Reflections of a Junglist Daddy...

Happy Birthday Lola...

2011-02-09T18:08:00.000-08:00

This was one of my grandmother's favourite songs...

I miss her more than words can explain...I love her so much. She passed over 10 years ago, but I think of her often. She gave me the gift of music...man I miss her and wish she could see what I've become and what I've accomplished. I feel her love and I know there are parts of me through which she lives, but I wish I could just talk to her one more time...and tell her how much I love and miss her. Happy Birthday Lola, your children and grandchildren miss you so much.

2010-09-20T17:08:00.000-07:00

*sigh*....when I became a parent, I knew I was going to have to sacrifice a lot of things in my life. I've pretty much sacrificed and given up a lot of my hobbies and pastimes. I even put aside 1 of the very few things I'm passionate about: Music. One thing, however, I never dreamed or tought of compromising was basketball...of all the things I wanted to keep doing after my son was born, running ball was probably at the top of my list. Now, with my son going through some sleep issues it seems that even THAT will have to be sacrificed to a certain extent. To say that I'm not happy about it is an understatement...basketball was the one thing I wanted to keep as my saving grace, my "break", my getaway from parenthood and all the things that come with the territory. As I stare at the clock and watch time tick while I wait for my son to sleep...I keep saying to myself: "fuck man, go to sleep so I can run some fucking ball."

I don't get it...it never used to be a problem for him to crash at night.

I miss you Lola...

2010-01-25T13:45:00.001-08:00

Don't know why, but i started thinkin' about my Grandmother who passed away a while back. Really wish she was around to meet my wife & son...I'm a strong believer that her genes are the reason why I love music and why our family is musically inclined.

i miss you Lola...rest, I'll see you soon enough and we'll play the piano together again.

Raptors stink...

2009-12-03T09:39:00.001-08:00

Raptors are terrible...that's all for today...

Family Values

2009-11-30T08:40:00.000-08:00

Been a while since I've posted anything...quite frankly, it's tough keeping a blog updated and it doesn't really do much for me LOL. A lot has happened since my last post. Most notably:

This past weekend I was at my cousins baby shower...I was eating and just talking to some of my family when I saw my 4 year old nephew swinging a stick like a light sabre. He was just outside of a doorway so I couldn't see everything that was going on..I walked over to ask him to be careful and when I got there, an older and bigger kid was backed up into a corner holding a coat hanger saying "Don't hit me, don't hit me!" While my nephew is going completely JEDI on him...all in good fun LMAO. So I tell him to stop, he might hurt someone...later on, one of my older nephews walks up to me and says "Uncle Al, you know what happened? They were playing rough and took J****'s coat hanger away so C***** (my niece) gave him the stick and said "use THIS J****!" I started laughing so hard but was so proud of what my niece did and how these kids stick together...moral of the story: DON'T MESS WITH FAMILY! LOL

I lost my job in July and after 4 months of collecting EI and struggling, I finally found a job that's 15 minutes away from home. Not as much pay as I'd like, but right now the position doesn't have TOO much responsibility and I save a lot on gas and travel time. It's a good opportunity for me, don't know if that's true or if I'm just being positive LOL It'll be enough to pay the mortgage and that's good for now...better than unemployment and struggling.

Manny Pacquiao destroyed Miguel Cotto and is now considered 1 of the GREATEST boxers of all time...in my opinion he IS the Greatest Boxer of All Time, not that I'm biased or anything. This win is huge because the motherland got hit with a really bad Typhoon during Manny's training. There was a huge outpour of support and a lot of the boxing games biggest promoters forked out huge cash to help the P.I. recover...doubt they would've done that if Manny were from a country other than the Philippines. His victory also gave the P.I. something positive, Filipinos were united in cheering our guy on. Full of pride because a Filipino repped our heritage and epitomized the fighting spirit of our culture...but alas, a few weeks after the fight is done there are reports of murder, corruption, kidnapping and crime...Filipinos killing Filipinos.

Other than that, I released a few mixes at the podcast site: http://uptownmixes.mypodcast.com Can't wait to start working again...once the cash flow gets back to a manageable state and everything is stable, my next 2 major purchases will be a T.V. and Serato. Not sure which one first...tough choice. Should really start messing with the production software I've had for oh so long....just too lazy to learn it LOL.

My son is growing so fast, I love him to death...that has been the absolute best thing about having no work the past 4 months, the extra time to spend with him.

I'm honestly getting bored of blogging right now...no wonder I don't do this often...sitting here saying to myself, I'm back at work in 2 hours. Why the hell am I wasting my time on something most people wouldn't care about? LOL...hungry...later...

2009-09-05T16:20:00.000-07:00

For my wife on her birthday (Sept. 4th), I love you honey...

I never knew such a day could come
And I never knew such a love
Could be inside of one

And I never knew what my life was for
But now that you're here I know for sure

I never knew till I looked in your eyes
I was incomplete till the day you walked into my life
And I never knew that my heart could feel
So precious and pure
One love so real

Can I just see you every morning when
I open my eyes
Can I just feel your heart beating beside me
Every night
Can we just feel this way together
Till the end of all time
Can I just spend my life with you

Now baby the days and the weeks
And the years will roll by
But nothing will change the love inside
Of you and I

And baby I'll never find any words
That could explain
Just how much my heart my life
My soul you've changed

Can you run to these open arms
When no one else understands
Can we tell God and the whole world
I'm your woman, and you're my man
Can't you just feel how much I love you
With one touch of my hand
Can I just spend my life with you

No touch has ever felt so wonderful
(You are incredible)
And a deeper love I've never known
(I'll never let you go)
I swear this love is true
(Now and forever to you)
(only for you)
To you
Can I just see you every morning when

I open my eyes
Can I just feel your heart beating beside me
Every night
Can we just feel this way together
Till the end of all time
Can I just spend my life with you
Can you run to these open arms

When no one else understands
Can we tell God and the whole world
You're my woman, and you're my man
Can't you just feel how much I love you
With one touch of my hand
Can I just spend my life with you

Can I just spend my life with you
Can I just spend my life with you
(Forever here with you)
Can I just spend my life with you
Can I just see you every morning when I
Open my eyes

Monday's are great...even for 18 month old babies.

2009-08-10T05:27:00.000-07:00

Oh man...what a morning. So I take Logan out of his chair and noticed he had spilled his juice all over his shirt, shorts and high chair. I pick him up and start heading upstairs to change his clothes and he freaks the f**k out! Kicking his legs, arms/hands flying all over the place etc. He wouldn't let me put his shirt or shorts on and sat there freaking out...so I left him in our room, closed the door and just sat on the stairs for a couple minutes while he cried and threw his tantrum because I was losing it. It sounded like he calmed down a little so I go back in our room, go to put his shorts on and he starts freaking the f**k out again. So I pick him up and bring him downstairs (the whole time, for whatever reasons, he's going crazy while I'm holding him). So I "throw" him on the couch like I do our bed, thinking that'll make him laugh..but no. 4 Squares comes on, he calms down..I put on his shorts...then when I go to put his shirt on, he starts freaking out again. So I wrestle with him and said to him "too bad, you're putting on this shirt!" Get his shirt on, sit him on the floor in front of the TV so he can watch Diego. I get his sandals...as soon as I put on 1 sandal, he starts to complain and is about to lose it. I told him "that's enough" very sternly which I think was the wrong approach at the time because he started to cry. Put on his other sandal then he started throwing a fit while lying on the ground....I get up, becasue i just about had it. Go over to the kitchen and start cleaning up a little while he's sitting in front of the TV watching, but crying at the same time and looking over at me to see if I'm watching. And that's all in 15 minutes...

So I head to the door and say "come on Logan, let's go"....he comes over and throws himself on the floor in front of the door and starts crying. By this time I'm thinking to myself that I might as well get a knife and stab myself repeatedly. I say to him "what's wrong Logan?" and reach out my hands...he comes to me and asks me to pick him up. By this point he was crying so damn hard that while resting his head on my shoulder he was doing that 'breathing" thing kids do when they've cried so much they can't cry anymore...that funny/staggered breathing noise, first time i've ever seen him do that. So I just kept telling him "it's ok baby" when i don't even know what da f**k is wrong! I put him down so I can put on my shoes...he starts crying/complaining again!!!! Get my shoes on, pick him up go outside and he magically stops freaking out. Put him in his car seat with no problems....get over to Day Care, put him on the ground and he walked up the drive way right to the door. We get inside, he gives me a hug then climbs the stairs, goes to the play area then waves at me and says "bye". In my head, I'm thinking "what da fuck was the last 20 minutes all about?" I tell them about his fit and they said that sometimes when they're like that, it's best to leave them and have their fit.

Man, if this is any indication of the temper this kid's gonna have...I'm in for a real fun time during his teen years.

In case you didn't hear..

2009-06-26T05:35:00.000-07:00

Michael Jackson is dead...it's a sad day in music & entertainment. Arguably the Greatest musician and performer..no, it's not even arguable. HE IS THE GREATEST MUSICIAN & PERFORMER OF ALL TIME. Sure, towards the end of his career things might have gotten rough and the media really destroyed him but his contribution to the entertainment industry cannot be denied. Musically he was excellence personified and set the standard to which all elements of Pop culture are measured. So this post of my blog is dedicated to my favourite musician, performer, dancer & entertainer...the Greatest: Michael Jackson R.I.P my man, thank you for touching my soul and makin' me dance.

Michael Jackson the Humanitarian

Michael Jackson the Performer

Michael Jackson the Endorser

Michael Jackson the Innovator

couldn't find a full "licensed" version of Thriller...this video set the standard for Music Video's as we know them today

Michael Jackson the Sensitive Guy

You're music & legacy will live forever...

Around the outside, around the outside....

2009-06-23T05:36:00.000-07:00

My b-day is coming up next week...man I feel F**KING old. I know, I know.."dude, you ARE old", kiss my a$$ people hahahahahaaha. Anyway, in honour of my OG Pimp Hustla status I'm posting some old skool things that I don't expect many people in their 20's to know.

"All that skratchin' is makin' me itch"

"That you & I are lovers, that you & I are lovers, that you & I been gettin'it on!"

"GRANDIZER GOOOOOOOOO...."

"WORLD B. FREE..."

"JACK THE GROOVE, JACK THE GROOVE...JACK, JACK, JACK, JACK THE GROOVE"

"This beat makes me wanna Jack..."

History Lesson for the day done :)

Sincerely,
OG PIMP DADDY GANGSTA AKA Junglist Daddy aka OLD, period LOL

It's all good...my legacy is represented and the future is bright:

Daddy of the Dead...

2009-06-08T05:41:00.000-07:00

Son woke up @ 4am this morning...don't know why. I'm @ work, I'm a friggin' zombie right now...

I hope I last through the day...I have to friggin' ref the MBA finals tonight too.

It's been a long time...

2009-05-25T13:22:00.000-07:00

Since I last blogged...I think the last time I did, I was in LV.

Not much has happened since I came back from LV...just the ball league I run: www.leaguelineup.com/mbl and I've heard something about the NBA playoffs happening, not sure what that's about LOL.

So I know in a previous post I said I would write another Pinoy Pride article...well, that article never happened LOL. I just haven't found any time to sit there and write or blog for that matter. I'm actually starting get more on twitter. However, the only time I "tweet" is when I'm bored...which happens to be almost the whole day I'm @ work LOL. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy what I do...sort of...but when you're more interested in being with your Family, Music, Ball and Golf you kinda start to hate working for a living!

So I really don't know what else to say for now...I'm leaving work in about 1/2 hour...bored, just wanna get outta here already.

I need to see my son...

2009-05-03T22:21:00.000-07:00

I've been thinking about him all day. I was trying to find kicks to match the ball outfit I bought him here in LV. I miss my wife & son...really, I do.

Today was pretty cool...drove around North Las Vegas checking out some property. Real Estate is going for dirt cheap around here. I have a feeling that I'll be spending more time in Las Vegas over the next couple of years ;)

After looking at houses, I met up with Xist and his buddy Steve. We went to some shoot for some Hip-Hop reality show MTV is releasing. They were filming the pilot episode...Xist knew some DJ, Presto One who was being part of the whole thing so we checked it out. It was kinda boring to tell you the truth. Afterwards we went to some "outdoor mall"...bought myself a pair of shorts. Went to get something to eat and can you believe they don't serve beer by the pint or pitcher!!! I asked what they served it in and they said "a glass"...I told them "You don't have pints or pitchers?!?! I'm Canadian, what da hell am I supposed to do with a glass of beer?" Anyway, I ended up getting bottle of Heiniken since they were so wack.

I've confirmed that Americans are pretty ignorant...I had some discussions about politics, religion and war (something I've always wanted to do with a conservative type Amurrican". This persons views & ideals were very hypocritical. Most of the knowledge is what they get fed in the news. They make judgements based on false information and ignorance. For example, I was told that terrorists will or have been coming in through Canada, to which I shot out "Straight up dude, that's a very ignorant statement." Then he went on some rant about how many Muslims we have in Canada..I felt like saying, yeah we also have lots of whites, blacks, chinks, flips and spics too eh? This is a former American soldier who served in Iraq I was talking to. When I heard that I said "I'm sorry to hear that you had to be part of that man." He looked at it as "fighting for his country" to which I told him, nobody should be part of a war man. Another statement I heard was that Islam teaches Muslims to hate and kill anyone who doesn't believe in their God. I wasn't having any of that and told him "I strongly disagree with you. The Qu'ran doesn't teach anything like that..I have friends that are devoted Muslims and they condemn the actions of the Taliban and this Jihad you all talk about." I mean this guy was so ignorant that he was using the word "Jihad" in the completely wrong context and definition of the word LOL. Like "oh, the jihad is gonna get us" There are SO many things the Amurrican said that didn't make sense and sounded so stupid....anyway, that little discussion truly made me grateful that I'm Canadian and have a little bit more of an open mind and tolerance for people of different religions and cultures. At one point I said "dude, you Americans are so scared about another terrorist attack...what tha hell has happened since 9/11?" The answer to that? "Well we gotta go over there and make sure they're not coming over here..." This coming from the same guy that said "They shouldn't be coming here and messing with us." Says a lot about these Amurricans don't it?

Vegas Baby!

2009-05-01T17:57:00.000-07:00

So I'm in LV...my flight landed Thursday night @ 11:15pm. By the time I was out of the airport and on my way to my aunts, it was 1:00am. My aunt cooked some seafood pasta for me & garlic bread...it's good to be a member of this family LOL. Fortunately my gout didn't act up. Around 2am I hit the strip with my boy DJ Xist who came to LV from L.A. to meet up with me (that's fam right there!). We walked around the mirage, Caesar's Palace..I snapped some pictures but I did more people watching. My wife would have had a good laugh..there were nuff drunk people roaming the strip. I didn't crash until 6am and am going on 5 hours sleep right now...I knew this would happen LOL.

Today I just bought some new ball kicks...the Melo 4's. Yah, yah, they're old but I've heard that they're a good shoe. And besides, Logan has a pair so we match now! It was a toss up between Melo 4's and the Zoom Kobe II ST in Olympic colours. Although I LOVE my Zoom Kobe II ST's (I have them in black & purple) and am so happy with them, I wanted to try another shoe out....the selling point on the Melo's was that they came with free Jordan ankle braces :)

Tonight I'm meeting up with some fam for dinner then probably just gonna cruise the strip. I have the option of clubbing as my boy Xist has mad links but I'm not feeling the dress code and expensive drinks...besides, only parties I honestly care about are Jungle/Drum & Bass parties. Tomorrow night it's the fight and my set...should be fun!

I'll upload pics later on...right now, I need to go enjoy the Las Vegas night! Really wish the wife & son were here...

TGIF...the joys of parenthood, dumb drivers, spinning in LV

2009-04-24T08:41:00.000-07:00

Man...what a morning! So my son was in his high chair watching Yo Gabba Gabba..I put his shoes on, made some coffee, put my lunch and his bag in the car. I go inside to grab Logan...when I pick him up, I smell poop. So I thought “great, I gotta change his diaper before we go”. I go to check his diaper and poop was all up his back, on his shirt & pants. So I go into our bedroom, take off his shirt...he decides to touch/feel what’s on his back. It gets on his hands, so what does he do? He decides he wants to taste it!!! Of course, he started crying...I’m assuming it didn’t taste too good. I put him on the floor to change, poo gets all over a sports sheet on the floor in our bedroom. Keep in mind, I’m doing all this while he’s fighting me...I grabbed a pair of jeans & his “rookie of the year shirt” and put it on him, put some baby cologne on for him, brought the diapers downstairs etc. By this time it was 7:50am so we bolted out the door. I put his shirt and pants in his bathroom sink and filled it with water to let it soak.

Ride into work was ok..there was an idiot from Mega City Plumbing weaving in and out of traffic, changing lanes and cutting people off without signaling. I tried calling the number on the Van but it was invalid. I’m going to do a google search for them and report the van/driver. They were driving really unsafe...he cut me off and then as I was passing him (he changed lanes again after cutting me off) he was ½ in my lane, ½ in the other lane...like he was indecisive which lane he wanted to be in. Sad thing is that I was not the only person he was doing this to....very unsafe and irresponsible driving. Why on earth would they drive like that in a company vehicle? Don’t they know pricks like me will report them????

On a better/brighter note, the flyer for my gig in Las Vegas next week is below. Looks like a lot of Hardcore but whatever...at least I'm playing a gig outside of Toronto and in Las Vegas of all places!

For my wife...

2009-04-16T09:16:00.000-07:00

Because she's a lot more special than anyone can imagine...myself included.

It's all because of you
I'm never sad and blue
You've brightened up my day
In your own special way
Whenever you're around
I'm never feeling down
You are my trusted friend
On you I can depend

You take me away
From the pain
And you bring me paradise
And when there are cloudy
days you brought sunshine in my life
It never occurred
To me the first time I saw your face
I would fall so deep in love
That your love can't be replaced

You are my everything (you are my everything)
love so good, so good only you can bring
You are my everything
You are everything
and everything is you

My darling only you
Can make my dreams come true
And every night I pray
You'll never go away
I promise I will try
Until the day I die
To treat you like a king
Cause you are my everything

You are everything
And everything is you

When you're lovin me
With your lovin arms around me
When you're lovin me
Said I feel so safe I found security
When you're lovin me
Forever I want you to hold me
My everything
my every every every everything
Breathe baby

You take me away...

Father of the Year Status

2009-03-26T09:17:00.000-07:00

So my 10 days of being Mr. Mom is coming to an end. For anyone out there reading this, hear me and hear me now: I AM FATHER OF THE YEAR. It is not arguable...this is what my regular routine has been since the wife left for Vietnam
6:00am – 6:30am wake up, shower get ready for work, make a pot of coffee
6:30am – 6:50am wake son up if not already up, change diaper put him in clothes for the day
6:50am – 7:30am feed son, feed myself, get bag ready for Day Care, put my lunch and sons bag in the car
7:30am – 7:50am drop son off @ Day Care
7:50am – 8:15am drive to work
8:30am – 5:00pm work
5:00pm – 5:30pm fight traffic and race to pick up son from Day Care
5:30pm - 6:00pm fight traffic to get home
6:00pm – 6:30pm prepare dinner, feed son, eat a quick dinner for myself, clean up son
6:30pm – 7:00pm playtime...for son, not me.
7:00pm – 7:30pm prepare bath for son, give son a bath, wrestle to put him in his PJ’s, get sleep bottle ready
7:30pm – 8:00pm a little bit of playtime depending how tired I am, put son down for bed
8;00pm – 9:00pm clean up dinner mess, do the dishes, maybe get a little bit more to eat, prepare sons bag for tomorrow, clean the floor from what son didn’t want, clean up bedroom & bath tub from bath time, get my lunch for tomorrow ready
9:00pm – finally time for myself...sometimes I do chores but very minimal. Most times I watch ball, play vids or clean up the mess made by son.

And these are the things I do daily...nevermind the little curveballs the son will throw in there. BUT...it's all worth it when I see this smiling face:

So I’ve been doing this for the past week and a bit...this should be enough to qualify me for Father of the Year. Wife comes back tomorrow...I can’t wait! LOL

I'm working on another "Pinoy Pride" article...check back in a couple days.

Not as bad as I expected...

2009-03-19T18:18:00.000-07:00

So my first day without the wife went ok. It's still a little lonely in the house but that's why I have basketball on the television.

After I picked up Logan from Day Care, we went for a little ride. We were laughing a lot in the car, like we always do when it's just me and him :) We don't even do or say anything...I just start laughing and giggling and he more or less does the same. He's my buddy, what can I say. I fed him then while he watched Yo Gabba Gabba

I got his stuff ready for bathtime then bedtime. He really likes Yo Gabba Gabba and I think he like Biz Markie's "Beat of the Day". I think he gets his love of music from me...

His rash is still bothering him, but I'm putting the ointment on so hopefully it will go away. Nothing changed with his bed time routine. He went to sleep pretty easily around 7:30pm. Even though everything went ok today, it was still a little tiring. It's amazing how exhausting a 13 month old can be...but I like it :)

To reward myself I've decided to sit on the couch and watch ALL the March Madness games I PVR'd while I wasted my time @ work.

Speaking of work, I got a written warning today...and it's for the stupidest thing: for taking my lunch @ 1:15 - 1:45 instead of 1:00 - 1:30 How f**king petty...whatever, my boss knows it's stupid and I know it's stupid. There are other people who take their lunches from 1:30pm - 2;00pm and even though this is also against "policy", I doubt they'll get spoken to let alone a written warning. Whatever...

Patiently Waiting...

2009-03-19T09:46:00.001-07:00

So the wife left for Vietnam late last night/early this morning...I already miss her and it’s not because I can’t handle my son on his own. It’s not the same walking around the house without her there...but this is good for me and is a reminder of how much I really do love my wife. I give a f**k what any “macho” guy says out there...I love my wife dearly and there is nothing wrong with letting everyone know that. If anyone is gonna hate on me for expressing that, then they need to look at their lives and think about why they are so lonely and empty....my wife & son truly are my life. Everything I do revolves around them...I remember one incident where I was at a friends, all the guys were there. My wife called me and when I said “I love you” before hanging up, they all did the sarcastic “awwwwwww” and threw comments like “you’re so gay”...to which I replied “I tell her I love her every chance I get because I don’t want to take her for granted” They couldn’t say shit...anyway, enough of how I feel about my wife, I think I got my point across. I miss her...

On with some REAL Spring talk: NCAA MARCH MADNESS and GOLF!!!! I love March. Nothing beats the rush of all the games going on. NCAA ball is so exciting, especially in March. The kids are playing their asses off because if they lose, they’re out and their season ends. A lot of them are trying to get that NBA contract as well. I think the beauty of it is the kids aren’t getting paid (unless they’re point shaving) so the passion, emotion and competitive spirit is real. It’s just amazing seeing people play their ass off strictly for the love of the game and thrill of competition no matter what level it is...that being said, I guess you can say a non-pro/pick-up/street ball legend such as myself can somewhat relate :)

GOLF is around the corner...I smell it. I’m hoping this season will be a good one for me. I didn’t play much golf last summer because of the move into the house, the birth of my son and my wife being on mat leave. This summer, although things will be tight, I’d like to really work on my swing. One of the things I plan on doing is going to the range more to nail down my mechanics & fundamentals and practicing on “lesser” courses so that when I do play “primo” courses, my game will be in good shape and I’ll enjoy the round that much more. I’ll have to invest in one of those Green Fee coupon books...gotta save every penny I can. Golf ain’t cheap...especially when you have a mortgage & mouths to feed. Anyway, I better actually work...and check the scores in the March Madness games...the MADNESS IS UPON US!!! BUCKLE UP....GO MEMPHIS & LOUISVILLE!!!

Blah, blah, blah...

2009-03-17T05:22:00.000-07:00

So…a lot has happened since I last blogged which was about a month ago: Raptors still suck, my son is walking, my wife is taking off for Vietnam this week for my brother in-laws wedding, I started a basketball league, my son is sick, work sucks and I have a twitter account: www.twitter.com/djdotcom even I still don't really see the point in twitter. I think for the most part, it's for people to rub their own egos and think that people actually care about what they're doing @ any given time. It's only really good for celebrities because really, who cares what everyone else is doing unless they're famous?

There really isn’t much for me to say, well I lie…I can say a lot but for starters, I’m @ work and don’t want to risk getting busted LOL. Secondly, with today’s society and with the amount of people who can access this blog, I’m hesitant to disclose some personal information. I just don’t want anyone knowing more than they need to know about me, my family and/or my life….

So yah, my son is walking...I'm still convinced he's the best son in the world (yes, even better than me!). I'm anxious to get him to start playing with a basketball & golf clubs LOL. I think it would be fun to have another "guy" who'll be into those things as much as I am...the main thing for me is how I can keep it fun for him. That's the most important thing to me because I'm not about to force him into anything. Ideally, I'd like for him to choose what he likes...Golf or Basketball? LOL

He's really starting to turn into his own person in that he knows what he likes & dislikes. If he ain't feelin' what you're giving or doing with him, he'll let you know...the frustrating thing, is that after he gets his way he grins & smiles like "yah muthaf**ka I got you!"

So yah, I don't want to talk about the Raptors because I'll get pissed off...I'm going to miss my wife while she's away, I really don't know what I'd do without her but I guess we'll find out in the next week!

LV, training, fighting, I'll kick your ass LOL...

2009-02-16T07:02:00.000-08:00

So I got tix to see the Pacquiao vs. Hatton fight. Excited is an understatement...this will be my first time going to a big fight ticket, I've been to a couple pro boxing fights but not like anything of this magnitude. The unfortunate thing is that I'll be going to the fight by myself, but I really don't give a f**k because it's MANNY!!! It's been about 10 or 12 years since I've last been to LV and I hear a lot has changed. I'm definitely looking forward to this trip, I haven't been on a plane since Frisco 07...I'll definitely miss my wife & son though.

A couple of my friends started "training"...I guess you could say it's another example of how Manny Pacquiao inspires people. Boxing is definitely a great workout because it's full body movement. In any case, it made me want to start training again. So I've been shadow boxing here & there and slowly working kicks in and now I want a heavy bag..it's just great stress relief. Now I'm starting to get to a point where I want to spar LOL. I remember how much/often I used to spar back in the day...

My older bro got his black belt in Tae Kwon Do when he was 9...he was the youngest black belt in North America. He was on TV, did martial arts showcases (I remember one of his finales was jumping over 4 people bending over and breaking a board with a flying sidekick...at the age of 9!!!) participated in Tae Kwon Do tournaments across the province etc He trained for a good 20 years...as a result, I automatically became a "student/punching bag" and picked up a thing or two here and there LOL I even participated in a few tournaments...although I didn't take it as seriously as my brother (I'm a better basketball player than him, shhhhh LOL), I got pretty good and even won first place at a tourney LOL. I always ended up being my brothers sparring partner if none of his regular "students" and friends weren't around for a session...I used to look at it as him beatin' up on me LOL, but I look back and I think it taught me to defend myself and made me mentally tough in the sense that up until today, I know I can take the average persons best punch...I took my brothers best shots. No way in hell is the average Joe gonna hit me harder than a black belt and the average Joe won't be able to throw punches AND kicks faster than a black belt.

I hope my friends end up wanting to spar...not because I'm violent or any crap like that. But for the sport of it and to get a good work out. I miss sparring...thing is, it has to be under control. That's always 1 thing a lot of people who've never been taught properly don't understand: You can through punches at 100% speed @ 50%, even 30% strength...but if you don't know how you can really hurt someone. It's also one thing to shadow box and punch a bag, but it's another to spar and have a moving target hitting back :) As Bruce Lee(R.I.P.) said in Enter the Dragon: "Boards don't hit back"...

IMO, Bruce Lee is the greatest fighter of my time...he really knew how to harness energy & power and was mentally an absolute killer. His whole approach to fighting & combat is on some next level shit...but I'll rant about that some other day. I'm gonna go shadow box LOL.

2009-01-27T13:45:00.000-08:00

Been a while since I’ve posted on this thing…like I said before, I have no idea why I started a blog as there is never enough time in the day. Anyway, I guess I’ll start with the most recent things that have happened.

The other day my son had the runs. Day Care wouldn't take him fearing that he would spread the love to other kids...so instead I reluctantly stayed home. Was a very tough choice for me: "Hmmmmm, leave my boy @ Day Care and go to work or don't go to work and hang out with my son despite having the runs?" Yes, very tough choice! We had fun...hung out, watched ball, some TV & DVD's, played video games, ran around like idiots, even went for a drive! He's a really good kid. My wife and I are really fortunate he's in our life...I had a bit of an episode watching him play. It amazes me how fast he's growing, feels like yesterday that I just taught him how to stand while hanging on to things. Now he's cruising around, tryin' to dribble basketballs and talking baby jibberish. I don't know how any parent could abandon or not care about their kids...they truly are a blessing. I am convinced that my son is the best baby ever...and I am absolutely not biased...not at all LOL.

Raptors still suck…it is times like these I am grateful that I became a fan of the Los Angeles Lakers LONG before the Raptors came along....Lakers EST. 1980 so don't go calling me a bandwagon jumper. My history of following the Lakers dates back to when I was 5 years old...you best believe that!!!

I’m going to Las Vegas baby! Departing April 30th coming back early, early May 5th. Looking forward to seeing a lot of my relatives, playing Troon style golf courses and catching a fight that’s happening on May 2nd…some guy named Manny Pacquiao or something like that is fighting  I heard he’s pretty good. Hopefully I’ll get some tickets.

Speaking of which, I’m definitely glad Pacquiao & Hatton camps have finally decided on a purse split. If you don’t know what or who I’m referring to, just do a google search on Manny Pacquiao…in any case, it’s hard to believe that Ricky Hatton and his camp think they deserve an even split with the worlds best Pound for Pound Boxer. The negotiations on the purse split were so tiring..especially since the main reason why I chose to go to LV is to catch this fight. It was on, off, on again, off again..all over 2% of the purse split. Mind you 2% came up to about $1.2 million USD, but in the grand scheme of things, that's pennies compared to what they'll rake in for this fight.

Anyway...don't know what else to say. I'd rather surf the internet @ work than blog right now...

Day Care, Parenthood and Mental Toughness...

2009-01-08T09:03:00.000-08:00

So my son is starting Day Care today. Not full-time but Mama will be bringing him in just so he can get used to the environment and people. He starts full-time next week Tuesday. I think he’ll really enjoy it…he’s a very social kid and likes meeting people. One thing I'm afraid of is that Logan has discovered his vocal chords and screams when he’s excited every now and then. It’s not his fault, he’s a baby and doesn’t know any better but it can hurt your ear drums and drive you insane if you’re not used to it. Last week a couple friends came over with their babies. Logan was so excited he started screaming and it scared them! I’m glad he’s learning to voice his opinion and express himself, but I wish he didn’t do it so loudly…must be something he got from his Lolo & Dad

For some reason he also fights when changing his diaper. We don’t know why he suddenly started doing this. But instead of trying to force him to keep still, we just distract him with toys. Some days he keeps still during diaper changes, other days it is impossible to change his diaper without working up a sweat! Man is this kid strong..I can’t even hold him down with 1 arm. Sometimes I have to lie him on the floor and rest my leg on

I don’t know what to think of Logan going to Day Care. Part of me is happy because it gives Mama a break from being 100% provider (do Mom’s ever get a break from that?). It will also help Logan develop his social skills, teach him to interact with other kids and give him a change of scenery. The other part of me is a little cautious because after all, we’re leaving our baby boy with complete strangers. Will they know what he’s asking for? How will they react to his screaming and diaper changing revolt? I’m just hoping they teach him the right things, teach him well and give him the attention he deserves. I’ve heard so many horror stories about Day Cares, hopefully we picked a good one for him.

I really enjoy being a Dad in a weird way…well, it’s not weird at all. Parenthood is supposed to be something you enjoy. You have no choice so is there any point in wasting energy on negativity or fighting the fact that you’re a parent? Sure it has it’s ups & downs but there is no better feeling than coming home from work and seeing my boy’s face light up when he sees me. Nobody said parenthood was easy but at the same time, as a parent I think you owe it to your child to be the best parents you could possibly be. I’ve been attached to my boy since I saw him in the 1st ultrasound….like Tiger Woods said, one of the most amazing things about parenthood is how much you could love someone who’s been a part of your life for such a short period of time.

Part of being a parent is being prepared to be a parent. If you’re not ready for it, then you will have a difficult time because it requires A LOT of lifestyle adjustments…and that’s an understatement. However, if you prepare yourself mentally and you are “ready” to be a parent, then you will find the joy in it despite the lack of sleep LOL. I think people underestimate the importance of being mentally tough (this is something I hope to teach my son)…but that’s a whole different can of worms I'll open up another day.

But yah...how time flies...my baby is growing so fast before my eyes...*sigh*

2008-12-31T07:19:00.000-08:00

Biters SUCK! So here's a vid I found by Peven Everett. If you don't know who Peven Everett is, then I suggest you do your homework, look him up and listen to some of this mans tunes. In this vid he exposes Pharrell for what he truly is: a BITER!

I have always been an avid supporter of Underground music & culture...I can go on for days about pop/mainstream/corporate garbage you hear on the radio and see on television. While some choose to place people like Pharrell and Kanye on a pedestal calling them musical geniuses...I'd rather look at them as idiots who can't make up their minds. When you start trying to sing when you can't and use studio equipment to electronically alter your voice like Cher, I can't help but call you an idiot.

Now if you excuse me, I need to figure out how I can make my voice sound robotic so I can make the next hit...

Christmas Eve...screw a wish list, there's no such thing as Santa anyway

2008-12-24T08:30:00.000-08:00

I LOVE basketball and even though I have been a Laker fan since Magic Johnson’s rookie year, I’m obligated by default to also cheer for the Toronto Raptors. The sad thing is that there isn’t much to cheer for…even worse, there really hasn’t been much to cheer about since Vince Carter was traded away how many years ago? I’ve become incredulously (is that even a friggin’ word?) frustrated and disgruntled with the Raptors that I’m starting to believe they have the same f***in’ curse the Toronto Maple Leafs have. Which curse you ask?…you know, the curse of sucking forever? There are a plethora of reasons we suck but if you ask me, Raps are just SOFT…and I don’t mean normally soft, they are EURO soft.

Bargnani: a bust and has gotten progressively worse since his rookie season. He’s 1 dimensional and all he can do is shoot 3 pointers…pretty sad for a 7 footer, he’s definitely not eating enough pasta.

Jose Calderon: good point guard offensively, but he’s crap on defense and gets abused by top tier point guards in the L. He can’t fight over screens and sometimes seems like he doesn’t know when to push the ball up the floor and when to slow down to a half court game.

Kapono: a 3 point specialist who suddenly has decided to try and drive/penetrate instead of sticking to what makes him good.

Anthony Parker: I’d rather have his sister, WNBA MVP Candace Parker, on our team. At least she’s borderline pretty and easier to look at than the Raptors.

Roko Ukic: a Euro Rookie, nuff said.

Solomon: a poor man’s Mike James…yuck.

Jermaine O’Neal: playing well, but he isn’t anywhere near the all-star he once was, but I think eventually he’ll get there…when he’ll get there without injuring himself is the big question.

Chris Bosh: after all that talk about wanting to be the MVP, he’s hit a wall and can only score in bunches when playing lesser opponents like the Clippers…hell, he can’t even will the Raps to a win against the Thunder! But still, I love Bosh, his game is sick…I just hope they get him some legitimate help otherwise he’s leaving to play with Lebron in 2010…wherever Bron ends up.

(Insert rest of Raptors roster): Oh shit, you’re on the Raptors? No wonder we suck so bad.

All in all, the Raps need to play with more of a chip on their shoulder…but I think that’s doubtful since we’re stacked with Euro players. And if you take a look at the teams Colangelo has put together in the past, he always assembles soft ass Euro teams…like the Phoenix Suns.

What I would suggest for the Raps to improve is go for a night out in Toronto’s club district and start a fight @ Vince Carter’s club, preferably with Vince Carter because he’s just as soft as Euro players and will scream for his Mom instead of punching back. Even better, have Jose Calderon and Roko Ukic get coked the f**k up and be the one’s to instigate the fight...if that’s not possible, establish a reputation of being “dirty” players by punching and tripping people when ref’s aren’t looking. They could even punch a random fan when they start booing at the ACC like Ron Artest.

These pictures sum up the Raptors…and sadly it’s a couple pictures of Vince Carter. I think everyone in Toronto hates him because he just set the standard of softness for the Raps…

Although, I have to admit that Vince in his hey day definitely gave us a lot to cheer about. Especially these pics, they are arguably the sickest dunks ever seen at the NBA level:
Anyway, I’ve wasted enough time @ work…Happy Holidays!
Don’t forget to check my website: djdotcom.webs.com

Why tha hell did I start a blog?

2008-12-12T13:11:00.000-08:00

So it's been a week since I last wrote anything in here...why tha f**k did I start a blog? I'm a parent, I don't have time for this crap! Now I feel obligated to post stuff on a weekly basis...

I'm starting to get tired and am looking forward to some time off over the holidays. It isn't easy coming into work every damn day when you'd rather be doing other things...i swear, if I was 6'6" and given the natural abilities and basketball skills of Michael Jordan, then I'd be...well, Michael Jordan...get what I'm saying???

Anyway, I'm not even going to get started on what I'd rather be doing than my day job so check out some of my past mixes: uptownmixes.mypodcast.com It's been a while since i've done a mix so I think one is due by the end of the year. Eventually, I'll get a set on there from Logan...maybe a back 2 back set or something. But based on how quickly he's picked up the art of DJing, he might not even need me....

Manny Pacquiao & Real Pinoy Heroes

2008-12-05T08:41:00.000-08:00

While watching Russell Peter's new DVD, he made an interesting comment that made me think about my heritage and what it meant to be Pinoy. He said that racially he was Indian but he was culturally Canadian. This really got me thinking about my heritage as a Filipino-Canadian. Heritage has a lot of importance to me because although my son will be born and raised here, he is still ½ Filipino (his mother is Canadian) and it is important to me that he knows and understands what Pinoy pride is about, the values that accompany it and the importance of maintaining that heritage.

The other day I caught all the Pacquiao/DeLa Hoya 24/7 episodes to date and I really don't know what to think of this fight. So much of it seems fabricated and superficial and at the end of the day, I've realized that this fight is all about money…DeLa Hoya is saying the same stuff he says before all his fights, clips of Manny and his "entourage" and how much he means to the Philippines and how much money he generates for American promoters, trainers etc. It's all a win-win situation for both fighters and their camps regardless of the outcome…they will all walk away richer than all of the Philippines and then some. But there are deeper questions & cultural issues I see when it comes to Manny.

This sounds bad, but I find it amusing that our current national hero is an uneducated guy from General Santos City who makes a living beating people up…you always hear "Manny unites Filipinos" or "crime rate drops in the P.I. (Philippine Islands) when Manny fights" It makes me wonder why leaders in my motherland can't do what Manny does for my people. As I sit back and watch casual boxing fans, if fans at all, jump on the Pacquiao bandwagon, I wonder if any of these people understand what it truly means to be Filipino…what it means to overcome poverty and political corruption like our parents did before Manny. Don't get me wrong, I am indeed a proud Pinoy but I am in no way an Encyclopedia of the Philippines and I often ask myself "do I know enough about my heritage?" Being raised in Canada, everything I do know about our motherland and our culture are things passed on to me from my parents, grandparents, aunts & uncles. Although I am "Canadian", I still feel VERY Filipino in my values, my beliefs, my accent and vocabulary that sometimes comes out of nowhere and of course the food I eat! In spite of all that, there is still an overwhelming desire for me to go to the Philippines (I've only been there once when I was 6 years old!) and experience and witness life there firsthand. As I get older, I even feel a need to read up on the history of the motherland just so that I can have the satisfaction of knowing where I came from….knowledge of self that I can pass on to my son.

I also wonder if Manny's in the back pocket of the politicians. Being uneducated and knowing how people are in the P.I., is he being exploited for his fame & fortune as well? Everyone praises him and adores him in the P.I. but how many of them just want a piece of his money and fame? Should I be embarrassed that he actually ran for office with no political qualifications, education & experience? Or should I be proud that someone who basically had the same upbringing as my parents has achieved success in western society? He is very patriotic and appears to be helping a lot of the poor "back home". Handing out money is one thing, using your influence and power to encourage education & development in the P.I is another. Hopefully, when Manny decides to hang the gloves up, he uses his new found power to push development in the Philippines.

It is sad that in a 3rd world country where poverty, corruption, starvation, homelessness and lack of good leadership runs rampant, the only salvation and hope our people have is NOT in educated professionals, NOT in the political system, NOT in heroes like Dr. Jose Rizal but in a fighter. Sure, Manny embodies so much that is Filipino: his work ethic, his never quit attitude, his pride, his love for music, cock-fighting and basketball LOL. But aside from his profession/career, how different is he from the many Filipinos that have left the motherland to better themselves? How different is Manny Pacquiao from my Dad who, like many of our parents, went through all the hardships in the P.I., came to Canada went through hardship AGAIN, endured racism & prejudice only to become a success, raise a family and make contributions to charities in the Filipino Community? Well, he isn't that much different and I think THAT is where and why our people love Manny. Throw away his high profile status and he looks like someone who can pass for a family member…a cousin or Uncle. Based on the way many "proud Filipino's" (seriously, how many western raised Filipinos know what it really means to be "Pinoy" and the history of our people?) are calling him a hero and the way our people are defining "hero", it's obvious that all OUR parents who immigrated are heroes. Our parents endured poverty & corruption and continually send money back to those less fortunate in the P.I…my Dad has gone as far as to preach and lecture about the importance of education to students at schools he attended in the P.I. If Filipino's are looking for a hero, then they need to look no further than their own homes and families. But in the meantime, MABUHAY ANG PILIPINAS, LABAN NATIN TO…GO MANNY!

Here's a pic of my Lola with 2 of her Great Grandchildren. She'll be 95 years old in 2009 and has outlived 2 of her 9 children. She is the epitomy of Filipino toughness and is still devoted to my Lolo who passed away before I was even born (R.I.P. Lolo). Now THAT is a Filipino Hero!