Random Items: 11/30/06

1: Went to Jordan's for karaoke last night, shout out to Nancy, Jeff, Terry, La La, Jamie, Niki, Judd, Amber, Forrest Pruett (Delusions), and Christin Ackerman (Divine Manipulation of the Threads). Forrest and I performed "Nuttin' But a G Thang" and that's all I did. Christin had a little bit of the happy juice and was very glad to be there. When I hugged her goodbye, she jumped into my arms. I informed her that I am very out of shape and it would have looked bad had I dropped her. Nevertheless, it was good to see her again. That was the end of that evening. Ah, the glamorous life of an actor. That's sarcasm, kids. Pure sarcasm.

2:Village Roadshow is not setting up office in Memphis. I am trying to be objective, and trust the judgment of our city officials, but it's difficult. Acting is one of the few things that make me happy, and Village Roadshow setting up shop increased the possibility of me getting paid to do what I love. It's tough being the "king of the no-budgets". I feel like I've paid several dues. I would love to see more money for this. I can't stop, though. Lord willing, the incentives that we have now will lure more films here for production work if nothing else. So near, yet so far.

3: To those who disagreed with my comments about Central, guess what: The "H" is still lame!!! Yeah, that's right!!! I said it!!!! Nyaah!!!!

4: Be easy, readers...and remember that you're entitled to your opinions, as long as you acknowledge that mine is the right one.

Memphis: More Country Than City

I have realized a few things that Memphis needs to work on if we are to shed that country bumpkin mentality. This may be ongoing, I'm not sure, but these two bother me the most right now.

1: Central High School and their "H"

Okay, I get it Central High School was the first high school in Memphis. Yay, hoorah, get a gold star, whatever. However, must every item of Central paraphernalia have an "H" on it? It makes perfect sense to you Central people, but to a lot of my friends (like "Angry" Nick Jones) and to outsiders, it looks, well....country and ass-backwards. You're walking around with an "H" on your jacket, and somebody from out of town asks you what does the "H" stand for, and you say Central? That's just dumb!!! I would bet that no other city would do such foolishness, only country-ass Memphis!!! Yet another reason why other cities think that we drive around on tractors in the middle of the street.

2: Peabody Hotel and the Ducks

I don't know, the Peabody Ducks were cute when I was younger, but now, it just seems...silly. I know it's a tourist trap....I'm sorry, I meant tourist "attraction" but I fail to see the big hairy deal about some stinking ducks walking in a hotel. I mean, do they have a room? They're animals, people!!!! This is almost as bad as calling 911 for animals. Yet another country, ass-backwards thing about Memphis that causes other peolple to think that we are inbred hicks with no shoes on our feet. C'mon, now, everybody knows that's Arkansas....I kid, I kid!!!! Bill Clinton rules!!! Go Razorbacks, woohoo.

I realize that my comments may offend some, but, hey, guess what? It's my blog, so if you're mad, build a gigantic bridge and get over it!!!!! You are free to respond any way you want, if you get mad enough to write a counterblog, be my guest!!! This is, after all, my opinion...even though it's right. Be easy, readers.

The N Word: Why It Needs to Die

Okay, I had to give my view on what KKKramer from Seinfeld said. Okay, look, straight up, "The N Word" has got to go. I know it sounds cliche, but my ancestors did not brave fire hydrants, lynching, dogs, and beatings so that we could call each other that word. Yes, I am guilty of using the word. I also refuse to subscribe to the notion that African-Americans can use it, but others can't. That's a pitiful and weak double standard. By the same token, I have been lenient when Caucasians have used the word. I told myself, "It's okay, thery were just reciting some Chris Rock or Dave Chappelle jokes". I knew that these people didn't mean any harm, and so I let it slide. I also turned the other way when my Caucasian friends sang songs that included the "N-word". Sadly, I can't do that any longer. I bear no ill will towards any of my Caucasian friends because I never let you know that it offended me. That's my fault. I have tried to be the "non-threatening African-American", but it ends today. If that offends any of my Caucasian friends, I apologize. We must let that word go. EVERYONE. Caucasian, African-American, Hispanic, Dutch, Polish, whoever!!! Using it more does not empower African-Americans. That's a foolish crutch that we as a people have clung to. The word has got to die. Yes, the word stings. It will always sting. It's an atrocious word. Expecting African-Americans to let the word go and get over it is like writing a Holocaust comedy and thinking that no one will get offended. Some things just have to be learned from and put aside. I mean, that is the only racial epithet that is used by the people that it is intended to offend. I have never heard a Jewis person talk about "What up, my kike?!" Also, I have never heard Hispanica talk about "I'm a straight up spic". Also, I have never heard Asians say "This is for all my chinks!!" Do you know why? Because it sounds foolish!!! The word has to go. It is wrong, it is ignorant, and it's outdated. Calling ourselves that only made people of non-African descent feel comfortable saying it. Let's let the word die. We can give it a lavish ceremony, a 21 gun salute, a burial at sea, we can get Al Sharpton to give the eulogy. After all, he also eulogized the word "def" in a funeral several years ago. I am begging and imploring everybody to stop using the word. Anybody using it around me will have problems. Be easy, readers....and stop using racial epithets of all kinds.

RIP Bebe Moore Campbell

Famed African-American author Bebe Moore Campbell died recently:

http://www.cnn.com/2006/SHOWBIZ/books/11/28/obit.campbell.ap/index.html

We have lost another great mind. Somehow, Zane and that softcore porn she disguises as literature is not enough to fill the void.

Turkey, Karaoke, and Monopoly Money: The Extra-Wide, Thanksgiving Wrap-Up

Wednesday:

After work, I went to Jordan's and sang karaoke. I performed "Sexyback" by Justin Timberlake, "Crazy" by Gnarls Barkley, and "Hey Ya" by Outkast. Shout out to Jeff, Jamie, Forrest Pruett (Glorious Mail), Scherita, Dory, Amy, and Niki.

Thursday:
My brother and I went to my great-aunt Velma's on Watkins Avenue for Thanksgiving. Of course, soon as she was me, she said I was getting big. My mom asked me was I still exercising. Damn, do I look like Fat Albert or something?! My one-year old cousin Kelby was very entertaining. I hadn't seen her since December, so after I called her name, she shook my hand. Didn't expect that. Kelby is cute, and a bit of a diva. I might have to get her in front of a camera. Her new favorite song is "One Blood" by The Game(www.myspace.com/thegame). She starts to shimmy. My younger female cousins also schooled me onto the "Walk it Out" dance and the "Chicken Noodle Soup". Maybe I'm finally startign to get old. It was cool, we talked politics, race, my family gets deep. They work my nerves, but I guess I love them.

Friday:

I had a meeting about a business venture. I decided not to take part, but I wish them well with that. After that, Rod Pitts (www.pittstopproductions.com) and I went to the Muvico and saw Deja Vu. I liked it. I was also glad to see Erika Alexander in the film. She was Cousin Pam on The Cosby Show and Maxine Shaw on Living Single. As we left the movie, we saw DeAara Lewis (director/actress, Tricks) and her boyfriend. They were going to see Deja Vu as well.

Later, I went to Jordan's. Forrest and Ritchie "The Mayor of Frayser" Pierce was in the building. I sang "In the End" by Linkin Park with Forrest, and I sang "Use Me" by Bill Withers.

Saturday:

I went to the comic book store, Baskin Robbins, Family Christian bookstore, and I finally made it to Jordan's again. I sang "Wanted Dead or Alive" by Bon Jovi. Shout out to Tony, Jeff, Sherita, La La, Amber, and the rest of the gang. Several of them left and went to Mug's, a rival karoke spot. I was tired, and called it a night.

Sunday:

I made it to Jon Sparks' house (www.jonwsparks.blogspot.com) to finish the short for the Lil' Film Fest. We did cutaway scenes with his daughter, Jackie, her friend, Mrs. Sparks, and Monica, a fellow actor who was in Eat. One scene involved me handing out Monopoly money. It was supposed to be real money, and it will look like it on screen...darn, there I go ruining the magic!! Monica came with her daughter, October. Yes, I asked; she was born in May. October actually said, "Mommy, I'm scared" which threw me off. October was very open about her feelings. Once she got into a Pokemon coloring book, she calmed down. Amber, who was also in Eat, came and improvised a great performance. I loved seeing her construct her character. It was great to study her. After that, I wasted time until about 6 PM or so, and I headed over my homeboy Shomari's house to watch a wrestling pay-per-view.
After that, I made it to Jordan's and sang "Your Body Is A Wonderland" by John Mayer and "Stop to Love" by Luther Vandross.

All in all, it was a very fun-filled, tiring weekend. I did not want to go to work today, but I made it. Be easy, readers.

PS: Shout out to the Tennessee Titans. That's two wins in a row, baby!!! Sure, we have no chance in Hades of making the playoffs, but at least that's two more wins on the ol' record.

Random Items:11/22/2006

1: Shout out to my job for letting me come in two hours late because everybody else left two hours early, that was lovely!!!

2: I saw Barnyard. It was funny, and had a nice little message. The little crumbsnatchers (kids) in the theater were annoying, but it was okay.

3: In the "There is a God" department, Fox honcho Rupert Murdoch decided not to publish O.J. Simpson's book If I Did It, which is a "hypothetical" account of how he would have murdered Ron Goldman and Nicole Brown Simpson, the same people that he was acquitted of murdering. That's just sick!!!! I understand Simpson has bills and he can't exactly work at Home Depot, but that was just wrong as hell. Read this article:

http://tv.msn.com/tv/article.aspx?news=242911&GT1=7703


4: To the cop who gave me a ticket for parking in front of MY mailbox (where I always park), you can go to hell with gasoline undergarments on!!! Yeah, I said it!!! Stinkin' copper!!!! You'll never take me alive, see!!!!!......Okay, perhaps I'm at fault, but that seemed very punkish and "Let me be a jerk and fill my quota". The universe will punish you. You will probably have bad breath, hair growing out of your nose and ugly offspring, you meanie!!! Wow, I said meanie, what am I, ten?!

5: I am feeling the new Jay-Z album, Kingdom Come. It had dope beats and Jay-Z's usual brand of arrogant and introspective lyrics. Hip-hop needed this.

6: Be easy, readers!!!! (And go easy on the Thanksgiving food. Today's extra gravy is tomorrow's extra crunches!!)

Bums, Cartoons, and Wrestling: The Weekend Wrap-Up

Saturday:

We celebrated Rod Pitts' birthday on Saturday. Longtime readers know that Rod is my buddy and film mentor. Keenon Nikita (Poor and Hungry) was there, as was our friend Ruth (Just the Two of Us), Jason Dancy (Imagine), Learyn Wilde (Across the River), Naseera Lewis (What Goes Around), Jon Sparks (www.jonwsparks.blogspot.com), and his lovely wife. Travis Stone (Ray) and Alisa Nave (Curbside Confessions) also stopped by. We were at On the Border on Poplar. It was cool, we talked shop (acting, filmmaking), of course, and hung out. I bought Rod a t-shirt from Extreme Wear on American Way that said, "It IZ What it IZ". That's a phrase he's fond of saying. It was cool, until Keenon started fussing at me about writing my own stuff. I know I need to, because I am convinced that nobody (but me) sees me as a lead actor. I will write...in due time.

Later on, I went to Jordan's and sang some karaoke. Forrest Pruett (Delusions) and Ritchie "Mayor of Frayser" Pierce were there. The Mayor and I performed "Nuttin' But a G Thang". Next, I performed "Sexyback" by Justin Timberlake. Forrest and I dueted on Linkin Park's "In the End". Later, I attempted Marcy Playground's "Sex and Candy". I was assisted because I was struggling, but one guy was like, "Dude, he sucks!!! You gotta help him!!!" That was just not needed. I won the crowd back with my rendition of Nirvana's "Lithium". After that, I called it a night.

Sunday:

I shot a scene for Adam Remsen's short for the next Lil' Film Fest. The theme is politically incorrect holidays. I played a bum begging form money. I didn't get my hair cut and went unshaven for a few days. I also wore the crummiest clothes I had. It was cool!!! We shot in front of the Boss Crump statue in Overton Park. It was cool. Adam and his wife were cool people. After that, I got a call from Jon Sparks about being in his short. I agreed to meet him later. I rolled up in Perkins for some lunch, and I ran into Christian from the group Freesol (www.myspace.com/freesol) and his girlfriend. We chitchatted for a sec, then I ate my lunch.

Later, I arrived at casa de Sparks and was greeted by Jon and Amber, an actor/Meisner coach in the area. Mrs. Sparks and their daughter Jackie was also there. The Sparks have a really cool home. I played Amber's husband, and that's all I really want to say about that. There was a moment when Sparky because had to relight because I was "too black". I fought the urge to yell out, "But I like country music!!!" Seriously, folks, my dark skin tone can be a lighting nightmare sometimes. We worked it out, and I will shoot other scenes later.

After that, I went to see Aaron McGruder, creator of the Boondocks, at the Rose Theater on the University of Memphis campus. Aaron was very candid about his views on the government, ignorant hip-hop, and religion. I was sadddened to hear that he does not believe in Christianity, but that's his right. I enjoyed the discussion, and I was sitting with my peoples: Up and coming producer Paul "P-Dub" West, "Angry" Nick Jones, Deena Greer (What Goes Around), Paul Briggs, and DeMarrico Fowler. Shout out to Zandria, Powwah, Phucha, J'Malo, Niysha, Melissa, Gary, Juwanda, and Radiance who were in attendance.

I ended my evening at Jordan's once again. Shout out to Tony, Alena, Uncle Ricki, and the rest of the crew. I sang "It's All About the Benjamins"by Puff Daddy and the Family. I am never doing that song by myself again. The verse overlap: Puffy, Jadakiss, Sheek, Lil'Kim, then the Notorious BIG. I enjoyed myself, though.

Sports Watch:

Shout out to the Tennessee Titans for beating the Philadelphia Eagles, and it's too bad that Philly's quarterback is out for the season now. Shout out to the University of Memphis Tigers football team on the end of a hellish season. Hey, at least you won one game. Next year, baby!!!
Be easy, readers.

Random Items: 11/18/2006

1: I saw Catch a Fire yesterday. It starred Derek Luke (Antwone Fisher) as Patrick Chamusso, a foreman at a South African factory who is arrested and accused of being a member of the revolutionary party African National Congress (ANC). After this injustice, he decides to join the ANC. The ending kinda left me wanting more, but Tim Robbins shined as a government official. He humanized the character

2: Shout out to McDonald's Strawberry Preserves in the packets. They serve it with the sausage and biscuits. I know I shouldn't indulge in the Devil's Swine (pork), but it was awesome!!

3: Be easy, readers!!!

Karaoke Chronicles: 11/16/2006

Yesterday, I decided to go out for more karaoke goodness. I began at Jordan's, where I performed "Let's Stay Together" by Al Green. It was cool. Forrest Pruett (Forty Shades of Blue), his boss, and these two girls were hanging out. Jordan's was about to close, so I followed them to Willie Moffat's, where I sang "Daughters" by John Mayer, "ABCs and 123s" by Levert (RIP Gerald Levert), and I finished off with "Feel Good Inc" by the Gorillaz feat. Dave from De La Soul. Another funny incident happened that night. One of the girls was a little high-strung. A great singer, cute, but a little stuck-up. Forrest took it upon himself to loosen her up. Forrest annoyed the heck out of her. At one point, when she wasn't looking, Forrest dumped several sugar packets in her purse. Forrest then began making references to sugar and sweets. I eventually had to point to her purse. She got pissed, an threw the packets at Forrest. It was funny, but I was trying to take her side. I told ther that when she comes back for revenge to remember that I was innocent. All in all, another crazy night. I was sleepy today, but the "sugar" incident made the evening!!!

Adam Remsen, a local filmmaker, has enlisted the services of King Indie to play a role in his short that he's filming for the next Lil' Film Fest, "Politically Incorrect Holidays". This should be fun, and should end two weeks of no filming. King Indie Films again!!!! Be easy, readers.

Random Items: 11/14/2006

1:Shout out to Friday Night Lights, a very good show that is struggling to find an audience, for being picked up for a full season. It is a good show that comes on Tuesdays on Channel 5 in the Memphis area.

2:Friday, popular R&B singer Gerald Levert died of a heart attack. His father, Eddie Levert, is a founding member of the O'Jays. Peep the article:

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/pop/1403AP_Obit_Gerald_Levert.html

3: Jack Palance, the legendary actor more recently remembered for his roles in the two City Slickers films, also passed away on Monday. Here's an article:

http://metromix.chicagotribune.com/sns-ap-obit-palance,1,7582429.story?coll=mmx-bars_top_promo

4: Be easy, readers!!

God Bless the Veterans (And Their Day): The 3-Day Weekend Wrap-Up

Friday:

I was off (for a change), and I slept. I got up for good around 3 PM, and I saw Borat. It was funny, and a little gross, but I enjoyed it. I also loved the Pamela Anderson appearance. Next, I went to Target and bought the Fergie CD as a belated birthday gift for Dayna Hinkle. Fegie is the girl in the group Black Eye Peas. I think her album sucks (and I told Dayna this before I gavie it to her), but I couldn't think of anything else to get her. I also found some cool toys for me. I bought action figures of Luke Cage and the Falcon, two of my favorite African-American super heroes. Yeah, I'm a geek. After that, I went home and chatted with my good friend Jesse Lipford, who I hadn't spoke to in a while. I found out that he bought a small home and he's doing pretty well for himself.

Later, I went to the wrap party for Curbside Confessions. They had prototypes of the movie poster, a photo slideshow, and free food. Shout out to Hardy McNeese, Tiffany Pemberton (Delusions), director Arnold Edwards II, his girlfriend Dayna, Hardy's daughter Skylar, Aaron Jones (What Goes Around), Wasabi Jones (Eat), Howard Hodo (Divine Manipulation of the Threads), Amy Weatherford and her boyfriend, my dog Jarod, Trent Dee (21 Grams), and everybody else in attendance. It was fun, and the music was pretty decent.

Saturday:

No work again (Thank you God!!!), so I chilled out until about 11 AM, went to the comic book store, went to the mall, and then I went to the birthday party for my friend Tamara's daughter, Alexis. Alexis is 1 years old and trying to walk. She gave me a look of contempt at one point, to which I responded with "I ain't scared!!" Tamara's friends were cool, and no one gave me too much grief about accidentally busting open a can of Dr. Thunder with an ice cube. It started spraying, and I asked Tamara, "Is this going in your blog?" She assured me that it would. I decided to beat her to the punch, as it were. I had a good time eating free food (yeah!!!!) and watching Tamara's brother play Mortal Kombat:Armageddon and Soul Calibur III. My buddy Jason Harris, who rhymes with the IMC (www.myspace.com/ironmiccoalition) asked me to do the intro for him when he performs as his "Hater" persona. I couldn't, because I had to go to a screeening of Eat that night. I will do his intro in the future. After this party, I went to the hip-hop clothing stores on American Way. I am very proud of myself because I only window-shopped. People who know me know my addiction to cool t-shirts, but I resisted. Go Markus!!!!

Next, I picked up Rod and we checked out Eat. I was very disappointed with the turnout. Rod, myself, filmmaker Chris McCoy, Laura Hocking, Jon "Sparky" Sparks (www.jonwsparks.blogspot.com), David Merrill, Jeff Pope, Amy Novena, and one other person. I mean, people have things to do, it's a Saturday night, I get that, still, it kind sucked. I enjoyed it, but I started seeing flaws in my performance (as I always do), and I was sleepy. Unfortunately, I had another outing. Rod and I went to a birthday party for his friend Crystal Johnson. She's his longtime buddy and she is in a lot of his films. Rod showed the first fifteen minutes of What Goes Around, and they loved it. One girl was particularyl fond of my part, but, once again, I did NOTHING. Everybody was mingling and chilling, and the girls were cute, but there I was, feeling alone and without any alcohol to boost my courage. I really must improve my interaction with the opposite sex. I'm becoming a domestic monk. Eventually, Rod and I left the party. I bought a bottle of wine for the first time in my life for this party. Hey, it was an experience. No, I still didn't drink it, but Rod felt that I should bring something to the party.

I need to vent for a minute: When you see me at a party not drinking, don't ask me why, just know that I don't drink, and leave it at that. Also, know that while I do appreciate hanging out, it is hard when I am the only one not drinking, or when I am in a room full of people that I barely know. Also, I grow weary of parties. I mainly go for networking purposes. I got into acting to act. All this pomp and circumstance and parties are cool, but when I'm not working, they can be a bit of an annoyance. This is what I was trying to explain to Sparky Saturday, and I apologize if I sounded snappish while doing so, Jon. I can be a moody sonuvagun sometimes.

Okay, end of rant: Saturday ended at Jordan's, with me performing Bobby Brown's "Don't Be Cruel". I normally stick with the "When in Rome" philosophy and perform country or rock, but there was a predominantly African-American crowd, and I had them doing the Kid and Play kick step and other old-school dances. If you don't know who Kid and Play is, well, that's what Wikipedia and google are for. Then, I called it a night.

Sunday:

I chilled out, watched some DVDs, and I eventually left home around 2 PM. The Baltomore Ravens had cut the Titans' lead to 9 by halftime, and they would eventually win by 1 point (BOOOOOO!). Rod, Keenon and I rode out to DeAara Lewis' grandmother's house to film a scene for "Tricks". This scene involved DeAara's sister, Raven, and Keenon. Keenon played a villainous rogue, and boy, did he enjoy it!!! I had to go back to Keenon's house and get the gun for the scene. Then, I kinda hung around and did a few little things to help out. I'd rather be acting, but I was glad to be involved with filming of some sort. After we left DeAara's grandmother's, we headed back toward Keenon's house. After that, I went to Jordan's and I sang Rascal Flatts' "God Bless the Broken Road". Hey, I'm a little bit country. They closed early, and I headed home for more DVD goodness.

I am a little bummed that I was not chosen for the short "Fardel's Hypothesis" or for this Bancorp South commerical that stopped filming today. My commercials record is 0-3, and my streak of being in paid features or shorts ended with "Fardel's Hypothesis". Hey, it was a heck of a run. I know I can't be in everything....but I think I should be. And, deep down, most actors do, too. You know you do, don't be giving me that "Markus is arrogant" crap!!! We all want the brass ring!!! Be easy, readers.

Karaoke Chronicles and Other Randomness:11-9-06

1: Last night at Jordan's, I hung out with Jamie Lackey, Forrest Pruett (Behind the Eight), Sherita, Niki, the Jordans, and the rest of my karaoke crew. I helped out this guy named Judd on "Rumpshaker" by Wrecks 'N Effect. Ahhh, the 90s. Spandex, tye dye, and rap songs with ridiculous amounts of bass!! Then, I did Gnarls Barkley's "Crazy". Forrest and I also talked about acting (of course), then we called it a night.

2:Award-winning journalist and "60 minutes" contributor Ed Bradley died of leukemia. Man, we have lost a lot of talented people this year!! RIP to him and his family:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061109/ap_on_en_tv/obit_bradley

3: One question: If Justin Timberlake is bringing "Sexyback", where exactly did it go? Shoot, Eva Longoria's been on TV for two years now, and she's sexy enough for me!!! I'm just saying.

Plug Time!!!

The movie Eat is having a screening at the Media Co-Op (1000 South Cooper) Saturday at 7 PM. The admission is $5.

Eat follows the lives of people who work in restaurants and their trials and tribulations. Eat also includes lots of wacky customers at each restaurant (like myself). So, support independent film, support King Indie (yours truly), and support your local Memphis talent like musician/singer/actress Amy Lavere.

C'mon, people, family, friends, associates, enemies, heck, even if you don't know me but love film, support this project!!! Those who do know me, you can rest assured that I bring it every time I am on stage, in front of a camera, or on a microphone. The name Markus Seaberry is synonymous in the Memphis area with fully committed perfomances. So, come see me and other actors and film people do what we love!!!! End of begging

Countdown:

Days until Markus Seaberry's next screening: 2 days, baby!!!

Be easy, Readers!!!

Random Items: 11-7-06

1: I bought the Transformers the Movie 20th Anniversary DVD for a mere $12.87 at Wal-Mart (yeah, I know, they're capitalist pigs). It is a two-disc set with the movie in Widescreen, fullscreen, a crew commentary, a fan commentary, a "pop-up" version with cool facts, the trailer for the live-action movie (7/4/07), an episode of the series only released in Japan, test/alternate/deleted scenes, featurettes, and other treats. This is a good day for geeks everywhere. Put your pocket protectors and manga DVDs in the air!!!! Geeknation!!! Yeah, that felt good.

2:For those of you that watch Lost, you know that

Spoiler Alert!!!!!!





Mr. Eko, the African-American thug turned priest that carried a wooden "Jesus stick" with Bible verses on it, was killed off the show. By a giant, black, living cloud. What the hell!!!! Like the polar bear mauling him wasn't bad enough, now the brotha gets killed by a cloud!!!! That is not a cool way to go out, not a good look at all. What's next, a torrential downpour is gonna cause somebody to suffocate?! Ah, Eko, we hardly knew ye.

3: So, Britney Spears has filed for divorce from ol' K-Fed, huh? About freakin' time!!! I wonder if the WWE will fire him now, too. He's been showing up and getting beaten up by wrestlers (loved every minute of it). His album's flopping, too. Entertainment Weekly gave K-Fed an F, and in the Download this portion of the review, they had one word: None. That means that ol'boy ain't even worth Napster of Kazzaa or whatever illegal pirating downloading site that everybody( including me at times) uses. Everybody say a prayer that the public nuisance known as K-Fed will take his divorce settlement and dance off into the sunset. I hear the Carnval Cruise line needs some dancing sailors. I kinda liked some of Britney's songs. Maybe she'll pull herself together and at least become a Vegas act or hit the casino circuit. Or a judge on a reality TV talent competition. The possibilities are endless!!!

4: Vote, please!!! I will not influence anyone's decison (COUGH, COUGH, Ford, Jr, COUGH, COUGH), but I will implore you to vote. It's a right and a privilege. End of Public Service Announcement.

5: Wilmer Valderama hosts a show called Yo Mama. I'm sorry, when I think of mama jokes, or checking, as we say in the M-Town, I think of it as something urban, street, African-American in origin. I sure in the hell don't think of freakin' Fez!!!! I've seen Amish priests with more street cred. He makes Colin Powell look like Lil' Jon, for crying out loud!!! On another note, if I ever get a series, I sure hope I can get cool with someone who winds up being an executive producer. If it wasn't for Ashton Kutcher, Wilmer would be a Hollywood Square or doing straight to DVD action adventure films with Stephen Seagal. Yeah, I said it!!!!

6: Refer to the shameless plug below for my next screening and, as always, Be easy readers!!!

Plug Time!!!

The movie Eat is having a screening at the Media Co-Op (1000 South Cooper) Saturday at 7 PM. The admission is $5.

Eat follows the lives of people who work in restaurants and their trials and tribulations. Eat also includes lots of wacky customers at each restaurant (like myself). So, support independent film, support King Indie (yours truly), and support your local Memphis talent like musician/singer/actress Amy Lavere.

Countdown:

Days until Markus Seaberry's next screening: Five Days!!

Karaoke, Costumes, and Chains: The Thursday-Sunday Wrap-Up

Thursday:

I went to Jordan's, Joe Smith (Slow Down You're Dating Too Fast) was bartending, Forrest Pruett (Delusions) was in the house as well. I performed one song, "I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know". The karaoke book said that it was sung by Blood, Sweat, and Tears, but I know it as a Donny Hathaway song. For those younguns out there, Donny Hathaway was one of the greatest soul singers to ever set foot on this earth!!! Look him up. I also got into a conversation about God with this one woman named Alicia. I'm not trying to preach, but I needed to hear that.

Friday:

Friday at Jordan's, we held a surprise birthday party for my friend Candace. There were, ahem, "Lap dance" (not by me, Mom, I promise), alcohol, and your usual debauchery. I performed "Nuttin' But A G Thang" with my fellow Fayette County native, Uncle Ricky. We also performed "Yeah" by Usher featuring Ludacris (I was Usher, he was Ludacris). My last song of the night was New Kids On the Block's "The Right Stuff". That was for Candace. After that, I took my butt home because I had to be at work by 8:30 the next morning.

Saturday:
I went to work (GRRRR!), went home, took a power nap, and went to a Bancorp South audition at Lisa Lax's home studio. I also saw Christin Ackerman there. I told a story about why I chose my bank. I told the true story of how my mom took me to the bank to get my first (and only) checking and savings accounts. I did my best, I'm trying not to worry about it. Even extras get paid $100, so hopefully, I'll get something.

Later that night, I went to Craig Brewer's costume party. Craig loved Rod Pitt's film What Goes Around and he invited the entire cast to his party. Rod was a pimp, I believe it is his new alter ego, Bubbilicious Big Mac. Arnita Williams (In an Instant) was Flavor Flav, and Kim Skipper (Imagine), was a flight attendant It was her work uniform, but I liked it. Patrick Henry and his wife Angela were there, as were Domino and Tylon from the movie. Keenon Nikita (Just the Two of Us) came as Big Mama from Big Mama's House and our partner Shawn Carter (This is a female) came as Michael Jackson. She had the jacket, the glove, the tight jeans, white socks, black shoes, everything. My buddy Donnie from my favorite comic book store was Captain America. Chris McCoy and Laura Hocking were a zombie couple or something. I also saw a Jay and Silent Bob, a Neo, and several Playboy bunnies. Some danced behind the DJ, some paraded around. Amy Lavere (Eat) and some other people who were in masks performed, they were cool. Craig was dressed like a clown. My girl Naseera Lewis (Just the Two of Us) was there, as was my former high school and U of M classmate, Teresa Dickerson. She has written a script and wants to turn it into a movie. She talked to Rod and Keenon, which was cool. David Merrill was in the place, as was Jon Sparks (Across the River) and his lovely wife. They were in pajamas. Sparky actually had on a fly Hugh Hefner-like robe over his PJs. Man, I so want to be Sparky when I grow up!!! It was cool, the food was nice, but I was really tired. Also, it was so crowded. I'm more of a sit down, chit-chat type of guy. Still, it was nice to chill out, and the costumes were cool.

Sunday:

Naseera Lewis (What Goes Around) directed me in a parody trailer for Black Snake Moan. Rod was the cameraman. I won't get into detail, because I don't want anybody else in the trailer contest to steal our ideas, but it rocked!!! We were out in Mississippi, and I think we really captured the feel of the film. Afterwards, I went over to Shomari's house to watch another wrestling Pay-Per-View. This one was kinda lame, and even had a K-Fed cameo (uggh!!), but it was cool to hang with my people and defend Jerry Lawler and Hulk Hogan. It's almost a ritual now. Shout out to Denna Greer (What Goes Around), who was over Shomari's house.

After that, I went to Jordan's for karoke. I performed Justin Timberlake's "Sexyback" (Love that song), and Five for Fighting's "Superman". It was cool.

Geekwatch:

The Transformers the Movie 20th Anniversary Editon comes out tomorrow. The cheapest advertised price I've seen is $12.99 at Target. I am so there!!! Be easy, readers.

Random Items: 11-1-06

1: Shout out to the guy at the Valvoline on Germantown Parkway. He remembered me from when he was at the now-defunct store on Macon, and he gave me a two-for-one deal on my windshield wipers. That was cool, times are hard!!!

2: Shout out to the Dixie Cafe on Bartlett Road for playing good music during lunch. I came in on Debarge's "All This Love" and left out on "Everybody Has a Hungry Heart". Diversity is beautiful!!!

3:So, Reese Witherspoon and Ryan Phillipe are separating. Shocker!!!! We've all seen the Hollywood couples crash and burn, it seems to be more prevalent when the wife is the breadwinner. Is it the male ego? Shoot, if I was Ryan, I'd be cool with being a semi-kept man. Be the Steadman to her Oprah!! Get an allowance!!! He acts every now and then, it's not like he's a total freeloader. I do feel bad for the child, though. Divorces can be messy.

4: Oh, my god, I am so sick of Flavor Flav!!! His reality show was bufoonery (cooning) at its best, and I had to stop watching it. Then, he put out his first solo album yesterday?!! And now he's on the talk show circuit. I had to stop watching BET's 106 and Park because of Minstrel, I mean, Flavor Flav. And now he has another baby on the way by someone who wan't even in the Flava of Love competition?!! To Caucasian people who are not exposed to African-Americans on a regular basis, know this(Begin rant): We are not all pimps, thugs, gangsters, we don't all wear mouth grills, we don't all wear big, gaudy jewlery or ride Cadillacs with large rims. Some of us actually have degrees, can articulate, can discuss world issues, vote, write, and search for other forms of entertainment besides "gettin crunk in da club, mane!!!" End of Rant.

5: Be easy, readers!!!

PS: Please read something besides the words in commercials or the funnys (which are cool). Knowledge is power, just like they said on SchoolHouse Rock several years ago. If you're too young to know what I'm talking about, google it. That is all.