Beyonce the next Ella?

Did you see Beyonce sing "At Last" for the Obama couple's first dance at the Neighborhood Ball on Inauguration night?

OMG, do yourself and favor and watch it (again!) to hear Beyonce's breathtaking interpretation of this classic song. I'm not a fan of Beyonce's type of music, but girlfriend can sing! And her technique gets better and better as she matures.

Her performance for the President and Mrs. Obama was so sincere and heartfelt. It's as if she were singing from the conscience of the nation, with an emotional mix of pride, joy, hope, love, anticipation, and exhiliration. She was obviously thrilled to be singing for the new President -- her eyes, on the verge of tears, shone like never before.

Beyonce's voice knocked me out, not only for its clarity and accuracy of pitch, but for her dynamic and tonal range. Her last phrase displayed an impressive span from high to low, reminding me more than a little of the legendary Ella Fitzgerald. With the right material, Miss Knowles could find herself joining the pantheon of the all-time great singers.

Obama's letter to his daughters

If you haven't read the new President's letter to his daughters published in Parade magazine, you've got to the check it out! Mr. Obama is certainly the best political writer since Lincoln, and his touching message simply and perfectly articulates the ideals of American thought.

Please read Obama's letter to his daughters....

I Saw a Jonas Brother!!

I spotted a Jonas brother the other day, at Target of all places. As I left my car in the parking garage and headed to the elevators, a black Suburban-size SUV with tinted windows passed in front me. The driver's window was down and he looked somewhat familiar. I waited to see him park just a few cars away.

The first person out of the car was a HUGE black guy who obviously served as bodyguard. He stood at the back of the car, looked around, then faced back towards the driver's door and gave a nod. Then young Mr. Jonas emerged from the vehicle wearing tight black jeans, shiny black leather high-tops, a deep purple Oxford shirt and matching tie, plus black Wayfarer sunglasses.

I wanted to get a good look at this kid -- yes, I'm a terrible star-fucker as anyone who reads this blog knows! -- so I pretended to fiddle with my cell phone for a moment to let Mr. Jonas and his bodyguard catch up with me. I let them pass me and followed them up the escalator to the mall plaza above.

They were looking for food. First they headed toward Daphne's but since it was before 11:00 AM, the restaurant wasn't open yet. Next they crossed the plaza toward Jamba Juice, but they could also have entered Baja Fresh next door. I was growing bored of this scene and headed into Target to do my shopping, so I'm not sure where they ended up getting food. When I got back to the parking structure, they had left.

Later, I was giving a tour of Hollywood to some Australian teenagers when we came across a movie poster for an upcoming film featuring the Jonas Brothers. When I told the story of my star sighting to the Australian kids, they informed me the brother I saw was Joe Jonas. So there!

The Obama Era Begins

I am so proud and excited to be an American today. The people have spoken for change, and the man who personifies that change took office today as the 44th President of the United States of America.

Thanks to the Internet, we watched the Inauguration ceremonies live, including the Presidential Oath of Office and the Inauguration speech, at a school assembly this morning. Most of the students were quite interested, though they couldn't understand all the formal English being spoken. All of them realized they were witnessing history.

It was amazing to see so many hundreds of thousands of people assembled on the National Mall in Washington. And I think I heard on CNN that there were no disturbances and no arrests made today! That's phenomenal considering the enormous crowds which had stood in the freezing cold for so many hours even before the ceremony began.

Mr. President (I'm so happy we can officially say that now!), you have got your work cut out for you; we all do. I'm afraid the change and hope you inspire in us will not come soon enough. I hope the public will have patience and the understanding that we will face many setbacks and difficult times before a more peaceful and prosperous period returns. It may not get here while you are still President, but history has shown that this country always perseveres through its crises. To quote G.W., "Bring 'em on!" (God, I'm gonna miss him....)

Let's go, Obama! Let's go, America!!

The Notorious Bettie Page

Do yourself a favor, and watch a movie called The Notorious Bettie Page, a thrilling biopic about a fascinating American icon. Gretchen Mol dazzles in the role of a wholesome Southern girl who goes to New York with dreams of acting, but instead becomes an infamous pinup girl before redeeming her life through her Christian faith.

I first became aware of this movie a few months before they released it in theaters because one of my students played a small role in the story as a guy Bettie picks up at the beach. He's a cute Venezuelan named Alejandro Chaban. I finally rented it on Netflix after remembering the recent passing of Miss Page.

The film does a great job of catching the 1950s period by using black & white and color film, plus great costumes and production design, and a swinging period musical soundtrack. Mol is truly adorable as Bettie, both the wholesome girl next door and the vivacious nude vixen. She shows us everything, too. Ay-chee-wah-wah! I took lots of pictures of the TV.

By the way, the movie is really good if you're into light bondage. Gretchen, please call me...


The trailer for the movie



A two-minute video of photos of Bettie Page (be sure to watch until the last one!)