LEGO Architecture - LEGO® House

My last video for 2017.

Even though this is officially part of the LEGO Architecture line, the set is sold exclusively by surrounding stores in Billund, Denmark starting in 2017 commemorating the opening of the LEGO House in September.

Construction started in 2014. The building officially opened in September 28th, 2017. The building functions as part public art piece, tourist attraction, LEGO store, cafe, and with roughly 20,000 square feet set aside for open space.

21037 - LEGO Architecture - LEGO® House

From the very beginning, the ambition with LEGO® House was to create a unique and inspiring, hands-on and minds-on experience, where LEGO fans of all ages could learn all
about the company and the endless play possibilities offered by LEGO bricks.

It was quickly agreed that the right location would be in the center of Billund. This is where the LEGO story started almost 90 years ago and the town still serves as the global
headquarters of the LEGO Group. Then came the task of finding a partner who could design a distinctive building that would become an integral part of the LEGO House experience.

The idea for the LEGO® House was to create “a cloud of interlocking LEGO bricks... a literal manifestation of the infinite possibilities of the LEGO brick.” 21 white bricks would be stacked on top of each other and be crowned by the Keystone, which would be inspired by the classic eight-knob LEGO brick.

These huge bricks will not only form internal spaces for LEGO House activities, but also create a covered public square and a series of interconnected terraces and playgrounds for people to investigate and enjoy. In this way, the LEGO House will be enjoyed both by fans who came to experience the LEGO story and by local citizens and visitors to the town of Billund.

I'm done.

Movies I've Seen This Year (2017)

Here are all the movies I've seen this year.

• January 2017
  
  • Underworld: Blood War - Underwhelming. So so sequel to Underworld: Awakening. Selene now has new powers. Makes her faster and stronger than the mutated werewolves. Would watch again because Kate Beckinsale.
  • Burnt (2015) - Bradley Cooper is an American version of Gordon Ramsay making a comeback in the culinary world.
  • Resident Evil: The Final Chapter - Or is it? Humanity's last stand, again, against zombies.
• February 2017
  
  • Hidden Figures (2016) - Finally got to watch it this year. About the early days of NASA, the space race, and the black women who pioneered the field. Great cast and acting.
  • Jiro Dreams of Sushi (2011) - It's a food documentary on the greatest sushi chef ever.
  • Crimson Peak (2015) - Missed it the first time around. It's not really scary. Just artsy horror with campy plot.
  • John Wick: Chapter 2 - Over the top killing. I liked the first film for showing that people really do run out of bullets in a gunfight. They upped the kill count this time. Sequel might have more.
  • Don Jon (2013) - Joseph Gordon-Levitt is a porn-obsessed Italian-American Catholic who prefers porn than girlfriends. Has a convincing Jersey Shore accent.
• March 2017
  
  • Logan - Wolverine's swan song. One of the best movies to watch this year.
  • Kong: Skull Island - Kong is back to jumpstart Legendary Entertainment's Monsterverse shared cinematic universe (Godzilla, King Kong, Mothra, etc.)
  • Kung Fury (2015) - This 30-minute homage to everything 80s backed by a successful Kickstarter campaign and David Hasselhoff did not disappoint.
  • TMNT: Out of the Shadows (2016) - Michael Bay gets a lot of flack for dumbing down beloved kids' franchises, but this sequel follows the comic/cartoons more than original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Secret of Ooze sequel. Definitely made for kids, but I liked it growing up watching the original cartoons in the early 90s
  • Beauty and the Beast (2017) - This live action remake was great. Emma Watson played a wonderful Belle. The inside jokes probably glossed over most people's heads (snowing in summer?), but not me.
  • Train to Busan (2016) - Korean zombie/outbreak movie set on a train on route to Busan. Some sad moments.
• April 2017
  
  • Fate of the Furious - The eighth installment to the series, Vin Diesel turns against his comrades... his ＦＡＭＩＬＹ. If you're not a fan of the series, you can try to figure out if Diesel or The Rock were in the same room filming scenes throughout the entire movie or with green screen. Have fun.
  • Astro Boy (2009) - I missed a lot of movies sometime in college and the dreadful 2-3 years after. You're never too old to watch kids movie. Some sad scenes. Not Disney/Pixar sad, but sad.
  • Kubo and the Two Strings (2016) - The only other stop motion movie I like is the Nightmare Before Christmas. Kubo and the Two Strings blends practical stop motion with computer graphics seamlessly. They also upped the frame rate for the stop motion scenes compared to other movies. Great story. Recommended.
• May 2017
  
  • Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates (2016) - raunchy comedy loosely based on a true story of two rich dudes who went on TV to find wedding dates for their sister's wedding.
  • Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol 2 - The sequel focused on character building, relationships, and some background story. I can't wait for Infinity War.
  • Finding Dory (2016) - This is how sequels should be done. We get some background on Dory's past and still cry about it.
  • The Man Who Knew Infinity (2016) - Based on the true story of a mathematical genius who taught himself math and just understood mathematical concepts that scholars in his day could not prove. I truly believe some people are touched by a higher power.
  • The Bank Job (2008) - Jason Statham for some reason does not play his usual ass-kicking self in this based on a true story bank heist that uncovered blackmail material for/from the rich and famous in Europe. I liked it.
  • Alien: Covenant - I already knew this was going to a sequel to Prometheus, but this time they tell us the true origin of the xenomorphs.
  • Chef (2014) - Chef ruins career. Buys a food truck and travels by doing what he loves. Great feel good movie. Plus good cooking scenes. Did I mention this is a movie about food?
  • Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales - Sometimes a franchise needs to end on a high note. While this wasn't it, it's probably the last movie. You can only act drunk and come out unscathed in chase scenes so many times before it gets boring.
• June 2017
  
  • Wonder Woman - This sets the bar for a DC comic movie. It actually sends the wrong message to kids that future DC movies will be good.
  • The Accountant (2016) - Ben Affleck is the accountant. He's in the autism spectrum and high-functioning. Also kicks ass and does crazy stuff in the background.
  • Cars 2 (2011) - This is how sequels should not be done. Of all the Pixar sequels, this is my least favorite.
  • The Ninth Gate (1999) - early Johnny Depp movie where he finds a book supposedly owned by Satan and opens the ninth gate to hell. Suspense. Thriller.
• July 2017
  
  • The Boss (2016) - Melissa McCarthy is the boss. If you've seen her other movies, then this should be similar.
  • Despicable Me 3 - Gru has a brother and he must fight a villain who's stuck in the 80s mindset. Fun movie.
  • Spider-Man: Homecoming - The third reboot of the Spider-Man franchise in theaters, this did not disappoint. I'm just biased because it connects Spider-Man to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
  • Fifty Shades of Black (2016) - I rarely see parody movies in theaters anymore. This is why I don't.
  • Riddick (2013) - A movie that only fans of Pitch Black, and Chronicles of Riddick would like. The movie was made for next to nothing and made money. A fourth sequel has been greenlit.
  • Jack Reacher: Never Go Back (2016) - Tom Cruise is back as Jack Reacher. There's a conspiracy and he must save the day.
• August 2017
  
  • The Dark Tower - Based on the Stephen King series, I could best describe it a darker version of the Chronicles of Narnia. This movie is meant to be a teen sci-fi type of movie.
  • Snowden (2016) - An exaggerated dramatization of the events that made Snowden leak government secrets with special guest, Snowden.
  • Keeping Up with the Joneses (2016) - They probably made this movie as an excuse to see Gal Gadot half-naked in sexy lingerie and make out with Isla Fisher. The Joneses are Mr. and Mrs. Smith in the movie.
  • The Hitman's Bodyguard - A buddy-cop/crime movie with Deadpool and Nick Fury.
  • The Secret Life of Pets (2016) - It's a 3D animated movie on what pets do when humans are not around.
  • Sing (2016) - Anthropomorphic animals compete in an America's Got Talent style competition created to save an old theater.
  • How to Be Single (2016) -A fun romantic comedy with Dakota Johnson, Rebel Wilson, Alison Brie, and Leslie Mann.
• September 2017
  
  • IT (2017) - Based on the Stephen King novel and a remake of the TV movie of the same name in 1990, a demonic clown terrorizes children in this small Maine town. They must band together to solve the mystery behind the disappearances and whatever "IT" is.
  • The Time Traveler's Wife (2009) - Eric Bana has a medical condition where he randomly jumps through time. From his family's perspective, he's living his life out of order. It's a romantic science fiction drama.
  • Kingsman: The Golden Circle - The first movie was based on an graphic novel of the same name and that movie ended where the source ended. So I was surprised with this one. This time they have the Statesmen with them. Kind of the same plot.
  • Outlander (2008) - It's supposed to be a sci-fi version of Beowulf. A mysterious alien crash lands in ancient Europe, bringing with it an alien monster attacking people. He befriends the natives and lives with them.
  • American Made - Based on the true story of the US Government's involvement with drug-trafficking in South America and how one man made it happen, exporting the drugs to the US and as an informant to the government.
• October 2017
  
  • Why Him (2016) - James Franco and Heisenberg. It's a romantic cringe comedy.
  • Master of Drunken Fist: Beggar So (2016) - Another origin story of the birth of the Drunken Fist. It's hong kong martial arts.
  • Blade Runner 2049 - The long awaited sequel that kept its slow-burn pacing, sounds, and style. And because it kept all of that, you hardly see any minorities in the movie. Woman are used mainly as props in the story. It's a dystopian Los Angeles.
  • The Layover - Didn't see it in theaters, but someone uploaded it on YouTube so I watched it for free. Best friends and roommates go on vacation and try to win over some dude on the plane they both like. Spoiler alert: hilarity ensues. It's meh.
  • The Foreigner - Jackie Chan in a serious role you rarely get to see in his films. Based on the book (The Chinaman), a man seeks justice for the death of his daughter from a bombing orchestrated by a terrorist organization with links to the government.
  • Whiskey Tango Foxtrot (2016) - Tina Fey plays a journalist who takes an onsite assignment during the early days of the Middle East occupation of US troops. Based on a true story. Comedy-Drama.
  • Fifty Shades Darker - There are better porn than this movie that you can watch for free. The outrageous plot and cringe-worthy dialogue is worth it, though.
• November 2017
  
  • Thor: Ragnarok - After the success of Deadpool and The Guardians of the Galaxy, the third Thor sequel completely retooled what they were gonna do with the series and turned it into an ensemble cast movie with lots of comedy. It just works. Great sequel.
  • Split - Didn't see this one in theaters, but they're showing it now on premium cable. James McAvoy has 20+ personalities. Several of which are in a cult of sorts who thinks that damaged people are the pure and believes in another entity with superhuman strength and powers. It has direct ties to Unbreakable (2000).
  • No Escape (2015) - In this day and age, these types of movies are polarizing in portraying what could happen to white people in foreign countries if they overstep their boundaries and, pretty much, promoting xenophobia.
  • Get Out - A social-thriller. A social-commentary. A "documentary." This movie shows what many people think as harmless statements, actions, attitudes towards black people to be anything but.
  • The LEGO Batman Movie - Batman from The LEGO Movie in his own movie in LEGO form. What more could you want?
  • The Great Wall (2016) - What was intended as China's way of breaking into the US film industry, The Great Wall was marred by political correctness and misplaced outrage. I wrote about it here: Is it Whitewashing?
  • A United Kingdom (2016) - Based on the true story of Botswana's prince taking a white English woman for a wife, causing political and regional turmoil in South Africa and Great Britain. It's a great movie.
• December 2017
  
  • Saban's Power Rangers - Didn't see it in theaters and it was a good decision. This whole making-everything-dark trope of remaking movies is getting old. Goldar looked much better in the original series. The goldar here is just liquid gold clumping together. The Green Ranger became Rita Repulsa. The Mastodon zord has 8 legs. What the hell?!?!
  • Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi - Some fans love it. Some hate it. Critics love it. I love it. It was an hour too long, though. Snoke is a Porg.
  • Jane Wants A Boyfriend (2015) - An aspiring theater actor wants to control everything around her, including finding a boyfriend for her sister, Jane, who has Asperger's. I like the cast. Also have a crush on Louisa Krause, but that's beside the point.
  • Bright - Lord of the Rings meets Training Day. This Netflix movie was generally panned by critics, but if you're a millennial like me who consumes all sorts of entertainment, especially the supernatural/sci-fi/fantasy kind, you'll enjoy this movie. A sequel is in the works.
  • Coco - Disney Pixar's last entry for the year, Coco follows a young boy who wants to know more about his roots. He is swept away into the world of the dead, during the Day of the Dead, and must find a way back into the living world so he doesn't stay dead. I call this the Mexican Spirited Away, but it's really not. Pixar never disappoints. I cried like a baby. The best movie I've seen all year. I highly recommend it.
  • The Boss Baby - Now available on Netflix, it's a 3D animated kids movie. Lighthearted and fun.
  • The Revengers Squad - It's a Filipino movie. I shouldn't have watched. It's corny and was really a waste of time. I should have watched Jumanji.
  • Office Christmas Party (2016) - This was a nice palate cleanser to end the year. Watching it on HBO.

I'm done.

LEGO Architecture - Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum (2017)

They remade the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum set from 2009. this time with more parts and about 3 times as big.

In June 1943, Frank Lloyd Wright was asked by Hilla Rebay, the art advisor to Solomon R. Guggenheim, to design a new building to house Guggenheim’s four-year-old Museum of Non-Objective Painting.

The project would evolve into a complex struggle pitting the architect against his clients, city officials, the art world and public opinion. It would take over 15 years, 700 sketches and seven complete sets of working drawings before Wright’s vision would be realized and the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum would open its doors for the first time in 1959. By then both Guggenheim and Wright had died.

The location of the Guggenheim Museum on Fifth Avenue between 88th and 89th Streets is not accidental. Its proximity to Central Park was key; as close to nature as one can get in New York, the park affords relief from the noise and congestion of the city.

Nature not only provided the museum with a respite from New York’s distractions, but also lent it inspiration. The Guggenheim Museum is an embodiment of Frank Lloyd Wright’s attempts to utilize organic forms in architecture.

But even as it embraced nature, Wright’s design also expresses his unique take on modernist architecture’s rigid geometry. The building is a symphony of triangles, ovals, arcs, circles and squares.

Wright dispensed with the conventional approach to museum design, which led visitors through a series of interconnected rooms. Instead, he whisked people to the top of the building via elevator and led them downward at a leisurely pace on the gentle slope of a continuous ramp. The open rotunda afforded viewers the unique possibility of seeing several bays of work on different levels simultaneously.

The building itself has often been called the most important piece of art in the Guggenheim collection.

I'm done.

Outlook on Job/Health Security

Besides summer jobs in high school and college, I officially joined the workforce when Obama was sworn in as President in 2009.


Pay was alright for an entry level job. Not as much as the average salary people in my major were making, but it was something to get my foot in the door, start accumulating experience. Health insurance was alright. High deductible unlike my mom's insurance at her job, which covered and paid for everything.


Lots of changes have been made since then: overtime pay, work permits for foreign nationals, Affordable Care Act, etc.


Within a year of the new administration, all of these have been demolished. Reduced budget. Removed. Repealed. At least about to be.


Tom Brokaw on NBC used to run a segment called "The Fleecing of America." It was a series of segments "exposing cases of waste and fraud that victimize individuals or the general public." Most of them were done behind doors. I didn't think we'd see a national example currently in progress out in the open.


This affects everyone in the middle class. This includes everyone who thinks they are part of the 1% but are really in the middle class.


How do we change this besides a full blown coup or revolution? Informed voting seems to be out the window. The GOP appeals to the disenfranchised, presenting themselves as their savior, propagating class, religion, and racial warfare, and screws them over anyway. The Democrats, too, are mobilizing their efforts, appealing to social change, presenting themselves as the voice of reason, and an implied air of superiority as the intellectual.


How do you reach everyone, turning them into informed voters, without alienating and/or belittling their way of life? When education, now a luxury controlled by greedy corporations and institutions, is an informed people still possible?


I'm done.


Thanksgiving in New York 2017

This year, we're in Chinatown again eating at Hop Kee and Taiyaki NYC for desserts.

The next day, we went to Jollibee in Queens, then to the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum near Central Park. We walked around part of the lake at Central Park.

Went back to our hotel then ate at Carmine's for dinner. My sister and I watched the Book of Mormon. Parents watched Anastasia. We met at Junior's afterwards for desserts.

I'm done.

DORBZ - Assassin's Creed Unboxing

I got these heavily discounted Assassin's Creed DORBZ figures. Usually you'd find one or two discounted figures from the same set. This is the first time I got the entire set in the discount aisle.

DORBZ
080 - Altair (Assassin's Creed)
081 - Arno Dorian (Assassin's Creed: Unity)
082 - Élise de la Serre (Assassin's Creed: Unity)
083 - Ezio (Assassin's Creed 2, Assassin's Creed Brotherhood, Assassin's Creed Revelations)
084 - Edward (Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag)
085 - Jacob (Assassin's Creed: Syndicate)

It's a bit of a let down that they didn't have Ratonhnhaké:ton (Connor) from Assassin's Creed 3. They have Elise from Unity, who isn't even a playable character. That is a weird choice for this set. They could have used Evie Frye, Jacob's twin sister, from Syndicate.

Accidental ASMR Unboxing

I'm done.

Brick Montage (2011-2016)

Here are all the LEGO Architecture, Nanoblock, McFarlane Construction, and one Kubros buildable figure I've built from 2011 to 2016.

• 17 LEGO Architecture sets
• 16 Nanoblock sets
• 3 McFarlane Construction sets (The Walking Dead, Game of Thrones)
• 1 Kubros buildable figure (Ezio)

---

• 
  2011:
  
  • 21006 - LEGO Architecture - The White House
• 2013:
  
  • 21003 - LEGO Architecture - Seattle Space Needle
  • 21008 - LEGO Architecture - Burj Khalifa
• 2014:
  
  • NBC_017 - Nanoblock - Grand Piano
  • NBH_004 - Nanoblock - Eiffel Tower
  • NBH_033 - Nanoblock - Great Pyramid of Giza
  • 21018 - LEGO Architecture - United Nations Headquarters
  • 21015 - LEGO Architecture - Leaning Tower of Piza
  • 21019 - LEGO Architecture - The Eiffel Tower
  • NBCC_001 - Nanoblock - Hello Kitty
  • NBA_004 - Nanoblock - Chrysler Building (USA Exclusive)
  • NBC_099 - Nanoblock - Santa Claus and X'mas Tree
  • NBC_100 - Nanoblock - Snowman and X'mas Tree
  • NBC_014 - Nanoblock - Reindeer
  • NBH_077 - Nanoblock - X'mas Tree Set
• 2015:
  
  • NBH_010 - Nanoblock - Neuschwanstein Castle
  • ML_027 - Nanoblock (mamelog) - ❤Love❤
  • ML_030 - Nanoblock (mamelog) - Thank You
  • 21000 - LEGO Architecture - Willis Tower (Sears Tower)
  • 21001 - LEGO Architecture - John Hancock Center
  • 21002 - LEGO Architecture - Empire State Building
  • 21016 - LEGO Architecture - Sungnyemun
  • NBH_009 - Nanoblock - Moai Statues of Easter Island
  • 21023 - LEGO Architecture - Flatiron Building
  • 21020 - LEGO Architecture - Trevi Fountain
  • 21022 - LEGO Architecture - Lincoln Memorial
  • 21024 - LEGO Architecture - Louvre
  • NBH_008 - Nanoblock - Taj Mahal
  • NBH_011 - Nanoblock - Kinkaku-ji
  • 14526 - The Walking Dead Construction Sets - The Governor's Room
• 2016:
  
  • NBPM-001 - Nanoblock - Pokémon (Pikachu)
  • 21026 - LEGO Architecture - Venice
  • 14649 - The Walking Dead Construction Sets - Wolves Not Far
  • 21027 - LEGO Architecture - Berlin
  • 21011 - LEGO Architecture - Brandenburg Gate
  • 19391 - Game of Thrones Construction Set - Iron Throne Room
  • 18 | Kubros - Ezio

I'm done.

Nanoblock - Statue of Liberty

I believe I bought this in 2015. I finally found time to build it. This took two hours.

Construction of Lady Liberty began in 1870 but was delayed many times due to fundraising issues. While the rest of the statue was still being designed, the head and the torch holding arm toured the world in an effort to gain support for the completion of the statue. After many fundraising efforts, including one by Joseph Pulizer, the publisher of the New York World paper, the statue was dedicated on October 28, 1886.

Today, a ferry service is provided to take tourists out to visit the statue, Provided it is not being renovated, tourists can stop by the museum housed in the pedestal and if they are feeling particularly athletic, climb the staircase all the way to the observatory in the crown.

I'm done.

LEGO® House (2014 Special Edition)

This special edition set was only sold by surrounding stores in Billund, Denmark in 2014 to promote the LEGO House. It's designed to fit in with the Architecture theme, but not an official part of it.

Construction started in 2014. The building officially opened in September 28th, 2017. The building functions as part public art piece, tourist attraction, LEGO store, cafe, and with roughly 20,000 square feet set aside for open space.

Billund - the Capital of Children

LEGO® House is being built at the heart of Billund and is an important step in the vision of developing Billund into a Capital of Children. The dream is to make Billund a venue for children as well as a centre for spreading knowledge about creativity, play and learning.

LEGO House will offer Billund's city centre a unique attraction, create new and exciting spaces to meet and help make the city more vibrant.

Around LEGO House, new public spaces for play, staying and commercial activities will be created. Inside the building, a large, covered space with easy access will create a rich and interesting focal point for citizens of Billund, visitors and guests of LEGO House.

LEGO House is an attraction in itself, and the building's rooftop terraces will be accessible both from within and from the outside, creating completely new environments and vantage points.

Architectural idea

The architectural main purpose is to organise the building functions into 21 white bricks, enclosing the indoor space, stacked on top of each other and completed by the fantastic Keystone Gallery, which is inspired by the classic eight-knob LEGO® brick.

Visitors will experience the brick concept throughout the building.

On the ground floor, the bricks around the indoor activity space will feature all functions. Spectacular front stairs will lead up to all the experiences with a bridge, ramps and stairways connecting the various bricks.

LEGO House features disabled access and will be easily accessible for all. Regardless of where the guests are in the house, interior windows and clear lines of sight ensure that they always know where they are, where they come from, and where they are going.

I'm done.

Kubros - Hellboy

There will be a Hellboy reboot coming out in 2018. I was hoping to see a sequel made after The Golden Army, but it's not meant to be. Hopefully the new movie is pretty good.

I'm done.

LEGO Architecture - Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum (2009)

It's one of several earlier LEGO Architecture sets in the Architect series that came out in 2009. It's also one of many Frank Lloyd Wright LEGO Architecture sets. The set has been retired.

"The commission for the museum building first came to Frank Lloyd Wright in 1943 from Hilla Rebay. The Baroness von Rebay was the curator of the 'non-objective' painting collection she had encouraged Solomon R. Guggenheim to purchase. Solomon R. Guggenheim desired an architectural environment in which to present these new works that would be as revolutionary as the paintings in his collection themselves."

"Guggenheim was always supportive of Wright, but his death in 1949, just six years after the project was begun, dealth a severe blow to the plans. It took thirteen years of patient struggle on the part of Wright to finally see his building start in construction, and even through the construction stages - from 1956 to his death in 1959, six months before the museum opened - the struggle waged on. During the sixteen years that this commission dragged on, it was to prove to be the most difficult and the most time-consuming of all Wright's work."

"The building that stands in New York today is very different from those early studies of 1944. The general concept of the building - one continuous ramp - remains, but with the acquisition of more parcels of property on the site and with the change of the program of the museum itself, different architectural solutions were required along the way. Seven complete sets of working drawings were prepared and finally, on August 16, 1955, ground was broken and construction began."

"When the corner at 88th Street was acquired in 1951, the spiral ramp was shifted back to the south. After this last shift was made, Wright, in response to the changing administrative requirements of the museum, suggested the constrction of a tall building behind the museum for a historical gallery, staff offices, workrooms, and storage. Rising behind the museunm would be an eleven-story structure. It was this 1951 design by Wright that served as precedent for the 1992 addition of a 'backdrop' building behind the museum."

I'm done.

Leisure Suite Larry: Box Office Bust Time Lapse

I'm done.

LEGO Architecture - Rockefeller Center

It's one of several earlier LEGO Architecture sets in the Architect series. The set has been retired.

Rockefeller center is a complext of 19 commercial buildings covering 22 acres (89,000 square meters) betwen 48th and 51st streets in New York City. Built by the Rockefeller family, it is located in the center of Midtown Manhattan, spanning the area between Fifth Avenue and Sixth Avenue.

Rockefeller Center represents a turning point in the history of architectural sculpture: It is among the last major building projects in the United States to incorporate
a program of integrated public art. Sculptor Lee Lawrie contributed the largest number of individual pieces—twelve—including the statue of Atlas facing Fifth Avenue
and the conspicuous friezes above the main entrance to the RCA Building.

The Center is a combination of two building complexes: the older and original fourteen Art Deco office buildings from the 1930s, and a set of four International-style towers built along the west side of Avenue of the Americas during the 1960s and 1970s.

I'm done.

Kubros - T-800 from The Terminator

The Cyberdyne Systems Model 101 Series 800 Terminator was sent by Skynet in 2029 to Los Angeles in 1984 to kill Sarah Connor, the future mother of John Connor, the leader of the future human Resistance. It was the first of the Infiltrators sent back on assassination missions by Skynet, and is arguably the single most significant Terminator unit as it inadvertently "fathered" Skynet in its journey through time, similar to how Kyle Reese fathered John Connor in his.

Got this set on sale at Target.

I'm done.

Royal Caribbean Cruise 2017

Been so busy with work. I finally had time to edit them.

My family went on a Royal Caribbean cruise back in March-April to celebrate the milestone April birthdays.

The first two days were spent at sea on our way to Labadee, Haiti.
We went to Labadee, Haiti (day 3) and Falmouth and Ocho Rios Jamaica (day 4).
I didn't go on any excursion on day 6 so I just took videos from events on the ship.

I'm done.

Erik Satie - Gymnopédie No.1

Sometimes no matter how many friends you have in your life you'll come to a realization that you're completely alone. You always will be and that's okay. It's not about relationships or significant others.

It's just that no one can better understand you but you. No one quite understands your dreams. They pretend to, they sympathize and speculate with you, but you know, that one day when you finally stand on that hot Martian surface, or when you savor that moment before a speech at that long awaited awards ceremony, you'll look down.

You'll see the carefully polished floor underneath your snug fitting dress shoes, the red Martian dirt shifting under the weight of your boots, and it will just be you, your shoes, and no one else. Silence.

Above all else we seek acceptance and understanding. In the end we can only accept ourselves and understand our own condition.

I'm done.

"Anti-Social" on Social Media

Not sure if that's a thing now.

The proper term is "asocial." When my cousins are on their phones during dinner the whole time, my aunt says they are being "anti social" (or non-socializing).

In any case, its hermit mode for me on and offline. I have no energy to talk to people on a Facebook. No energy to comment. Probably a like or react. Same situation offline.

Maybe I like the passiveness of my tiny blog in the corner of the web, writing down everything, unfiltered to a degree. Whereas a Facebook status update, a tweet, or a comment on everything social media + forums often elicit instant replies, likes/reacts, share/retweets, almost like face-to-face interactions which warrant a follow up response.

Ironically, this was the case for blogging. But technology has caught up and, with a smartphone readily available, you can update on the fly.

Maybe I just need to detox. Probably not the proper term.

I'm done.

Nanoblocks - Astronaut

Two updates in a row, huh?

It's been a while since I've done a Nanoblock set. My sister gave this to me as a gift from Christmas.

It's an astronaut set with 120 pieces (not including extras).

I'm done.

Kubros - Evil Minion from Despicable Me 2 (Purple Minion)

Evil Minions are Minions that are at the state of extreme mutation caused by the PX-41 serum entering their blood vessels.

The Evil Minions are for all intents and purposes, made to be indestructible: they are immune to weapons like flamethrowers, guns, axes, and undercover police cars; and are able to withstand the explosion from swallowing a bomb. They will devour and destroy anything that gets in their way, including the above-mentioned weapons. Evil Minions can also repair themselves, and are very dangerous.

The last of my Despicable Me themed Kubros set.

I'm done.

Kubros - Kevin from Despicable Me (Minion)

Kevin is a tall, two-eyed minion with sprout cut hair and is usually seen wearing his golf apparel. He appears in Despicable Me, Despicable Me 2, Minions, and Despicable Me 3.

I had this Kubros set laying around and Despicable Me 3 just came out this weekend. So why not.

I'm done.

RE: Where Do You See Yourself In Five Years?

Got the job. I'm now a project manager :)

Previous post.

Where Do You See Yourself In Five Years?

This is a question that came up a lot in my job interviews over the past 8 years. Starting off after college, I didn't really know what I see myself doing professionally. Eight years later and I still don't know. But now I have an idea. I've accumulated enough work experience on multiple roles from five different jobs.

Earlier this year, two managers from my team of 50+ members approached me and had the silly idea to have me lead a project for our client. It's a short term project which our company had never done before and they figured I was the right fit for this task. It also doubled as a test run for what I can do with it. They've been throwing around the idea of giving me one of our existing programs as a team lead.

The short term project just ended. I recently completed my analysis and sent it to my managers for review before sending it to the client. Impressed by my post analysis of the project, our head project manager shopped around my PowerPoint presentation to our company's big shots and our client lead, who said "job well job." I'm humbled by all this praise, giving a boost to my ego.

I just had my interview with one of our managers and former team lead for a project management position. Apparently I'm the only one qualified among those who sent their application. Other than formalities and signed documents, I think the position is all but mine.

Hoping for the best.

I'm done.

The Proposal

A couple of years ago, one night, I was about to propose to my girlfriend when my roommate Joseph barged into the room out of nowhere, tripped and fell over, breaking a glass table with his face. Totally ruined the mood. Now, I didn't know Joseph THAT well, don't even remember where he was from, but let's just say I put my plans on hold to help him through his injuries.

Joseph had gotten a big glass shard in his eye, making him completely blind in that eye. He was walking around with one of those cotton pads on his eye for a couple of months. Then suddenly, he disappeared, along with my girlfriend.

Apparently they'd bonded during the time after his injuries, and eloped together , left me behind without as much as a note. I tried to track them down, but never could.

In conclusion, if it hadn't been for cotton eye Joe, I'd have been married a long time ago. Where did you come from, where did you go? Where did you come from, cotton eye Joe?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

....

 

April Fools.

 

I'm done.

One Less Thing To Worry About

One thing I learned in college is that procrastination is a double-edged sword. You can hold off on doing homework, studying, or coding projects until the last few days before the deadline provided that you know the subject matter well enough. If not, you'll struggle and pile on stress.

Stress is almost normal in my twenties from college to the workplace. Now in my thirties, I'd rather rid myself of these situations. In my line of work, they are ever present. Now that I'm taking on more responsibilities, even the mundane things such as bathroom cleaning, vacuuming the carpet, laundry (washing and folding), if I hold off on doing them, they pile on.

I don't always do them, but I try to fold my laundry after I wash/dry them on the same day. I clean and vacuum with no distractions. If I'm cleaning the bathroom at the same time, I do all of them straight through. These and other household chores, grocery shopping, paying my bills, etc... the sooner I do them, the less things I have to worry about it. The more free time I have.

Time for Homeland, Billions, The Walking Dead and Chill.

I'm done.

WTF Fridays - #JerryWeek

I'm done.

New Year. New Age

Just when I was about to write a random post, I accidentally logged in to my Xanga account out of habit, even though all I can do now is read my subscriptions from bloggers who bought lifetime access prior to 2.0.

I don't really have a point with this post. It's been a minute (read: a long while) since I've made any decent updates. I still post videos I've made on YouTube, but I'm definitely out of practice as far as blogging goes. I guess I'm just so used to writing anything back on Xanga and getting somewhat instant feedback with the people I got to know there. Gradually, I moved on from more personal posts. It's not the same interaction as before, except for the occasional random posts I do. The landscape has changed. Twitter, Snapchat. Instagram. The list goes on.

Let's see.

• I have 8 minutes left on my timer before I pour a cup of fabric softener in the washer.
• I'm coasting through life.
• From 2013 to 2017, I've had two jobs. My last job was the longest I've help a job at two-and-a-half years. In November 2016, I was hire full time at my current job after a year of contract work. I was doing contract work for almost 4 years, minus the worst job I've had which hired me full time after my 3-month contract ended (which I quit just shy of 3-months right after because FUCK THEM that's why).
• My manager recognized all the hard work I've done for the company and has rewarded me with more work in the form of more responsibilities, training, and managing my own project and program in the next few months. I can't believe I'm finally growing up and on track to become a project manager. And I'm scared and excited and anxious and happy and stressed and just a puddle of mush all at the same time.
• Just turned 33.
• Just went downstairs to pour the fabric softener on my clothes. That should give me 19 minutes and down till washing is done and on to the dryer.
• Pokemon GO became a thing last year. Got really into it for like 3 months. I heard they have an update.
• About 3 years ago, I bought a Live Gamer Portable for recording videogame footage on my PS3. I wanted to show gameplay footage of the games I play and post it on YouTube. I've always had a knack for video editing, but working on these videos allowed me to practice editing techniques I've never done before. Most of my videos are set to music.
• I still play on my PS3. I really want to get a PS4, but I just feel guilty not finishing my existing PS3 games which I haven't played. Not really sure if I have OCD, but it's definitely a thing with me. That and hoarding. And completing a set like when I bought LEGO Architecture sets, Assassin's Creed Mega Blok sets, and the Walking Dead sets (filed under ill-advised purchases). They're still in the box (some of them, at least).
• My right shoulder appears to be stabilizing now. I just can't do too much strenuous activities like lifting heavy weights, jumping jacks, and awkward angles on my right side. My first real visit to a gym was met with 3 weeks of "my arm feels like it's about to pop out of my" shoulder pain.
• Acceptance. That it's okay to be sad. That not everything works out as planned. That you just bounce right back... starting from zero.
• Laundry is done. Time for the dryer.

I'm done.

Riding Around Assassin's Creed II

Assassin's Creed II is the 1st chapter in the Ezio trilogy showcasing Florence, Tuscany, Forli, and Venice Italy.

In the first game, you could only ride your horse outside cities. The same thing applies for ACII, but certain locations have surrounding land that lets your ride around the entire map (Appennine Mountains, Villa Monteriggioni, Tuscany, and Forli).

I'm only covering those locations.

Riding Time
~~~~~~~~~~~
Apennine Mountains......... 05min16sec
Around Villa Monteriggioni. 02min20sec
Around Tuscay.............. 05min50sec
Around Forli............... 02min50sec

I'm done.

Strolling Through Assassin's Creed II

Assassin's Creed II is the 1st chapter in the Ezio trilogy showcasing Florence, Tuscany, Forli, and Venice Italy.

I still think this is the best story and Ezio is the most well-written character in all of the Assassin's Creed franchise. Lots of background information to delve into this game as well as the conspiracies that happened throughout the altered version of real world history.

Strolling Time
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Florence........................ 07min49sec
Villa Monteriggioni............. 04min00sec
Tuscany......................... 09min30sec
Apennine Mountains.............. 26min04sec
Forli........................... 07min46sec
Venice.......................... 10min30sec

Total....................... 01hr05min39sec

I'm done.