My life based on different perspectives ...

To those in the world and society I used to be involved with in the past -

I AM DEAD.

To my family and my closest faithfuls -

I AM STILL LIVING.

To those that are beginning to know me more as a person I choose to become -

I AM BORN (AGAIN).

Elvis & Celine Dion in "American Idol - Idol Gives Back" segment

I saw this portion of "American Idol - Idol Gives Back" last night while I was flipping channels. I know there's some behind-the-scenes CGI technology and camera tricks regarding this, but I thought to myself that it's great television magic with Celine Dion singing alongside "The King," Elvis Presley with the song,"If I Can Dream." I found it cool. Hope you will, too.

Learning life from my best friend's late cousin ...

What you see in the above video clip is a young filipino man strumming his guitar to the tune of "All My Life" (a song made famous by JoJo and K-Ci) and he uploaded that footage himself on his MySpace page. Sadly, he was my best friend's cousin who recently passed away last weekend from a major car accident in Virginia Beach. His life may be taken away but he profounded greatly those that were around him - and (at the funeral) even to those who didn't had the chance to know him well (in which one of them is me). Speakers on the podium spoke well of him at the mass and their own personal testimonies made me know him more as a person. And people in attendance were ranging from relatives, friends, fellow classmates, and even teachers. He stood out with an infectious smile and made the most out of his life appreciating every moment of it right to the very end. The man was gifted, talented and had so much going for him. As he lived, he stressed the importance of being close to family - and it showed so significantly during the aftermath of his passing. In conclusion to it all, the lesson from all this is to appreciate life to the fullest, put forth your very best in what you do, and love those you hold dear for we may never know when that last day to live is going to happen. My friend's cousin truly exemplified the greatness of life :)

On a side note, I looked at his profile page and noticed some real cool stuff. He labeled his occupation as: "Being Considerate of OtherS :D" and one of the people he'd love to meet one day is GOD.

Video Blog #4: "The current mind state of society ..."

[Disclaimer: This video is no way shape or form affliated/associated with JONNYROOBS.NET or JOHNERICK'S "ALL-BLOG" PAGE and is only a direct link from YouTube.com. If anyone cares to comment regarding his video blog, please do so by registering and creating an account for yourself to YouTube.com.]

I was compelled with this gentleman's presentation (after he watched Cho Seung-Hui's disturbing video) and I thought it can raise an eyebrow or two regarding the current mind state of the society we live in and the lifestyle we are accustomed to. And should we be to blame too as a society for what happened in the latest VT Univerity tragedy and could Cho's actions have been prevented? The man says it all right here as I make him Video Blog #4 on my "ALL-BLOG" page. The power of the free speech is prevalent always and I give him the open floor to what he wants to say.

What is my own opinion, you may ask? All I can say is that we need to get to the root of the problem as a society and make sure those who are facing a mental crisis (like Cho Seung-Hui) will get the help they really need instead of randomly taking more lives in the process. Let's hope that nothing like this happens again. I do agree that we must make improvements in the society we live in.

Hope and Faith ... Virginia Tech.

Yesterday afternoon, I had the opportunity to browse the internet from my laptop. A tear or two came down from my eyes as I found out who were among the dead. It hurts so much. Many of them were from different cultures and backgrounds. And the nation (as well as the world) mourned as a whole. Through the grieving process we are going through right now, we yearn for hope and faith to mend our broken, fragile hearts. And I decided to do a piece that I found inspiring. I put the Virginia Tech logo and Rocky Balboa's silhouetted image embedded with the words "hope" and "faith." I know we can all get through this day to day. It takes one step at a time. We will.

Prayers & Sympathies For the Victims in the VA Tech shooting ...

Man, I'm hurt - emotionally on this. This violent shooting rampage done by one or two persons should have never happened at all. Those caught in the crossfire weren't supposed to die today. They were there to be educated in a prestigious university and become somebody for a good future. This is so messed up and hearing more about it just breaks my heart.

My heartfelt prayers & sympathies go out to the victims (as well as their families respectively) who were caught in the crossfire during a shooting at the VA Tech campus today ... May God bless them all during this difficult time.

The Lord is my Shepherd - Psalm 23

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.S urely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

Robinson remembered

Jackie Robinson and his legendary number of 42 will forever be a part of American history, not just baseball history. He broke the color barrier 60 years ago (April 15, 1947) in Major League Baseball as he played for the Brooklyn Dodgers (now based in Los Angeles) on the famous grounds of Ebbets Field and several stadiums across the nation. Robinson went through every ups and downs, especially receiving the negativity from that of the general public. But that didn't deter him from doing what he did best and having passion for the sport. He had great showmanship and exemplified himself as a wonderful human being. He also made memorable plays that remains immortal to this very day in the archives of MLB history. Even though Jackie Robinson passed away 35 years ago, his legacy still lives on among the greats (those in the past and the ones playing baseball today) and those he touched, including his own teammates, his wife Rachel, his children, and grandchildren. There is even a foundation named after him that helps inner city children achieve their dreams. The man is phenomenal. And his enduring spirit lives within us, even in a challenging and complex world we still live in. Robinson is simply without a doubt - an American icon and hero.