“change is good”, “change is hard”, “change ... that’s life” ... I hear those a lot ... but in this instance, I’d pick the latter ... my little sis M&M and her “fiancée” Romeo left for San Diego yesterday morning ... but I didn’t find myself holding back tears at all ... it’s a day everyone knew was coming for over a year now ... people have been quizzing me about how I feel about M&M leaving, my response as always, “it doesn’t really bother me at all, the great thing is that it gives me another place in The States to visit, semi-regularly” ... which is true ... I can add that to the list, among others: New York City, Phoenix and Las Vegas ... on top of that Los Angeles is literally a commute from San Diego ... Am I gonna miss my sis? ... maybe eventually ... but, I’ll be seeing her a couple times over the next few months, in September for Tatsu/Carteron’s wedding and in November because I have some business to take care of in LA one of those weekends ... another reason why I don’t feel anything at the moment is because, M&M not living here is something I’ve already become accustomed to ... I mean, she left for school for four years, then she just moved back in early this year after 10 months of living elsewhere, so I’m used to it ... living with M&M and Romeo, like I said when they first moved in, there were really no concerns about finding a way to co-exist ... but man, I thought M&M and myself were polar opposites, but it’s the exact same thing with Romeo and myself ... after 3 months of living with the dude, I only found one similarity and that’s Mario Kart (something which he says he’s going into serious training for, in anticipation of my November visit) ... anyways getting on to M&M’s last few days here, the weekend before this past, we went to downtown at some bougie-a$$ restaurant, which wasn’t a shocker by any stretch, then afterwards hit up “The Fam’s” usual spot “Squid” ... I’ve got stories/jokes about that night, but maybe another time, another entry ... then this past weekend was the familia gathering at the house ... so M&M has moved onto the next phase of her life ... one of those life altering moves, where there’s no turning back ... good on her for doing it ... hell, like I’ve said time and again, the first offer that comes my way, I’d be gone from Toronto in a heartbeat ... change, a lot of the times you have no control over it and you can’t shy away from it either ... change ... that’s life ... so long M&M, best wishes and much love to you and Romeo ...
Peace!
~J-Smooth~
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Pugilism
-got my own countdown to May 18th, when Punch-Out!! makes its return to the virtual world ... the trailer above previews a few of the returning characters, in addition to a sneak peak into the game’s head-to-head player mode, something which the franchise’s original incarnation didn’t have ...
-from the virtual to the rumored ... there’s much internet buzz about a possible showdown between the returning Floyd Mayweather Jr. squaring up against none other than Juan Manuel Marquez ... when Marquez made the challenge just over a month ago, I laughed it off ... but this would be HUGE ... surprisingly, the hold up in this fight becoming official is not the “money”, but an agreeable catch-weight ... Floyd is looking to stick at 147 and Marquez is lobbying for a fight at 140 ... my opinion, Marquez is not exactly in a position of leverage at the moment for a number of reasons ... first, it was HIM that called Floyd out ... second, Marquez doesn’t exactly have a track record proving that he’s a big draw (case and point, Casamayor, Diaz) ... but if a fight does get signed, word is that it’s gonna be on July 18th, not the 11th which was initially said to be the date Floyd was looking to return ... I’ve read that HBO doesn’t want to compete with that other supposed prize fighting organization ... they should’ve done it, Floyd’s return would’ve blown those other guys out of the water ... last word on this fight, it seems almost a certainty that the winner would be in position to square off with the winner of “The Battle of East and West” ...
-from the rumoured to reality ... can’t believe that it’s just under two weeks away ... I’ve been watching HBO’s Pacquiao Hatton 24/7 series, great stuff ... on episode two, it’s probably the first time that I’ve seen the lighter side of Floyd Mayweather Sr. ... he seems really genuine about his love for his son Floyd Jr. and seems to have a lot of regret about their current estrangement ... anyhow, back to Manny Pacquiao ... he’s tapering down in his training now, even took a break in training to throw out the ceremonial first pitch at the San Francisco Giants game ... word is that the game was sold out ... what can I say, wherever “Pacman” is, the Pinoys come out ...
Peace!
~J-Smooth~
Saturday, April 18, 2009
NBA Playoff Predictions: 1st Round
I think that I should’ve held off on my initial take on the NBA Playoffs, considering recent events, ie. the seeding, Kevin Garnett’s injury ... but anyhow, here are my 1st Round playoff predictions ...
Cleveland Cavaliers (1) vs. Detroit Pistons (8)
-when Detroit traded Chauncey Billups, they lost the heart and soul of their team ... just goes to show what Allen Iverson’s all about, if he actually knew how to play with great complimentary players, there’s no reason why this club shouldn’t be contending ... the Pistons’ time of Eastern Conference dominance has pretty much run out ... at most they’ll be able to get one win out of this series ... Cavs in 5
Boston Celtics (2) vs. Chicago Bulls (7)
-KG’s injury is a serious blow to the Celtics’ quest for a repeat ... but that being said, they still have enough talent to get by the Bulls ... Celtics in 5
Orlando Magic (3) vs. Philadelphia 76ers (6)
-the length of this series is predicated on how well Dwight Howard’s supporting cast is shooting the basketball ... if they come out cold, I can see this series going six games ... but as long as two of their other starters play to their season averages, it’s pretty much lights out for the Sixers ... and everyone knows that they don’t have any answers for “Superman” ... Magic in 5
Atlanta Hawks (4) vs. Miami Heat (5)
-the Hawks have really developed over the past couple years ... the addition of Mike Bibby has really stabilized the team ... and the Hawks are young and athletic and pose tons of matchup problems for the Heat ... but it’s hard to ignore what Dwyane Wade has done this year, he’s literally put his team on his back ... if D-Wade is playing like he did in the 2006 Finals, this is going to be a very competitive series ... but, I just get the feeling that the Hawks will have too much and will run the Heat out of the building eventually ... Hawks in 6
Los Angeles Lakers (1) vs. Utah Jazz (8)
-Kobe Bryant ... nuff said ... Lakers in 4
Denver Nuggets (2) vs. New Orleans Hornets (7)
-this is probably going to be the most competitive series out of all the first round matchups ... the Nuggets have a lot of offensive firepower, but Chris Paul is just unreal ... it’s gonna be a very enjoyable PG matchup to watch between him and Chauncey Billups ... but I’ve thought this for a couple years now, Paul is surrounded by a bunch of guys that have over-achieved ... for the Hornets to win, James Posey has to keep Carmelo Anthony in check ... but that’s easier said than done ... Nuggets in 6
San Antonio Spurs (3) vs. Dallas Mavericks (6)
-here’s a series I could care less about ... the Mavs’ run, just like the Pistons, is pretty much over ... but I’m sure Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Terry will get hot for at least one game ... Spurs in 5
Portland Trailblazers (4) vs. Houston Rockets (5) -The Blazers! ... My Squad! ... Houston, no T-Mac, no chance ... Blazers in 4
Let's see just how psychic J-Smooth is ...
Peace!
~J-Smooth~
Cleveland Cavaliers (1) vs. Detroit Pistons (8)
-when Detroit traded Chauncey Billups, they lost the heart and soul of their team ... just goes to show what Allen Iverson’s all about, if he actually knew how to play with great complimentary players, there’s no reason why this club shouldn’t be contending ... the Pistons’ time of Eastern Conference dominance has pretty much run out ... at most they’ll be able to get one win out of this series ... Cavs in 5
Boston Celtics (2) vs. Chicago Bulls (7)
-KG’s injury is a serious blow to the Celtics’ quest for a repeat ... but that being said, they still have enough talent to get by the Bulls ... Celtics in 5
Orlando Magic (3) vs. Philadelphia 76ers (6)
-the length of this series is predicated on how well Dwight Howard’s supporting cast is shooting the basketball ... if they come out cold, I can see this series going six games ... but as long as two of their other starters play to their season averages, it’s pretty much lights out for the Sixers ... and everyone knows that they don’t have any answers for “Superman” ... Magic in 5
Atlanta Hawks (4) vs. Miami Heat (5)
-the Hawks have really developed over the past couple years ... the addition of Mike Bibby has really stabilized the team ... and the Hawks are young and athletic and pose tons of matchup problems for the Heat ... but it’s hard to ignore what Dwyane Wade has done this year, he’s literally put his team on his back ... if D-Wade is playing like he did in the 2006 Finals, this is going to be a very competitive series ... but, I just get the feeling that the Hawks will have too much and will run the Heat out of the building eventually ... Hawks in 6
Los Angeles Lakers (1) vs. Utah Jazz (8)
-Kobe Bryant ... nuff said ... Lakers in 4
Denver Nuggets (2) vs. New Orleans Hornets (7)
-this is probably going to be the most competitive series out of all the first round matchups ... the Nuggets have a lot of offensive firepower, but Chris Paul is just unreal ... it’s gonna be a very enjoyable PG matchup to watch between him and Chauncey Billups ... but I’ve thought this for a couple years now, Paul is surrounded by a bunch of guys that have over-achieved ... for the Hornets to win, James Posey has to keep Carmelo Anthony in check ... but that’s easier said than done ... Nuggets in 6
San Antonio Spurs (3) vs. Dallas Mavericks (6)
-here’s a series I could care less about ... the Mavs’ run, just like the Pistons, is pretty much over ... but I’m sure Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Terry will get hot for at least one game ... Spurs in 5
Portland Trailblazers (4) vs. Houston Rockets (5) -The Blazers! ... My Squad! ... Houston, no T-Mac, no chance ... Blazers in 4
Let's see just how psychic J-Smooth is ...
Peace!
~J-Smooth~
Friday, April 17, 2009
The Regimen
I’ve been stumped over what to do an entry on ... I figure I might as well let people in on my training regimen (well, where it is, at the moment) ...
TRAINING (Monday-Saturday):
first thing in the morning:
-100 curls, 100 presses, 100 push-ups ... how’s that for a 300 workout?
the official daily workout: (mid-day or early evening)
-30 minutes treadmill (alternating between jogging and sprints)
-15 reps bench press
-100 sit-ups
-20 reps, 4 sets each, of: presses, lateral raises, curls (with long curl bar) and curls (with dumbbells)
-after each set of dumbbell curls, a set of 25 push-ups
-Fridays and Saturdays, I add four sets each of 2 Total Gym exercises
Of course, the most important thing of any regimen is the diet ... I’m not “dieting” by any means, I love food too much ... but I have been watching what I eat ... people say no rice during training ... I say, “F*CK THAT!”, I’m Pinoy ... lastly, I do take my “cheat day” every week, I usually pick one weekend day, because I’m not home ...
NUTRITION:
-every morning, 2 hard-boiled eggs and a small bowl of oatmeal
-OK, time to plug a few food products ...
-I drink water on the regular, probably 1-2 glasses on the hour
-snacks have been limited to: Quaker Crispy Minis, Quaker Chewy Bars and Yogurt
-for lunch and dinner it varies, but if it includes rice, then the portion is a “fist” size
-sometimes, I have a sub from Subway, my usual order is a 6-inch chicken breast sub, toasted on whole wheat, loaded with all the veggies and topped with chipotle sauce
-another thing that I’ve been buying lately is Booster Juice ... best smoothies I’ve had by far ... I usually get the “Sonic Soy”
-before every workout, I drink a half-bottle of Gatorade or Vitamin Water ... I find that it keeps me hydrated longer on the treadmill, as opposed to water which has me feeling thirsty halfway through my cardio
-finally, after workouts, I down a protein shake
Well there you have it, where my training regimen stands at the moment ... as I’ve said on previous entries, I increase the intensity each week ... I do that by adding more reps, increasing the weight and increasing my time on sprints ...
I plan on training hard until the end of September ... at that point I’ll probably taper down to 3-4 workouts a week, but I will be working out regularly from here on out, there won’t be any hibernation this coming winter, it’s gonna be a year-round thing ... I’m really hoping that my conditioning pays off when I play basketball and golf this summer ... I fear the D-Mac that dares to challenge J-Smooth, LOL ...
Peace!
~J-Smooth~
TRAINING (Monday-Saturday):
first thing in the morning:
-100 curls, 100 presses, 100 push-ups ... how’s that for a 300 workout?
the official daily workout: (mid-day or early evening)
-30 minutes treadmill (alternating between jogging and sprints)
-15 reps bench press
-100 sit-ups
-20 reps, 4 sets each, of: presses, lateral raises, curls (with long curl bar) and curls (with dumbbells)
-after each set of dumbbell curls, a set of 25 push-ups
-Fridays and Saturdays, I add four sets each of 2 Total Gym exercises
Of course, the most important thing of any regimen is the diet ... I’m not “dieting” by any means, I love food too much ... but I have been watching what I eat ... people say no rice during training ... I say, “F*CK THAT!”, I’m Pinoy ... lastly, I do take my “cheat day” every week, I usually pick one weekend day, because I’m not home ...
NUTRITION:
-every morning, 2 hard-boiled eggs and a small bowl of oatmeal
-OK, time to plug a few food products ...
-I drink water on the regular, probably 1-2 glasses on the hour
-snacks have been limited to: Quaker Crispy Minis, Quaker Chewy Bars and Yogurt
-for lunch and dinner it varies, but if it includes rice, then the portion is a “fist” size
-sometimes, I have a sub from Subway, my usual order is a 6-inch chicken breast sub, toasted on whole wheat, loaded with all the veggies and topped with chipotle sauce
-another thing that I’ve been buying lately is Booster Juice ... best smoothies I’ve had by far ... I usually get the “Sonic Soy”
-before every workout, I drink a half-bottle of Gatorade or Vitamin Water ... I find that it keeps me hydrated longer on the treadmill, as opposed to water which has me feeling thirsty halfway through my cardio
-finally, after workouts, I down a protein shake
Well there you have it, where my training regimen stands at the moment ... as I’ve said on previous entries, I increase the intensity each week ... I do that by adding more reps, increasing the weight and increasing my time on sprints ...
I plan on training hard until the end of September ... at that point I’ll probably taper down to 3-4 workouts a week, but I will be working out regularly from here on out, there won’t be any hibernation this coming winter, it’s gonna be a year-round thing ... I’m really hoping that my conditioning pays off when I play basketball and golf this summer ... I fear the D-Mac that dares to challenge J-Smooth, LOL ...
Peace!
~J-Smooth~
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Pacquiao Hatton 24/7
2nd entry today, but this needs to be mentioned ... Pacquiao Hatton 24/7 ... even though Canada has HBO now, it will be airing on The Score on Sundays at 9PM ...
Peace!
~J-Smooth~
Peace!
~J-Smooth~
Facebook, Playoffs, FOX and more ...
Let me start you all off with a classic, not particularly a Common fan myself but this song is up there with the all-time greats ...
-I recently updated my status for my Facebook newsfeed ... It was intended to mock the, I’d say, 85% of people on Facebook who use the function to brag about their lives ... ie. “headed to Cancun” or “attending a Hollywood party”, almost begging for others to respond with “oh you’re so lucky” or “wow that’s amazing, I’m so jealous” ... I said that I was “lovin’ my new Range Rover” ... for those that I actually talk to, they’d know that this is impossible at the moment for me ... BUT, I wouldn’t lie, I really did get one, it just so happens to be a diecast 1:18 scale model ... I thought it would be so much of a stretch that people would respond along the lines of: “yeah right” or “in your dreams” ... it’s really comical of what Facebook has evolved into ... in a lot of cases used to brag and beef ... in other Facebook matters, I’ll probably get started on Phase 2 of Operation: Facebook Clean Sweep ... I cut about 70 on Phase 1 and I’m looking to take out 50 this time around ...
-when it comes to the NBA nowadays, the only things I tune in for are Dwight Howard, Dwyane Wade, Kobe Bryant and the Portland Trailblazers ... sad, but I’ve said it time and again, the league’s really been “p*ssied” down since the 80’s and early 90’s ... but I will give my two cents with regards to the playoffs coming up ... in the East, I don’t really care what Cleveland’s record says, Boston is still the team to beat ... Cleveland is The LeBron James Show, nothing more, the rest of their roster is filled with a bunch of guys that are over-achieving, ie. Mo Williams and Delonte West ... they only look more effective than they are because LeBron is attracting the doubles, triples on the regular ... matched up player-for-player with Boston in a 7-game series, I don’t think Cleveland can stop all 3 of the Celtics’ “Big Three” ... in the West, it’s the Lakers’ to lose ... but I’ve said it from Day 1 of the season, look out for Portland ... they’ve got the talent, youth and athleticism to compete with anyone ... I know the playoffs are a different ball game, but I wouldn’t be stunned at all should they upset the Lakers ... prediction: Lakers over the Celtics in the Finals ...
-I’ve been boycotting ABC for the past couple of years for cancelling “Invasion” and “The George Lopez Show” ... now it looks like I’m gonna have to start boycotting FOX ... from what I’ve been reading online, there is every indication that they’re gonna pull the plug on my favourite show “Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles”, which in my opinion is by miles the best show on television today ... I saw the writing on the wall when they moved the show to Friday nights, which is essentially the “graveyard shift” of television ... although nothing official has been announced, I’ve already resigned myself to the fact that the show won’t be around for a third season ...
-speaking of Terminator, they aired a preview for Terminator: Salvation, the fourth movie of the franchise ... regardless about what I think of Christian Bale, I really respect his acting ... I’m really looking forward to this movie, which comes out on May 21st ...
-what have I been up to lately? ... for those that want to know ... workouts and home renos ... I’m going on my ninth straight week of workouts, picking up the intensity each week ... as a result I’ve dropped about 11 pounds ... it’s really a drug, once you get started on a workout with a goal in that you’re dead set on reaching, it’s really hard to stop ... as for the home renos, I’m about ready to start with a new paintjob for my room and phase two of our basement construction ...
-finally, I’ve put down my deposit for Punch-Out!! ... May 18th can’t come soon enough!! ...
-I recently updated my status for my Facebook newsfeed ... It was intended to mock the, I’d say, 85% of people on Facebook who use the function to brag about their lives ... ie. “headed to Cancun” or “attending a Hollywood party”, almost begging for others to respond with “oh you’re so lucky” or “wow that’s amazing, I’m so jealous” ... I said that I was “lovin’ my new Range Rover” ... for those that I actually talk to, they’d know that this is impossible at the moment for me ... BUT, I wouldn’t lie, I really did get one, it just so happens to be a diecast 1:18 scale model ... I thought it would be so much of a stretch that people would respond along the lines of: “yeah right” or “in your dreams” ... it’s really comical of what Facebook has evolved into ... in a lot of cases used to brag and beef ... in other Facebook matters, I’ll probably get started on Phase 2 of Operation: Facebook Clean Sweep ... I cut about 70 on Phase 1 and I’m looking to take out 50 this time around ...
-when it comes to the NBA nowadays, the only things I tune in for are Dwight Howard, Dwyane Wade, Kobe Bryant and the Portland Trailblazers ... sad, but I’ve said it time and again, the league’s really been “p*ssied” down since the 80’s and early 90’s ... but I will give my two cents with regards to the playoffs coming up ... in the East, I don’t really care what Cleveland’s record says, Boston is still the team to beat ... Cleveland is The LeBron James Show, nothing more, the rest of their roster is filled with a bunch of guys that are over-achieving, ie. Mo Williams and Delonte West ... they only look more effective than they are because LeBron is attracting the doubles, triples on the regular ... matched up player-for-player with Boston in a 7-game series, I don’t think Cleveland can stop all 3 of the Celtics’ “Big Three” ... in the West, it’s the Lakers’ to lose ... but I’ve said it from Day 1 of the season, look out for Portland ... they’ve got the talent, youth and athleticism to compete with anyone ... I know the playoffs are a different ball game, but I wouldn’t be stunned at all should they upset the Lakers ... prediction: Lakers over the Celtics in the Finals ...
-I’ve been boycotting ABC for the past couple of years for cancelling “Invasion” and “The George Lopez Show” ... now it looks like I’m gonna have to start boycotting FOX ... from what I’ve been reading online, there is every indication that they’re gonna pull the plug on my favourite show “Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles”, which in my opinion is by miles the best show on television today ... I saw the writing on the wall when they moved the show to Friday nights, which is essentially the “graveyard shift” of television ... although nothing official has been announced, I’ve already resigned myself to the fact that the show won’t be around for a third season ...
-speaking of Terminator, they aired a preview for Terminator: Salvation, the fourth movie of the franchise ... regardless about what I think of Christian Bale, I really respect his acting ... I’m really looking forward to this movie, which comes out on May 21st ...
-what have I been up to lately? ... for those that want to know ... workouts and home renos ... I’m going on my ninth straight week of workouts, picking up the intensity each week ... as a result I’ve dropped about 11 pounds ... it’s really a drug, once you get started on a workout with a goal in that you’re dead set on reaching, it’s really hard to stop ... as for the home renos, I’m about ready to start with a new paintjob for my room and phase two of our basement construction ...
-finally, I’ve put down my deposit for Punch-Out!! ... May 18th can’t come soon enough!! ...
Peace!
~J-Smooth~
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Movie Reviews
Body of Lies - starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Russell Crowe ... another one of those terrorist/US Government movies ... had I not seen Rendition or Traitor prior to this, I probably would've thought it was very good ... but seeing those two great movies really took away from watching this one ... honestly, parts of the movie were really slow paced ... on top of that, it was kind of hard to determine the point of the movie, DiCaprio's character tracking a terrorist group or his love story with a Middle Eastern woman ... overall the movie left me pretty underwhelmed and as stated before, when compared to Rendition and Traitor, it comes up well short ... but on its own merit, it's good, just not mind-blowing ... score 3/5 ...
Zack and Miri Make a Porno - starring Seth Rogen ... this movie sucked HUGE! ... sure there were a couple parts that had me laughing for about 5 seconds, BUT, even that wasn't enough to make me question whether I could've spent my time doing something else ... score 0.5/5 ...
Peace!
~J-Smooth~
Zack and Miri Make a Porno - starring Seth Rogen ... this movie sucked HUGE! ... sure there were a couple parts that had me laughing for about 5 seconds, BUT, even that wasn't enough to make me question whether I could've spent my time doing something else ... score 0.5/5 ...
Peace!
~J-Smooth~
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