Cause you ain't fully dressed 'til you're covered in cat hair!

Rocco makes a comeback!

New York – Rocco DiSpirito presents a cautionary tale for all those would-be celebrity chefs.

Sometimes fame plays hard. And it won’t hesitate to take you down, no matter how serious your kitchen cred. So it was with DiSpirito, who in a flash went from culinary superstar to reality-TV burnout.

But DiSpirito’s story is unfinished. And the moral may yet be that tenacity and talent can triumph.

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Posted at 10:27 am on 12/9/07 | tagged: Ponderings | Comments (0)

Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver captivates with his salty words

This past week alone, Jamie Oliver has promoted his seventh book, “Cook with Jamie,” plugged his sixth television series, “Jamie at Home,” and even worked with Martha Stewart in what this writer calls a “bizarre example of culinary fusion.” Oliver talks about other celebrity chefs, British chicken, mothers’ responses to his efforts toward healthier school lunches and his obsession with food in this article from The Globe and Mail (Toronto)

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Posted at 2:02 pm on 11/17/07 | tagged: Ponderings | Comments (0)

Music is a highly personal thing

that creates bonds, colors our memories, or inspires us. After living in Hawaii for 13 years, this artist’s music does all these things for me.

As one of the most prominent promoters of Hawaiian culture today, Keali’i Reichel (pronounced Key-ah-li-ee Ray-shell) takes an educational approach during his live concerts. “It’s a good mixture of hula, storytelling and music,” he says during a phone interview from his native Maui. Though he sings mostly in Hawaiian, he does pause between songs to explain what they are about. “I find that for the live performance, I treat the audience like a classroom,” he explains. “I think our culture is our language, and that’s where we come from.” Though Reichel sings mostly in Hawaiian, he does a few tunes in English, such as a cover of Sting’s “Fields of Gold,” which was included on his 2003 disc Ke’Alaokamaile (Punahele). With him are several hula dancers who perform dances choreographed by the singer, who has also found the time to open and run his own dance school in Maui. “Fans come because they appreciate the culture, but there are some who come out of curiosity,” he states. No matter what the reason may be, everyone leaves with a new appreciation for the word “aloha.”

By Ernest Barteldes (Phoenix Times)
Published: October 18, 2007

He ain’t too bad on the eyes, either.

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Posted at 10:16 am on 11/17/07 | tagged: Ponderings | Comments (0)

Taylor Hicks, Silverstar

Tayday started at 4:30 (as usual) to get ready for work. I gotta tell ya, the hours crept by and I felt like one of the kids anxiously checking the clock every five minutes. Is it time to go yet?

Kelly and Patrice (both 30 somethings) are going with me to the concert in Philadelphia, MS at the Silverstar casino. Patrice isn’t “officially” taylorized yet, but she will be. Patrice sat with me this summer after my surgery and I showed her videos and got her curious about the man. When I caught her singing “The Right Place”, I knew she was almost there. (One quality fan at a time)

FINally, got my “early out” from work at 2! Anticipation for the concert filled my thoughts on my hour-long drive home. Stopped by Cato’s in Indianola (home of BB King) on the way to make sure they didn’t have something fabulous I’d missed in my last perusal to wear to the concert. (a’cause you just know Taylor will notice ~LOL~) I ran over my mental checklist: nails done, check, toes painted, check, outfit, check, camera, check, ticket confirmation number, check, call Patrice and Kelly, check, map to Philadelphia, check.

I arrived home about 3:30, showered, re-ragged, slathered on the make-up and layed on the bling. Patrice arrived about 4:30 to dress and I loaned her some bling. (a’cause you just know Taylor will notice.) Kelly called, “Where ARE you guys, I’m ready!” Patrice and I loaded into the VW in all our fabulousness to go pick up Kelly. Is the traffic heavier than usual? Will we ever get out of Greenwood?

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Posted at 8:11 am on 11/4/07 | tagged: Ponderings | Comments (2)

Leela James

James’ debut album, entitled A Change Is Gonna Come, was released on June 21, 2005. The album was conceived as a throwback to an earlier era of American soul music, building upon the legacy of 1960s and 1970s soul singers while incorporating elements of contemporary R&B, funk, and gospel.

In the lyrics to the album’s lead single, entitled “Music,” James laments the current state of contemporary popular music. She condemns the glorification of materialism and misogyny that has often been attributed to the lyrical content of contemporary R&B and hip hop songs while pleading for the return of the artistry, dedication, and sincerity displayed by musicians of earlier decades. (from wikipedia)

Here’s Leela with the incomparable Ray Charles singing, “Compared to What”

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Posted at 8:04 am on 10/20/07 | tagged: Ponderings | Comments (0)

This is dedicated…

to Tojo!

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Posted at 6:38 pm on 10/16/07 | tagged: Ponderings | Comment (1)

This guy has some chops…

Marc Broussard…A “must-own” album. Music Maven agrees (you can’t stop a tiger or a Cajun) with her most excellent review of the Save Our Soul (S.O.S.) album, the latest offering from brothah Marc.

Here’s one of my favorite tracks but they are ALL good.

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Posted at 7:47 am on 10/13/07 | tagged: Ponderings | Comments (0)

In Search of the Perfect Salsa

If you’re like me, you love salsa. Particularly, salsa cruda (defined by wikipedia as (“raw sauce”), also known as pico de gallo (“rooster’s beak”), salsa picada (“chopped sauce”), salsa mexicana (“Mexican sauce”), or salsa fresca (“fresh sauce”): made with raw tomatoes, lime juice, chilli peppers, onions, cilantro leaves, and other coarsely chopped raw ingredients.)

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Posted at 11:37 am on 10/6/07 | tagged: Ponderings | Comments (2)

Lip Boy

You know I had to do it…

Paolo Nutini

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Posted at 7:59 am on 9/29/07 | tagged: Ponderings | Comments (0)

How I Spent My Summer Vacation

Osteoarthritis is a degenerative join disease that runs in my family. I have suffered with it in both knees for years and have controlled the pain by taking various NSAIDS. The early part of this year, however, I began feeling arthritis like symptoms in my left hip. As the pain became worse and started affecting the quality of my life, I decided to talk with an orthopedic specialist.

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Posted at 6:14 pm on 7/9/07 | tagged: Ponderings | Comments (0)