Vocal Expressions

Sometimes we just need to step back and allow ourselves the simple pleasures of life. Like, smiling at a stranger, sleeping in on a rainy day, chatting with your friends about any and everything without passing judgment, watching a really silly movie, singing and dancing without an audience. Well, this week I managed to chat with a few friends, smile at a stranger in yoga class and take a walk along the lake. It felt so good to be out in nature, to bask in all it's glory. Then when reality kicks in you'll be ready to handle it with a smile!

I just finished reading this novel by Sister Souljah today. This novel introduced readers to Winter Santiaga, the 17 year old rebellious, pampered teenage daughter of Ricky Santiaga, a notorious drug dealer. But when the FBI arrests Ricky Santiaga and seizes his house, money, guns and drugs; Winter, her mother and her three sisters lives are turned upside down. Her sisters Porshe, Lexus, and Mercedes are placed in the foster care system and her mother gets locked up for assaulting an officer. Winter escapes by pretending to be a friend of the family and must rely on the hustling tricks she's picked up from her father to survive the streets and maintain her materialistic lifestyle. Everything that followed including being eventually turned over to child authorities, living at the House of Success, a group home for teenage girls, pissing off Simone, her partner who would boost clothes and other things for her to sell to her housemates and later hooking up with Bullet, an old boyfrien...

This evening, I enjoyed this play by August Wilson at Center Stage in Baltimore. The performance was riveting and left the audience wanting more. August Wilson has a way with teaching life lessons through his many plays. Other plays by August Wilson that I've enjoyed are: "Radio Golf," and "Joe Turner's Come and Gone." Synopsis (Ma Rainey's...): In a Chicago based recording studio, Ma Rainey's band players, Cutler, Toledo, Slow Drag, and Levee turn up to record a new album of her songs. As they wait for her to arrive they banter, tell stories, joke, philosophize and argue. As the play unfolds it becomes clear that the tension is between the young hot-headed trumpeter Levee who has dreams of having his own band and veteran players Cutler and Toledo. By the time Ma Rainey does turn up in full regalia and entourage in tow the recording schedule is badly behind, throwing the white producers Sturdyvant and Irvin into more and more irate disarray. Ma...

A girlfriend and I just got back from seeing the new Tyler Perry movie, "Why Did I Get Married Too." I'd have to say this movie was very good and one of TP's best work. It explored the marriages of four couples and the ups and downs they go through. All in all, it showed that there is no such thing as a perfect marriage. There will always be arguments, issues, temptations and other problems but as Janet Jackson, who plays, Patricia Agnew, a psychologist and author of a string of successful self-help books commented in one scene, "Fix it!" and that's the key if it's worth fighting for.

"24" is one of the most exciting action shows on TV and has been for the past eight years. Kiefer Sutherland stars as special agent Jack Bauer who saves the world within a 24 hour crisis. I started watching this series in 2001 and have been a fan since then. The series began with him working for the Los Angeles based Counter Terrorist Unit (CTU), for whom he is characterized as a highly proficient agent, but one who is willing to do whatever it takes to 'do the right thing' regardless of the legality of some of his actions. Throughout the series, Bauer has to deal with multiple terrorist plots, including Presidential assassination attempts, nuclear, biological and chemical threats, and cyber attacks. The show has won numerous awards and Kiefer has won Best Actor - Television Series Drama at the 2001 Golden Globe Awards. And I'll truly miss the show when this season ends!

Interesting movie that had you fooled until the middle of it then "aha," Leonardo Di Caprio threw us for a loop. Excellent!

I just got back from seeing the Play entitled "Working It Out" at Center Stage after dining at Sacha's Express on the second floor mezzanine. WORKING IT OUT! Three pieces on the theme of work, performed back-to-back in one event Mar 3–28, 2010 Three of America’s sharpest playwrights, including West Wing creator Aaron Sorkin and Mad Men staff writer Rick Cleveland, tackle the workplace in three wildly different ways. Hidden in this Picture by Aaron Sorkin It’s the epic closing shot of director Robert’s first movie. Everyone is watching, the cameras are rolling at a thousand dollars a foot, 694 extras are on the move, there won’t be another chance to catch this sunset moment…and three cows wander into the picture, shattering the illusion of a Marine base in Guam. Propelled by Sorkin’s signature sleek, fast-flung dialogue and acerbic humor, Hidden in this Picture pokes fun at the commercial scramble of movie-making while critically questioning artistic integrity, prompting a...