I had a chance to speak with DJ Qualls who plays Davey Sutton, a uniform cop who considers himself to be the protégé of Dwight Hendricks (Jason Lee) on the new TNT drama, ‘Memphis Beat.’

On this quirky cop drama set in Memphis, Tennessee, DJ Qualls plays a rookie cop who has a few tricks up his sleeve. He’s in good company with a talented cast including Jason Lee, Alfie Woodward, and Sam Hennings. The soundtrack featuring artists like Elvis and Sam Cooke also adds a unique flavor to this cop drama.

Kat: Hey DJ, so I’m from MySpace Channel and wanted to know how active are you with your fans on social media?

DJ Qualls: So I started basically just to you know to be able to Tweet one message so a bunch of my friends can know that I’m still alive. But I’m really starting to get into it. But I have to – like it’s a weird balance because the other day I realized that TNT is one of my followers. And that night I sent a text saying, ‘At a bar, 3:00 am, please God don’t let me take home a stranger”, as a total joke. First thing the next morning I was waking up, like what did I tweet last night? And then I was like oh no my bosses are on my follow list.

Memphis Beat airs every Tuesday on TNT at 10 p.m.(ET/PT)
(Originally posted on MySpace Channel, the blog for all things TV)

My mother is a bit of a diva. She has admitted this before, and the reason for this is that she used to be a beauty queen when she was growing up in South Korea. She never divulged this information until I was a pimply-faced teenager that was awkwardly trying to fit at school. I remember thinking, “Geez, why didn’t I get your genes? I look like Dad.” (No offense, Dad!)
Here’s a pic of her in her heyday…

Anyway, she told me that she wished that she had focused more on academics and other scholastic endeavors instead of being really into her looks. Oh, and she completely forgot to tell me of her talents as a calligraphy artist which she never got a chance to hone until she reached her mid 50′s. She rarely did anything for herself while raising myself and my brother and never indulged in expensive clothing, trips, or all the other things that most Korean moms do for themselves.

We didn’t have much money growing up and it was pretty bad when I was in high school. We couldn’t afford things and I just remember incidents when people were just so mean because we didn’t have nice things. We had this about-to-break-down-minivan that our church donated to us and I would ask her to drop me off a block away from the school entrance so no one would know that I had emerged from that vehicle. There was this annoying kid who used to taunt me and I wanted to die when he mentioned my ghetto minivan during class. But then…I came up with this witty retort and everyone laughed. I loved that. The fact that if you’re funny, witty, or can make a good joke, you can make everyone forget about a crappy situation. Including yourself, you know?

Throughout all the hardships when my Mother has driven me nuts, nagged, and annoyed me, it never took away from how much I love her and appreciate all that she’s done for me and my family. When I see her artwork now, I’m just so proud of her coming into her own as an artist. I remember the day I told her that I was pursuing all my creative endeavors and she sort of shook her head and was like, “Are you kidding me?” LOL. Now, she’s come around. Sort of. (Deep down, she wishes that I secretly want to be a Harvard lawyer/doctor combo and that I’m not the actual right-brained freak that I am)

Anyway, here are my favorites of her calligraphy pieces. Aren’t they just fabulous?

Its weird…my mom’s perfect day is her being in an art studio, just painting all day. Mine is to be in an a recording studio, just recording songs all day. Ugh. Is it true that you actually turn into your mother? Ah!!!

And this is the longest post of my life, but here’s the most gorgeously delicious song by Boyz II Men, “A Song for Mama.” Happy Mother’s Day!

(Note: This post was written for a male audience from a guy website I used to write for.  Just FYI.)

Mother’s Day is on the horizon and though you may be a tough guy, we all know that when you visit your Mother, you turn into a kid again as she asks you, “Honey, are you eating enough?” or “Sweetheart, Lucky Charms is not a food group!” Or maybe she still embarrasses you out in public by asking you personal questions at the supermarket.

As annoying as her prying questions can be, your Mother will always be the woman who may have made you your favorite dinners, told you it was okay when you were benched in a Little League game, or if you got your heart broken by “the One.” So, on this day, instead of getting her the usual flowers and candy, why not get her things that she REALLY wants?

Beauty Products/Treatments

Moms love to be pampered and she definitely deserves it! Also, tons of day spas have Mother’s Day specials so that you can get her things like facials, manicures, pedicures, and beauty products. These are things that she actually uses and probably loves, so take note.

Hobby Related Gifts

Perhaps your mother likes horseback-riding, collects antiques, or likes to create oil paintings. Getting her a gift related to her actual likes is a huge bonus and will show her that you took the time out to get her something that she actually cares about. This is a good way to bring your Mother to tears.

Photographic Proof That You Care For Yourself

One of my best guy friends used to take pictures of his dorm room and send them to his mother who was always calling him to make sure he did things like eat and do his laundry. He would always be like, “Dude, I forgot to eat.” (I wish I had this problem) Anyway, I thought it was a genius idea to take pictures of your daily life and send it to your Mother who is probably still missing her little kid. (Even if you’re all grown up now) So, why not just take some pics, create a digital photo album and send it to her, along with a personalized card.

Giftcards

This is a no-brainer, but an excellent and very useful gift. Whether she’s more of a Barnes and Noble type or prefers clothing, your mother will love this gift because she can actually use it.

Quit the Things That You Know She Hates You Doing

Now, most mothers nag, though they don’t see it that way. To them, their constant ways of bringing up subjects that you don’t want to talk about, show that they care and love you. Maybe she wants you to quit smoking weed or cigarettes or maybe she wants you to be more responsible. Or maybe she wants you to cut off your dreads. Whatever it is, think of a creative way to show her that you’ve actually tried to do this for her. Your mother will absolutely love you for it.

Now, you can completely discount my advice, but I’ve seen these gifts work for my brother, my ex-boyfriends and other guys in my life. So… why not try it this year? If not, there’s always those dudes who sell flowers on your local street corner on Mother’s Day morning.

(Pic from vision.org)

Growing up, my dad was your typical immigrant parent, working 18 hours a day at labor-intensive jobs like grocery stores and pizza shops. (Before moving on to own a hip-hop clothing store) As a young child, I remember that he wasn’t around much because he was always working. As I got older, he moved to Korea for more work opportunities and pretty much missed the my entire “coming of age,” time period, you know.. the time when you start looking awkward/blossoming, start liking boys, and think about going to Prom or if you’ll get into the college of your dreams. Looking back, I realize that he was just trying to make a better life for our family and was chasing the American dream. I, meanwhile, was trying to fit in at school which never really happened and wondered if I’d ever leave my Philly suburb school which was so closed-minded and awful. Going to NYU really saved my right-brained mind, I think. It helped erase some of my bad high school memories.

Anyway, at the time, I was really resentful of his absence as girls need their fathers to figure out things such as…
- what type of guy you’ll date/marry
- How you allow yourself to be treated by the opposite sex
- Learning to stand up for yourself
- Knowing that you should be an Independent woman
- Then again, knowing when its okay to ask for help because no one is perfect and all of us need help sometimes

In recent days, my Dad had to move back to the States and actually lives with me now. Strange considering that I’m a full-blown adult and there are days when I’m like.. UGH SO ANNOYING THAT MY DAD LIVES WITH ME. He’s experienced hard times, as of late, and I’ve learned to forgive him for the past.

If you’re a Father reading this, I hope you know how much of an impact that you have on your children, especially your daughters. Please know that you’re the image that she looks up to in how she’ll find her future husband, how she’ll learn to respect herself, and how she’ll learn how to become a strong, Independent woman. It’s a lot, but you’re a Dad, so buck up and be a real man! Your daughter needs you.

Happy Father’s Day!

Oh and a Live version of John Mayer’s “Daughters”

Hope you all had a happy Mother’s Day! For all you Moms, Wives, and Grandmothers out there, have a blessed day. My Mom is in Korea right now, but if you’re reading this Mom, love you!
My Mom hated when I would blast hip-hop music in the car and we’d argue over which station to listen to. She prefers Mozart and I was like, POWER 99 FM! (This is the hip hop station in Philly)

This is her favorite track:

Happy Easter! This used to be my favorite holiday when I was a kid especially going to church. Amongst my group of friends, the important items were…
1) Who had the coolest Easter Dress?- My mom always went to the Sale section of Macy’s or Bloomingdale’s and was on the search for the best Easter dress for a discount. I never had the coolest dress, but I probably had the dress that was the best deal. LOL.
2) How good was the Easter candy stash?- I’d always trade-off the Marshamallow peeps for the Cadbury creme eggs because it was just too sweet for me. I was like, “GIVE ME THE CHOCOLATE!.” Then the boys in our Sunday school class would throw Easter eggs at us and we’d tell our Moms on them. One boy, who shall remain nameless, used to tell me that if I ate more than 3 Cadbury creme eggs, I’d turn into a rabbit and could never revert back to human form.  Ugh! Boys!

Anyway, I’m about to head off the church for Easter service but hope you’re having a fantastic Easter Sunday. Isn’t this pic below absolutely hilarious…like the largest Cadbury creme egg ever.

This is a predominantly picture post, and thought you’d enjoy some pictures of Brooklyn and downtown NYC. I love the Union Square area, even though it’s become hugely commercial, even more so than when I was an NYU student. It’s super crowded, but the area is quite alive and vibrant.
So…here are some Brooklyn shots.

14th/6th Ave in downtown Manhattan. Random pic, but just love this shot.

Just in case, Trader Joe’s is too crowded.

Fifth Ave

It started snowing on New Year’s Eve as I approached the Union Square Farmers’ Market.

They have the best apples. Seriously.

And my former dorm, Carlyle Hall.

And right next door is Coffee Shop and this Juice Bar where you can grab some green juice to feel healthy though the juice may look like green sludge. It’s Good for YOU! I talked to Juan, a 7 year veteran, of the juice bar, and there were several European tourists behind me who were like, “What is she doing with this contraption taping this poor guy?”

And check out this Obama t-shirt.

As I sit in my friend’s apartment on New Year’s Eve, television blaring, and people filling up the apartment, I’m kind of in shock at the past year’s events. Election of Barack Obama as the nation’s first African-American President, the Economic downturn, the Dip in the Financial Markets, Housing Crisis, and the Madoff Scandal. It almost seems as though things couldn’t be more depressing or negative, right?

Yes and no. Yes, because you only need to turn on CNBC or MSNBC to see the latest stock market dips or stories about families that have lost their savings, but what do people do in times of strife and struggle? Well, you either give up or develop this thing called RESILIENCE.
What is resilience? Merriam-Webster.com says that, “Resilience is an ability to recover from or adjust easily to misfortune or change.”

So do it. Invest in yourself. Here are a few helpful tips:

Find your Talent/Passion. Maybe you’re an excellent cook and have always wanted to cook for a living, but weren’t sure how. Start small, maybe start writing a food blog and create a following. The best thing about the Internet is that you can start a blog for free, or upload videos to youtube. People can hear what you have to say, and you don’t have to ask for approval from a “suit” to do so.

Stay Positive. I’ve always admired resilient people who have positive ways of dealing with every situation. Whenever I feel myself becoming too negative, I have to take a step back and say, “Okay, what do you have to be thankful for?” Life is weird and takes you on these odd twists and turns that you can’t control. So just fasten your seat belt and put on a smile. At least those are free.

The Best Things in Life are Free. Okay, yeah, I know this is a lyric to a song with words like, “I Want Money. That’s What I Want.” Well, duh, that’s what we all want. But I’ve known/met lots of people throughout my life who have full bank accounts and empty lives, which is when I saw firsthand that money doesn’t buy happiness. It does buy a lot of cool shit, but it won’t buy you love, kindness, generosity, humility or joy. These things are completely free, and every single person on this earth is capable of having them.

Change What You’re Not Satisfied With. Have you been neglecting your “Me” time? Do you find yourself exhausted at the end of the week, wondering, “What am I supposed to be doing with my life?” This is actually really difficult, but just start on that path to figuring out where the next step should be for you, professionally or personally. The quicker you do this, the sooner you’ll be on that path.

Take a Risk. When I first started on my path as an actress and writer, I had no support from anyone and would question my sanity on a daily basis. All I had was my inner voice that told me, “Um… this is your dream, so do it.” So, while my friends took jobs in Finance, I waitressed, worked temp jobs, got an agent, did short films, and tried to say sane. Was it really hard? Yes. Was I broke and struggling? Hell yeah.
Do I regret it? Never.

I think 2009 will be a year of change for many, hopefully it will be a change for a more positive light for this country and world. Whether you’re laid off or not, we’re all going to be in the same boat, so I suggest that you keep your head up, stay positive, and focus on what you have to do. Keep Hustin’

Oh yeah. SHOUT-OUT TO MARK CHARRAN… WE FINISHED THE ENTIRE FIRST DRAFT OF OUR FEATURE PROJECT!!! We still have a couple of edits to do, but it really felt kick-ass to finish!!!

I absolutely love Christmas even though I’m not a kid anymore. I’m talking about loving all the decorations, lights, Christmas pastries, how Starbucks puts the Christmas decorations up around Halloween, and even all the cheesy holiday movies. And of course, one of those movies being “A Christmas Story,” which continues to crack me up everytime I watch it. They started the “A Christmas Story,” 24 hour marathon last night on TBS, and my mother and I were dying laughing especially at all of Ralphie’s expressions. Poor kid. How scary is that Mall Santa Claus and his devilish elves? Ew. Gross.

Here was my top Toy List when I was a kid:
1) Those babies that you had to take care of, feed, change its diaper. Um. I have no idea why I wanted this.
2) Barbie and Ken. They had to come in a pair because otherwise Barbie would be lonely without her man.
3) All things Rainbow Brite- Now, you might’ve thought that I had a Hello Kitty obsession, but not true. I loved Rainbow Brite and would watch these cartoons religiously.
4) Any form of gummy candy- This had to be put in my stocking and was an essential part of my Christmas wish. Usually this meant that my Mom and I would go to “Sweet factory,” at the mall where I’d promptly fill up my plastic bag and then once I brought it home, it would go straight into my stocking. Love it.
5) Clothing. I still love clothes/style to this day. Even when I was a kid, I loved to put outfits together and try to look different than everyone else whether I was rocking out MC hammer pants or acid-washed jeans. I have no comment on that last item.

Here’s the original 1983 trailer for “A Christmas Story,” and here’s a quote from my mom regarding that last scene at the Chinese restaurant.

“It’s Fa LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA. I roll my L’s. We don’t all pronounce it like that.” - My MOM
WORD.

I’m about to get ready for Christmas service at church, so Peace out!

I was at the Beverly Center with a friend and saw Hunky Santa, rocking it out. So I took a pic from afar.
haha… As you can tell, Santa did not sneak any cookies this year.

Here’s the Official Hunky Santa Poster