at 35, i'm still too young to have many regrets, but one of them is that i didn't study abroad or wasn't more adventurous before the world reached its current level of chaos. i especially regret not knowing more about africa and traveling there earlier in my life (went to ghana in 2000). last night i rented the splendid flick lumumba, about the first prime minister of the congo -- a fascinating, thrilling, and frustrating piece of history (and eriq ebouaney, the fine-ass lead actor, doesn't hurt either!).

the next piece of africana i'd like to see onscreen is a biopic of fela kuti, the father of afropop music, the nigerian james brown. his polygamous, ganja-filled, government-provoking, seccesionist life would make a fascinating story!