Racha Tahani Lawler Queen (she/her) is a Certified Professional Midwife (CPM), Licensed Midwife (LM) in California, and Virginia, Registered & Certified Sangoma (South African Traditional Healer Herbalist), fourth generation midwife, farmer, beekeeper and occasional textile artist. Mama to three brilliant children born postdates, at home in water. August 2022, marked 20-years of supporting over 1,600 homebirth families. This includes owning and operating Los Angeles California’s “The Community Birth Center” from 2011 to 2016, which prioritized Black families and midwifery students.Gather Grounded Midwifery LLC is committed to maintaining the traditional midwifery care of the Black midwives Racha Tahani descends from. Honoring them and their legacies with the cowrie shell. African omens of fertility, protection in pregnancy, symbolizing abundance.
SIFTER for the Ear presents:
Meet the director of Driving Madeleine
Driving Madeleine takes a charming cab ride with a 93-year-old woman headed to her nursing home. Christian Carion is the director of the film, which goes deeper into drama than expected. He talked with me from Paris:
– Transitioning from being a farmer to a director
– How the friendship of Dany Boon and Line Renaud helped during the shoot
– Line sang “Relaxez-vous” with Dean Martin in Las Vegas
– Shooting the cab scenes in “The Volume” (new technology)
– Casting the younger version with different color eyes
– Shooting the flashbacks in a reference to American films
– How he used Barnard Herrman’s music to set the mood
– The dance sequence that ends the film
– Showing Spielberg’s DUEL at the screening of his movie
LINKS
Driving Madeleine at Movieland
My review of Driving Madeleine
Line Renaud sings Relaxez-vous with Dean Martin
This clip features stills from the Dean Martin/Jerry Lewis movie You’re Never Too Young, but the song was deleted from the film.)
Indie Short Film Festival (in C’ville)
Jerry Williams SIFTER for the Ear February 9th, 2024
Wednesday Breakfast Blend presents:
The Breakfast Blend
Thanks for tuning into my show! See ya next Wednesday.
DonteOnTheMic’s playlist:
DonteOnTheMic Wednesday Breakfast Blend February 8th, 2024
Posted In: Music, Music Shows, News, Website
Tags: The Breakfast Blend
What Do You Have in Common with Neanderthals?
In this episode, we meet the Science Museum of Virginia’s David and Jane Cohn Scientist, Rose Basom. Rose is a biological anthropologist (you’ll learn what that is) and she talks us through some recent studies that show how genes can express themselves in our behavior, and the distant origins of some of those genes. Tune in – you might learn some things about yourself!
To learn more, visit the Smithsonian Institute’s website on human origins.
amiller February 5th, 2024
River City Limits presents:
RCL 2-3-24 Jay Smack Host
smack’s playlist:
smack River City Limits February 3rd, 2024
Tags: rvamusic
SIFTER for the Ear presents:
Peterburg’s Blair Underwood in ORIGIN
Blair Underwood is the best known actor to come out of Petersburg VA. He started his career in local theatre, but went on to star in numerous movies, TV shows and Broadway productions. His latest role is in ORIGIN, Ava DuVernay’s powerful film based on the book “Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents.” Some of the things we discuss:
– Getting his start in local theatre
– What he learned from working on One Life to Live
– Working with Cicely Tyson on 5 shows
– Having Tyler Perry direct his as Madea
– Playing Octavia Spencer’s hubby
– Getting hired by Ava Devurnay for Origin
– Why he still loves acting on Broadway
– What’s fun about voiceover work
– Being on the cover of Playgirl Magazine
– Acting in Michael Jackson’s music video
LINKS
Blair Underwood’s IMDB page
Virginia Production Alliance (Industry event on 2/6)
Jerry Williams SIFTER for the Ear February 2nd, 2024
House of SWÉ / Just Cause presents:
The Elements of Music 01/28/24 11pm-1am Episode 5
Jess Hilarious Blasts DJ Envy & Charlamagne Tha God Over Comments About SZA
https://allhiphop.com/news/jess-hilarious-dj-envy-harlamagne-tha-god-sza-mary-j-blige/
Andrea Kearney House of SWÉ / Just Cause January 28th, 2024
Posted In: Blogging, Music, Music Shows, News, Website
SIFTER for the Ear presents:
Double Feature
This week’s podcast is the first Double Feature of the year.
The Virginia Screenwriters Forum is a resource for aspiring writers that’s been around for 35 years. Robin Farmer (Director) and Rachel Weatherly (Assistant Director) will tell us about the organization (with a special surprise guest).
The new Winter Horrorland Film Festival features movies viewed thru a mental health perspective (Free, 1/27 at the Downtown Main Library). We’ll hear from Josh Burkey, who founded Victims and Villians, which is hosting the festival.
LINKS
Victims & Villains
Winter Horrorland Film Festival at the Richmond Public Library
Virginia Screenwriter’s Forum
Megan Holley’s IMDB page
Jerry Williams SIFTER for the Ear January 26th, 2024
POP Goes The World! presents:
New Year, New Attitude!
enzo’s playlist:
enzo POP Goes The World! January 19th, 2024
Posted In: Music Shows, News
SIFTER for the Ear presents:
Remembering Gene Wilder
REMEMBERING GENE WILDER looks at the comic actor’s films, featuring interviews with Mel Brooks, Harry Connick Jr, Alan Alda, Karen Boyer (his 2nd wife) and more. It’ll screen at the Virginia Museum of History and Culture on Sunday 1/21 at 2pm. Ron Frank & Glenn Kirschbaum, who created the documentary, discuss the stories and surprises that made this such a joyful project.
This is one of 6 films that will be shown as part of the Weinstein Jewish Community Center’s 15th annual Israeli & Jewish Film Festival, which takes place from 1/18-28 at various locations around town.
LINKS
The Israeli & Jewish Film Festival
Remembering Gene Wilder trailer
Jerry Williams SIFTER for the Ear January 19th, 2024
Women & Politics presents:
Women & Politics with Senator McClellan and Racha Tahani Lawler
It’s our anniversary show and we have our first guest back, Jennifer McClellan to talk about her new role in Congress. And with that we are celebrating a new voice in the community the first birth center for black women in Virginia.
Jennifer McClellan entered the U.S. Congress in 2023 after winning a special election to replace the late Congressman A. Donald McEachin. A lifelong Virginia native, McClellan was born in Petersburg to parents who served the community: her father worked as a professor at Virginia State University and her mother worked as a counselor at VSU. McClellan attended Matoaca High School in Chesterfield County, where she was valedictorian. She earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Richmond, where she served as a Charter member of the Rho Rho Chapter of the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. She then obtained her Juris Doctorate from the University of Virginia School of Law. McClellan has served the greater Richmond area in elected office for nearly twenty years. She was first elected to the Virginia House of Delegates in 2005 and served in that post until she was elected to the Virginia State Senate in 2017, where she succeeded A. Donald McEachin after his election to the U.S. House of Representatives.
In Congress, she sits on the House Armed Services Committee and the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee. A principled and progressive legislator, McClellan has always worked to ensure Virginians’ voices are heard in government. Throughout her eighteen sessions in the Virginia General Assembly, McClellan passed over 370 pieces of legislation, including landmark bills to protect and expand voting rights, combat climate change, preserve reproductive health care, and enhance workers’ protections and labor rights.
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Follow our show on our social media on twitter, facebook, and our blog – look for womenpoliticsva
Follow our host and producer at @sherishannon27 and @carololson
Carol Olson Women & Politics January 18th, 2024
Posted In: Music, Music Shows, News