Non Sequitur(s)

Now playing: "Here's That Rainy Day", Astrud Gilberto /"Make This City Ours", Sarah Vaughn / "Fair Weather", Chet Baker

I spent the weekend catching up on my old cinema. Watched "Claudine" for the first time. I know, I know... I wondered why I had never come across it before. Anyway, Diahann Carroll and James Earl Jones were so cute. And regal. Together, they battled poverty, life circumstances and da welfare man to carve their little niche in the world. Reminded me of James Baldwin's "If Beale Street Could Talk" albeit with a funkier soundtrack, sung by Miss Gladys and her Pips and penned by Mr. Curtis Mayfield. (Including one of the favorite songs, "The Makings of You". *singing* "Add a little sugar / Honeysuckle and / A great big expression of happiness") Aside from one, "Mama please, muh muh mama, what we gon' do, mama?" scene ... I thought it was a good flic.

I also watched "Fame" for the first time since the late 80's. I never thought about it before, but that movie is so daggone depressing. Geez Louise. I know everyone gets together for a rousing rendition of "I Sing the Body Electric" at the end, but the getting there is really melodramatic. One kid grapples with poverty and not being able to protect his little sister from abuse... another comes painfully to grips with his identity... yet another with the fact that he has omnipresent dusty cornrows and cut-off sweatshirts (Lol... Okay, I won't mess with L-E-R-O-Y. That was my boy!)

Speaking of cornrows and the black aesthetic, earlier this week, I saw a gentleman of the Caucasian persuasion with a Kufi (knit cap) on in Port Authority. I actually think that’s a first for me. Oddly enough, as much I have seen the majority folks interpreting the "ethnic other" through rapping (see 8 Mile) and song (see Justin Timberlake), I have never seen a white dude in a Kufi. I guess there is a first time for everything.

Speaking of first times, yesterday my faith is modern music took another blow. A friend sent me the link to Mr. Kevin Federline’s hip-hop debut. Um... right. So, I made it to the part where he complained of the"Pavarottis" chasing after him, at which point I had to shut it off. Poor, poor man. And, our poor, poor abused English language. Lol.

Speaking of English, Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles took to the U. S. this week for their stateside tour. I must say, that in spite of my urge to make fun of the woman who has been compared to a horse and worse, she looked quite the fashionista in her fuschia suit and natty pumps. Not bad for a home-wrecking mugly mistress. I guess all's well that ends well. Free from scampering about under the cloak of darkness, now all she has to do is wave and smile for the cameras.

So, my new theory is skip writing, skip law school. I should like to be a royal as well. Me thinketh my title would be the Duchess of Harlemworld

Toodles *smile*