Moral Victories, Gifting, and Christmas Crowds: The Weekend Wrap-Up

Friday:

I went to the mall with my good buddy Ennis Newman aka rapper/producer/sometime actor Fathom 9 (www.myspace.com/fathom9thebrotherhoodofdoom). He copped some new black boots and other urban "gear". We also went to Walgreens, where I bought my mom's birthday gift. She was born December 31. I already had her Christmas present. We had planned to go to a concert and see the Tunnel Clones (www.myspace.com/tunnelclones) perform at their Christmas party at the Hi-Tone. My stomach started feeling funny, so I had to go home. I went home and watched Friday Night Smackdown on the DVR.

Saturday:

I went to Comics and Collectibles, one of the BEST comic book stores in the Memphis area (http://www.memphiscomics.com/) and I hung out for a minute Shout out to C and C employee/singer/producer/karaoke master Sean George for burning me a copy of the new Wu-Tang Clan CD, Eight Diagrams. I am listening to it now, and it's pretty good.

After that, I picked up my buddy and sometime actor Bryan Newcomb (Mail Call, What Goes Around) and we went to Perkins to eat lunch. Afterwards, we went to the Lil' Film Fest 8 at the Media Co-Op. The theme was Resolutions. First of all, Morgan Fox came up and made some announcements, then he said that the Media Co-Op was having its last event on February 23. They're leaving the space under the First Congo Presbyterian Church. I will miss that space. I have had many an audition and attended many screenings at that place. Then Sarah Fleming informed us that this would probably be the last Lil' Film Fest. She has been without benefits for a while and plans to get a more traditional job. Yeah, that was a double dose of sucky news. Things brightened up once the shorts started. Shoutout to Annie Gaia for Paper Doll World, a powerful short where Moncia Summerfield (Eat) and Jeff Pope (Black Snake Moan) played a couple on the verge of divorce. Angel Ortez came with another brilliant short, Nunca Mas (Never Again). It was very sad. People really liked Chris McCoy and Laura Hocking's short Resolutions. I played a famous actor who is selling a fragrance named "Resoulutions". It was fun to be the main character and wear a suit and be kind of smooth. My boy Damarico Fowler called me "Tuxedo Mask". I was also in a short called "Resolutions for the Irresolute". I was a little bummed about my dialogue being cut, but Annie Gaia, Monica Summerfield, Chris Byerly, Jeff Pope, and director Aaron Gwin all did great jobs!! Finally, shoutout to Adam Remsen who won the Jury Award for his short Good Riddance 2007. After the crappy 2007 Adam experienced, he had to win something. My condlences on his mother's recent passing. I pray that 2008 is better for him. Shoutouts also go to Edward Phillips and Corduroy Wednesday, who won the Audience Award for L'Hippopotame Vert FTW! That was a very funny short involving a guy who was playing games with Death. I mean that literally. You have to see this short. Hopefully, the Lil' Film Fest will live on at a different venue. Even though neither of the shorts that I acted in won, people liked my work, hence the "moral victory".

Later, I went to Spin Street and bought the Tunnel Clones' latest CD, Worldwide Open. I also bought a used copy of Killer Mike's first CD, Monster. Killer Mike is a former affiliate of popular rap group Outkast.

After that, I went to a birthday party at my girl Tamara's house. It was her boyfriend Ralph Carasquillo's birthday. I bought him a DVD, Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels. He seemed to enjoy it. The food and fellowship were good, but eventually, the party became everybody standing in the kitchen drinking. I couldn't really enjoy that, because I don't drink. After a few hours, I bid them adieu.

My last stop was at Jordan's Karaoke Bar and Grill. I sang Corrine Bailey Rae's "Girl Put Your Records On", teamed up with the host David H. and Popcorn on the Thompson Twins' "Hold Me Now", teamed up with Joe and David H on Duran Duran's "Hungry Like the Wolf", teamed up with Prince Josh on Afroman's "Because I Got High" and D12's "Purple Hills", then I dueted with David H on Jay-Z/Linkin Park's "Numb Encore". My last song of the night was Billy Joel's "My Life". My mic came unplugged, but with the help of Casey, I plugged it back up and finished the song. We had good times like Jimmy Walker, baby!!!

Sunday:

I watched a little Titans football. Shoutout to the Titans for winning. We are now 8-6. To have a snowball's chance in Hades of making the playoffs, we need to win out last 2 games. Shoutout to the Miami Dolphins for winning their first game in week 14 of the season. My brother is very happy. My brother's friends Toma and Terrence, diehard Cowboys fans, were not so lucky. The Dallas Cowboys lost 10-6. Boo hoo, Cowboys fans. Get a straw and suck it up!!! You're 12-2. You're gonna make the playoffs. Plus, Tony Romo's dating Jessica Simpson. You get no sympathy!! Okay, enough sports talk. This ain't ESPN.com.

I watched a movie named Constellation. Gabrielle Union, Billy Dee Williams, and Zoe Saldana were in it. It had some moments, but it wasn't very good. I returned the video to Blockbuster, then I began playing Santa Claus. I went to Rod Pitts' house and gave him his gift, the special edition of the John Woo classic Hard Boiled. Then, I went to the home of filmmaker Keenon Nikita and gave him a 300 DVD. He loved it. Then, I went to Brian Newcomb's house. I gave him his gift, The Presidio on DVD. Then, we went to the movies. We saw Perfect Holiday. It was an okay Christmas romanctic comedy with Gabrielle Union, Moris Chestnut, Rachel True (I love her!!!), Charlie Murphy, and Katt Williams. Queen Latifah produced the film, and she stuck her and Terrence Howard in the film to get people to see it. She shouldn't have. Their parts brought the film down, in my opinion. My brother Travis Barbee called me, and we chatted.

Later, I watched wrestling pay-per-views over my boy Shomari Gant's house. My buddy Paul Briggs came through. I gave him his gift, Cornbread, Earl and Me on DVD. He gave me a 1990s WWF action figure, Razor Ramon. It was unopened and in the box. I almost had a geek fit on the spot!!!

After that, I went to Wal-Mart on Germantown Parkway. I have to give them a shoutout for having an independent wrestling DVD featuring Dennis Rodamn, Curt Hennig, One Man Gang, and the Road Warrors for only $1, as well as having a little two-pack of miniature Marvel Super Heroes with Black Panther and Storm, my favorite superhero married couple. That was awesome. However, for only having four register open, a very dirty store, and closing the U-Scan almost as soon as I came over there, you are on Blog Blast!!!! Plus, you get the gas face. Wal-Mart on Trinity off Gemantown Parkway, you have been warned!!!

I am looking forward to relaxing, chilling with my family, and writing more in the New Year. I probably won't act again until February. Everybody's shut down. Quick reminder: The Importance of Being Russell, a Redneck Comedy of Epic Proportions, is available for sale or rent at Black Lodge Video on Cooper in good ol' Memphis, Tennessee. Shout out to John Pickle for gving me a copy this weekend. I would've paid for it (even though I'm in it), but I appreciated it. Be easy, readers!!