High gas prices

Those greedy oil tycoons and even the heads in the high authority of our wonderful nation will never understand the burdens of us everyday average people...no matter where we live, we all suffer. I used to live in Orlando, now I live in Chicago. It's the same thing everywhere. Prices expensive no matter where you are....AND already, we're struggling to keep everything together on everything else in this present economy.

Jaycee Badeaux of IDOL

SOOOOO...I'm an American Idol fan this season, go figure. LOL. Show's getting better. The focus are no longer on the crazy antics of the once-judges, Paula Abdul and Simon Cowell. It's better with Steven Tyler and J-Lo this time teaming up with Randy Jackson for Season 10.

The last few episodes, he was treated unfairly..I hated how a particular contestant (some dude in glasses now in the top 12 of guys) singled him out of the group in a group contest of IDOL. Jaycee was going through a lot of emotions and of course, it'd be hard for him to focus. I want him to be a wild card, definitely. The guy's got soul and a voice, rarely heard in music in such a long time. And for a kid his age - he's got it! To be honest with you, folks - and I know I'm gonna get some hate on this BUT, I think that maybe 2 or 3 of those guys that made it to the top 12 are not that any good...who knows, perhaps Jaycee doesn't need IDOL in this next round. A record company can be calling for him anytime. He'd be terrific on the gospel/christian sector... I salute you, Jaycee for being yourself out of that crowd and getting respect although the results weren't in your favor. Come back strong. Hope to see you in the limelight one day. You deserve your chance...I'll be rooting for mostly the ladies in this season of IDOL. They have the best talent over the guys right now (because I think they only have like 9 good ones out of the 12).

Random Thought For Today (2/18/11)

After looking at Green Day's '97 music video for "Good Riddance" (The Time Of Your Life), doesn't it make you think about where you are now in your life? Looks that way to me. Makes me wanna stare straight for a minute or a few seconds like what's happening to the individuals shown there.

Dwight Howard

He's a great personality on-and-off the court. You gotta love the guy for who he is. He's a clean-cut role model for all that smiles and laughs a lot with his teammates and even his opponents. Sure, he's been the target lately for committing a lot of technical fouls (but not like the way Rasheed Wallace does..lol) and trade rumors, but nothing sways Dwight Howard. His eyes are on the prize and that's winning the NBA championship with his team - The Orlando Magic. I can't wait to see Superman do his thing again in a future game to see when I visit Orlando and the Magic's new place - The Amway Center. I'm sure he'll be around for a while. I feel optimistic for as long as the Magic management are committed to building a strong unit with Dwight. Go Magic! Go Superman! You're my favorite!

Florida Blog Flashback: 'Watching My First Magic Game at the O-rena'

April 9,2008 ORLANDO, FL - "From the view you see here in this digital photograph (taken from my cell phone's camera), this is what $38.00 could bring you. That's how much a co-worker/friend paid for my ticket. It was very nice of him to have one of my dreams come true: to watch a live Orlando Magic basketball game at the O-rena (a/k/a Amway Arena). Originally, I was planning to save up some of my money to watch some home games for the next season ... Describing the picture itself, this was before the start of the game between the Magic (led by 2008 Slam Dunk Champion - Dwight Howard) and the Bulls (which featured Florida Univ alum - Joakim Noah). All the players were on-hand doing their usual warm-ups and stretches. The experience itself was awesome as it was the first time in a long time that I've seen an NBA game live. The last moment was an NBA exhibition game in Norfolk, VA when Hampton native Allen Iverson and the 76ers faced Norfolk native Joe Smith and the Golden State Warriors in 1998 ... The game itself was a thrill! I finally get to see several three pointers, slam dunks, and off-balance layups happen right before my very eyes without the use of a high def television. The Magic started off slowly in the first quarter and then later gained a sizeable lead as the game was drawing to a close. Final score 115-83."

Thank goodness for Facebook!

Everyone that knows me up close and personal - definitely can tell how much I love 'facebooking.' Its a great online hobby to some, like in my situation. For others that aren't into the social networking hype altogether, it may be considered as a waste of time. I was actually one of hundreds, maybe millions of users that were once addicted to the MySpace hype a few years back. But I did mine's for a valid reason, not just because a waitress/server from Hooters suggested me and the fellas (my friends Ray & Jim) to go on there. My purpose and aim was clear: to find old friends from the past as well as connecting with family and relatives that I never knew I've had. At first, everything seemed so weird because of my familiarity and proficiency with MySpace. But then as time went on, I got so used to it. I was able to post anything and everything that crossed my mind from random thoughts to pictures to my home videos and YouTube JAM OF THE DAY segments. All my friends/family there bought into the hype that I was putting on my profile. The success continues to this very day as I am manifesting from one friend to another. Make that 323 I have as of right now. The numbers could dwindle. It may go up. It may go down. But there's always room to forge a friendship with anyone at any given time. And as all of that is happening, the end-result is that this blog page has remained stationary over a course of time. There isn't that much activity going on here and I failed on my promise to hype up Jonnyroobs Central furthermore. So, it looks like I will do what I can (but it can't be a guarantee) to balance my time between blogging, tweeting, and facebooking. That sure is a lot of internet activity, isn't it? If done right, it'll allot time to do other things than just being on the computer. I can concentrate more on my offline life. Anyways, I shall get going out of this blog post and check out my Facebook posts now. Catch you all later!

First epic blizzard storm of 2011 lives up to the hype!

Sure was a big one last night! ... I was able to document some of this event on my YouTube channel filming video bits 1,2 and 3 out on my apartment's balcony. The conditions didn't seem to be as worse where we are in Aurora, IL (as many residents preferred to stay indoors when the blizzard ushered it's way through from the late afternoon to the late evening hours). However, it's a different story in Downtown Chicago. They had it bad. Several cars had to be abandoned on the famous Lake Shore Drive. Pieces of Wrigley Field's roof went down. Pedestrians were swept by 50+ mph winds. There was even a thunder and lightning show included. Feels like something out of movie, huh - say, uh - 'The Day After Tomorrow.' But it wasn't nothing of catastrophic proportions, thank goodness. Lives were spared (except for one that was lost at the Lake Michigan area). We all woke up to seeing more than a foot of snow outdoors. There were adults shoveling the snow away and the kids are enjoying their moments having snowball fights or making snow angels. And of course, the cleaning crew taking care of the roadways. I'm happy to know most of my friends and co-workers were safe from harm's way. It was good to see them document their photo & video highlights respectively on Facebook. It will take a while for everything to get back to normal ... Do I sense an early Spring happening as we rely on the prediction of a 125 yr old Groundhog named Punxsutawney Phil? Here's hoping he's right on the money. I really want Old Man Winter outta here and enjoy Chicago for what it is!

Blog Written From Inside The Jet Plane ... Vacation over!

Spending New Year's Day w/ Virginia friends at Gina & Marfel's home

I am writing this post while riding the Southwest jet at about an altitude of between 5,000 - 10,000 feet. It doesn't seem so high from how it looks here on the window. My girlfriend Rizz and I are heading back to Chicago after spending 10 days of our holiday vacation in Virginia Beach/ Norfolk. The trip's highlights lagged in the beginning because of a big snow storm event that paralyzed the east coast for a few days, especially for wary travelers at airports and for regular commuters driving to work, school, etc. Even though the weather outside was frightful (as the saying goes in the 'Let It Snow' Christmas song), we managed to enjoy the comfort of being indoors in the home and chatting with my folks while we watched some TV ... It was good being at home for a while but then it became frustrating. I started to get cabin fever. I couldn't just stay put and not go anywhere with all the time we have left with this vacation. Thanks to my brother, Jay & my former boss and good friend, Emer, we managed to pick up the pace with our plans. Emer's help was certainly a plus. He actually loaned us his car to commute throughout the area. As the days were soon to be outnumbered, I hastened to get this going so we can meet a lot of friends and family. There was plenty of food to eat wherever we went and the get-togethers were planned so spontaneously and last minute, especially when New Year's was about to take place. First, Emer took us to the buffet restaurant to meet with his pals Cheryl and Julius. We sang karaoke in a reserved area. Though we were in little numbers, we managed to keep up with the fun killing song after song. And then there was another event that was quite memorable, too. It all started with a brief conversation between Gina and myself. Gina was very nice enough to get something spectacular going on our last Saturday night in Virginia. We both planned the gathering by-ear depending on whether she would have to work, or not (as she is on-call). The event ultimately was a success and we were able to get at least almost between 5 and 10 people there. Seeing everyone interact definitely put a smile to my face. There were no distractions. No music. No TV. Just a random conversation going on with everyone. But of course, the conclusion had to close out with a bang! So it did. We all sang karaoke for about 3 hours or so, lasting to the morning hour of 3AM. My friend Jim was really so into it like I've never seen him before. He actually sang the songs the way it ought to be heard - and not making up his own lyrics like most of us have gotten out of him in the past... Before all of these get-togethers, there was something spectacular to add to the highlight reel. Jayson took us all the way to Pungo in Virginia Beach and let us participate in shooting lessons at the C2 Shooting Center. We used his AR-15 rifle to shoot the paper targets that were about 25 - 30 yds away. For starters, Rizz and I were impressive. We were able to hit the bullseye and its surrounding areas. We totally rocked that day. Jayson was proud of us ... Lastly, Emer took us to the Red Ribbon bakery that just recently opened to the public. Amidst the news of long lines, we've decided to give it a go and head over there. Each of us had Halo-Halo and a piece of cake (in which I don't remember from the top of my head.) It was definitely a great milestone being there for the first time and seeing all this hype unfold. The only inconvenience was of course the dreaded long lines and the lack of seats available (in which people were just about finished with their food, yet they never left). Oh well. We took our desserts to Emer's office instead. From then on, he took us to the airport so we can catch up with our flight on-time. And this leads to where I am now: in the Southwest jet ... Documenting video clips and pictures through my Blackberry Curve was a breakthrough indeed. Usually, I use separate gadgets to do each task (such as that of my Canon digital camera & Flip video camera). And with those mentioned, I seldom used them. It was all Blackberry from there. From the shooting range to the gatherings, the device captured great moments on a tiny little Micro SD card that could keep data for up to 4MB. These media files were uploaded to social communities online such as Facebook and Twitter. I can always relive each highlight to the fullest ... However, I have to say this. The biggest highlight doesn't have to be documented on film or through pictures. It was something worthy to live each day for - and that's reuniting with my family. And having Rizz around was a great blessing, too. She's my inspiration.

Snowed-In During First Half of VA Holiday Visit...but...it's ok

Despite the big snow storm that happened on Christmas night, Rizz and I were able to enjoy the comfort of being home with loved ones, eating plenty of food, as well as catching up on week 16 NFL games and NBA Christmas double-header games. We even had our presents open in the middle of Christmas Day. So it wasn't bad staying home after all even though the weather outside was indeed frightful. However, it did scale back our plans on going everywhere. Hopefully by Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday, our adventure will take us furthermore - and that the snow should melt by then. I'm ready for the 2nd half of this holiday vacation. The 1st half is done and so is staying put at home. No snow is forecasted in the days ahead and that the temps are going to increase to a high of at least 60 by this Friday. So here's to more good times ahead with the days we have left in this holiday vacation in Hampton Roads, VA.

Here we go! It's V-A we go for the holidays!

Tomorrow, me and Rizz are headed for Virginia. The 757. Hampton Roads Area. I'm looking forward to being surrounded by loved ones that consist of my parents, brothers, relatives, and of course, my closest circle of friends - for the holiday season. I'm not exactly sure what's in store for the next few days we'll be there, but we're definitely gonna enjoy every moment of it as it comes .... The excitement just started to build up as we just got out of work and now it's like 3:32am in the morning. In about 4 hours or so, I'm gonna reserve space for me and her on the Southwest Airlines flights bound for Baltimore and Norfolk. Then, we'll start packing in order to prepare for tomorrow's departure out of Midway.

Period of Transition

After months of being in someone's home in Joliet, me & my gf have left and went on to get our a place of our own right in Aurora, thanks in part to our wonderful real estate agent, Steve B. We feel truly blessed to go about with this period of transition (in which it occurred from the last week of October to the first week of November). Getting stuff for the home doesn't come cheap, even if it has to be shopping at Wal-Mart, Target, Bed Bath & Beyond, Homegoods, and A.J. Wright. Put all of that together, that's a lot of expenses amassed. Oh, and include Best Buy on that list too since I've just an 40" Samsung LED TV (in which watching the Blu ray movies on 120Hz is so friggin' awesome!)... Yeah, we've been busy trying to plan this all out. And yep, that explains as to why I haven't blogged in such a long time either (despite the continuity to tweet via Twitter and update my latest status via Facebook) ... Speaking of Facebook, I was able to show photos of our humble abode to family and limited friends, in a VIP kind-of-way (LOL). There, they will see our furniture, appliances and my crazy collection of clothing/shoes from the closet. Soon, I plan to get a video clip of myself in the apartment showing around to my close pals and my bro ... For the moment, we will rejoice the privacy, the luxury and the 'feel' of a good home here in lovely Aurora.

I'm 36 years old today...

Happy Birthday to me! I've just turned 36! Here's to more good times ahead and succeeding in my goals, as well. And what's even more cooler than cool --- I get to spend my birthday in another state. There was Virginia, Florida - and now Illinois, of all places. The pages of my life continue as a new chapter starts yet again. Thank God for giving me another day to live and see another milestone. For every birthday that comes is an amazing blessing given from Him.

Traveling everywhere within Illinois and beyond!

I work a lot these days. And my position has doubled as I have now became a company driver in my job. I was loaned a van as well as a gas card to go along with that. So with that in mind, my assignments start to vary in numbers, as well as locations. Whether it's transporting personnel or sending important documents over, I am on the road. I have been traveling everywhere within Illinois as well as beyond (Wisconsin, so far). I'm still learning all my routes as I rely on my Garmin Nuvi GPS to get me around the area without any problems. (Then again, I could stumble into a problem especially if the mapping needs updating...LOL.) By the way, I have done a few clips on Twitvid lately while I was on my Wisconsin errand w/ the van. How totally cool is that, huh :) Then again, there was a descepancy on the highway while heading back to Illinois on I-294 and that was the tractor trailers blocking my way. BAH!

Joliet, in general.

Not too many people have heard about Joliet, that's unless if you're a NASCAR fan or are into racing. Well, it's a nice town with a lot of hard-working people. Downtown seems to look very vintage. They have a trainstation and a nice park nearby. In the suburbs, there are homes everywhere left and right. There's not that much basketball courts either. I guess that explains as to why a lot of kids love playing b-ball at their home's driveway. There's a decent mall, too, that I frequent. But I mostly like going to Best Buy adjacent to it - OR go to Officemax, Old Navy, Target and even MC Sports right across the street. And oh yes, there are cornfields wherever you go. That's the midwest you know. People here like to get involved with athletics whether you're an adult and like to go golfing OR if you're a kid, you can go for soccer or softball/baseball. There's a park here near our place that does either or. Plus that same park can hold a LIVE event such as that from performers like Rick Springfield from last May to Brett Michaels (of Poison) just recently in early September....Looking at all of Joliet now, I think it is way better than my old stomping grounds of Norfolk, VA and is equivalent to Virginia Beach for places to check out :-)

2 Dogs, 3 Cats Love Us :-)

It's amazing how we can receive the love from 2 dogs and 4 cats who are presently living in the home that me and my gf are staying in. The dogs' names are Dakota and Charis (I guess that's how her name is spelled) both of which are beagles. The cats' names are Kit, Belvedere, Miles, and Chewie (Note: there was one before but he passed away too soon. His name was Juan Pablo). They are so friendly and they really make our day great once me and my gf come home after a long day of working especially during odd hours. Its funny how Dakota waits right at the window as if she's a security guard of the home. And once we enter the door, she'd jump and lick on us....All these animals need is the love and affection. They get it, too. And if they need anything (such as food or water), they know that my gf and I will be there to give them some more of those.

I own two computers - WHY?

I came up with the idea on wanting 2 computers - one a netbook (in which I am typing this from) & an all-in-one desktop PC. Each has their own thing. I want the netbook solely just to use the internet in all its glory and the PC to handle most of the multimedia duties such as the iPod, video editing, video streaming, and Photoshop work. Its a very big investment indeed but I think it's a wise move considering that it brings peace of mind for me... I love taking this netbook everywhere from a home to a public library to Panera Bread or even to Barnes & Noble. Any Wi-Fi hotspot, really. It gives me the total satisfaction that I can post a blog entry like this from anywhere, with ease and comfort. The netbook would be a best friend to me everywhere I go... And I love working on stuff at home with the PC. It gives me the chance to work on things extensively at home that require more time. That's a perfect balance on everything. And now you know why I own two computers and bought them at the same time, from Best Buy.

Twiddeo & Twitlonger, here I come!

More fun times ahead besides the blog postings (and soon-to-be renovations to the layout of this blog page). I am going to be doing Twiddeo segments (that's like, videos via Twitter). This is gonna be a series of videos that I will make with my FLIP ultra cam, none of which are going to air on my YouTube channels or on Facebook. It'll be exclusively appearing on Twiddeo and nowhere else. What you'll see is a few video tidbits on what's going on around me here in the surrounding Chicago areas. This'll give the chance for the viewers to see it all. I wanna show people small towns, cornfields, watertowers or even tornadoes (if I am lucky to be alive on that one..lol)...As for Twitlonger, it'll just be a blog, but only made available on Twitter. It's gonna exceed the 140+ characters that always tend to condense what I wanna say there. So that's where Twitlonger comes in. It'll give me the freedom to express things in over those 140+ characters. FUN IS COMING! Stay tuned, everyone.

Floyd Mayweather, Jr is a racist ... and he proved that!

The most cockiest boxer in this day and age proved to the whole world that he is, in fact, a racist, not just to the filipinos around the world and to boxing fans alike, BUT to the whole human population as a whole.....I will not quote with what he said about his rival Manny Pacquiao, but his words were so insulting and fueled with hate. Very degrading, to say the least. And his ignorance just skyrocketed. Then, the next day he puts an insincere apology like he was playing it off, too. Shame on Mayweather, Jr. for putting on such a show to YouTube users....The NaFFAA (National Federation of Filipino American Association) finally stepped up to the plate giving their remarks on Mayweather's quotes. And the NAACP remains invisible. So is, Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton. They won't step into this thing because their victim isn't one of their own. Most likely, they will not step in for Manny Pacquiao or the filipino-americans in this country....I'm sorry to say this, but racism can come from different avenues whether you're white, black, asian, filipino, etc. There are no winners in this. We can fall victim to it at anytime.

What are my favorite sports teams? It's not what you may think.

Just because I live here in the surrounding Chicago areas doesn't mean I will go automatic for most of the sports teams here. It's not what one may think. So, to clarify it for you, guys, this is the line-up. And I also have my 2nd choices included.

NFL - Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2nd choice Washington Redskins)
MLB - Chicago White Sox (2nd choice New York Yankees)
NBA - The Orlando Magic (2nd choice Boston Celtics)
MLS - None, as of right now........
NASCAR - Dale Earnhardt, Jr (2nd choice - NONE)

It's time to make blogging fun again!

I've been out of the blogging thing for quite a while now. Sorry for the delays. The real-world is such a busy thing, really. I've found something inspiring. My friend decided to make her blog on her marriage. And as for me, I'm gonna try to add some interesting elements for each post that I'll create. It's time to make blogging fun again. So that's gonna be a start. I'll also try to renovate the feel-and-look of this blog page. It's long overdue. Things must change.