I try my best to make every day worth it, even at times I feel like I don't want to or just keep muttering to myself on how things seem to fare for the worse. The most challenging part is providing the optimism within when there are times of doubt and impossibility. I have openly admitted on my Twitter that I have been disappointed because I still can't reach that goal in finding a better job. I was hoping I'd find something towards the middle to late part of this year but it hasn't happened yet. Most of the failure that does stem from me is my lack thereof in looking for job leads. I've been putting most of my time and body on the line to my present job thus putting aside my interests and wants. It's been tough. I've been complaining and showing other signs of frustration which is so unlike me. And at times, I feel like I want out. Man am I becoming my own bad version of Dwight Howard who demanded a trade changes during the NBA offseason? And that's when I wanna stop. I do not want to let my bad self take over. I can look up to the A side of life when its going B right now. Its best to rely on my faith and let time steer the course on whats next for me. So now I've come full circle and shift myself to keep enjoying each day like I always do. Perhaps I should borrow The Lion King's motto 'Hakuna Matata' which translates to 'No Worries.' I know things will be okay :)
I'm here on assignment. I just drove the work crew to their destination. They have a lot of stories to tell that can go on forever. Its good to hear different perspectives. Comparing their experiences to mine's, my life is probably less interesting (lol). Just kidding. If it was, I wouldn't be blogging.
This latest dance craze hitting the world and B96 FM in Chicago is already playing the song in heavy rotation. Love it! PSY is --- awesome!
It has been crazy the last few days. My '01 Honda Civic EX finally gave out on me after 2 major costly repairs in the last year alone. At 117,522 miles, it ends here for our adventures together and it is with profound sadness that she's likely headed to the nearest junkyard to be dissected and sold as parts (as a way to still live vicariously inside someone's 2001 or 2002 Civic) ... Holding my emotions back, I look forward to the future with my newly purchased metallic-silver colored 2012 Nissan Sentra 2.0 S (pictured above the Civic in this photograph), which will carry on the duties that the Civic has given to me all these years. She's performing well so far and I'm grateful to have her in my life. Like my Civic, I hope to take care of her BUT I promise this time, no more long out-of-state trips. My Civic and the car before that (the 1992 Ford Escort) have both suffered transmission problems and have driven to different states on a couple of occasions. If me and Rizz move to FL next year, the Sentra will in fact be transported there ... And so the great Civic passes the 'driving buddy' torch now to the Nissan Sentra who will now be helmed by yours truly here.
Credit to the original photographer as well as the person who posted this on Tumblr.
RIP Neil Armstrong - the first US Astronaut to walk the moon, in 1969. His feat will be forever remembered in NASA history, and space exploration as a whole. Truly an American hero and an important icon in our culture.
During a recent retail inventory, I was partnered with a young Chinese lady named Eunice who works as a sales associate at the nearest Bath and Body Works...She will be going back to school in Champaign for her sophomore year. She was born with a hole in her heart, had operations and is living through a pacemaker device. I feel so sorry for what she experienced in regards to her condition but its good to know that she's been continually blessed. I thank God for giving me the chance to meet individuals like her. It comes to show that we must make the most out of life while its there and not take anything for granted. I am very honored to have teamed up with her as well as giving the utmost respect. We had fun in this assignment. She seemed to be very friendly expressing a lot of enthusiasm and was most certainly a joy to have worked with :)
A HUGE CONGRATS to my SFC (Singles For Christ) brother, Cromwell E. on finally making it to the United States Navy after successfully completing boot camp in Great Lakes, Ilinois. May God continue blessing him on his budding Navy career. What's next for him is submarine school in Connecticut.
Courtesy of my You Tube channel - Jonnyroobs TV, here's vintage footage of Crom singing and playing a guitar, taken back in 2010.
My post on the Orlando Magic Facebook page:
We've all seen changes happening in the weeks already. And for us, we're still dealing with the loss of Dwight Howard who decided to find greener pastures and his version of happiness elsewhere. But I think it's time for us to move on as the Magic Nation with what we have in front of us and it is this latest version of the Orlando Magic. Many of us are already basing negative judgment or reactions on the latest acquisitions (because they are not too well-known) and some names still remaining in the squad from last season. But we haven't even seen them mesh or gel yet, especially with a new coach. Who knows what kind of season they'll be facing because it's still too early to tell what they can do. Most certainly they are no big-names but clearly what's the emphasis here is teamwork and skills (and experience). And that's what win championships. True fans have allegiance to Magic Nation. And they'll go through any challenges that the team and management faces. I like the template that Hennigan is working on and that's to rebuild. He's a good guy. Hang on Magic Nation. Keep believing!!! Don't hold out hope just because we don't have big names acquired :)
I feel happy for Dwight Howard. If I were in that same similar situation to go for another opportunity elsewhere, I'd be excited, too. He finally got his wish to leave the city of Orlando and their team - the Magic. After months of questions and speculation from the media as to where he will go, the destination wounded up to be Los Angeles and their team - the Lakers. I respect Dwight, but not as much like before. Had he handled his free agency business properly as well as saying his own remarks carefully (especially when he mentioned about his 'supposed' loyalty for the Magic -- remember that?), maybe I would respect him to the highest, like 100%. Dwight going to the Lakers is a great business deal in sports, especially for his former team - the Magic as well as other teams that made this trade happen. However, as an Orlando Magic fan, I think this team got the short end of the stick. We had no big-name stars coming from this and I'm sorely disappointed like any Magic fan out there. GM Rob Hennigan didn't do a good job delivering one awesome superstar in the now. But maybe I'm judging too early as the season hasn't started yet. Perhaps these unknowns can really play ball like to the level of (let's say) the Indiana Pacers, who almost knocked the Heat out of the East Conference playoffs last season. At least the Magic have finally moved on from this - but haven't learned from the Shaq situation from years ago. If this persists, then perhaps Orlando needs to be under new management and get someone who knows the organization so well (like, uhm, Shaq!). He'd be a great consultant to the team and I'm happy he's still a resident in the Orlando area ... Going back to Dwight, I wish him the best and I hope he continues to be happy. I'm a Dwight Howard fan so I am keeping the Orlando Magic jersey (like I did with Shaq's years ago).
Some haters out there are so crazy enough to make a big deal out of Olympian gymnast and recent gold medal winner, Gabby Douglas's hair....Get over it, people and move on to another subject..There's straight up ignorant and racists folks out there on Twitter that created this stupid topic in the first place. They got nothing else better to do than rant and complain...Much love to Gabby Douglas!! She's amazing!
And so it is indeed the end of the Christopher Nolan Batman trilogy as we know it. The story of billionaire Bruce Wayne and his caped-crusader alter-ego was brilliantly told in such a realistic way and approach never done before in the modern Batman movies (from the years 1989 to 1997. It's gritty, violent and psychological - none of that campy, circus, colorful nonsense. Each Nolan-directed Batman movie has a certain theme and tone applied and he did it so well in terms of execution to what is seen on screen through the subtlety as well as the noise, the deeper story/plot and its roots involving the characters, and lastly the technological elements which fittingly goes well with Batman's use of gadgets and vehicles. Christian Bale is believable as Bruce Wayne from beginning to end in this arc. Though the raspy voice may be somewhat 'off' to some, it's awesomely perfect especially being that of the Batman. The rest of the supporting cast are superb with their respective roles in this latest installment, especially Anne Hathaway as the sexy Selina Kyle. And as for Nolan's version of Bane, whoa, that dude should rank next to Darth Vader for best villain ever on cinema.
Now as for the ending, it was justified, appropriate and done right told well in the Nolan fashion. Many of us probably didn't expected it to go that route as we yearned for a different ending - but I am most certainly OK with this one giving my seal of approval. While it brings closure, it also gives way for a new beginning signaling a new promise of hope for Gotham and its citizens. In all of the Batman movies from years past, there never was a fitting ending - more like, incomplete really.
I can still envision Bale's Batman saying 'SWEAR TO ME!' That rocks.
A dear friend has passed away last Saturday. And he lived life to the fullest retaining the charm of always being young-at-heart. I enjoyed every moment spent with "Lolo" James from our days working at the job TO an evening of karaoke in which he sung his heart out TO eating filipino food at someone's home for a quick lunch. Plus he drove wild as heck, too, in his Hyundai Tiburon. Ha ha. But he's taught me some good pointers about life especially dealing with relationships and people, in general. Most importantly, he wanted for me to be myself. I will definitely miss him but now is his time to be with God. He truly deserves every shining moment in the heavens above. See you when I get there one day, "Lolo." Much love!
My brother Jeffrey's got skills! Here's his latest pencil drawing illustration of actor Samuel L. Jackson as S.H.I.E.L.D.'s general, Nick Fury (from Marvel's The Avengers). Jeff was able to incorporate Sam's trademark smile into the drawing. The detail is absolutely stunning! I look forward to more of his drawings in the times to come!
It feels odd and weird sporting the #12 Dwight Howard Orlando Magic jersey again, especially on the heels of a bitter, soured relationship between that of the Magic organization and its star player who's been wanting out lately (and preferring to go to Brooklyn this time around). Dwight Howard no longer has the heart to wear the Magic colors anymore while I don it proudly for a different reason: to remember the Dwight of old for who he really was and what he stood for - a humble athlete who loved life to the fullest, the team (Magic), the city (Orlando) and the throngs of fans just as much as he had passion for the sport of basketball. Those were the great years (from 2004-2009). I was privileged enough to see some games for myself during my residence in O-Town (Orlando) seeing Dwight and company do their thing on the court showing to the home crowd what they're made of against their opponents. Unfortunately, this'll be the last image of Dwight being that teammate. It definitely pales in comparison to what he has become lately: a self-centered diva. This all started when the Magic lost to the Lakers in the 2009 NBA Finals. Dwight sat down for a few moments alone with teammate/ draftmate, Jameer Nelson, as they looked at Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers celebrate their Finals' win on the Magic's home court. Spoiled by the Magic's shortcomings of not winning the 'ship (championship), Dwight personally wanted to make changes to the organization and the Magic were nice enough to do so. But as the players' performance in the team start to dwindle as well as the coaching techniques by then-head coach Stan Van Gundy, so did Dwight's attitude. It just gotten worse over the course of a few months up to a year and even beyond that ... And this is where I stand right now, with this Dwight Howard jersey on - in a very hot summer day in which it is 97 degree temperature outside. As I said, it feels weird and odd wearing it now. It feels like I'm Hester Prynne from the book 'The Scarlet Letter' wearing the 'A' letter of shame (which stood for adultery) and being ridiculed by the public. But that's so non-related to Howard's situation itself because he never did commit adultery, just a big big mouth really filled with confusion and more questions to be raised. It's just the attention that he's been stirring have already made this Orlando Magic jersey a prime target for naysayers, haters and such. I didn't do all to well in the basketball court today probably not just for my lack of sleep (because of working late night) but maybe - just maybe it was also from wearing that Dwight Howard jersey. In a way, it's psychological. Imagine being a fan and seeing all that's going on - and I was one of many that once believed this athlete who I thought really loved Orlando from the get-go but later founding out the truth the hard way. Even worse was when he mentioned about loyalty, yet he didn't know the real meaning behind that, especially on us Magic fans. We were all misled thinking he would've really loved Orlando but it seemed he never did. He was one of a plethora of reasons why I want to go move back and live there next year. Who wouldn't wanna watch him every game, right? Going back to my day of hoops, I managed to get 101-pts in 50 minutes which wasn't bad, but man - my mind was playing on me sometimes because of the fact I'm still wearing this jersey and the man himself don't wanna sport these colors anymore. He wants to move on. And I will, too. I've decided to semi-retire the jersey from being worn in the general public (wearing an Orlando Magic athletic dry-fit shirt over it) and instead, wear it to the basketball court sweating the heck out of it the way the Dwight-of-old has done every game night. I do have an alternate Magic jersey in my closet, too. It's my very own customized black-colored Adidas swingman Magic jersey in which I go with the number 74 (since 1974 is my birth year) and my alter-ego/alias 'Jonnyroobs.' I don't see myself going anywhere from the Magic anytime soon or even making persistent complaints of going somewhere else via trade. LOL. I'm a Magic fan for life, and will always appreciate what Dwight Howard stood for in that organization and city during those golden years. I did the same for Shaquille O'Neal a few years later proudly wearing the old-school #32 Magic jersey in the public eye and on the basketball court. He looks back on Orlando in a positive light and hopefully Dwight will, too, one day, if he ever plans on doing so post-NBA career ... Go, Magic! Next stop for me next year: Amway Center. I enjoyed those memories at Amway Arena, especially getting that ball cap on Fan Night (pictured with the Dwight Howard jerseys).
A Happy 4th of July (Independence Day) to ALL in the USA, including its citizens and the brave men & women in the military who are abroad...We are blessed to commemorate our nation's independence through patriotic colors of red, white and blue as well as seeing a fireworks show in the evening. No matter where one is in the USA (in the metro big city area or the small towns/ farmlands), we join each other in unity to celebrate our nation's independence in its wholesomeness. God bless America and to the nations around the world that it supports.
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The Dwight Howard flip-flopping soap opera continues on. Last we heard, he had 'loyalty' to his team (The Orlando Magic) changing his mind the last minute of being traded. Fast forward a few months later, he's rehabbing from a back injury and staying in Los Angeles to recuperate. Since then, he hasn't returned to Orlando and is communicating less with the Magic organization (especially since the firings of Van Gundy, Otis Smith and Adonal Foyle within management). Dwight wants out and prefers to play for the Brooklyn Nets alongside friend Deron Williams. Enter Rob Hennigan, the new general manager who talked with Howard last Friday. He has no intentions of trading Dwight that easily. There has to be a good bargain achieved first in which the Magic can get a good set of players from another organization in exchange for their big center. Howard accused the Magic organization of blackmailing him into signing the opt-in clause. (Note: As of 7/2, Yahoo Sports reports that Howard denies using the term 'blackmailing')
From my personal standpoint, it's gotten really ugly. As a fan of the Magic or Howard for that matter, I don't like it. Dwight Howard, who was once revered and loved by a city and Magic fans alike - will undoubtedly become their worst enemy. This'll be probably as equal or is gonna be beyond as worst just like what LeBron James did to the city of Cleveland and the Cavs fans (when he announced to the world he'll be taking his talents to South Beach, not even acknowledging/thanking Cavs fans and Cleveland). Had it not been for the Magic's big loss against the Lakers in the 2009 NBA Finals, maybe things would not have happened this way. Unfortunately, it is happening right now beyond crazy. Dwight should've approached everything correctly right from the get-go being honest with everyone including those that looked up to him (myself included) who bought his #12 jersey and Adidas sneakers. I've lost trust and even perhaps my respect for Dwight for what he's done. He's misled the Magic organization, the fans, and the city of Orlando. He thinks he's Superman. Looks like he just never was as we've come to really find out. He socked that gimmick to us really good. But in reality, he's just a man-child who just can't seem to get a grasp on how the logistics of free agency really works in the real world. We loved him for being a humble, talented b-baller who was so infectiously happy on the court laughing pulling some pranks and being the man-child he is, but it seems that we're now so fed up with his 'man-childness' consisting of 'I want this' or 'I don't want this' sounding sobbingly or acting depressed, what have you, etc. He is spoiled. He is self-centered. He craves attention. But there's always a chance of redemption. Hopefully along the way, he can find it in himself to handle things appropriately (with all the time that's left) and to make an easy transition to another team via free agency without the heavy baggage of controversy that he created in the first place.
The 2011-2012 season was a season of mediocrity for Dwight Howard. The soap opera flourished, the chemistry/loyalty with his teammates questioned and his hunger on the court stifled with bad games right to the end with the back injury.
Now it leads me to this next question: So what will happen to the #12 Magic (Howard) jerseys I have now that's hanging in my closet?
Most likely, I will keep it rather than burn it in the bonfire with all the Magic fans that would so hate him right now. But I say it again: I'll keep it. Yeahhh, that's how much I still like the man...err..kinda...sorta (although he probably would less likely care anyways for his fans at this juncture). Maybe he'll get appreciation one day once he calls it quits and possibly get that love back to Orlando. I have done the same for Shaquille O'Neal tolerating what he did with the Magic in years' past, but later having that respect of his great stellar NBA career in which he joined 5 teams in total. And Shaq still loves the Magic, too, even residing in O-Town for all these years.
Wow this segment itself is gonna play a huge role in my transitioning to Orlando for next year. As Dwight Howard wants OUT of Orlando right, I want IN for a return to live there. Most likely, I may not even see him playing with the Magic ever again, this time rooting against him than for him. I can see it now into the future - all the Magic fans booing and hurling insults right at him. I can't blame 'em for being that way. They loved him religiously. They followed him vigorously. They campaigned heavily for him to stay. But all of this certainly wasn't enough for him to really love Orlando and hang in there. Dwight made it more of a sensitive issue that is seemingly uncomfortable and downright nauseous. It wasn't just about free agency. It was crazy drama that added fuel to the fire. I stand solid with the Magic and will remain supportive of their decision on what's best for their interest and betterment for the organization.
New GM Rob Hennigan said it best: "We are looking for players who love basketball and are committed to building something greater than themselves."
They will find just that :)
And I look forward to buying tickets to games in the Amway Center and rooting on my favorite team - The Orlando Magic - once the move to Orlando is complete.
A picture of myself (in the red Blackhawks t-shirt), Rizz, and her relatives at Cloud Gate in Millennium Park. [Taken on 5/30/2012]
The music world lost its disco queen today. Donna Summer, 63, lost her battle to lung cancer. She is known for her hits "Bad Girls", "On The Radio", "Hot Stuff", "Love To Love You Baby", "Last Dance" and "She Works Hard for the Money." Her influence to generations in the music business remains as strong as ever ... I enjoyed listening to the 'Bad Girls' album in 1979 when I was just 5 years old living in South Korea (when my father was stationed there). I will have to look for the 'Crayons' album in which she released a few years ago. I listened to it before and I was amazed how well she sounded vocally with today's music style. That is most certainly going to be in my iPod as a playlist ... Rest In Peace, Donna Summer.
Me and Rizz just saw this romantic drama today at the Cinemark Tinseltown USA movie theater in North Aurora. Big budget movies are put aside for this weekend and I opted for Rizz's pick: THE LUCKY ONE. It was that good! Brilliant storytelling delivered once again by author/ screenwriter Nicholas Sparks who brought us THE NOTEBOOK, THE LAST SONG, and DEAR JOHN. Zac Efron portrays his on-screen character well and is in stark contrast to the many roles he had in movie career. Seems to show he's coming of age and possibly heading into the direction like Leonardo DiCaprio had. Taylor Schilling is also impressive and both her and Efron have great on-screen chemistry together. I don't wanna give away most of the plot here so I'll let this movie trailer do the rest. The movie is wonderfully written and I highly recommend it to anyone, including couples. It'll definitely make you fall in love more with your significant other. And for the singles out there, someone will come around and make a huge difference in your life. It's just a matter of time. Everyone deserves someone special and fate will draw two together :)
A photo that I wanted to share with all of you. The snapshot was taken by her cousin Ren-Ren on her iPhone. I decided to tweak it out a bit with some effects on the computer - and came out with this! I think it's a brilliant work of art. By the way, the pet bird's name is Francisca and she's valued in the pet store at $400+. Rizz loved the way Francisca handled her eyebrows with care.
The GAP-brand hoodie has always been a fashion tradition for this trendy clothing company. I respect them for retaining its look for the many years its been out. However, I realized something is different now from when I first worn my own GAP hoodie back in the late 1990s. The garment isn't as thick as a standard fleece anymore. Feels more like a sweater instead. Hopefully one day, they'll bring it back.
Pictured below is myself in that GAP hoodie taken back in 2005 at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront.
I got into my first vehicle accident since 1994. But it's a different scenario compared to the time when I was just a 2nd year college student in Norfolk, VA heading home from school and later getting my mom's red '85 Dodge Omni spun in the traffic intersection (because of someone's negligence of failing to stop at a stop light). Enter 2012 at 3:15PM on an April 25th, Thursday. I'm now a company driver operating a company vehicle which is a '08 Toyota Sienna. I was with a crew of 3 (which included myself). We were at a red light on the intersection of River St & New York St in the heart of downtown Aurora, IL. Everything seemed okay for the first 20 seconds as we all had a conversation going on in the van - until a lady in her '06 Buick Lucerne rear-ended us from behind. First, I was wondering what kind of damage the van had and second, to see if the lady herself was okay from the impact. So we both had to park awkwardly to the right of New York St (as pictured above) before the local police would arrive. It turns out that there was no significant damage (to the vehicles) or injury of any kind to both parties. However, through company policies and procedures (because after all - we were in a company vehicle), the accident must still be reported. I'm relieved that everyone is okay.
This is the BEFORE photo. As you can see here, the Hayame XT5 exhaust muffler and the rusted pipe are separated.
This is the AFTER photo. As you can see here, a standard OEM muffler replaces the Hayame XT5 and that the rusted pipe is removed.
"Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." - Matthew 6:34
Guest Blog by E.B., Northern Virginia
2nd Degree murder charges is pretty typical on cases like this. Once the court date starts we will see the actual evidence. One thing for sure is the the special prosecutor could not charge him on 1st degree is because the evidence proves he did not just run up to Trayvon and shoot him as the media and his parents have been claiming. Now the prosecutor has to prove Zimmerman killed Trayvon without good reason, such as his defense will be selfdefense in a life threatening situation. Now the burden is all on the special prosecutor to prove that Zimmerman's life was not in danger as Zimmerman claims and evidence leans towards so far. One thing is for sure, the special prosecutor would have not taken this case if it wasn't for so much media that has so far been very misleading. This is a dog and pony show. If they were truly for equality for all, where are the marches for the racial attack on the Baltimore man a few weeks ago who was beaten, robbed and stripped of his cloths by a group of blacks. Of the white child who was burned alive by the two black teens who hurled racial slurs at the child. It all happened around the same time as this shooting happened yet no one knows about it.
http://newsone.com/2001628/black-baltimore-men-caught-on-tape-beating-white-man-worldstarhiphop/
Read the comments by many blacks as they claim this white man is to make up for the sins of all white men. Who says black folk are not racist? Many blacks claim this... that they can't be racist or be found guilty of it even if they are. Sad. Many black are confused the reaction and comments of so many other blacks as they are starting to turn into the thing they hate the most. Racists.
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=f4c_1332714892&comments=1
The media has a thing to point out victims who are black but if they are white they say nothing. Yet if the criminal is anything other then black they point it out. Look how hard they tried to convince us for 4 weeks the Zimmerman was caucasian. They even printed in a few major stories he was a white racist then when it came out he was all along a hispanic. Then they covered their tracks with "white-hispanic". Please... they are making up words to show white this and white that... when will they ever address our president as white-african American? They won't... even though he is 50% white. Again, media race bating. No word from the NAACP on those two cases and calls for justice.
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