.5 seconds to get half way naked…LMAO

11. Kelly Rowland YES but you better stop being hot and outshining BeOynce before the Knowles family DEMAND a Destiny’s Child reunion to put out your fire.

12. Steve Harvey usually. No is ALWAYS Very Polished in his dress but that shirt with that suit was not it.

13. Why was Al Sharpton trying to walk like President Obama? It’s only room for one pimp sir. You cool but fall back.

14. And then they took them hethans to church LMAO

15. And Yes Lord Mary Mary…Hmmmmmmmm

16. But did anybody notice that when they started singing the gospel songs the camera was only on no name brands in the audience?

17. Now them Hot Mess Braxton’s! Them (edit) do got some harmony for your ass.

18. Cello Green has lost his mind!!!!!!!!! , but he “did” Patti’s song.

19. Didn’t the girl who sang “If Only You Knew” look like the lady that took her leg and wig off and eyes out in ‘I’m Gonna Git You Sucka “?

20. Shirley Ceasar wasn’t playing!!!

21. I love Patti LaBelle with her Turn Out Ass!!!! and them (edit) looking right nice! And she sing effortlessly!

22. Why when Patti was singing “Lady Marmalade” (the hoe song) the camera, mind you, that hasn’t been on a so called “star” for many minutes, zooms in on Nicki Minaj? LMAO.

23. Home girl did Tina Marie justice!!!!! I think that was Ledisi.

24. The Hollywood Husbands was HILARIOUS!!

25. I am quite sure I caught Lil Wayne and Drake lipsyncing a few times and was Lil Wayne “FROLICING AROUND” on stage? HOLLARING! Yeah he was “On One.”

26. OK, let’s she what BeOnyce got for a (edit). Ok girl get off of that “We Are The World" Girl Power shit and get to the HUNCHFEST !!!!!

27. HERE WE GO !!!!!!! ... but the song ain’t shit.

THE END

Blogging Made Easy ... thanks to the iPad

2011-07-07T08:28:00.021-04:00

I don't know about you, but blogging has become a bit easier for me over the past few months. I have my iPad to thank for that.

I have two blogs that I try to post to at least twice weekly: The Radio Girl blog and Indy Hip Hop World. I have a third blog, Radiogirl Cards, that I haven't been very attentive to, but I aim to post there more regularly in the near future.

One thing that's made blogging easier for me lately is that I'm taking advantage of the email address for blogging using Blogger and that way I've started emailing articles and blog posts to the different blogs.

Now, in terms of apps for the iPad that are specific for blogging, I don't use any of those. What's working for me are the following apps - all of them are FREE:

My iPad Feed Reader Apps

Zite: Love the look and feel of Zite. I have several sections including and iPad section, journalism section and DIY section. I like that I can give articles a 'thumbs up' or a 'thumbs down' and that I can kick out the article to Twitter, Facebook, Instapaper, Delicious or email.

What I don't like about Zite is that it seems to take a bit of time to load in; I'd say 20 seconds or so. Also, I don't like that you can add a subject, but not a specific feed. That means in my 'hip hop' section, I have to constantly go in and give a 'thumbs down' to some of the seedy stories that end up there. On the plus side of that, Zite does allow me to discover more stuff than any of the other apps.

Flipboard: I've always liked Flipboard ... though it was getting on my nerves just prior to the most recent upgrade. But what I recently learned (thanks to @AmrAdelAmin) is that I can create a flipboard for individual folders from my Google Reader. That's what I've been wanting (and the ability to use multiple Twitter accounts).

News360: This is not my fav app; it's just wonky and it doesn't offer much in the area of personalization, but I like it for getting the most current news headlines. You can also publish the stories to the various social media platforms and send via email too.

Pulse: I used to be a big fan of Pulse, but after a recent upgrade, the feeds are no longer updating. Pulse is aware of the problem and tried to assist me in fixing it, but it's been such a hassle. I may just go in and re-install the damn thing, but ... doesn't that defeat the purpose of being efficient?

What I did like about Pulse was the feed lines that I'd added and the look of the app. Now, I think I'll just take the feeds and add them to my Google Reader and go from there. Good luck to you Pulse.

That summarizes my use of some of the feed reader apps that I use. Again, they're helpful to keep me up to date and in keeping my blogs fresh with content.

What other apps are you using or would you suggest? Or is there some other tip that you're using to keep your blog current?

Music Monday 99 :: ‪Blackstreet "Love's In Need‬‏"

2011-07-04T15:26:00.005-04:00

Music Monday 99 :: Blackstreet "Love's In Need" (1994)

Taking you back a bit to 1994 when Teddy Riley's "Blackstreet" came on the scene. Boy bands were hot and these boys had the vocals. They didn't stick together long enough, but this version of Stevie Wonder's "Love's In Need of Love Today" is fabulous. It has just enough rhythm and some beats, but mostly the singing is exceptional!

The YouTube vid is not an actual video, but you can at least listen to the track.

YouTube - ‪Blackstreet - Love's In Need‬‏

Music Monday 98 :: Erick Arc Elliot f/Kaya "Keep U (I Like)"

2011-06-27T08:05:00.001-04:00

Music Monday 98 :: Erick Arc Elliott f/Kaya "Keep U (I Lke)"

This is a nice, smooth and mellow track. Erick Arc Elliot's rhymes are nice and easy and Kaya provides a solid hook. It's not a stand out track, but I like the vibe - positive energy.

Check him out Erick Arc Elliott on Twitter:

Keep U (I Like) feat. Kaya | Erick Arc Elliott

The Egyptian Way :: Sexual Harassment in Egypt #endSH

2011-06-20T16:48:00.002-04:00

This blog post has been written in support of Blogging and Tweeting Day Against Sexual Harassment and Gender Violence in Egypt. The official hashtag is #EndSH.

I've been living and working in Cairo, Egypt for the past two years.

I did some research before I moved here. I knew about the filth and the pollution and the poverty and the cost of living. I knew that I wanted to live in Zamalek as opposed to Maadi or El Rahab. So I felt well equipped and ready to enjoy the fruits of the capital city.

It wasn't until I was actually living in Cairo that I noticed something different about the environment; actually I felt the difference. When I was walking down the street, I could feel the stares. I mean, women can stare at me and I don't feel uncomfortable, but when the men here stare at me, I just want to hide behind a brick wall. Their lusty looks are sinful and it's every bit of uncool.

Now, keep in mind, I grew up in an area where a guy would whistle at me and maybe even give me a genuine compliment when he got busted staring at me, but trust me when I say, it feels different here.

Luckily for me, I've only felt uncomfortable from guys staring at me. That is not even near the core of the problem. The Egyptian men make lewd noises and more unfortunate is that many women are physically harassed and assaulted - often in broad daylight when others are watching. I've heard the stories - every woman in Cairo has heard the stories and/or witnessed the pain of the issue.

Part of the problem in Cairo though is that many people believe that sexual harassment is not a big deal. Take this recent article in Al Masry Al Youm "Sexual Harassment Starts at Home" where the father won't tell his son that harassing women is wrong; the father would only say in reference to his son's behavior that "kids will be kids." It's that kind of mentality that prevents society from turning a corner on this problem. The kids need to be taught that it's wrong. Oh, and it would obviously help if there were some consequences for harassing women.

Music Monday 97 :: Jill Scott "The Light Of The Sun"

2011-06-20T16:11:00.000-04:00

Music Monday 97 :: Jill Scott "The Light of the Sun"

This is so cool from NPR. Not only do you get to listen to the new project - all of it, but you get to listen at no cost. The thing is that after you finish listening to it, you'll want to buy it. For real.

There's just enough uptempo music and ballads and it's just dead on in terms of good music. Enjoy.

First Listen: Jill Scott, 'The Light Of The Sun' : NPR

Music Monday 96 :: Cee-Lo Green "I Want You (Hold On To Love)"

2011-06-13T08:34:00.002-04:00

Music Monday 96 :: Cee-Lo Green "I Want You (Hold On To Love)"

I've been diggin this song for sometime now. Can't remember where I first downloaded it, but it's in my rotation.

Now, the video ain't my thing; I'd like to see more color up in there, but it's pure Cee-lo.

New York Times: What Developers Think of the WWDC 2011 Keynote

2011-06-07T17:02:00.000-04:00

On Monday, WWDC 2011 revealed a number of enhancements to OS X, iOS and iCloud. I polled several independent developers, ranging from longtime Mac mainstays, one-man shops and large companies, that cover both Mac and iOS development to get their reactions to the many changes.

What was your favorite announcement?

Rich Siegel, founder and CEO of Bare Bones Software Inc., which makes Yojimbo : The amount of user-facing work that's going into Lion and iOS 5 is truly impressive, especially as it reflects an enormous amount of infrastructure work.

Gedeon Maheux, Principal / Designer at The Iconfactory, which makes Twitterific : We're most excited about all of the potential in iOS 5, such as Apple's new iCloud API. Hopefully synching Twitter timeline positions across multiple copies of Twitterrific will work with relatively little effort.

Ken Case, CEO of The Omni Group : I'm really looking forward to updating our document-based apps (OmniOutliner, OmniGraffle . . . ) to leverage iCloud's document syncing.

David Frampton, founder of Majic Jungle Software, which makes Chopper and Chopper 2 : AirPlay Mirroring. I wasn't expecting that, as it seems a pretty amazing technical achievement. Not sure on the details yet, but it could be a big deal for gaming. ...

http://feeds.nytimes.com/click.phdo?i=e874c06ca1dad3e9da00afec984a409a
Shared using News360 for the iPad. Learn more at http://www.news360app.com

Sent from my iPad

MUSIC MONDAY 95 :: Oprah: 10 Favorite Music Moments

2011-06-06T09:40:00.005-04:00

Music Monday 95 :: Oprah: 10 Favorite Music Moments from Billboard.com

With Oprah ending the run of her talk show, Billboard.com went back through the archives and pulled out some their musical highlights; Tina Turner and the Black Eyed Peas are on the list.

Oprah: 10 Favorite Music Moments | Billboard.com

Music Monday 94 :: Gil Scott-Heron (remembrance)

2011-05-30T18:44:00.000-04:00

Music Monday 94 :: Gil Scott-Heron (remembrance)

From Indy Hip Hop World: Gil Scott-Heron Dies

RIP Gil Scott-Heron: 3 YouTube Videos to Remember Him By

2011-05-29T01:49:00.001-04:00

Gil Scott-Heron died on Friday, May 27, 2011.

From Mashable:

RIP Gil Scott-Heron: 3 YouTube Videos to Remember Him By
http://mashable.com/2011/05/28/gil-scott-heron-videos/

Marvin Gaye's 'What's Going On': Songs We Love

2011-05-26T20:01:00.001-04:00

Nice retro look at Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On ...":

Marvin Gaye's 'What's Going On': Songs We Love
by Michael Katzif and NPR Staff
NPR - May 21, 2011

Marvin Gaye's masterpiece What's Going On turns 40 on Saturday. Click the link above to hear Gaye biographer David Ritz evaluate the album and its legacy on Weekend Edition Saturday.

Marvin Gaye's What's Going On was an instant classic, as well as one of the most influential records from a passionate and enduring icon. Released on May 21, 1971, the album is an introspective, politically charged nine-piece song cycle that addresses the ravages of the Vietnam War, urban decay, drug abuse, civil unrest and injustice. Gaye was singing to his generation in an effort to wake people up to the struggles no one was willing to discuss at that time. But these songs are universal; they've transcended their time and place. Listen carefully and you'll notice how much they still resonate.

While What's Going On ranks among the best R&B records to so openly and artfully reflect such social consciousness, it was not the last of its kind. What's Going On has become a template for how to marry a strong message with a pop sensibility in order to reach as large an audience as possible. Gaye's songs are filled with sophisticated yet instantly recognizable hooks and languid, jazz-inflected funk grooves that would keep anyone dancing and singing along. If it weren't for Gaye's skillful songcraft, his message might have been lost. Thankfully, 40 years later, this music lives on.

In honor of the 40th anniversary of What's Going On, Motown is reissuing a new "Super Deluxe Edition" of the record, complete with unreleased tracks and rarities. Most of these songs will be immediately familiar, so NPR Music has assembled a panel of Marvin Gaye fans to reflect on the album and its legacy. [Copyright 2011 National Public Radio]

My iPad and My Notes

2011-05-26T09:39:00.002-04:00

My iPad and My Notes

I've been using my iPad for nearly six months now and I've grown to like it a lot (though this is only my second post about my iPad; see my first iPad blog post). It has some pluses and minuses, but in the end, I'd rather have it than not. Even though I don't have the 3G; that's my only regret about purchasing the first generation model.

But if I could make an adjustment, I'd make a simple keyboard update:

There's a need for arrow keys; having to backspace or highlight a long word just to change one letter is a bit cumbersome and annoying. Usually the cursor will only set at the end or the beginning of a word. I just think arrow keys might be easier to maneuver.

One program that I'm starting to love is the Notes app that comes downloaded on the iPad. At first, I thought it wasn't a big deal, but now I know otherwise. The key here is that every note that you type gets emailed to the email account that you have tethered to the iPad. Even if you update an old note, a new email is sent with the updated notes. Also, in my Gmail where the notes are sent, they are automatically labeled 'notes' with a label.

I've been typing a lot of notes, so when I discovered that all of the notes were in my Gmail, I was ecstatic.

One of my notes from the Broadcast Education Assn Conference, April, 2011

One downside of notes that I noticed is that when I emailed a note to my Tumblr account, the notes format did not transfer as it was displayed on the note in the iPad. That could be a Tumblr issue; I'm not sure. But knowing that the notes are in my Gmail, I can just email the notes from Gmail to post to Tumblr. At the time, however, I was attending a conference and wanted to post my notes from the conference immediately; that did not work out so well.

Additionally, I'd like to see a few basic features for Notes; really just font related. The ability to increase the font size, bold, italicize, maybe add color. That would be nice.

Music Monday 93 :: Beyonce "Run the World (Girls)"

2011-05-23T09:34:00.005-04:00

Music Monday 93 :: Beyonce "Run the World (Girls)"

If not feelin this song or this video. My disdain for the video is that Beyonce should move away from this crawling on the ground thing. I'm thinking that she thinks it's sexy or someone told her it's sexy or both. It may have been sexy a few videos ago, but it's played out now.

As for the song, for the most part it sounds empty; something sort of grabbed me midway through, but it did not grab my attention from the beginning. It sort of seems like she's trying to to "Survivor" and "Single Ladies," but it's not really working this time.

At Beyonce's level, I do expect more and I mean more than just changing your clothes several times in a a video. Now, the high heels, dancing, in the sand ... well, I'll give her props for that.

Music Monday 92 :: Common "The Light"

2011-05-16T18:25:00.006-04:00

Music Monday 92 :: Common "The Light"

With all the talk of @Common in the news, thought I'd throw my iron in the fire.
Love this track "The Light." You'll like it too.

Common's "The Light"

Music Monday 91: Robert Glasper Trio "Enoch's (Inaugural) Meditation"

2011-05-09T19:01:00.000-04:00

Music Monday 91:: Robert Glasper Trio "Enoch's (Inaugural) Meditation"

Discovered this gem while checking out the 2011 Tri-C JazzFest schedule (Cleveland). Love that the young folks have not abandoned the jazz genre. The Robert Glasper Trio also weaves in some hip hop too.

Check out this video and enjoy:
YouTube - WBGO Studio Session: Robert Glasper Trio - "Enoch's (Inaugural) Meditation":

Music Monday 90 :: Raphael Saadiq "Heart Attack"

2011-05-02T17:18:00.000-04:00

Music Monday 90 :: Raphael Saadiq "Heart Attack"

My bestie, April Baer's hubby put me on to this. His name is Ryan White and he knows a little bit about music.

No need for me to give all the props to Whitey, as we so affectionately call him. It's Raphael Saadiq who I should be gushing over.

I love the feel of this song: a bit old school and velvety and just the right tempo. You'll see what I mean:

Raphael Saadiq's "Heart Attack" via NPR (the entire album/cd/project is there for you to listen to or purchase).

Music Monday 89 :: Music Related Apps for the iPad

2011-04-25T11:59:00.008-04:00

Music Monday 89 :: Music Related Apps for the iPad

Listen to the blog post as a podcast

I'm a late adopter of the first generation iPad. That means I got one for Christmas and a new one, the iPad2, was released a few months later.

I'm not mad about it, just ... well, I'm an iPad owner and not an Apple fan. I don't like the proprietary-ness that's related to their files and what not. I could go on, but that's not the focus here.

It's Monday ... Music Monday and I'd like to share with you two music related apps that I use on my iPad.

NPR Music
I've used this app sporadically, but for no good reason. Every time I fire it up, I discover something that I like. I found Beans and Charles Bradley via the NPR Music iPad app, oh, and a killer interview w/Lupe Fiasco. Can't beat the fact that it's free, but if you're like me, you'll feel guilty and head to the NPR Website to make a donation:

I like the way you can check out music via genre.

Not all of the stories have audio, but still some good writing and discovery.

The live performance options are endless: variety in genres, npr programming, etc.

You can easily share the things that you like (or dislike): there's email as well as Twitter and Facebook integration.

Aweditorium
This app bills itself as 'aural happiness'. Aaaah, and it is. The folks behind this app are the cool kids over at thesixtyone. I've blogged about thesixtyone before. The iPad app is something of a variation of thesixtyone webbie. You will easily discover new music and have fun swiping and 'hearting' music and all for the price of free:

I like the layout: a photo mosaic of the artist and you can tap anywhere and that artist's song plays.

I like the way the app fades in and out between songs.

Of course, there's Twitter and Facebook integration.

I won't say run out and get an iPad because I'm not that kinda girl, but if you have an iPad or access to one, then there's no good reason why you shouldn't try out these two applications.

What music-related apps are you using on your iPad?

Music Monday 88 :: TV On The Radio

2011-04-18T08:50:00.007-04:00

Music Monday 88 :: TV On The Radio

I've been hip to this group for years. I don't regularly listen to their music, but the only group I regularly listen to is The Roots.

Anyway, I was watching The Late Show w/David Letterman on Friday night and TV On The Radio was the musical guest. Not only did they perform at the end of the show, but they had a 40 minute performance too.

I enjoyed their performance of "Will Do" which is in the YouTube vid below (so if you click the link and it's gone ... you know the deal):

Travel Tips: 6 weekend breaks in Europe

2011-04-17T10:03:00.003-04:00

As I consider my options for summer travel, I saw this:

6 weekend breaks in Europe:
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/france/travel-tips-and-articles/76607

Music Monday 87 :: Spring Movements

2011-04-04T08:45:00.003-04:00

Music Monday 87 :: Spring Movements

There's nothing like a conceptual video that's well produced; well, except one that is all of that AND also inspired by the uprisings in the Middle East.

Music Monday 86 :: Marni Nixon Hollywood's Voice Ghost - NPR

2011-03-28T13:47:00.003-04:00

Music Monday 86 :: Marni Nixon Hollywood's Voice Ghost from NPR

I originally heard this story on NPR's Culturetopia podcast. I was fascinated by the process of dubbing. It's a great story too.

The Egyptian Way :: The Lift

2011-03-23T16:06:00.009-04:00

The Egyptian Way :: The Lift

I live on the seventh floor. My building has two elevators or as it's call in Egypt (and many other parts of the world) - the lift. Actually, there are four elevators in the building, but two are directly accessible for me.

Unfortunately since early January, there has only been one working elevator. Unfortunately, the one working elevator only works 'sometimes'. This was quite the bane of my existence (and my protest partners) during the Egyptian revolution in late January and early February. After being out at Tahrir Square all day, we'd take the hour long walk home only to find that elevator didn't work ... we'd mumble and grumble and curse up the entire seven/nine flights of stairs.

Well, after the revolution ended, the only working elevator continued to work sporadically. One day I got fed up and sent an extensive email to everyone who had something to do w/the elevators. The short story of their response was that both elevators will be functional in August, 2011. I already have a short list of who's not happy about that, but in August, 2011, there'd better be two working elevators.

I say all that to say this: Today was a teaching day for me - I leave home at 7:30 a.m. and I get home usually around 7:30 or 8 p.m. I'm usually exhausted. Today was no different. When I arrived at the only working 'lift' the doors were open and there was a man visibly working on it. I stood there - exasperated. I began to think of ways to get to the seventh floor: I could take the stairs, no, I can walk to the other side of the building and take the girls elevator to the sixth floor (that's as high as it goes) ... no, just take the stairs, they're right there ... I'm thinking real fast because I'm also hungry.

Here's 'the lift' on the seventh floor. That box on the left is the other lift that's being repaired. (Mar., 2011).

But then the man fixing the elevator, who I've seen around and whose name is Mohamed says ... "Gowwa, gowwa." I'm confused. "Gowwa" means inside in Arabic, but what's he trying to say? The next thing I know, the elevator doors close. Now, I'm certain that I'll have to take the stairs ... but then the doors open back up - in seconds - and the elevator is there like it's always been there and ready for me to get in and ride up - it's like it's a magic trick, but I'm suspect. I walk closer and Mohamed encourages me to get in. What? His voice alone startles me. I look up and there he is. I say, "La. La." That's "No" in Arabic, but he's insistent. So, reluctantly I walk in the elevator. I glance up. He can see me and points for me to select a floor. I hit the button for the seventh floor and I immediately think, "Well, he'll be okay since there are several floors above seven; at least he won't get smashed." I know, forget the fact that he could get electrocuted or whatever else. Not only that, but I failed to think that "I'm in an elevator that, just seconds ago, was being repaired." Wtw?

When I hit seven, the elevator didn't move. But Mohamed starts to rustle around and eventually we're going upward. All the while I'm thinking "What kinda ish is this?" Luckily, the ride is over before I can repeat that phrase too many times. When the doors open on my floor, I get out of the elevator and begin to walk toward my flat, but Mohamed is trying to tell me something ... he wants me to send the elevator back down ... huh?

I push the ground floor and as I walk away I say to myself, "What the hell just happened?" I know that me and the residents of the building have complained loudly about the sometimes working lift, but I've never experienced something quite like that before, nor do I want to do it again. I mean, if there's going to be a man operating the elevator, I'd rather he be in the elevator than on top of it.

I'd love to get a picture of 'the man inside the elevator' (you know, like 'the man behind the curtain' in "The Wizard of Oz"), but I can't imagine calling 'the lift' again and also wondering if it will come? And/or if it does come, will Mohamed be there ... ?

ADDENDUM: The next morning, when I went to call the elevator, (surprise) it's not working. After walking down the seven flights of stairs, I went to the front desk to tell them that elevator's not working; they look at each other blankly and offer me no sign that they know what I'm talking about; I walk away more frustrated than ever and head to my Arabic lesson. I'm gonna learn this language and use it to give a few people a piece of my mind ... in their language.

Music Monday 85 :: Glam.I.Rock "Empty Ave."

2011-03-21T13:02:00.006-04:00

Music Monday 85 :: Glam.I.Rock "Empty Ave."

This song just makes me want to ... dance. Great workout track. The video is lackluster, but check the song. You may think it's a bit simple w/the electronic vib, but Glam.I.Rock has a nice voice. I first 'discovered' her on thesixtyone.

YouTube Video: Glam.I.Rock's "Empty Ave."

Oh, and this remix version of "Empty Ave." is okay too.

Music Monday 84 :: Usher f/will.i.am "OMG"

2011-03-14T13:07:00.008-04:00

Music Monday 84 :: Usher f/will.i.am "OMG"

I love this song: "OMG" by Usher f/will.i.am; it get you really hyped for a good workout. There's not much to it ... the fake snare drives the song, but for that little bit of musician in me, they should have gotten the real thing. It sound synthesized. I love the amped up crowd that flows from beginning to end.

However, the accompanying video is a huge let down. They don't even play on the crowd in the song; now that would have been the thing to do is have this mass crowd break out in a synchronized dance like a mob scene.

Well, there's still the song to enjoy. Check it out.

Music Monday 83 :: Arabian Knightz "Sisters"

2011-03-07T16:44:00.011-05:00

Music Monday 83 :: Arabian Knightz "Sisters"

At first glance, the title of this song might seem as if it could be some guys talking about their sisters and it is. However, the sisters are all Egyptian women and these guys are Egyptian too. They recognize a problem in the Egyptian culture and they're using their creativity to get a message out there.

Image borrowed from the9elements.com

"Sisters" was produced by Arabian Knightz for HarassMap. HarassMap is a project based in Cairo, Egypt that's designed for women to report incidents of sexual harassment via text messages (SMS). Much love to Arabian Knightz.

Blog post on HarassMap about Arabian Knightz.

Listen to "Sisters" by Arabian Knightz

The Egyptian Way :: What I See

2011-03-02T08:16:00.003-05:00

The Egyptian Way :: What I See

I take a bus to work at The American University in Cairo (AUC). It can take about 50 minutes w/o traffic or infinitely w/traffic; it's an awful toss up for the commute home.

But the variety of things that I see when I look out the window still amazes me. There are lots of unfinished housing developments as well as unfinished corporate office buildings.

There's always a lot of traffic. There are a variety of cars: old cars, foreign cars, small ones too along with the occasional abandoned vehicle. Trucks are plentiful: tractor trailers and flatbeds. Motorcycles, scooters and guys riding bikes w/a large try of bread on their heads and somehow managing to balance it all through heavy traffic. If there's a pick up truck, there's a good chance that it's filled w/men heading to/from work or it's full of goods.

Unfortunately, there are often drivers driving on the wrong side of the road; more unfortunate, sometimes I've been on a bus or two where our bus was driving on the wrong side of the road. Those bus drivers usually get an earful from the passengers and they probably get written up about the safety violation. With all of that traffic, or more pointedly, the cause of all of that traffic is the traffic police, who rarely manage to efficiently move traffic.

The people are quite interesting: men in suits and construction gear and galabayas. The vendors are out; people are at cafes sipping tea and having some shisha.

There are many billboards, most of them in Arabic, but just as slick as any billboard in the U.S.

Lucky for me there's always some sunshine! Whether it the sunshine in the morning or getting to see the sunset. It's a treat to see just like it's a treat to always see The Nile.

I could go on, but I've put together a Wordle on some of the things that I see on my commute to and from the AUC campus.

The Egyptian Way :: The Egyptian Revolution - Fear and More Fear

2011-02-18T14:07:00.010-05:00

The Egyptian Way :: The Egyptian Revolution - Fear and More Fear

During the Egyptian Revolution, I chose not to leave Cairo, Egypt where I live and work.

I've been reluctant to express my opinion about my experience with the Egyptian Revolution. This is not the appropriate platform for me to go into detail about why I haven't been saying much.

However, in this short podcast (really a test of using SoundCloud's Web interface for recording), I talk about how fear seemed prevalent in the early days of the protest.

My apology in advance for the sound quality; I failed to turn off the heater in the room while I was recording.

Podcast: Jan. 25th Protests: Fear and more fear

Re: Jan 25th Protests in Egypt: Fear and more fear by ohradiogirl

Music Monday 82 :: VIDEO Cee-lo Green performs at the Grammy's 2011

2011-02-14T13:13:00.007-05:00

Music Monday 82 :: VIDEO: Cee-lo Green performs at the Grammy's 2011

I've been a fan of the Grammy's for years. In that regard, it's obvious that I've also been disappointed many, many times for various reasons. Sometimes, the nominations are a crock of ...; sometimes, the performances are a let down. But sometimes, they get it right or they go out on a limb. I mean, who woulda thought that Esperanza Spalding would win best new artist? Deserving - hell yeah, but that's usually where the Grammy formula for winning goes wrong. When there's a heap of talent, the Grammy's sometimes go in another direction and leave me w/a heavy heart.

Enough blabber ... because Cee-lo's performance at the Grammy's last night was just what you'd expect from him. He did not disappoint in terms of creativity or enthusiasm. The dude does a nationally televised performance w/puppets. Love that. And Gwyneth Paltrow did her thing as well.

See it for yourself: Cee-lo Green performs at the Grammy's 2011

Teaching Journalism During a Revolution

2011-02-09T11:20:00.008-05:00

The past few weeks in Cairo, Egypt have been filled with lots of uncertainly because of the #Jan25 Protests. Unfortunately, there's a Robert Gibbs (White House press secretary) quote that is fitting: "It's a fluid situation".

I teach journalism at The American University in Cairo (AUC) and we're scheduled to begin the Spring semester on Sunday. Under normal circumstances, I'd be ready: syllabus, course outline, website, guest speakers, Blackboard, etc. I'd have all of my ducks in a row. As it stands, I've talked to many students who've said "I'm taking your class this semester". For some reason I'm startled when they say that. Normally my response would be "What's your name?" because I would have reviewed my roster and I'd be familiar with who's enrolled in my courses. Not now.

I've spent most of the past few days traveling to Tahrir Square in downtown Cairo to support the protesters. I've spent little time adjusting my syllabus for the two weeks of classes that we've missed. I've spent even less time trying to figure out how to incorporate Egypt's revolution into my courses. There's no way that I can teach them as they are or how I've taught them in the past. To do that would be a disservice and it kind hard to ignore that fact that we're in a city that's the center of an uprising.

An Egyptian protester leads a chant at Tahrir Square in downtown Cairo. (Feb., 2011)

This should be interesting though, teaching during a revolution that is.

I don't have a TV, so I haven't watched television regularly over the past few weeks; just a few minutes here and there during the critical times of the protests. However, that won't prevent me from incorporating a bit of media literacy into my courses especially my Multimedia Writing courses which are more based on the fundamentals of good writing and reporting. I know that what the TV presents can be strong, but has it been accurate? And how would you know?

I wish I'd been able to reach the students before now because Tahrir is a classroom whether you're there physically or watching from home. This is the best teachable moment for journalism students. Problem is I know some of our students have been there almost daily, but I'm afraid that just as many have not been - for whatever reason. What do I say to those students who've been in Cairo, but have yet to go to Tahrir to see for themselves? I'll tell them to go to Tahrir as soon as they can; it's a revolution that you need to see for yourself. The mood changes daily and the story ideas are plentiful.

So although I'm not going to be ready for the start of the Spring 2011 semester, I think there's a field trip in the future.

Music Monday 81 :: Egypt Protest Songs on YouTube

2011-02-07T17:25:00.009-05:00

Music Monday 81 :: Egypt Protest Songs on YouTube

Many of you know that I live and work in Cairo, Egypt. I've lived here for a year and a half or for three semesters to put it in academic terms. I teach at a university so that's more accurate.

There's been a lot of talk about what's been going on here. It's unfortunate that what you see on CNN and the BBC is not a full picture of what is going on here. What is going on here is the reason why I'm still here and did not hop on any of the charted U.S. embassy flights out of Egypt. There's no reason for me to leave; I live here and the fear that is being instilled in many people is inflated.

That said ... I'm here and enjoying all the fruits of the revolution: optimism and camaraderie.

I wrote a blog post on Indy Hip Hop World about Egypt's #Jan25 Movement & Hip Hop :: Arabian Knights and Lauryn Hill's "Rebel".

But for this Music Monday post, it's about:

Egypt protest music on YouTube

Music Monday 80 :: Rocky Dawuni "Walls Tumblin Down"

2011-01-24T08:25:00.004-05:00

Music Monday 80 :: Rocky Dawuni "Walls Tumblin Down"

Sometimes I feel like I'm late for the party. Somehow the landscape of entertain is expanding at an exponential pace. Well, I know how: this damn Interweb is how. It's a necessary evil ...

So I'm just now discovering Rocky Dawuni and his latest project that was released last year. Good thing for me is that I found it and good music is good music no matter how long it took for you to discover it.

Time for you to enjoy some of this good, inspirational music. Oh, and Rocky Dawani's on Twitter too!

Reverb10 :: Defining Moment

2011-01-22T13:23:00.010-05:00

I've decided to be a part of Reverb10. It's a 31-day blogging challenge where you reply to the daily writing prompts that are designed to get you to reflect on this past year as well as provide some insight for the upcoming year. I'm going to give myself 5-7 minutes for each post.

Day 29 :: December 29, 2010 :: Defining Moment

Describe a defining moment or series of events that has affected your life this year. (Author: Kathryn Fitzmaurice)

This is not an easy prompt. Actually this question has taken way more than my allocated 5-7 minutes and I'm still coming up short, but I'll give it a go (and I'll try to make it brief).

Last Fall, I decided to stand up for something that I believed in. I teach at a university and there was a situation that was a 'teachable moment'. I wanted to seize the opportunity, but doing that meant that I had to act fast. I was told to slow down and that there could be some repercussions for doing things willy nilly. Ha. I wasn't insulted, but obviously folks don't know me at all because I've NEVER been known to do anything willy nilly.

Some of the students who attended the 'controversial' panel discussion (Oct., 2010)

The point is that I intentionally went against the grain and basically stood on an island to put together a panel discussion for our journalism majors. It created a good amount of tension in my department - there was only one other full time faculty member who publicly supported me. But in the end over 60 students showed up for the panel (even after the initial room that it was scheduled to be in was cancelled and we had to book another room at the last minute that was extremely hard to find). The students did not know the back story, but they were grateful for an opportunity to discuss the 'controversial' topic.

Now that everything has died down, I've been appointed to take care of the scheduling and the planning of an official campus-wide series on the topic ... and to think, just weeks ago folks made it seem as if I was putting my job on the line.

It just goes to show that you have to 'stand up for what you believe in'.

Reverb10 :: Achieve (part 2)

2011-01-20T08:31:00.001-05:00

Day 28 :: December 28, 2010 :: Achieve

What's the thing you most want to achieve next year? How do you image you'll feel when you get it? Free? Happy? Complete? Blissful? Write that feeling down. Then, brainstorm 10 things you can do, or 10 new thoughts you can think, in order to experience that feeling today. (Author: Tara Sophia Mohr)

I did a post on Reverb10 :: Achieve already. But as I began to think about it, I left something out. Since I'm living and working in Cairo, many people ask if I know Arabic. The answer is shiwayya' that means 'a little' in Arabic. I do have a private tutor and we meet twice a week for a total of three hours.

So that's the additional thing that I want to achieve this year - to improve my Arabic.

I was a bit proud of myself when I recently returned to Cairo and how fast I jumped back into responding in Arabic and understanding Egyptians (who speak rather fast).

One of my first Arabic lessons (Oct., 2009)

Getting more time w/my tutor is not really an option for me at this time. However, I will make a concerted effort to review my Arabic material as well as to meet w/some of my Egyptian friends and practice speaking Arabic.

Music Monday 79 :: 10 Songs Honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

2011-01-17T08:31:00.004-05:00

Music Monday 79 :: 10 Songs Honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

No need for me to come up with my own list when Billboard is on it. Enjoy your day on, not off!

10 Songs Honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. | Billboard.com

Using Paperli

2011-01-15T07:16:00.010-05:00

I've been playing around with Paperli for a few weeks. I was trying to create a custom paper, but it's been cumbersome trying to find the right mix of information (you have to use Twitter search results, but Paperli does not provide the format for submitting the search material). So I had to settle on creating a paper using my Journalism list on Twitter.

So far it looks okay ... I'll pay attention to it and tweak it as needed.

The Journalism Daily:

http://t.co/pOLTW9

Music Monday 78 :: Corrine Bailey Rae "Put Your Records On"

2011-01-10T12:29:00.000-05:00

Music Monday 78 :: Corrine Bailey Rae "Put Your Records On" (2006)

There's so much positivity and energy to this song. It feels fun and Rae's voice is so cool and smooth. Happy Monday!

Reverb10 :: Achieve

2011-01-10T01:47:00.002-05:00

Day 28 :: December 28, 2010 :: Achieve

What's the thing you most want to achieve next year? How do you image you'll feel when you get it? Free? Happy? Complete? Blissful? Write that feeling down. Then, brainstorm 10 things you can do, or 10 new thoughts you can think, in order to experience that feeling today. (Author: Tara Sophia Mohr)

I want to continue to read books for leisure. I'm amazed at how many people I know who haven't read a book (front to back) in years. Who does that? Well, apparently my friends. The good news is that I'm in a reading group. And although I live and work away from my group, I still keep up w/the readings and I submit my comments in advance. I also ask for a recap from the group and I call at least one of the members for other missing deets from the recap.

Books on the Literary Sistas reading list for 2011 (Jan., 2011)

We mostly read fiction, which I love. We've only read books by African-American authors. Love that too. Our reading list for this year seems amazing. So excited about it:

Let the Lion Eat Straw by Ellease Southerland (Paperback) 171 pp

Powder Necklace: A Novel by Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond (Paperback) 304 pp

Glorious by Bernice L. McFadden (Paperback) 240 pp

Wench: A Novel by Dolen Perkins-valdez (Hardcover) 304 pp

32 Candles: A Novel by Ernessa T. Carter (Hardcover) 352 pp

The Secret Lives of Baba Segi's Wives: A Novel by Lola Shoneyin (Hardcover) 288 pp

I have most of the books on this year's reading list for my group and I've already begun to read one of the books. So, I'm off to a good start.

I'm saying I want to do this like the fact that my friends have fallen off will rub off on me. Not gonna happen. I will, however, mix in some other books along w/the my reading groups selections. Matter of fact, I've been reading "Who Stole the News?: Why We Can't Keep Up With What Happens in the World and What We Can Do About It". Just want to read a bit of non-fiction too.

My Good Reads list is current as is my Shelfari on Facebook. Now, I'll just have to see if I can continue to post the book review that usually goes along w/my completed readings because ... I did fall off in that regard last year.

Reverb10 :: Ordinary Joy

2011-01-07T10:39:00.001-05:00

Day 27 :: December 27, 2010 :: Ordinary Joy

Our most profound joy is often experience during ordinary moments. What was one of your most joyful ordinary moments this year? (Author: Brene' Brown)

I remember going to visit a friend this summer in D.C. and I stayed at his house. We did some piddling around town and what not and that was cool. But I remember getting back to his house and just staying up and talking about all sorts of things: music, movies, life ... and all of a sudden it's 1 a.m. on a school night. Good people, good times, ordinary joy.

Reverb10 :: Soul Food

2011-01-06T23:23:00.006-05:00

Day 26 :: December 26, 2010 :: Soul Food

What did you eat this year that you will never forget? What went into your mouth & touched your soul? (Author: Elise Marie Collins)

The first thing that I can think of is the food in Italy. Delicious, but you already knew that. However, what I found most interesting is the simplicity of much of the food. When we'd inquire about how some foods were prepared, the response was often: salt, pepper, lemon, garlic or some variation of that.

The breakfast bounty at the Agriturismo Marciano Bed & Breakfast. (Nov., 2010)

What I'll need to do is figure out how to combat the food disparity in Cairo. There are many food options there, but often the food at restaurants is just marginal. When it comes to preparing food at home, it's a matter or finding good veggies and fruit and fish and chicken ... however, I am planning on growing some herbs (inside) in the next month or so.

Music Monday 77 :: How to Write a Hit

2011-01-03T09:08:00.002-05:00

Music Monday 77 :: How to Write a Hit (from NPR)

I heard this story on NPR a few weeks ago. I was intrigued by the woman featured in the story. We rarely hear about women behind the scenes in music. I think that you'll like this one. It's about 8 minutes long.

Reverb 10 :: End of 2010 Video :: Lovin Life

2010-12-29T08:10:00.003-05:00

Day 25 :: December 25, 2010 :: Photo/Video

Sift through all the photos of you from the past year. Choose one that best captures you; either who you are, or who you strive to be. Find the shot of you that is worth a thousand words. Share the image, who shot it, where and what it best reveals about you. (Author: Tracey Clark)

I've fallen behind on my Reverb10 posts over the past few days, but the funny thing is I've been working on this video for the past few days; trying to make it just right. So I'm not going to focus on one image, but several.

Boy, did I have some fun in 2010. Had some tough times too; still working through some things. Will probably always be working on some things. But my focus here is on the good times and there were plenty of good times w/good peeps because mostly I'm lovin life and my options right now.

I put together this 35 second Animoto vid to recap some of the blessings of this past year.

Reverb10 :: Everything's OK

2010-12-29T01:17:00.007-05:00

Day 24 :: December 24, 2010 :: Everything's OK

What was the best moment that could serve as proof that everything is going to be alright? And how will you incorporate that discovery into the year ahead? (Author: Kate Inglis)

I was feeling stressed and overwhelmed in September and decided to take an unplanned trip to Dahab. Getting to Dahab at the last minute is possible, but you'll have to make some sacrifices and in my case, it was comfort. We took what turned out to be an 8 hour drive in a van on desert dark roads w/crappy rest stops sparingly along the way.

My last minute option for a place to stay was with a woman named Karen who I'd learned about on a list serve called Cairo Scholars. Me and some other folks would be staying at Karen's house for about 75 Egyptian pounds per day and that included breakfast; that's about $12 U.S. dollars.

One of our quad bikes/ATVs before things went astray. (Sept., 2010)

Karen's house is palatial by Egyptian standards: gated w/three bedrooms, a spacious porch and garden and on most days hot, running water. However, I would be sharing a room (and bed) w/another young lady and the mosquitoes would eat us up. Our other roomies, during our stay, were two other American boys. We all got along just fine, but I never felt relaxed while on my Eid vacation. I was still stressed: in an unfamiliar environment w/new people and pseudo-trouble lurking around nearly every corner.

Our drugged-up ATV guide to the mountains lost it and threatened to kill us.
My colleague came up missing for over 20 minutes at Ras Mohamed while snorkeling.
I got extremely ill minutes before we were to get on the 8 hour bus ride back to Cairo.

The moral to this story ... I probably should not have taken that trip in the first place. I should have sat still and took advantage of some authentic 'me time'. But despite my rash decision to travel over the long holiday, and despite all of the mishaps, nothing bad really happened and in the end 'everything was okay'. *sighs deeply*

It should be obvious what my lesson was/is... just because the trip came together: I found transportation and a place to stay at the last minute, doesn't mean that I should have jumped at the opportunity knowing that I was already stressed out. You know, there's a saying that sometimes you just have to 'be still'. Note to self: Do Better.

Music Monday 76 :: Popular Music Monday Blog Posts

2010-12-27T08:20:00.003-05:00

Music Monday 76 :: Popular Music Monday Blog Posts (according to Google Analytics)

Another year and another set of Music Monday blog posts. So I culled Google Analytics to see what were the most popular Music Monday blog posts.

Music Monday 27 :: Oleta Adams

Originally posted on May 11, 2009

Music Monday 51 :: Workout Mixtape

Originally posted on March 15, 2010

Music Monday 21 :: Run DMC 2009 Rock Hall Inductees

Originally posted on March 30, 2009

Music Monday 8 :: Lyle Lovett "I Will Rise Up"

Originally posted on December 29, 2008

Music Monday 9 :: Ben Lee "Catch My Disease"

Originally posted on January 5, 2009

Reverb10 :: New Name

2010-12-26T23:59:00.003-05:00

Day 23 :: December 23, 2010 :: New Name

Let's meet again, for the first time. If you could introduce yourself to strangers by another name for just one day, what would it be and why? (Author: Becca Wilcott)

I've already played this game. And the answer is Jada Adams. Nothing special about it, so I don't have a 'why'.

Reverb10 :: Travel

2010-12-24T18:58:00.009-05:00

Day 22 :: December 22, 2010 :: Travel

How did you travel in 2010? How and/or where would you like to travel next year? (Author: Tara Hunt)

Oh, the topic of travel again. Love this. The more I talk and write about this, the more I get to think about what's possible.

I am getting ahead of the question though, right? In 2010, I managed to tackle a few travel destinations. Most recently Italy. It was all that you think it was; still have plans to do a few blog posts on that 9 days of joy, joy, joy.

Olives from a restaurant in Cinque Terre. (Nov., 2010)

As I look ahead to 2011, here's what's on tap:

Nile Cruise: Abu Simbel, Aswan and Luxor (January)

Las Vegas (April)

Portland, Oregon (April)

Europe (June)

Istanbul, Turkey (July)

This could get interesting as I try to plot and plan this out.

Reverb10 :: Future Self

2010-12-24T10:30:00.008-05:00

Day 21 :: December 21, 2010 :: Future Self

Imagine yourself five years from now. What advice would you give your current self for the year ahead? (Bonus: Write a note to yourself 10 yourself 10 years ago. What would you tell your younger self?) (Author: Jenny Blake)

I think I'd tell myself:

"In order to make change to achieve some of your life goals, you need to start to make small steps in that direction. You need to chart your destination and work diligently to make those goals a reality."

That short and simple advice says it all: you can only make progress if you do something toward the progress; your dreams can only manifest so much in your mind.

Reverb10 :: Beyond Avoidance

2010-12-23T18:33:00.006-05:00

Day 20 :: December 20, 2010 :: Beyond Avoidance

What should you have done this year, but didn't because you were too scared, worried, unsure, busy or otherwise deterred from doing? (Bonus: Will you do it?) (Author: Jake Nickel)

I should have produced at least one audio feature or one multimedia project on a professional level. I've been 'too busy' and procrastinating and I haven't made that a priority; though it's what I love to do. I could say that by teaching I'm constantly involved with various student projects and I'm definitely current on a lot of technology.

My recent procrastination: traveling. Sunrise on Mount Sinai (Aug., 2009)

For leisure, I've created several small projects from my travels. Projects using Jing, Animoto, AudioBoo, SoundCloud, Prezi and more. Those are some cool tools.

As for will I do it? You bet! Got a project where I already have the sound and just need to take the time to do the editing. And I have an idea for a project involving some of my former students (just need to see if they're interested).

My Christmas Music Playlist on MySpace

2010-12-22T16:29:00.011-05:00

I recently noticed that an old blog post about Christmas music is not functioning properly. I used to enjoy the old music site, Imeem. But since MySpace bought it out and shut it down, my life has not been the same.

MySpace is not a substitute for Imeem. MySpace is too cumbersome; they also don't offer an embed code for your blog or website. There might be a good reason for that or it might be that they just want to trap you at their website and feed you a steady stream of crappy music and ads.

Well, before I totally get out of the Christmas spirit, I'll take a minute to stop bashing MySpace. I took some time, and I do mean some time over on their slow website and I created a Christmas mix of music.

The playlist is full of some of my favs. I was annoyed to find that Donny Hathaway's "This Christmas" is not available (somebody should really do something about that). But, again, I should stop bashing.

Well, you already know that I can't embed the playlist here, so here's the link:

Christmas Mix on MySpace

Happy Holidays.

Reverb10 :: Healing

2010-12-22T13:39:00.004-05:00

Day 19 :: December 19, 2010 :: Healing

What healed you this year? Was it sudden, or a drip-by-drip evolution? How would you like to be healed in 2011? (Author: Leonie Allan)

Laughter is always the healer for me. My girl Tonja in Cali never ceases to give me some serious laugh out loud moments.

I try to slip in some fun and funny comments on occasion. Even when I'm mad, I can usually settle myself down by trying to poke fun at the situation (though that usually comes after some profanity-laced ranting).

For 2011, finding some focus and me time would be a nice healing remedy; at least in theory it sounds good. There's also spa time, manicures and pedicures and oh, good food.

Reverb10 :: Try

2010-12-20T18:25:00.011-05:00

Day 18 :: December 18, 2010 :: Try

What do you want to try next year? Is there something you wanted to try in 2010? What happened when you did/didn't go for it? (Author: Kaileen Elise)

2010 was good for me in regards to today's prompt - trying to travel more and see the world after spending the bulk of my life in the U.S.

Since moving to Cairo, I've traveled around Egypt quite a bit. That was my plan for my first year. I went to Siwa, Alexandria, the White Desert, Sharm el Sheikh, Dahab, Mount Sinai, St. Katherine's, Rosetta and Luxor.

Fort Qaitbey in Alexandria, Egypt (Nov, 2010)

But now, I'm trying to venture out and see more of the region. I went to Kuwait in October and had a really nice time. Then last month, I took my first European vacation and spent nine days in Italy: Rome, Sienna, Cinque Terra and Milan. So refreshing.

Someone asked me if these were places on my 'bucket list'. No, but in terms of proximity, I've got it made and I need to take advantage of that.

I'll start 2011 with a Nile Cruise in mid-January. We'll fly to Aswan, take a quick trip to Abu Simbel and then cruise from Aswan to Luxor. Other than that, I've considered a tour of Europe in June. Possibly Turkey next summer too. Oh, and I'll probably go back to Italy. I already miss that good Italian food.

Music Monday 75 : : Israel Kamakawiwo'ole "Over the Rainbow"

2010-12-20T08:25:00.005-05:00

Music Monday 75 :: Israel Kamakawiwo'ole "Over the Rainbow" (1993)

I've heard this song many times, but I didn't know who was singing it, let alone anything about the person. Enter NPR's Culturetopia: a weekly recap of arts and entertainment stories from NPR. I download this podcast all the time. Love it.

The story about Israel Kamakawiwo'ole was on a recent edition of Culturetopia. The story is a part of NPR's 50 Great Voices. In the 7 minute feature, it was nice to hear about how the song was made and to learn a little more about Kamakawiwo'ole's life.

Israel Kamakawiwo'ole :: The Voice of Hawaii

Reverb10 :: Lesson Learned

2010-12-18T16:55:00.005-05:00

Day 17 :: December 17, 2010 :: Lesson Learned

What was the best thing you learned about yourself this past year? And how will you apply that lesson going forward? (Author: Tara Weaver)

I need to stay focused and uncompromising on my happiness. For me, I'm sometimes easily derailed.

Also, I need to pay attention to the lesson in the things that happen in my life. Especially when crazy ish goes down. And that's how it's been of late. The lessons are coming in as a super duper daily dose. No complaints from me on the lesson load though. I'm just drinking it all in knowing that I need to pay attention. That's the beauty on my perspective on this now ... just be open to get a lesson out of situations, whether good or bad.

Reverb10 :: Friendship

2010-12-16T05:29:00.005-05:00

Day 16 :: December 16, 2010 :: Friendship

How has a friend changed you or your perspective on the world this year? Was this change gradual, or a sudden burst? (Author: Martha Mihalick)

I'm just going to respond to this prompt in a general sense and not specifically. This is not my best post for Reverb10 AND I could not find a picture that was a good fit. Oh, well ...

I have some wonderful friends in the U.S. Love them all and appreciate their contribution to my life. I tell them this all the time. And even though I now live in Cairo, we still manage to help the friendship grow. There's nothing like getting these urgent sounding voicemails from various parts of the U.S. Or getting a series of email messages saying 'call me'. You know how it is. We live in a world now of instant access. If I call your mobile phone, which you always have with you, why aren't you taking my call? What could you possibly be doing?

Being a long distance close friend is sooo not the same as getting a call that some crackhead broke into your friend's house and you're there in at her house in about 10 minutes (true story).

I said that I would do better, but the time difference is tough to deal with. Sometimes I just can't find the energy to say up and make phone calls and get caught up w/my friends. So, I'll challenge myself to try again to do better for 2011.

Meanwhile, I'm slowly crafting this small community of friends in Cairo. It's relatively easy to meet up w/colleagues, but I'm trying to break out of that comfort zone. Time to meet some fresh faces and explore a little more.

Reverb10 :: 5 minutes

2010-12-15T15:44:00.009-05:00

Day 15 :: December 15, 2010 :: 5 minutes

Imagine you will completely lose your memory of 2010 in five minutes. Set an alarm for five minutes and capture the things you most want to remember about 2010. (Author: Patti Digh).

My fondest memories of 2010 involves traveling and spending time with family and friends.

Bringing in the new year with some friends in D.C.

My ten hour layover in NYC before returning to Cairo = too much fun!

Hangin out w/my girls in Vegas.

Spending time w/the fam this summer in Akron.

My week in Chicago w/my girl.

Birthday celebration in the summer in D.C.

Hosting my reading group, The Literary Sistas, at my parents house this summer.

My trip to Kuwait.

My first European vacation to Italy: Rome, Sienna/Tuscany, Cinque Terra and Milan.

In Montepulciano in Tuscany, Italy (Nov, 2010)

The only non-travel and non-family memory is ending this semester of teaching. It has been a ridiculously insane semester: drama, complaints, lazy students ... but today was the last day of class. I'm feeling melancholy because it seems like more of my students than usual 'got it'. There was a lot of give and take. There were times when they were mad at me and I was frustrated with them. But now, after 15 weeks, the growth is noticeable; I can tell that they feel the value of what they've learned. I know that I've left an indelible mark on their education. And whew, there's a learning component for me too: knowing when to push and how to compromise and trying not to wear my emotions on my sleeve.

In the end, it's a good thing and a good feeling. I've had this experience before. It's definitely an affirmation of why I teach.

Reverb10 :: Appreciate

2010-12-14T17:12:00.007-05:00

Day 14 :: December 14, 2010 :: Appreciate

What's the one thing you have come to appreciate most in the past year? How do you express gratitude for it? (Author: Victoria Klein)

I have two points to list under what I appreciate most this past year:

My family and friends
A good and steady Internet connection

I've come to appreciate my family and friends more and more. Last year, I left the U.S. for the first time in my life. I moved to Cairo, Egypt to live and work at a university. It's been a wonderful experience, but sometimes I just want to have some of my Mom's mac and cheese (even though I can do a pretty good version of it myself; see image below); I want to jump in my Jeep and visit my grandmother or other family members. And I love to hang out in Cleveland w/my reading group and just trolling around the city.

Not my Mom's Mac and Cheese, but mine! (Nov, 2009)

So the move abroad makes me miss and appreciate my fam and friends. And the time difference doesn't help. Technology gives me many ways to keep in touch w/folks. But on many days, I'm just too exhausted to make calls. Of course, I send emails and check out updates on Facebook, but sometimes I feel like I'm just out of touch and missing out ...

Speaking of technology, the Internet can be a friend or foe. I usually have a decent Internet connection, but sometimes it's not the best and that makes for frustration when trying to Skype or using other forms of voice communication. Lately, it's been mostly smooth. But I can see the value in this as well. Not only for communicating w/my fam and friends, but I depend on the Internet for work too. I teach on campus two days a week, so the other days, I need to be available via the Internet.

The Internet is also my source for connecting w/my online community which I mentioned in my Reverb 10 :: Community.

Okay, time to wrap this up and get ready to visit my peeps in the States for the holiday season. Let's hope that Santa drops me some new tech devices to help keep me connected internationally.

Reverb10 :: Action

2010-12-13T17:21:00.003-05:00

Day 13 :: December 13, 2010 :: Action

When it comes to aspirations, it's not about ideas. It's about making ideas happen. What's your next step? (Author: Scott Belsky)

Well, duh, the next step is to make it happen.

To make it happen I need a plan. To make a plan, I need to take the time to make a plan. To make the time to make the plan, I have to make a conscious decision that the plan is important enough to make the time to do it.

Once I have a plan, I think I can easily execute. I see you 20-11 ...

Reverb10 :: Body Integration

2010-12-13T07:30:00.008-05:00

Day 12 :: December 12, 2010 :: Body Integration

This year, when did you feel the most integrated with your body? Did you have a moment where there wasn't mind and body, but simply a cohesive YOU, alive and present? (Author: Patrick Reynolds)

It's true that I really did plan to blow off this prompt for Reverb10. Just wasn't feeling it. Probably not feeling it because I have not been in tune to my body this year. So sad.

I mean, last year I got up at 5a twice a week, just so I could go rowing on the Nile. But that's quite a sacrifice with my teaching schedule and getting to work on time. And I went sandboarding last year too. What an adventure ... busted my knee up pretty good though.

Me after my sandboarding spill in Siwa, Egypt (Nov, 2009)

So that leaves me with nothing but some sedentary habits for this year: take a one hour commute each way to work and teach all day at least twice a week. My only saving grace for taking care of myself on those long and crazy days is that I make myself go to the gym on campus: it's new and it's fancy. After 30-45 minutes in the gym on the elliptical machine, I'm all good, refreshed and sane again.

But there's still hope for more body integration. I'd planned on buying a bike after I had such a good time in the "Biking Depression Away" event in Cairo. Supposed to go and buy a bike tomorrow in the hopes that I'll ride in the morning at least once a week. In the voice of a superhero, "Mind and body - UNITE!"

Reverb10 :: 11 Things

2010-12-11T15:46:00.000-05:00

Day 11 :: December 11, 2010 :: 11 Things

What are 11 things your life doesn’t need in 2011? How will you go about eliminating them? How will getting rid of these 11 things change your life? (Author: Sam Davidson)

Reverb10 :: Wisdom

2010-12-10T12:51:00.017-05:00

Day 10 :: December 10, 2010 :: Wisdom

What was the wisest decision you made this year, and how did it play out? (Author: Susannah Conway)

This year has been full of challenges and opportunities for personal growth. I'm constantly analyzing situations and wondering how I can 'do better.'

At some point over the past year, I found myself telling myself, more often than not, to shutup. Of course, that's the internal conversation. Of late, it just seems that I can't get a word in in some conversations. I mean, recently, I've been in more countless situations where people like to hear themselves talk; people who've forgotten or don't care about the meaning of a 'conversation'.

So I've resorted to telling myself to just shutup. And it has to be shutup. I know that self-censoring is an option, but in these cases, I'm not choosing my words, I'm choosing no words. I've decided that I'm not going to battle for speaking time. I've decided that I'll just sit back and watch the show from another vantage point. Actually, it's possible that I'll tune out all together.

It used to be that I'd force myself into the conversation and get my point across ... it got to be exhausting: "what I'm trying to say is ..." or "I had a similar situation ...".

Unfortunately, the wisdom of that decision is not being a better listener. No, these people who entrap others to prop themselves up don't care if you're listening or not. So, the wisdom for me is being able to be comfortable in my quiet space and when I decide to add something to a discussion, my contribution is more thoughtful.