RIP Paul Newman

Hollywood mourns star Paul Newman

Paul Newman's career spanned six decades and some 60 films
Hollywood has been mourning the death of Oscar-winning film legend Paul Newman, who died of cancer aged 83.

Tributes have been pouring in for the star of movies such as Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid and The Sting.

His co-star in both films, Robert Redford, said: "I have lost a real friend" while Oscar-winner Kevin Spacey said Newman was a "great humble giant".

Former actor, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, called him "a generous but modest philanthropist".

Former US president Bill Clinton and his wife Hillary described him as "an American icon, philanthropist and champion for children," in a statement.

Newman died at his Connecticut home on Friday.

A statement from Newman's family said: "His death was as private and discreet as the way he had lived his life."

SELECT FILMOGRAPHY

The Silver Chalice, 1955
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, 1958
The Hustler, 1961
Hud, 1963
Cool Hand Luke, 1967 (pictured)
Rachel Rachel (director), 1968
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, 1969
The Sting, 1973
The Towering Inferno, 1974
Absence of Malice, 1981
The Verdict, 1982
The Color of Money, 1986
Nobody's Fool, 1994
Road to Perdition, 2002
Cars (voice), 2006

The star's five daughters praised their father's "selfless humility and generosity" in a statement released to the press.

"Paul Newman played many unforgettable roles," they said.

"But the ones for which he was proudest never had top billing on the marquee: Devoted husband, loving father, adoring grandfather, dedicated philanthropist."

In Los Angeles, flowers were placed on Newman's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame as the Motion Picture Association of America hailed his "extraordinary career."

The actor starred in some 60 films in a career that spanned five decades.

He was nominated for an Academy Award 10 times - but it took him 33 years to win one, picking up the best actor trophy for The Color Of Money in 1987.

In May 2007, Newman said he was giving up acting because he could no longer perform to the best of his ability.

"I'm not able to work any more... at the level that I would want to," he told US broadcaster ABC.

"You start to lose your memory, you start to lose your confidence, you start to lose your invention.

Earlier this year, he pulled out of directing a stage production of John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men in Connecticut because of unspecified health problems.

'Ego removed'

Eulogies for the star have poured in from friends and colleagues around the world.

Sam Mendes, who directed Newman in 2002's Road To Perdition, said the actor was "an extraordinary man in every respect".

The thing I remember the most about him is his total lack of ego and his lack of entourage and his lack of hangers-on."



Paul Newman's daughter, Lissy pays tribute to her father
Film star George Clooney said: "He set the bar too high for the rest of us. Not just actors, but all of us."

Kevin Spacey added: "He used his success to help others and did it without wanting a lot of credit.

"He should be an example to everyone in the acting profession because he seemed to have had his ego surgically removed."

Hit films

Although his handsome looks and piercing blue eyes made him an ideal romantic lead, Newman often played rebels, tough guys and losers.

"I was always a character actor," he once said. "I just looked like Little Red Riding Hood."

His movies included Cat On A Hot Tin Roof, The Hustler, The Sting and Hud.



More tributes to Paul Newman

Along the way, he worked with some of the biggest names in Hollywood - including Alfred Hitchcock, Robert Altman, Martin Scorsese, Elizabeth Taylor, Lauren Bacall and Tom Hanks.

He also appeared with his wife, Joanne Woodward, in several films including Long Hot Summer and Paris Blues. The star later directed his wife in movies such as Rachel, Rachel and The Glass Menagerie.

But his most famous screen partner was undoubtedly Robert Redford, his sidekick in both Butch Cassidy and The Sting.

In addition to his Academy Award for best actor, he was given an honorary Oscar in 1986 "in recognition of his many and memorable compelling screen performances and for his personal integrity and dedication to his craft".

YOUR MEMORIES
His humour, charm, cleverness and above all his humanity could never be copied

Felicity Wood, London, UK



In 1994, he picked up a third Oscar, the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award, for his charitable work.

His philanthropic efforts included the establishment of summer camps for children who suffered from life-threatening illnesses.

He also donated profits from his Newman's Own food range to a number of charitable organisations.

Newman's last film role was as the voice of Doc Hudson, one of the most famous racing cars in history, in the Pixar animation Cars.

It was perhaps a fitting epitaph for the actor, who had a lifelong fascination with the sport - and put his film career on hold in the 1970s to become a professional racing driver.

He is survived by his wife, five children, two grandsons and his older brother Arthur.

Hot wings, Insomnia, and Paid Lounging:The Weekend Wrap-Up

Friday:

I got off work, went home, and chilled out.

Saturday:

I got my haircut early in the morning. Shoutout to Cartrell at Jabo's. Later, I participated in the Geekland Podcast (www.geeklandpodcast.com) and the Entertainment Overload podcast(www.eopodcast.wordpress.com). Shoutout to Ben Songer, Willie Gillis, Justin Vactor, and Chris Eaton. Later, we all went to Buffalo Wild Wings and had a late lunch. Afterwards, everybody but Justin (he went home to edit) saw the movie Choke. Sam Rockwell (Charlie's Angels, Confessions of a Dangerous Mind)plaid a con artist who chokes on food in restaurants so he can hustle the wealthy people who save him. Angelica Huston played his aging mother. It was a pretty good film. I will give it 3.5/5 stars on flixster.com.

After that, I went home. I got a call telling me to be on the set of N-Secure at 8:30 in the morning. I tried to go to sleep early, but I woke up at 1 AM. I was up for another 3 hours. Things were not looking good.

Sunday:

I made it to set by 8:12 AM. I ran into Blake, who was over the extras and stand-ins. Shoutout also to Janine Farmer, who was also over the extras. Shoutout to Learyn Wilde, who was an extra, and to another extra that I met, Cooli Crawford. My mom's maiden name is Crawford, so we might be "kin". I was on set for all of 15 minutes. I was a stand-in. A stand-in is an actor who stands in for the main actor
while they are getting ready or while the crew is changing lights and changing angles, etc. I was the stand-in for Nephew Tommy who is on the syndicated radio program, The Steve Harvey Morning Show. I got to read his lines with the actor who he was in the scene with. I also briefly met a very beautiful actress, Toni Trucks. She played the assistant to a character named David. She was real cool. I was not speaking a lot because it's not good to talk while you're on set. People are focused on their parts and trying to work. After Tommy came to set, I went to the room where the extras were located. One extra brought a laptop and and some DVDs. We watched Forbidden Kingdom, Freedom Writers,and a little bit of I Am Legend. After lunch, I sat in another room with the other crew members and the female stand-in, April Hale. I've worked with hero on local produtions in town. We sat for about 2.5 hours until the director let the extras and the stand-ins go. Next, I went to some wrestling at the New Daisy. It was Mid-South All-Star Wrestling, or MAW. Shoutout to Johnnie Dotson, who went to my high school and wrestled on the show. Also, shoutout to Derrick King, Reno Diamond, and Danny B. Goode. These guys were exceptional, in my opinion.

After that, I went to the Karaoke Smackdown for a little bit. I sang "Lookin' Boy", a song that is basically about putdowns that end in "lookin' boy", like "Let your soul glow! Curl lookin' boy". I started laughing, so I was a little off with the lyrics. Later, me and my buddy Joe sang "Seasons of Love" from Rent. Everybody kept doing Broadway songs, so me and Joe decided to mess with them and do our horrible version. My last song was "Say It Ain't So" by Weezer. I had to leave because of the cigarette smoke.

I still have one movie that I am trying to finish. I will probably call the filmmmakers about that next week. I would be okay with a weekend of no filming right now. Be easy, readers!!

An (Advance) View at the Movies: Eagle Eye

On the surface, Eagle Eye has the makings of a great film. It's produced by Steven Spielberg, and it reteamed DJ Caruso and Shia Lebouf, the director and star of Disturbia. It even has a stellar cast: Rosario Dawson, Anthony Mackie (Eight Mile, She Hate Me), Michael Chiklis (The Shield), and Michelle Monaghan (Made of Honor, Gone Baby Gone). However, close examination of this film reveals several flaws. In the beginning, Shia Lebouf's character is a slacker and hustler working at a Copy Cabana. Later, Shia goes to an ATM and has way more money than he should. Shia decided to keep the money and pay rent. When he gets home, he finds that his apartment is full of poison, rifles, everything you would need for a terrorist attack. Next, he gets a call on the phone from a female voice telling him that the cops are coming and that he needs to leave. This begins a whirlwind of events where Shia's character eludes the cops and meets up with Monaghan's character, who is also being forced to carry out this female voice's wishes. It is exciting and interesting to see the control of this mysterious person, from controlling traffic lights to calling them from pay phones or other people's cell phones. The special effects scenes and the performances are great, especially Billy Bob Thornton's scene-stealing performance as an FBI agent in pursuit of Lebouf and Monaghan. Rosario Dawon also shines as an Air Force official investigating Lebouf and Monaghan's forced antics. Credit must also be given to the notoriously underrated Anthony Mackie as a military officer who works with Dawson to uncover the identity and motivation of the mysterious voice. The film begins to fall apart under the shaky camerawork (didn't the last Bourne film do enough of that?), and silly plot. The identity of the mysterious voice is a letdown, and causes the plan to be highly illogical. There just isn't enough willful suspension of dsibelief in the world to excuse the plot holes in this movie. Another problem is originality. I feel that Enemy of the State and other similarly themed espionage movies dealt with the same situaions in a much better fashion. Also, the suspense and danger in the film is all but negated by a sappy, happy ending. Eagle Eye feels like a hokey, cheesy straight to DVD film disguised as a blockbuster with big-name actors, flashy effects, and the Spielberg name. Painting a house doesn't eliminate a termite infestation, and all the bells and whistles surrounding this film cannot make up for the crappy story at the core of this film. Eagle Eye gets 2/5 stars from me.

Fake Blood, Buffets, and Background: The Weekend Update Plus Monday

Friday:

I shot on Cigarette Girl again. I finally met the actress who plays the Cigarette Girl. Her name is Cori. She doesn't live in Memphis, and she works in a skate shop. She is very cute and friendly. She kept making jokes about killing us because she murders the characters played my me and my good buddy Christian B. Christian's death scene was awesome. Mine was somewhat awesome. I keep telling them that I am a little bit jaded because this is my fifth or sixth death scene. We were shooting at the Tempo Market on Watkins. Every time we cut, people ran into the store and made purchases. I have never filmed in a store that was still open like that before. It was a little distracting, but I made it through.

Saturday:

I went to work, got off work and went to Comics and Collectibles. I took place in the Entertainmetn Overload podcast, which is found at www.eopodcast.wordpress.com. I also took place in the Geekland Podcast, which is found at www.geeklandpodcast.com. Afterwards, we all went out to Buffet Star, a Chinese buffet place. I gotta say this: The bathrooms were nasty. The food was okay. Shoutout to Justin Vactor and Chris Eaton, who were on the podcast. Afterwards, I went to Target with Willie Gilless and Ben Songer, the other podcasters. Afterwards, I went to TCBY and ate a yogurt and read some comics.

After that, I went to the Vault on Highland for Chris Haley's birthday party. Shoutotut to April Steele(is for real),Lauren, Curt Franklin, David H, Joe, Broadway, and the rest of Chris Haley's friends. Shoutout also to the manager of the Vault, Nathan. We sang karaoke. David H. and I performed Kris Kross' "Jump" and "Ugly" by Bubba Sparx. I also sang "Iko Iko" and "My Love" by Justin Timberlkake featuring T.I. with Joe. My solo songs were "Summertime" by New Kids on the Block,"We Will Rock You/We are the Champions" for Chris (he's a big Queen fan), "My Life" by Billy Joel, and "I Want It that Way" by the Backstreet Boys. Hey, Chris and another guy had sang NSync's "Bye Bye Bye", so I felt that I had to respond with some Backstreet. Curt Franklin and I also teamed up for "Stronger" by Kanye West. I had a good time, but I started feeling like I was coming down with something, so I left. Also, extra special shoutout to my good friend Sean George. He told me that he and his girlfriend Anna will be parents in March. That's cool. They are good people and I wish them the best.

Sunday:

I was an extra in N-Secure, a movie filming in Memphis. Local actress Janeen Farmer was one of the production assistants that monitored the extras. Shoutout to fellow actors Don Myers, Carl, Jean Henderson, and my girl April Hale who was a stand-in for one of the lead actresses. I also met some cool new people: Wendell, a male stand-in, and some cool fellow extras, Mike Jones, Michelin, and Christina. Christina and I played a couple on Beale Street. She was very cute, and had a sense of humor. She told me that she came to Memphis to go to nursing school. She teased me because I told her that I listen to a lot of independent R&B artists that nobody's heard of and because I don't drink, smoke, or do drugs. She even asked me if I fornicated. That was a little awkward. She was very cool. I should've gotten her number. Maybe next time. I was on set from 2PM-11:30 PM. I was paid about $5.74/hr. That will be a nice check.

Monday:

I was a little under the weather, so I called in sick. Leave me alone, I've only left work sick once this year. I'm not a machine!!!

I have wrapped almost everything. I have no idea what I will work on next. I could use a little rest this week, after working on two films last week. We'll see. Be easy, readers!!!

Support my friend Tamara!!

My good friend Tamara Wicks is the featured mom on midsouthmoms.com:

http://www.midsouthmoms.com/blogs/1696

Yayyy Tamara!!!

RIP Norman Whitfield

Motown songwriter Norman Whitfield dies at 67

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
September 18, 2008



LOS ANGELES - Norman Whitfield, songwriter and producer, who co-wrote a string of Motown classics including "War," "Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me)" and "I Heard It Through the Grapevine," has died. He was 67.

A spokeswoman at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center said Whitfield died there Tuesday. He suffered from complications of diabetes and had recently emerged from a coma, The Detroit Free Press reported.

The New York-born Whitfield was a longtime Motown producer who during the 1960s and '70s injected rock and psychedelic touches into the label's soul music.

Many of his biggest hits were written with Barrett Strong, with whom he was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2004.

Here is a list of some of the great songs he wrote:
•1963: "Pride & Joy" - Marvin Gaye
•1964: "Too Many Fish in the Sea" - The Marvelettes
•1964: "Needle in a Haystack" - The Velvelettes
•1964: "He Was Really Sayin' Somethin'" - The Velvelettes
•1964: "Girl (Why You Wanna Make Me Blue)" - The Temptations
•1966: "Ain't Too Proud to Beg" - The Temptations
•1966: "Beauty Is Only Skin Deep" - The Temptations
•1966: "(I Know) I'm Losing You" - The Temptations
•1967: "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" - Gladys Knight & the Pips, also recorded by Marvin Gaye and Creedence Clearwater Revival
•1967: "You're My Everything" - The Temptations
•1967: "I Wish It Would Rain" - The Temptations
•1968: "I Could Never Love Another (After Loving You)" - The Temptations
•1968: "The End of Our Road" - Gladys Knight & The Pips
•1968: "Cloud Nine" - The Temptations
•1969: "Friendship Train" - Gladys Knight & the Pips
•1969: "Runaway Child, Running Wild" - The Temptations
•1969: "Too Busy Thinking About My Baby" - Marvin Gaye
•1969: "I Can't Get Next to You" - The Temptations
•1969: "Don't Let The Joneses Get You Down" - The Temptations
•1970: "You Need Love Like I Do (Don't You)" - Gladys Knight & The Pips, also recorded by The Temptations
•1970: "Psychedelic Shack" - The Temptations
•1970: "Hum Along and Dance" - The Temptations (later covered by Rare Earth and The Jackson 5)
•1970: "Ball of Confusion (That's What the World Is Today)" - The Temptations
•1970: "War" - Edwin Starr
•1971: "Smiling Faces Sometimes" - The Undisputed Truth, originally recorded by The Temptations
•1971: "Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me)" - The Temptations
•1972: "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone" - The Temptations
•1973: "Masterpiece" - The Temptations
•1973: "Let Your Hair Down" - The Temptations
•1976: "Car Wash" - Rose Royce
•1976: "I'm Going Down" - Rose Royce
•1976: "I Wanna Get Next to You" - Rose Royce
•1977: "Ooh Boy" - Rose Royce
•1977: "Wishing on a Star" - Rose Royce
•1978: "Love Don't Live Here Anymore" - Rose Royce

Coworkers, Machetes, and Purchases: The Weekend Wrap-up plus a Manic Monday Recap

Friday:


I got a new phone on my lunch break. It's an LG phone, and it is sleek, black, and sexy. I am instantly cooler with this phone in my hand. I also got a case for it, and I upped my text messages. I also FINALLY have a phone with a camera on it. I am slowly getting the hang of it.

I went out to eat at a Mexican restaurant called El Molinos with my coworkers JR, Andrew, Bridgette, Keneetha(KD), and Yolanda (LaLa). It was cool. They drank alcohol, but I didn't. It was cool. My coworkers rock.

Saturday:

I got a haircut early in the morning (shoutout to Cartrell at Jabo's on Germantown Parkway), then I did some grocery shopping at Wal-Mart. I also got my friend Denna her Christmas gift, a Barbie doll from the line based on the movie Grease. This Barbie was based on Stockard Channing's character from that movie, Rizzo. I even called Denna to make sure that she didn't have it. We do that. I'd rather have the right gift than a surprise.
Later, I went to sleep, then I got up and started looking for clothes for my shoot that day. While searching for a loose fitting army jacket, Christian called me. He is in the group Free Sol and he also acts. He tells me that I ALSO need to find a black bandana. I began to get a little stressed, but I kept looking for the loose fitting army jacket. I tried looking in different thrift stores, but I could not find one that fit me. Most of them were mediums, and I'm a big guy. I found a large green jumpsuit, but it was tight in, ahem, a very sensitive area. Needless to say, I was not ready to sacrifice my ability to conceive for this movie, so I passed on it. By 2 PM, I started searching for the black bandana. Basically, I went to the Eastgate shopping center. Men's Wearhouse, Stein Mart, and Casual Male were all busts. My next stop was Michael's, a craft store. I went in and asked a clerk if they had bandanas, and she said "Sure. Aisle 14". I said, "Bless you", and got a brand-new black bandana for $1.96 including tax. God bless you, Michaels!!

Later, I made it to the set. They had an army jacket. It was a medium, but it was not too tight. Oh, yeah, the name of this film is Cigarette Girl. Christian, his roommate, and I were the Dead Grass Boys. Our characters lived in a future world and smoked toxic dead grass to get high. Christian was Prophet, the leader. I didn't have a name, but I did get a nice black machete. I began fondling it, and the crew took pictures of it. Christian's rommate and I had to rough up the runaway girl, played by Ivy. She looked kinda like this comic book character named Tank Girl. She said that was one of her favorite characters. She was all punk rockish, but hella cool. We will probably film more this weekend. I also had to wear makeup because we all had these symbols on our foreheads, and stuff on our cheeks and eyes. I was very fidgety, I never had eye makeup on before. Everybody laughed about it, including me. I will try to be better next time.

Later, after filming, I went to Hastings. I bought a used copy of Shoot 'Em Up for $7.99. I also bought Showdown at the Cotton Mill, a kung fu film, as a Christms present for Paul "P-Dub" West. My last used film, The Lookout, was priced at $1.99, but Hastings has this promotion where if you buy 2 used DVDs, you can get a third one for a penny. That's just so cool!

I saw the new Tyler Perry film, The Family that Preys. It had a solid cast: Sanaa Lathan, Rockmond Dunbar, Taraji P. Henson, Kathy Bates, and Alfre Woodard. It was very entetaining, and Bates and Woodard worked well together. Tyler only had one overly preachy moment, but it fit. There were a few too many coincidences that wrapped the movie up, but it was okay. I will give it 3.5/5 on flixster.com. Sanaa Lathan's character was very mean, and treated her husband(Rockmond Dunbar)like dirt. I hated to be a sterotypical African-American, but we were all yelling at the screen. It was a very enjoyable film.

Sunday:

I chatted with Rod about movies for a minute, then I met up with Denna to get passes to an advance screening of Lakeview Terrace, the new Samuel Jackson film. Jackson plays a cop who disapproves of an interracial couple that moves into his neighborhood. Kerry Washington(Ray)plays the African-American wife of Jackson's white male neigbor. I hope it's good. Sam has got to learn to say no. You don't have to do EVERY film that's offered to you. Denna and I chit-chatted for a minute, then I went to Borders. They had the Afro Samurai comic. Afro Samurai is a manga, or Japanese comic. It was turned into an anime, or Japanese cartoon, and it aired on Spike TV a few years ago. My brother gave me the DVD of the series on my b-day a few years ago. They have revamped the original comic story, and put it out in America for the first time. I look forward to reading this book. Afterwards, I went back home for a minute, then I got dinner, some yogurt from TCBY, and then I saw Kung Fu Panda for $2.50 at the Bartlett 10. It was funny. Jack Black was awesome, and so was Angelina Jolie. Iam McShane was the voice of the main villain, a tiger. I will give it 4/5 on flixster.com. Finally, I went to Hastings and bought a used copy of a graphic novel (JLA:The Nail) for $7.49, then I bought The Lookout and Hitman for Rod Pitts for $1.99. I also bought Confidence for the same price. However, because of the Hastings promotion, I only paid a penny for The Lookout. Good times, baby, good times!!

Monday:

I was a little bummed after work because people started talking about relationships. That talk only reinforces my loneliness. I went to Borders. They had a 40% off sale on DVD boxed sets. I bought Spaced, a series that aired in England on the BBC, their broadcasting system. Spaced is about a group of twentysomething slacker geeks and their misadventures. It is supposed to be full of pop culture references. Also, many people in the cast went on to play in the films Shawn of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, which were directed by Edgar Wright. Edgar Wright also cocreated and directed Spaced. I love both of his fims, so I am interested to see his earlier work.

After that, I went to Sonic, then I went to Wal-Mart. It was almost midnight, so I hoped that I could purchase the new Raphael Saadiq CD. The clerk said that the new CDs weren't put out until 2 AM, so that plan was a bust. I ran into Kinshasa Qualls, an old friend of mine. We chitchatted for a minute. She recently started working out. I need to start doing that again. I finally gave up and went home.

I really hope Lakeview Terrace is a good film. Oh, well, at least it's free and playing at a theater near me, the Wolfchase Galleria inside the Wolfchase mall. I apologize for writing a book, but a lot happened to me. Be easy, readers!!

Goodbyes, Discussions, and Football: The Weekend Wrap-Up

Friday:

I went to Comics and Collectibles, chitchatted with C&C employee Donnie, and then I went ti Ubees for my buddy Paul Briggs' going-away party. He is the new director of Football Video at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia. "Angry" Nick Jones, my buddy Denna Greer, and others came out, like Pastor Walker and his brother Doug, and Paul's friends Shaunta and Juwanda. Some of us took place in trivia night. My team won a $10 gift certificate, which I still have. Paul was supposed to DJ for a few hours, but the place was double-booked. The other guys were very rude and would not compromise. Eventually, we gave up and left. Some of us went to the Perkins on Poplar and hung out there. I will miss Paul a lot. He is one of my few friends that I met in college that was still in Memphis, and now he is gone.

Saturday:

I went back to Comics and Collectibles for a podcast. When I got there, Justin Vactor, Willie Gilless, Ben Songer, and Kevin Coll were finishing up the Entertainment Oveload Podcast(www.eopodcast.com). Kevin left, and Chris Eaton and I participated in the Geekland Podcast(www.geeklandpodast.com). It was a cool episode, I reviewed a few books, and we all talked about our top five books that we are currently reading. Afterwards, we went to Buffalo Wild Wings on Poplar. After that, I went to TCBY by myself, ate some frozen yogurt, and read Sidescrollers, a pretty cool graphic novel that Justin let me borrow. After that, I went to McAllisters. I wasn't trying to keep eating, I just needed places to hang out. Rod Pitts called me, and we wound up going to the National Civil Rights Museum, where actor/filmmake Phil Darius Wallace presented a one-man play about Richard Wright. I've seen his one-man play about Frederick Douglass. Darius is awesome. I have yet to be a lead in a film, let alone perform a one-act play. Theatre is REAL acting to me, there are no second takes. If you mess up, you have to keep going. Rod stayed around to meet with Darius. He told me that he plans to work on some shorts soon. I told him that I missed playing my character The Film Geek from his first feature film, What Goes Around. He said that he wanted to revisit that character as well. Hopefully, we will. I really wanted to go to the hip-hop show that I posted in my blog on Friday, but I was too tired at this point. My apologies to the Iron Mic Coalition (IMC) and the Tunnel Clones. I hope you guys had a great show. Next time, my friends, next time.

Sunday:

I hung out around the house, and watched the Tennesse Titans' first game of the season. We beat the Jacksonville Jaguars 17-10. Our offense is weak, and our quarterback (Vince Young)was not accurate yesterday. Our defense is awesome, and we have this rookie running back, Chris Johnson, who could be the future of our franchise. This dude's speed is insane!! Young was injured, but hopefully, he'll be back Sunday. I don't know, the way he's been passing, I'd rather have the backup quarterback. Anyway, this was a win over a potential playoff team. Go Titans!!

After the game, I went to the movies and saw Vicky Christina Barcelona . It was my first time watching a Woody Allen film. Basically, Vicky and Christina are two friends who vacaton in Barcelona and become involved romantically with an artist played by Javier Bardem(No Country for Old Men). It was okay, but the last act seemed a little overly sensationalized, and the ending was sad.

After that, I went over my friend Shomari's house and watched a WWE pay-per-view. It was cool. Shomari and I also talked comics.

This Saturday, I should be working on two films (hopefully). It may be tiring, but hey, its' a good problem to have. Be easy, readers!!

My fellow Memphians: Hip-hop show tomorrow night!!

Tunnel Clones and the Iron Mic Coalition meet to rock your Asses to the Moon!

We Present...

"Brang that beat Back"

Saturday, September 6th at The Hi Tone--1915 Poplar Avenue

$6-(21 and up)

$8-(under 21)

Doors open: 9pm

Show starts: 10pm Must be 18 or Older

With djs Capital "A"
DJ Leroy
DJ Wrekuh
and

the Infamous...

DJ Red Eye Jedi

Please come out and support the Tunnel Clones and The Iron Mic Coalition (I.M.C.)

Movies, Cookout, and Mi Familia: The Three-Day Labor Day Weekend Wrap-Up

Friday:

Chilled out, watched TV

Saturday:

We taped the Geekland Podcast at my good buddy Justin Vactor's house. His house is cool. Shoutout to Vactor, Willie Gilless, Ben Songer, Chris Eaton, and Kevin Coll. You can hear the Geekland podcast at www.geeklandpodcast.com. Willie, Justin, Ben, and Kevin also did the Entertainment Overload Podcast: www.eopodast.com. After that second podcast, I met up with the guys at Buffalo Wild Wings near Wolfchase. We chatted, talked about movies and comics, and some of us (like me) gawked at the beautiful women walking by. Afterwards, I went to see Tropic Thunder. That was an awesome movie!!! I really enjoyed it.

Sunday:

I went to Comics and Collectibles and chitchatted with C&C employee Sean George for a bit, then later I went to a party in Midtown. It was at the home of Chris McCoy and Laura Hocking-McCoy. They are a married filmmaking duo known as Oddly Buoyant Productions. It was cool. Once again, I was one of the few people not drinking or smoking. Filmmaker Adam Remsen was there, and he brought his sister, Charlotte. She was cool, but the fact that I didn't drink or smoke really shocked her. Charlotte also said that I was "sexy". She didn't say it in an "I want you" type way, but I was flattered by the complement. I was called ugly an awful lot as a child. I don't normally think of myself as "hot" or "sexy". Shoutout to Jeff Pope, John Pickle, Sarah Fleming, Christopher Reyes, and other people that were at the party, like a woman named Danna. She was originally from New York, and she was very witty. I did wind up getting in a conversation about atheism, though. McKenzie, another partygoer, explained to me that most atheists don't hate Christians, they just can't or don't believe in Christianity. I believe in God, but I can respect that. I left early in the morning, looking forward to my Monday off.

Monday:

I went out to Oakland, Tennessee for a cookout at my Uncle Ray's house. I had a pretty good time, enjoyed my family, and I think that me and my little cousin Kamaria have called a truce. Yay. I really enjoyed talking to my cousin Sam. I found out that he is writing a script and he writes songs. I really felt like I connected to him on a level that I hadn't before. Sadly, Sam has to go to court on Wednesday and may see some jail time. I think that he is really trying to change his life and I am praying that the judge is lenient. I am asking for prayers and positive energy on that situation.

I have learned that I am being eyed for a role in another short. It feels good that people think of me when casting without me always having to audition, but I remind myself that I am never too proud to audition. Also, contary to many people's opinions, I DON"T always get a role when I audition. Hopefully, some of these projects that are being talked about will start filming soon. Be easy, readers!!