My neck, my back....

is JACKED UP!!

if you haven't heard the bizarre story of how I got hit by a car back in '03 then just know it caused some major problems for my neck and back. I went to a chiro back in the day but i'm still not 100%

went to see this new chiropracter. got x-rays. went back to chiro for follow up and man... i couldn't stop laughing after the info i got. let's start with my neck.

you see that red line to the right of my cervical column?

that's how my/any neck should curve.

typically, if you're involved in an accident, then 'whiplash' occurs where the cervical column becomes straight.

[hey, check out the fillings in my teeth! ;) ]

aight... see those dotted lines.. that's the straight line my atlas and shoulders should take.

the red line is where neck and shoulders take.

oh yeah, the vertical line is where my spine should align.

why is that? at the top of the spinal column is a bone called the ATLAS.

This bone is crucial to almost everything that you do: mood, emotions, how you sleep, motor functions, etc.

The reason is because it houses the brain stem. if this bone is off in any way, then bodily functions are "altered".  Mine is tilted, as a result so are my shoulders slightly, AND my left hip...

[my chiro did notice that my lungs are "nice and clean" and that my "heart looks great" =} ]

well whaddya' know...

Chiro showed me all these x-rays and all i could do is just laugh in amazement.

i'm a nerd so it was kinda fascinating to see what's going on inside...

so what's the solution for all this..?

getting my Atlas adjusted.

There's a device that kind of looks like a dentist drill that has a tip the diameter of a ball point pen and is rounded.

It simply gives off a sonic vibration that re-aligns the atlas.

 [oh yea, my right leg is slightly shorter than the left. ]

so I lay on my side and the chiro places the tip of the device right behind my right ear and slightly lower [location of the atlas].

and with one simple thud i'm done.

believe it or not it works. 

i walked out of there and my walk felt different.

while driving in my car, my neck felt different.

i'll come back twice a week for about 6 weeks for treatment and all will be well...

2011 is going to be the best year yet for me.

so maybe the cure to A.D.H.D and other illnesses aren't medicines...

maybe it's just a good crack in the neck

[thank God for insurance!]

BOOYAH!

Tron review

The first version of this film was pretty advanced for an 80's film.
It showed the sign of the times of technological advances of the decade.

In a nutshell, a team of scientist build a machine that can break anything down to it's molecules, scan the data, and put it back together (possible?). An ex-scientist named Kevin Flynn [Bridges] turned game-junkie investigates his old software that's been seized by a tech corporation [ENCOM] that those scientist work for. Bridges snoops around the lab to hack a computer to reclaim the identity of his software. While he's snooping the 'scanning' invention scans him and he's transported into the digital world ["The Grid"]. Programs are personified and are manipulated in creative ways...


28 years later, TRON Legacy picks up with Flynn stuck in the grid with a son left behind. Flynn reclaimed the identity of his software in the first film, yet, nowhere to be found, Encom has been taken over by the board of directors. Flynn's son Sam [Hedlund] has about 55% ownership of the corporation in stock and wants nothing to do with the corporation. Kevin Flynn's old co-worker Alan [Boxleitner / Tron] is apart of the board of directors and is a harbinger for Sam that he has received a page from Sam's father. Sam checks out his dad's old arcade 'Flynn's' and discovers an old computer in his dad's private office. While trying to find out what his dad's old password may be the scanner device from the original is in the room. Sam inadvertantly sets it off to have himself scanned and  is whisked away to the grid.

Up to that point the viewer is rediscovering the plot of the original and playing some catch up. Once Sam is in the grid, put your seatbelt on. The film is a fast ride that you don't get off of until the very end.

This more futuristic grid is AMAZING & EYE-POPPING! Sam does find his dad and a lot more than he bargained for. Survival is a must. "Like father like son" Sam is quick witted and doesn't play by the rules of the world that he's in.

One of my favorite scenes/areas in the movie is when Sam finds his dad. Kevin Flynn's home is like something I've never seen before. It's very futuristic and minimalistic at the same time.

You really have to see this film.

A Gaggle of Geese

I open my door one saturday morning to go to my devo and....

out with the old....

just a couple of months ago... [ weeks ago ] i was super broke.

the past two years have SUCKED........... beyond sucking.....

in '06 I was kinda on top of the world working at merrill lynch as a financial advisor until i didn't pass my series 7 exam.

i landed a job at bank of america flipping through docs while getting my AA at FCCJ (at the time).
the economy rolled over and i just so happened to audition at JU for a scholarship for photography.

what seemed like a good shift in life "just in the nick of time"  turned out to be one of the biggest trials of my life..
... becoming a full time student... with full time bills.... in a crappy economy .... living with my parents.... with a thirst for partying...  indeed was the most trying time of my life.

drugs, sex, n alcohol back in the merrill days.... oh what a time. ....
imagine the complete opposite but negatively paralleled : broke, desperate, and stressed.
the "light at the end of the tunnel" was photography.

>>>>>>>FLASH FORWARD 2 YEARS>>>>>>>> graduated in May.
SUMMER SUCKED... if you could plug a mike up to my brain... you would hear...
"PARTYING SUCKS NOW... "
"drugs, sex, alcohol have no benefit to me now"
"what is going to happen to me in this new chapter of my life?"

it was like playing a OUIJA board in my head by myself.

Having explored all the boundaries of life I've come to the conclusion that biggest benefits I've had in life have been while 'walking with God' and obeying his commands.

through thick and thin i've been a faithful tither... since about 07 until now.

i say that not to brag but to declare that i'd probably be dead had I not.

Tithing & sinning = learning life the hard way.

being a hokey pokey believer and "the life of the party" wasn't really working out for me.

my craziness hit a head last december and i just totally gave in to God....

i became an usher at my CHURCH [click me] in January and week after week God's been clipping off my "dead branches"

the taste for partying has subsided. my ego has shrunken. as well as my arrogance. i've seriously become a better version of my self... a completely new person. ...

oh yea... remember me talking about how not too long ago I've been super broke?

well... in an economy where MILLIONS are unemployed... God granted me with a permanent position at Bank of America as a Short Sale Negotiator. in short - I help people avoid going into foreclosure.

It's a rewarding position and I'm super thankful. The job has very little stress, a gym that I go to during lunch [ with towel service ;) ], an awesome campus... and it's kinda too good to be true y'kno?

with the new car [ http://reggietaylor.blogspot.com/2010/10/new-ride.html ] and new glasses [ http://reggietaylor.blogspot.com/2010/10/best-eye-exam-ever.html ] it seems that things are moving up for me. i'm due to move out of my parents house next month.. and then... i will embark upon Haiti.

... :)

it's as simple as that.

SK8RZ

i've rode pass this skate park many times.
the general age level of those who come to this park is between 13 - 18.
while waiting to begin a photo shoot i caught some shots.

these kids are pretty inspring.

this kid had to have been the best out there that day...
... he just had more guts than everybody out there.

new Ride

... you know the expression "ride it 'til the wheels fall off" ?

well, that was almost the case for me with my last car.

it got to a point where the alignment was very off, leading repairs to become quite more frequent on a car that had $900 to go in payments.

as a new college grad and recent hired employee of Bank of America,

the opportunity for me to trade for a newer car became suitable.

swimming through ads, I came across '03 Toyota Camry SE V6.

It was perfect!!

66K miles

$8990.

It was a good car deal.

check it out... notice the 'hand' in one of the pictures.... it makes me think that I've been blessed and God's got his hand over me.



i feel pretty honored and blessed to get this car last week. Thank you God.

...........Get this

..... woke up this morning.

.... looked at my car.

....passenger rear was flat.

rolled to the nearby gas station with hazard lights on...

...filled tire with air.

got a massage. ;) went to flea market.

hit up the tire shop on the corner.

visited friend's shop to talk about audio equipment.

went to my favorite taco stand.... RIGHT NEXT TO the tire shop.

i get summoned to check out my tire...

... which had a stick in it...

...a stick!!

I can see a nail or a screw, but a STICK!

the tech showed me the tire and indeed the stick was the diameter of a pinky!

recently cut..

when and how that happened... i'm amazed.

got a new tire.

point A.

point B.

[voted too].

Best Eye Exam: Ever!

new job.

dual monitors.

astigmatism. 

[The term comes from the Greek α- (a-) meaning "without" and στίγμα (stigma), "a mark, spot, puncture]

I need glasses.

I stare at a screen all day. two actually.

with astigmatism... in photography terms...

it's like looking through a lens and not being able to have a sharp focus. 

not 100% y'kno?

from the recommendation of my mom , i went to eyeglass world.

exam: 40.

retina photos: 20.

I did my prelim tests with a tech: puff of air in the eye, look at the house in the distance; blinding light [twice].

went into another room to wait for eye doctor for part 2 of exam.

..... in walks in Dr. Rachel Kain.

She's the most attractive optometrist that has ever examened me. 

... .you guys know me.. and know that i'm outspoken. 

I say, "wow, you're young to be a doctor" {she couldn't have been a year older than me} 

She attested that she knew all of the studying involved with college and wanted to be done with it ASAP.

my respect for her broke the meter and I was somewhat captivated by her beauty and high level of ambition.

to check my eyes she had to get in my grill... and it was pretty awesome.. haha. i was so close to such a hot... doctor.. she checked my eyes one at a time... shining a light in my eye as I looked to the side.

my eyes "are healthy".

to carry a conversation... and ask about a question i filled out on the survey..

i asked her... "what's a floater?"

i normally don't see floaters in my eye(s) unless it's bright light and my eyes are closed.

i've seen em before

even seen a bit on family guy about it. 

so... since i was in the presence of a professional who has devoted

a portion of her life to this...

i asked her. 

 i was kinda glad i asked her something to spark conversation. she could have said they were mutant ants designed to hatch in the eye and eat the brain and it wouldn't have mattered...

however, to paraphrase it's something that's literally floating in your eye.

wiki - eye floater: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eye_floater

i read the line.... T C V E D.

dude... i'm 20/20!!!!!!!!!!

i have 20/20 vision!!!!!!

In my opinion..... i have crappy vision...

but it's only because of my astigmatism that i don't see as best  i can...

"which is better: 1 or 2?

...1or2?"

"three or four?

...3or4?"

"or about the same?"

that continued on for about 5 minutes.

until... both eyes were fine tuned.

i got 2 frames fro $78 bucks. benefits havent' kicked in so i had to pay out of pocket.

i'll use all of the above as a tax write off though... so i know i'll get my money back. [woot to my tax preparer!]

i've been wearing my glasses the entire time i've been blogging this and i must say that my vision is rather nice right now... it's pretty awsm. Gloria Dios!

as a photographer... it's like looking at a focused imaged through my lens.

Fellowship

Yesterday was awesome.

After church, I prepared myself to go to the beach to take pix for my buddy Matt Killen. He's taken the initiative to sell tie-dye shirts. I called up my buddy Ciaran to come with me. i invited more friends.. but it's cool that the people who were involved are Christians.

as I'm typing this, my mom is in surgery having an ovarian cyst removed. i'm in the family waiting area with my brother and my dad.  we're chillin' now but everyone's been on pins and needles except me. I'm glad for the time that I had yesterday b/c I had to get away from the stress. my mom's a soldier... she's loving... kind... blunt.... not really in-your-face... but she comes from humble beginnings. my dad's kind of the opposite haha. so ... it's been crazy leading up to the time before my mom's surgery. my mom isn't all big into us buying her flowers and stuff like that. she's tough as nails y'kno? but generous and sweet...
tempers were flaring so i had to get away and go to the beach to take pix for my buddy.  having ciaran come was cool.

Ciaran brought his guitar and as we got to the beach he busted out a tune.

his tune was melodic but also included a rap

my buddy K.C. was there as well, but he was buried under homework so he couldn't join us much.

After Ciaran busted out the freestyle we started taking pix a bit for Matt's tie dye shirts.

before we went throughout the beaches taking pix... my buddy asked if I could pray for him.

what an honor. in the new testament, it's big to 'lay hands' on someone when you pray for them as a sign of enhanced faith when praying. Ciaran, Matt, and I placed a hand on KC and I prayed for him.

It's awesome to be used like that for God and for his people. Just reaffirms that my past is not my present and that God can use anybody. Game's not over y'kno? 

we rode around the beaches taking pix in different spots... houses... lawns... pile of mulch... a park...  and most of all... traveling with guitars. i felt like we were a group of troubadors from the 'olden days'.

here's some previews.

after pix... we went to the beach to chill.

since the weather is cooling off... we knew that it won't be hot for much longer. it was a good chill time. i meditated then read chapter one of Craig Groeschel's 'Chazown' [hebrew word for 'Dream'/ 'Vision'. pronounced khkhaw-ZONE (make sure you get that hacking sound)].

my buddies are big into meditation as well. while i was reading they were in the water.. but when they came back.. they laid down, began to meditate,  and i read to them part 1 and 2 of chapter 1. It was good practice for me since I want to be an audio reader/ voice talent. As the sun was setting we went back to matt's to drop him off, said goodbye, and Ciaran and I rode back to Arlington. 

we were all one one accord. Matt ministered to us from Matthew. I prayed for KC. Ciaran played music. It was a good wholesome time.

Praise God.
Peace out guys.





New Job

My new job that I've been blessed with is phenominal. I'm a Short Sale DIL Negotiatior for Bank of America.

In a nutshell a short sale is selling something at a loss. ie. I agree to purchase a laptop for 1000. I pay 50 bucks a month. I'm doing good making payments until one day I'm unable to make payments. A couple of months go by in default and I am in trouble with this agreement. Just to get this property off my hands I sell it for 600.

That's a shabby example of a short sale... but you get the jist of it.

That is what I will be doing for my job. millions of americans are in danger of losing their home to foreclosure. my job will be doing whatever I can to negotiate with the seller/agent to gather necessary documents in order to help the seller sale the property avoiding curtailment and foreclosure.

I feel blessed to have this job. I'm truly going to be helping people. Saving lives. How's the company I work for you ask? So far in my first week of training... they treated us like royalty. Catered breakfast. Lunch vouchers everyday. What more can you ask for. There was a LOT of information to go through regarding mortgages... buyers... sellers... appraisals... damage... squatters.... duplex.... occupancy.... deadline dates... .

it's like a race..... a race to save the house. i'm going to have to be super organized and keep up with the progress of the files........ {this is going to be so awesome}

This job is going to open up so many doors for me. I'll catch up on bills. Hopefully take a missions trip to Haiti this December. get an iPad ;) HELP family. my car is almost paid off... so ... i'm just thrilled... I was doing cartwheels when I found out that I had the job. Now I'm kinda feel like i'm stepping up to the plate y'kno? God blessed me with this awesome job.

Like I told my buddy's yesterday.... Imagine someone handing you this glowing white crystal... and you know that it will have the power to change your life!

you look at it with anxiety, excitement, doubt, but in the back of your mind... you know that it will change your life in a great way.

I've seized this opportunity and starting to feel the effects from the white crystal. [payday is going to totally make me feel these effects haha. ]

but yea... it's like... i'm being elevated and becoming more humble at the same time.
i've changed a lot in my life... and I give total credit to God for this opportunity. I have to be like Clark Kent now. at this job with an "S" on my chest.

Thank God.

I'll let you guys know how I"m doing in my job come January.

incubation / maturation

the next chapter of my life started today: first 'good job' after college.

i'm not a teen loitering at the mall anymore. 

i'm not spending quarters upon quarters in the arcade anymore.

i'm not drooling in my books studying for finals anymore.

i'm not partying all night anymore.

no turning back. 

 for the past month i've been unemployed relying on prayers and photo shoots for survival.

it's as if i've been crossing a pond with unsturdy stepping stones as a path. i've got a lot of things going good for me. however, i'm still a human being. i'm not invincible to the variables of life.

my faith: God, devo's, my Celebration family, my close friends, my parents, and music have really helped me to keep my sanity.

i worked out a lot during the off month... although i did get complacent in doing nothing [the price is right!] , i attempted to fill this 'empty schedule' as much as possible. I swam laps at JU pool about 4-5x week. worked out about 3-5x week. and played disc golf about 2-3x week. knowing that my new job was coming up... it was truly awesome to just chill and treat the time in between jobs as a vacation from life. if only my cell phone was off it would have been a renaissance much like the break i took from facebook in august. [ THAT was awesome].

In this economy i consider myself to be super blessed to have such a high paying job with an awesome company^✝. the position that I have is called a Short Sale Negotiator for Bank of America. I feel great about this position since I'm truly going to be helping people - preventing foreclosure.

for whatever reason, i've been feeling nervous, anxious, scared to start the job. my training is 8-5 so i decided to go to a men's breakfast at my church at 7am to start this chapter/job/day/week off on a good foot. The message was about putting on the armor of God. also from ephesians 6: 5-6 "work with obedience not with eyeservice". I really needed to hear that because I give good eyeservice when I'm at work. haha. i guess the nervousness was me not wanting to 'drop the ball' on this job... of the millions of unemployed Americans I've been given this rare opportunity that I don't want to thwart by my own actions.....  i want to give 100% on this one.... not 75%.

the job is going to have continental breakfast daily through training and free lunch all week.... how nuts is that!??!

I feel that I'm really in a good place right now.

having woke up so early this morning.... men's breakfast.... non-eventful training ... disc golf... gym...ironing... and now blogging.... i'm super exhausted at QUARTER TIL 11. deng. gotta shake last month off of me.

to be continued...

sub30

GIVE

Discapades.

Today was somewhat of an adventure. Luncheon. Business meeting.  Went walking about 1.5 miles through some new nature trails. Then… disc golf. On a temporary setback… my cell phone is off. I left civilization and hit the course. Stretched. Hole 1. +1. Deng. There was a group of 4 ahead of me. Hole 2. PAR. Caught up with the group on Hole 3. They vied for me to play ahead. I bashfully stated ‘I’m not too good on this hole” and had a pretty decent drive. One of the four insisted that I join their group and play along with them, so I did. I’m glad I did. It turns out the 4 were originally groups of 2 that merged to play doubles. Leaving me to get 2 chances on either my drive, approach, or put shot. This was pretty cool. Hole 4. Awesome drive. Par! 5. Whack drive. +1. Instead of cutting to the two holes in the woods, the group opted for the back holes that continued straight on after 4. Drive:Woods. Second drive ;) ...next two holes. par. got closer to hole than the doubles. then the woods. had the most AWESOME tomahawk ever on the first hole in the woods. it landed about 5 feet away from hole. -1! next hole. par. ok. the hole coming out of the woods is my favorite. +1 though.

THEN........... THE LAKE.

my confidence about playing the lake holes was high having played the lake twice now. my discs typically go left. 2 of the 5 from our group did not make it pass the first hole... i was one of them.... tisk. it never happened before... however.. my disc landed about 5 feet from bank.. not too much of an issue right? prideful and stubborn.... i wanted to get my best disc. our elder of the group recommended getting it in the end due to the 'contents' of the lake.  One from the group offered to go in. the double of the samaritan had to go at that point so that offer was not redeemed. 2 of the 5 left.  then another. leaving just me and another player, who is originally from michigan. a cocky talkative (yet good) teenager joined us and we became a trio.  at that time we're still at the lake. a group that was a hole ahead of us was fishing out discs from the lake with this 'contraption'. a guy who we opted to pass us was akin to these disc fishers and mentioned to them that my disc was in the lake. with this contraption many attempts were made to fish out my disc. "I think I felt it" however the accuracy of the device was VERY hit or miss. meanwhile 'frolfer's' were still playing.

lo and behold... another poor chap made my same mistake and threw his disc in almost the very same location that my disc landed. ;) he made a beeline to the edge of the bank where this new clan of frolfers congregated to witness the spectacle of this device and the wielder that was fishing out my disc. the guy wielding the device seemed  average height from a distance but about 6'5" in reality. he was accompanied by a very fit and cute girl with glasses> the guy who passed us> and a kid in camo gear>  plus the guy from michigan who I played with earlier> and the teenager. we all witnessed the poor chap come towards us... take his shirt off and go straight into the lake!!!

MIND YOU... this lake is inhabited by turtles. Having owned a turtle before in a small tank with NO filter... turtles... like humans... use the bathroom... I literally had to change the tank water on a daily basis. So you can only imagine what was in this lake that's about 300 feet across. i braved to get knee deep before this happen but to no avail. However the poor chap became my benefactor as he found my disc. The giant frolf fisher managed to find a disc in the lake which once belonged to the guy who we let skip us before we saw the giant  fisher. crazy huh? I thanked the guy who found my disc and the trio continued.

OH YEA.!!! one of the 5 from before gave me a driver because of what happened to me!!! SCORE!!!!
and i got my disc back. NIIIIIIIIIIIIICEEEEE!!! The trio and I continued to play the course. all was average. I went to the gym thereafter.

The whole evening made me realize how cool some people are in this world. especially those who play disc golf. I've met some very generous people while playing the sport.

Moral: PLAY DISC GOLF!

St. Photios Shrine

On a Labor Day trip down to St. Augustine, Florida, my camera and I went wandering.

I've been to St. Aug many times, however, this time I walked blocks and blocks in areas my lens led me to.

I came across this very special place:

The St. Photios Shrine 

[Greek Orthodox] 



cet fin de semaine

this was a different kind of weekend.
friday movie.
saturday devo, powderpuff pix , bbq, football, nap, football, then uneventfulness.
sunday spent all day in church.

breakdown.
fridays in jax typically suck. since... this city.... is not like major cities where there's always something to do.
i used to revel for fridays/saturdays b/c i partied ALL the time before 2010. however, it was almost like a zombie ritual that eventually left me jaded. to be honest, i'm numb when it comes to bars/clubs. guess a DUI will do that to ya. that's for another blog. i did chill with one of my best friends and it feels good to actually chill now. i feel like an old tightwad by not going out like i used to. but i'm saving so much more money. i'm not putting myself in jeopardy b/c sadly... i don't drink to unwind.....i drink to get drunk... so..... slowly but surely... im stopping to drink as much. my goal is to stop drinking by 2011.

since i stopped partying as much.. i haven't touched a cigarette this year. b/c.... i smoked when i drank. which is when i partied. however, since i barely party anymore, the drinking is beginning to subside.

saturday...

if 5 of 7 days of the week are meant for work, saturday gives you that option of completing work for yourself (to-do list, oil change, etc). it's not necessarily a kick back kinda day unless you plan it to be. i woke up. went to devo (great msg in romans 14 about not judging. paul is the bomb. just don't judge people or become a stumbling block for your brother. i.e, inviting a recovering alcoholic to a wine tasting), took pix at a fundraising event for a missions trip to costa rica. chilled out. went to a bbq at marques/jada's, gave caccum this OLD pic with him and trask in a very eventful day way back when. gave jada disc from our photo shoot (pix soon). witnessed the awsm victories for FSU, UF, GA, AL. SEC is a boss right now.

sunday.
church. ushered at 11 30. had lunch with kenny and yamnitz. went back to church. worked on 'focused VOICES' fan page<  invited friends. went to a meeting. got support. ushered at 5 30. received communion and passed out communion for the first time. however, having received communion many times, I was well familiar with communion, the process, and its meaning. Now that I'm an usher, I've received great satisfaction in what I do. I feel like a farmer planting seeds in a field.

I'll never forget the first couple of weeks that I ushered. It was like a magical feeling to be able to find people seats for church. Disney didn't pay me to say that. .... it just gave me the feeling of doing something that's bigger than me. I felt special because it made me feel valued and instantly gave me a feeling of honor. As a man, I feel that the feeling that I experienced all guys should experience. All men want to feel that they have a sense of honor, valor, integrity. If you don't go into the military, this feeling of honor would be a close second.

Yamnitz asked if i could cover for him at the 5 30 service. so i did. it's been a while since i've been to a 5 30 and kind of thought it would be same ol. it wasn't. sights and sounds are enhanced. what i wasn't prepared for (mentally) was communion. it's been a while since i've received communion (b/c it's offered at 530 and i don't usually go to that one). I didn't expect the heaviness of offering communion to people. A slower more moving song was being played at the time when communion began and the people came! Imagine that feeling of honor being amplified infinitely. I helped people take part in one of the oldest traditions a follower of Jesus could ever do. The very event superceded anything about who I was at that moment.

Very moving and powerful.

I came home, ate a plate spilling in protein: tilapia, chicken breast, polish sausage, hamburger. NO BREAD, NO SIDES, just protein (with some manzanillas here and there for diversity ;). watched 60 minutes. got online. networked. pix. blogged.

going to st. aug in the morning.
The End.

weight loss update

started at 240 August 1st.

Down to 227 as of yesterday

THANK YOU BODY BY VI !!!!!!

I'M STILL GOING until November 1st!

read those labels

0 trans fat?
look in the ingredients - (partially) hydrogenated oil IS trans fat.

French Inception?

Alright... if you know me, then you know I've been raving over the film Inception.
Here's a quick FYI.
The Academy Award winning actress Marion Cotillard who played the creeping Mal in Inception won her Oscar for her role portraying famous French chanteuse Edith Piaf in the film La Vie en Rose. [Awesome film].

One of Edith Piaf's most famous songs is titled Non, je ne regrette rien { take a listen in a new window}

Ok. now that you heard that... does it sound familiar?

That was the song used in the film Inception to wake the dreamers up.

Voila.

tada!

This took a month to get online but..... here ya go! Reggie Taylor of Focused Voices Exclusive: Mieko

is this real?

waiting to be cuedstudio mgr on far right

reps from green plan america listening to the last take of me reading

studio mgr. editing my takevid/ sneak peek of green plan america ad

smile of satisfaction

this to me is kinda what i was born to do y'kno?

it feels so right.

since i was about 18 or so i've had this deep voice.

'older' ppl would say to me - "wow, you have a perfect voice for radio"

"you have a silver voice"

etc.

eventually i'll wake up from this dream....

... and be in my dream house.

and the Emmy goes to...

.... Modern Family..

I've been saying this for about a year, but that show is hilarious!
Very intelligently written.
LAUGH OUT LOUD COMEDY.

Columbian Actress Sofia Vegara said something that had me dying laughing.

"In my country we say 'Love is just around the corner'. I come from a country with a lot of prostitutes"

divulgence

today after church I was able to follow up with Renae who visited Celebration for the first time. Not only did she bring her family, she wants to come back again and again. Glory to God! [+1 UP].

Patrick and his mom came back and he's wanting to move into a new industry of work as he's moving into this new phase of his life [engagement/wedding].

[DJ] Trevor [Rockwell] is coming back more and more. it's awesome to see someone that I used to party with back in the day commit to living a God-first Life.

Jerry came with me to church got plugged into celebracion iglesia. el toco la guitara y ellos tienen un grupo de musica. Es un connecion natural. Gloria Dios!

The best part of this sunday has been my post-service impartation to a miss Heather Lapointe.

It's awesome that she's a new believer and that I had the opportunity to give her spiritual guidance. She's looking for a roommate and Jerry needs a room so we all met up at Subway at the Town Center.

"when 2 or 3 are gathered in my name"...

Heather is brand new in her walk with God. she has broken up with her boyfriend of 8 years on August the 8th. [8 in the bible is a number representing 'new beginnings']. She has a heart for serving in the nursery or working with kids. She's beautiful inside and out. I feel really honored that I had something to do with her making a decision to want to live more for God. Living the life that I have lived it just goes to show the power of God and how all things - good or bad - work out for good for those who love God.

what a great place I am in now in life.
Hallelujah.

God can't do what?

my mind : blown.

worked a temp job at ADT for the past two months. during this August break from Facebook I've been focused on the jobs that I have had and building my portfolio website.

the assignment at ADT ended for me about 2 weeks ago and I start a new job tomorrow with Convergys.
not too shabby in this recession right? Thank God.

In addition to getting the job opp doing Health Insurance Sales for a large company, I received word that Bank of America - Aerotek is willing to give me an interview this coming thursday to become a Short Sale Negotiator.

I've been trying to get back into BofA since I graduated.
Having worked there before, my mother working there, and knowing high people, I feel that I am at the right place at the right time.

with more collaborations than Lil' Wayne it seems that many many things are working in my favor.

This site is going to do so much for me.

Legitimate exposure of my art work, e-commerce, email, blog, networking, and simply adding value to someone else's life through my work.

Last winter I took the first step towards becoming a voice talent.
My demo can be found at http://soundcloud.com/rip2
Tomorrow, I will record my first commercial that will be featured on 105.3 progressive radio.

Very cliché but you can do anything if you put your mind to it...
[...p.s.  those things happen faster when you have God on your side...]

The Power of this Product

I've lost 10 pounds since August 1st (24 days) on the 90-day Body By Vi fitness and Weight Loss challenge.

With about 65 days left, I may still have time to have that beach body before the Fall.

This is the easiest and the most simple weight loss regimen that I have ever been on.

I'm drinking meal replacement shakes. They smell like cake mix and taste like a milkshake.

YOU'VE GOT TO TRY ONE!

Check out the Body By Vi Challenge for yourself.

http://fv.bodybyvi.com/

Food Experiment

sometimes you win, sometimes you LOSE!

went to Publix, lady made some cajun sausage rice.. very delicious and simple to make.

i grabbed the recipe and made it to a T.

b/c i've started to eat a lot of fruits and veggies in my diet.... i had some leftover eggplant....

i thought to make some egg parm only without parmasean cheese and without bread crumbs...

i substituted swiss for the mozzarella... had NO parm.. and used crumbled up hot dog buns for bread crumbs hahahahaha!!!!!! ah man...... it looked great the first sample

i tried was semi-awesome... then i had another helping and the disgustingness revealed itself.


i'll def tear up the cajun rice.

i live in panera

devo group
worked on pix for the website.
prepaid consulation.
more pix..
uploads...
COLD A/C

a Grigoryan affair

power

as an art history minor, I have to give it up to kanye.
this less than 2 minute video is compelling art work.
michelangelo-esque
it's clear he worked with writer/director Frank Miller or Zach Snyder on this video because of the style from 300.

say what you want, there's def a method to his madness.
WATCH POWER HERE

the parody for this video is hilarious.

WATCH POWER HOUR PARODY HERE

genesis

man....... i don't want to say what I'm getting myself involved in but this may be one of the best opportunities of my life ahead of me.

it's not about my photography. http://fvent.com ['coming soon]

it's not about the Body by Vi - 90 day Fitness & Weight Loss Challenge http://fv.bodybyvi.com

it's not about my church http://celebration.org

...totally different ball game.

...Harvest Season is RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER!

model mayhem

finally updated my model mayhem profile: #1275822

chance encounter

I met this monster of a model sunday while copping some new shades.
She was light skinned like Rihanna but lighter (high yellow), about 6'3" (no lie), and had a blonde mohawk/bang du. she just got her hair cut from a stylist right before I saw her and was trying on clothes.

I like an attractive tall chick that has the audacity to wear high heels. it speaks confidence to me. she was ironically both gangly and curvy... very unique.

After making small talk with the store clerk in walks this model. As I'm paying I tell the guy... 'man, she should model'.... not wanting to let the opp slip... I quickly grab a business card lying on the counter (not mine) and write my photography group link on facebook and my email. I stood outside and waited for her to come out...

It's tough to not come off like a creeper in this situation but I had to do what I had to do... just had that gut feeling y'kno?

but.... she continued to shop... I summoned the courage to go back in and just ask... "do you model?"

as fate has it.... she does.

Instead of demanding her number to stalk her into a photo shoot... I gave her the business card with my contact info. if she likes what she sees I told her to email me (i'm off facebook for the month of august) and I didn't give her my number b/c if she's serious she'll contact me. if i never see her again than at least I gave her a way to contact me.

i tell AJ a lot... I don't believe in luck..
luck didn't happen that day... i just went for it and made my own luck as TwoFace in Dark Knight would say.

the kicker for me is that I just got my amp fixed that morning so my bass was working again.... I was jammin' out as she left the store =p
as I left, I noticed her crossing the street in my rear view mirror.
it was as if she towered over the road only taking 2 steps to cross the street.

.... what a woman. ;)

Kissoonlal 50th Birthday Party

I was hired by Karona Kissoonlal to be the photographer for her father's 50th birthday party.

The location was upscale and her family was indeed loving.

Rohan Kissoonlal was born in Jamaica in meager conditions. With 7 other siblings he was raised with less than most. He had ambition and determination and was able to move to the United States where to pursue and education. Afterwards Kissoonlal began working in the collections agency.

Today he has his on collections agency where he employs over 60 people.

The ceremony for his birthday was very special. I feel very fortunate to be apart of such great people's lives and capture such a monumental occasion in one's life. What a blessing to reach 50 for anyone let alone have such a great quality of life in spite of his beginnings. His life on this earth and the success that he has achieved is a great testament to hard work and perseverance and the benefits of following a dream.

walking on water.

This stage in my life has been feeling like that lately.

What is opposition?
For me it's things keeping me from my goals and/or destiny.

Having God on my side and his blessing pouring out on me has definitely been making the impossible possible.

A co-worker of mine saw me ushering at Celebration and asked about it at work the following monday. he's engaged. about my age and is moving into a new direction in his life. he's interested in serving but didn't really know who to ask or where to begin. wanting to first speak with the pastor before making any decisions I was able to make the meet and greet happen thanks to Tarik (PSW's assistant and friend of mine). It's mind-blowing how God's using me (ex-sinner) to reach out to people.

If you think you have no use for the kingdom of God think again....
we all have talents, gifts, and abilities.

you snooze you lose.

What do you do?

I'm a warrior.

Man conference was amazing. very uplifiting and encouraging.

Messages were mainly from Genesis

Man Conference opener

This is my church.
This is my place of worship.

http://worship.celebration.org/

teeth

going to the dentist today was pretty awesome. - it's been so long -
i def don't miss getting x-rays. there were pretty annoying but was a trip to see later.

visited my buddies off plaza at the beaches. shared Celebration Church's new worship cd: http://worship.celebration.com

work.

met up with my good friend from Vero Beach who visited jax to figure out the fall semester.
LaBouef came up with a buddy. chilled at town center. yogaberry. aj saved the day and provided them a place to stay overnight. they went to see inception.

today was a good day overall... there was almost a fight at work.... (i know right...?)
pretty interesting. i feel pretty good that i'm a connector and well networked.

now instead of just seeing what I can get to benefit me.... i'm spreading the wealth and helping as many people around me as possible.

apple doesn't fall far from the tree... but i have a pocket full of seeds.

wed nite

gym
publix
sake
seaweed
seafood
chopstix
bleach
pix
kill bill (1)
shippuden
pix
skype
demo
website
atlanta
rhode island
canada
network
DENTIST am!
peace

Tropical Depression Five Forms

Tropical Depression Five has formed in the eastern Gulf of Mexico and tropical storm warnings have been issued for the northern Gulf Coast.

Fastest School Bus

for whatever reason. i think this leans towards being awesome.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=3GDUtNXw700

lost 4 pounds in 4 days!

get on the challenge!

http://fv.bodybyvi.com

pine family reunion

crown pointe plaza hotel
location was great.
weather was nice.
family was great!

i like

where my life is heading now. coming together with AJ from Twidget Media and Chris Burdett for Graphics building my website is a trifecta of intense awesomeness.

I can't wait to see the finished result.
i'm enjoying this break from facebook.
life is good.

Amadores

some good ol times 2007

beach

working on what would become my senior thesis at JU

chopping wood

tractor ridin

dog

learning to breakdance

duh

guilty pleasure

skype

focusedvoices

// http://fv.bodybyvi.com

august

lohan's out of jail. snookie's in jail. revolving door of retardation.

losing weight, making money: http://fv.bodybyvi.com/

the website is coming along great. Thanks AJ for putting up with my standards.

My shoot sunday with Alex Jarboe went extremely well. He's a 21 year old looking to get into the fitness industry. The kid is built like a horse. I hope the photographs from his shoot take him far.