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Music Monday: Summertime(Will Smith)

2011-06-06T11:47:00.000-04:00

I'm back for this Music Monday hosted by the one and only Lady Java.

Yes, summer is upon us here in the USA, so the theme for this week will fit that. I recall this rap hit from Will Smith during my days in high school. It's a replay of Kool & the Gang's hit from the 1970s called Summer Madness.

Although not the best artist ever, it is hard for hits from my generation back in high school to be forgotten. So this week's Music Monday hit from me is Summertime by Will Smith. Enjoy.

Come join Music Monday and share your songs with us. Rules are simple. Leave ONLY the ACTUAL LINK POST here and grab the code below and place it at your blog entry. You can grab this code at LadyJava's Lounge Please note these links are STRICTLY for Music Monday participants only. All others will be deleted without prejudice.

PS: Because of spamming purposes, the linky will be closed on Thursday of each week at midnight, Malaysian Time. Thank you!

Music Monday: Randy Savage Theme

2011-05-23T14:50:00.000-04:00

I'm back for this Music Monday that is hosted by my good blogger friend Lady Java.

As the wrestling world already knows, Randy "Macho Man" Savage died Friday at the age of 58. Over at my Basic Bloganomics site, I wrote about the wrestling legend Randy Savage.

So this week's Music Monday is a classic theme song of his that he used in his WWF days. RIP Randy "Macho Man" Savage.

Travel Collection: New Meadowlands Stadium!

2011-05-11T22:19:00.000-04:00

In October of last year while on job assignment in White Plains, NY, I had the first Sunday night off of the month. That night, the New York Giants hosted my favorite NFL team, the Chicago Bears, in a game in East Rutherford, New Jersey that was on NBC Sunday Night Football.

I had great seats at about the 30-yard line at New Meadowlands Stadium on the visitor's side where the Bears sideline was. 2010 was the stadium's inaugural season for both the New York Giants and New York Jets.

Unfortunately, the weather was rainy especially in the second half and my team played poorly as the Giants punished the Bears with 9 sacks on quarterback Jay Cutler knocking him out of the game at halftime. It was a bad night for Bears quarterbacks. The Giants easily won the game at New Meadowlands Stadium.

I stopped by the Giants gift shop before the game started, and found the following items:

Included in the pic: New Meadowlands Stadium Inaugural Season shirt w/Bears vs Giants logos on back, Giants Ring of Honor book, 2010 Giants Yearbook, New Meadowlands Stadium collector pin, Bears vs Giants pin, and pack of Giants Panini collector cards(which I received free because of $25 purchase)

If you haven't seen them yet, checkout my New Meadowlands Stadium pics on my other site!

Bring On Summer!

2011-03-30T17:49:00.000-04:00

The winter season just doesn't seem to want to end even living here in the southeastern USA. It was just a week ago that it was warm enough to wear shorts and shirt, but you wouldn't know it by what the weather is like now.

Despite that, I've already started looking around for beach apparel since summer isn't far away. So winter will soon pass by for the summer, and I'm excited about it.

In North Carolina where beach fronts and resorts are plentiful, it is the time of year where retailers all around the state put out their surfing apparel, too.

I didn't go to a beach last year, but I did so in California in 2009. I hadn't even planned on going when on the West Coast then, and I didn't bring any surf clothing at all. I will this time around, but I'm just thrilled that summer is coming soon for us here in the USA!

Music Monday: Written In The Stars(Tinie Tempah w/Eric Turner)

2011-03-28T07:52:00.001-04:00

I'm back for this Music Monday for the first time in awhile. Of course, this Music Monday is hosted by the one and only Lady Java.

It is WrestleMania week for all fans of wrestling and/or of the WWE. As many of you have read on my other blog at Basic Bloganomics, I'll be there for this year's event in Atlanta! I'll be going to Axxess to hopefully meet some of the stars and divas as well as possibly get some autographs or pics with them! Also, the WWE Hall of Fame ceremony is this Saturday which I'll be a part of, too. My words on here can't begin to describe the excitement I have to finally go to the biggest event in wrestling history!

Anyway, this year's theme song for WrestleMania XXVII is Written In The Stars by Tinie Tempah featuring Eric Turner. When I first logged into the official WrestleMania XXVII site, I heard this catchy tune. I like it. So here is my song for this Music Monday! Now bring on WrestleMania XXVII! Woohoo!

Travel Collection: National Softball Hall of Fame and Museum

2011-03-25T13:35:00.001-04:00

My next stop after the Oklahoma City Zoo on my trip to the Sooner State last September was the National Softball Hall of Fame.

The National Softball Hall of Fame opened in 1957, and expanded in 1976. The Hall of Fame itself was officially constructed in 1987. The ASA Hall of Fame Stadium is the official site of the NCAA Women's College World Series which airs over 40 games on the ESPN network.

The exhibit is rather small compared to other Hall of Fame exhibits, and it has a small gift shop. But I was able to get a book for free after paid admission into the museum.

Here's what I got at the museum:

Included in the pic: The Game America Plays book(with paid admission to HOF) and
World Cup of Softball book from the tournament that took place in July 2010.

In case you haven't seen them, be sure to check out my National Softball Hall of Fame Pics. Thanks for viewing!

Travel Collection: Oklahoma City Zoo

2011-02-19T15:19:00.001-05:00

As we continue on from my mini-trip to Oklahoma City last year, I went back to a place that I frequented many times as kid on field trips while attending Country Estates Elementary School in Midwest City. And wow, did it bring back childhood memories! The place I'm talking about is the Oklahoma City Zoo.

It is the oldest zoo in the southwest USA, and it is consistently ranked as one of best 10 zoos in the country, too. It was even better than I remembered it as a kid, and is a place for all tourists to see when and if they come to OKC.

The gift shop offered plenty of gifts to choose from, and here is what I bought:

Included in the pic: OKC Zoo Now & Then book, Oklahoma City Zoo 1902-1959 book officially signed by author Amy Dee Stephens, Oklahoma Trails postcard set, OKC Zoo Protect Our Planet pen, and OKC Zoo Chapstick.

You can check my OKC Zoo Pics if you haven't done so yet. Thanks for viewing!

Travel Collection: Science Museum Oklahoma

2011-02-04T18:38:00.000-05:00

Continuing on with my mini-vacation I took to Oklahoma during Labor Day weekend last year, I stopped by the Science Museum in Oklahoma City before going to Oklahoma Memorial Stadium @ Owen Field to watch the Oklahoma Sooner play.

After going to the Science Museum in Boston, I had to check this place out. In some ways, it was better than the one in Boston especially with the Crime Scene setup that they had as they have a contract through the Oklahoma FBI.

Anyway, here are some of the items I bought at their gift shop:

Included in the pic: Fingerprint ID Kit, Alarm Kit, Science Museum Oklahoma magnet, pen, and small medallion.

In case you haven't seen them yet, you can checkout my Science Museum Oklahoma Pics on my other site. Thanks for viewing!

Life is Easier With iPhone Evie

2011-02-03T21:01:00.002-05:00

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Evie. All opinions are 100% mine.

This has been a very active winter, and the effect it has had on traveling can't be understated. In my line of work, I'm on a plane all the time to work just about anywhere in the country. That means I've had to wait at airports due to cancelations or delays of my flights.

Uploaded with Skitch!

I do my best to keep from being bored at airports, but I want a way to occupy my time when that happens. With the iPhone Evie I can listen to any type of music by voicing what I want to listen to. If I want to listen to Black Eyed Peas, I can just say them or any of their hits and it will play them.

It will definitely come in handy for me when I get to where I'm going while traveling. Many times when I have a rental car, I have to find a gas station so the car can be returned full to avoid more charges. So on my way to the airport, I can say "Find the nearest gas station" and it will come up on the screen. The last thing I want to do(especially when my flights are usually early morning) is have trouble finding a gas station. That will be a huge help for me.

There are other great features of Evie including voicing the person you want to call by name or number. There are limitless ways it'll help anyone no matter if it's a busy lifestyle or not. So download the iPhone Evie and you'll see how much easier life is with it!

Sports Collection: Walter Payton 1976 Topps Card

2011-02-02T17:02:00.002-05:00

I'm going to start a new series on here with sports memorabilia. Like my Travel Collection, I'll post a pic of a card(s) and talk about them in a post.

Note: This is an actual card owned by me and uploaded here.
This is a card every Chicago Bears fan knows about. This is Walter Payton's rookie card that was released in the 1976 Topps set as card #148. He was the team's top draft choice(No. 4 overall) out of Jackson State in Mississippi.

He rushed for 679 yards as a rookie with seven touchdowns. Also, he led the NFL with a 31.7 kickoff return average. He spent all 13 of seasons with the Chicago Bears(1975-87), and retired as the NFL's all-time rushing yards leader(since broken by Emmitt Smith in 2002). In his 11th season, Payton and the Chicago Bears won Super Bowl XX. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1993 with his son Jarrett making his induction speech.

In 1999, he was diagnosed with a rare liver disease and died on November 1 of that year. The Walter Payton Award is named after him that is given annually to the best player in college football's sub-division(formerly Division 1-AA). The Walter Payton Man of the Year Award is given to a player based on charity work, volunteering, and play on the field. He was a model player and human being, and the Walter and Connie Payton Foundation is dedicated to underprivileged kids.

As for the card, I bought one at a card show here in North Carolina in the mid-1990s. I always wanted one, and a dealer that I knew well gave me a great deal on one. After his death, I bought another one on eBay along with many other cards at a great price. I'll likely upload some of them later.

Thanks for viewing!

Music Monday: Right Now(Van Halen)

2011-01-31T15:12:00.001-05:00

I'm back for this Music Monday hosted by the one and only Lady Java!

This is a song I first heard of during a Super Bowl in the early 1990s. It is Van Halen's(with Sammy Hagar as the lead) Right Now song. Of course, they're a very memorable band especially for those that grew up in the 1980s like I did. This is a rock solid video.

So here is Right Now by Van Halen. Right Now, I'm signing off the site for the time being!

Come join Music Monday and share your songs with us. Rules are simple. Leave ONLY the ACTUAL LINK POST here and grab the code below and place it at your blog entry. You can grab this code at LadyJava's Lounge Please note these links are STRICTLY for Music Monday participants only. All others will be deleted without prejudice.

PS: Because of spamming purposes, the linky will be closed on Thursday of each week at midnight, Malaysian Time. Thank you!

Travel Collection: Oklahoma Memorial Stadium @ Owen Field

2011-01-30T19:01:00.000-05:00

The Saturday night during Labor Day weekend is when I finally attended an Oklahoma Sooners game at their home as they took on Utah State in a surprisingly close win. I had been by their university quite a few times when living in that state, but never seen a football game there. I had watched them play in the Red River Rivalry in 2009 in Dallas, TX.

The FanFest before the game was awesome. I got so much free stuff like posters, banners, and coupons as well as free food to local restaurants in the area. And I was able to see the 2000 National Championship team members and 2010 baseball team that played in the College World Series tourney.

Before the game, I stopped by the university library and gift shop to pickup some souvenirs(and I've already got a lot of Sooners stuff anyway, LOL). Here's what I got at this game:

Included in the pic: Sooners white polo shirt(I bought a crimson one last year), Sooners windbreaker jacket, Stadium postcard, Boomer Sooner magnet, Sooner Schooner(wagon) magnet, OU logo magnet, 6-pack pencils, white logo pen, 2010 Sooners yearbook, and Sooners program for their game against Utah State.

I found more Sooners stuff at the airport at the Big 12 Conference Store which included a pen and photo of the stadium which isn't included here. I had to buy a travel bag because I bought a lot of stuff on my vacation there. So I bought a Sooners logo travel bag, too! LOL! Yeah, I'm a big OU fan!

You can check my Oklahoma Sooners vs Utah State pics if you haven't yet! Thanks for viewing!

Travel Collection: Oklahoma National Memorial & Museum!

2011-01-28T13:47:00.002-05:00

On my mini-vacation to Oklahoma City last year during Labor Day weekend, I had visited my old neighborhood before going to the Oklahoma National Memorial & Museum. The museum is dedicated to those victims and families of the OKC Bombing on April 19, 1995. Before leaving the museum to go to the gift shop, I simply signed on their visitor's guide: "I'll never forget that day or this visit here".

Anyway, the gift shop offered quite a bit of souvenirs to buy which I did. Here's what I bought:

In the pic(from top left to bottom left): An Oklahoma Tribute book(art collection book of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building), postcards of the museum, two Walking Tours Commemorative Edition books, collectible pen and cool-looking commemorative coin, Oklahoma Today's Official Recording of the OKC Bombing, and a mini Oklahoma state flag. The shop is loaded with great stuff!

Be sure to check my Oklahoma National Memorial & Museum Pics if you haven't done so yet.

Thanks for viewing!

Travel Collection: John F. Kennedy Library & Museum

2011-01-03T14:05:00.000-05:00

Four days later after touring around Boston on a day off, I stopped by the John F. Kennedy Library & Museum as our job assignment finished up.

They had a very nice gift shop, and I bought one of the coolest-looking souvenirs I've seen anywhere I've been. Here's what I bought there:

Included in the pic: JFK Collector Album, JFK Collector pen, and a baseball that has pictures and signatures of all 44 U.S. Presidents in history. The baseball was $6, and is quite possibly the best-looking souvenir I've seen. I had to buy that!

Be sure to checkout my John F. Kennedy Library Pics if you haven't done so yet. Thanks for viewing!

I'm Glad the New Year is Here!

2011-01-02T11:32:00.001-05:00

The new year is upon us, and January means that the football post-season is in full swing. The bowl games get exciting this time of year.

One of my buddies that went to school at South Carolina and now lives in Florida did find SEC Championship tickets to watch his school play even though they lost to Auburn. He was more disappointed after his team lost the Chick-Fil-A Bowl against Florida State.

The BCS games began with the traditional New Year's Day contests with the Rose Bowl and Fiesta Bowl.

I watched the Rose Bowl as TCU finished the season undefeated by beating Wisconsin in a thrilling finish. The Badgers missed a chance to tie the game on a two-point conversion as the Horned Frogs recovered the on-side kick to preserve the win.

Meanwhile, my favorite team the Oklahoma Sooners did what they were supposed to do by winning big over Connecticut in the Fiesta Bowl. Landry Jones threw for over 400 yards in the contest in his second straight bowl.

I'm hoping within the near future that I can buy BCS National Championship Tickets especially if Oklahoma plays in that game.

I may go back to the southern California area this year, and I'll be looking at buying Honda Center Tickets so I can see a hockey game there. Though I'm not the biggest hockey fan, my dream is to see as many sporting facilities as possible. Southern California sure doesn't have a shortage of that!

Travel Collection: Boston's Museum of Fine Arts

2011-01-01T19:52:00.000-05:00

My last stop on that Saturday in July 2010 on job assignment Boston was the Museum of Fine Arts. It has been around a long time, and I liked the variety of arts from virtually everywhere you can think of. It was my final stop that day.

They had a some nice items at the gift shop, but I only picked up a few items due to how much I was carrying with me already in Boston. LOL! Here's what I got since I did want to get something:

Included in the pic: MFA Handbook that shows paintings and arts, and a collector pen. Not included is a ticket stub that I kept, too.

If you haven't seen them yet, then you can check my Museum of Fine Arts Pics. Thanks for viewing!

The NFL Playoffs Are Here

2010-12-30T11:42:00.001-05:00

The last weekend of the NFL season is upon us, and that means the road to Super Bowl XLV will begin the following weekend. I've been able to follow it more closely in the second half of the season due to the line of work I'm in being in its slowest time of the year.

The Chicago Bears, my favorite team, have had a memorable 2010 season as they're one of 12 teams that will be in the NFL Playoffs. Ever since their bye week, they've played much better football even against tougher teams in the second half of the season. They'll have at very worst a No. 2 seed which gives them time to heal up any injuries and an extra week to prepare for their next opponent. Many observers that bet on sports still question the Bears as to whether they can make the Super Bowl. The NFC is wide open as to who can represent the conference in the Super Bowl.

Football betting is by far the most popular in sports, and none more so than this time of year for college and NFL. I'm so excited because of my team being in the NFL Playoffs, so let the road to the Super Bowl begin!

Travel Collection: Prudential Skywalk Observatory

2010-12-30T10:57:00.001-05:00

Continuing on with my tour of Boston in July while on job assignment, the Prudential Skywalk Observatory was my third stop. Though it rained that day, I've always been a fan of viewing cities from atop of a building after I did that back in Chicago in 2000 on the Sears Tower.

The gift shop was rather small, but as everyone knows, I always take something with me on historic sites that I visit. Here's what I bought that day:

Included in the pic: A very detailed Inside-n-out map of Boston(that includes a compass, pen, pull-out map, and recommended places to see which became useful at times during my visits there) and a Skywalk Observatory pocket-size memo book.

If you haven't seen them yet, make sure to checkout my Prudential Skywalk Observatory Pics. Thanks for viewing!

Winter Has Arrived

2010-12-28T13:37:00.001-05:00

This Christmas holiday was spent almost entirely indoors because of the snowstorm that swept through the mid-Atlantic and northeastern U.S. Here in North Carolina, only the mountains are known to get this kind of snow in December. When we get winter weather, it is usually in the form of sleet or freezing rain in January or February.

So for the last couple days as I was snowed in, I had a tough time keeping myself occupied due to the weather. That doesn't happen often with me since I'm not home a lot due to my line of work, but this isn't the busiest time of the year in our industry either.

I've always been a fan of casinos, and I found something to do after looking around the internet. I came across this Full Tilt Poker Download which is what I needed to keep from boring myself until the weather improved.

Also, I came across the PokerStars Download as another game for me to play. So along with the Full Tilt Poker Download, suddenly my boredom was gone. So at least for the rest of the winter season when I'm home, I have something to do in case another snowstorm hits my area!

Travel Collection: Boston's Museum of Science

2010-12-12T15:09:00.000-05:00

After visiting the New England Aquarium while staying in Boston in July, my next stop was the Museum of Science.

Once I seen this place, I took an immediate liking to visiting science museums which I would later see in the year. I liked the large insects and space modules throughout that place.

Here is what I bought at the Museum of Science in Boston(yes, the pic is blurred):

Included in the pic: Museum of Science t-shirt, hat, & pen, astronomy book, and postcard from the Museum of Science.

In case you missed them on my Basic Bloganomics site, you can view my Boston's Museum of Science pics on there.

Travel Collection: New England Aquarium!

2010-12-02T18:10:00.000-05:00

In July, I was able to stay in the Boston area for a weekend while on job assignment since I would have had only day off otherwise. This allowed me to go downtown into Boston to checkout things to do in the city.

Before my trip, I bought a CityPass for $48 which allowed me access to five feature attractions in Boston. I visited them all in one day because that was my only day off. So my first stop stop after taking the Subway was the New England Aquarium. I enjoyed this place despite it being a little out-dated. However, the penguins stole the show for me there. And as you've read many times on my blogs before, I ALWAYS buy souvenirs at attractions, sporting events, and places I visit. I even keep all ticket stubs, too.

Anyway, here's what I got at the New England Aquarium:

Included the pic: Cool-looking Sea Wars t-shirt, set of Boston postcards, set of New England Aquarium postcards, and New England Aquarium photo montage.

In case you didn't see them on my Basic Bloganomics site, here are the New England Aquarium Pics I took. Plenty more Travel Collection posts are coming since I've been to a lot of places this year!

Music Monday: Thanksgiving Song(Adam Sandler)

2010-11-22T11:49:00.000-05:00

I'm back for another edition of Music Monday that is hosted weekly by my good blogger friend Lady Java! You can participate by going to her blog to find out more.

This week's MM for me fits the Thanksgiving theme since the holiday is three days away here in the USA. It's a time for family, food, football, and most importantly, being thankful for all that you have. I like it for those reasons and of course Black Friday. Well, I was born on a Black Friday, so that's understandable. LOL!

Anyway, this is Adam Sandler's Thanksgiving Song. When I first heard on the radio a good while back, I couldn't stop laughing at it. I still do laugh every time I hear it. Enjoy this week's MM and Happy Thanksgiving to everyone out there!

Come join Music Monday and share your songs with us. Rules are simple. Leave ONLY the actual post link here and grab the code below and place it at your blog entry. You can grab this code at LadyJava's Lounge Please note these links are STRICTLY for Music Monday participants only. All others will be deleted without prejudice.

Music Monday: Back in the Saddle(Aerosmith)

2010-11-15T12:30:00.000-05:00

Yes, I'm finally back on this Music Monday! It has been a long time since I posted one of these, and for that matter, posted on this site.

Well, it seems this song by Aerosmith fits for this occasion's MM as I'm at least back on to blogging a little bit these days since work will be slow the remainder of the year. Back in the Saddle came out in 1977, but is still one of Aerosmith's most memorable hits. Enjoy.

Travel Collection: NewBridge Bank Ballpark

2010-09-25T15:01:00.000-04:00

I'm way behind on my Travel Collection posts, but for good reason. I went to NewBridge Bank Ballpark which is home of the Grasshoppers minor league baseball team in Greensboro, NC in July to see a game there for the first time. You can view my NewBridge Bank Ballpark pics.

In the pic: Free program guide, Chicago Cubs hat, Greensboro Grasshoppers baseball and pen.

You can also read my review of NewBridge Bank Ballpark on AC.

Much more from my Travel Collection still to post on here!

Music Monday: Boomer Sooner Fight Song!

2010-09-06T09:05:00.000-04:00

I'm back for this Music Monday. Since the college football season is underway, I'm posting my favorite team's fight song for this Music Monday. Also, I'm in Oklahoma now on vacation and watched them play their season opener against Utah State in a game they won! The atmosphere and experience of the game was off the hook! This vacation back to my "other home" has been great!

Anyway, here's the Oklahoma Sooners fight song

Oklahoma
"Boomer Sooner"

Boomer Sooner, Boomer Sooner,
Boomer Sooner, Boomer Sooner,
Boomer Sooner, Boomer Sooner,
Boomer Sooner, O-K-U!

Oklahoma, Oklahoma,
Oklahoma, Oklahoma,
Oklahoma, Oklahoma,
Oklahoma, O-K-U!

I'm a Sooner born
And a Sooner bred,
And when I die
I'll be Sooner dead.

Rah, Oklahoma! Rah, Oklahoma!
Rah, Oklahoma! O-K-U!

Go Oklahoma Sooners in 2010! BOOMER SOONER!!!