Matt Johnson, Chicago's Wing Chun "Sifu", Welcomes More Students

Matt Johnson walks up 103 steps every day to the 5th floor of Fountainhead Lofts; Suite 505 is his destination-- where he operates the Ving Tsun Self Defense Academy. The 1,000 square-foot studio offers a peaceful view of Chicago's Pilsen neighborhood. Another perk of the current location is that it is larger than the previous studio where "Sifu" Matt taught his students: a 600 square-foot, ground level studio down the street.

After 18 months in the new location, Sifu Matt wants to use his space more efficiently. He recently announced that more classes have been added. [Instantly, two students contacted him to sign up.]

If you are interested in learning more, click the link above. 

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JRW Player's Plight Opens Door For More To Get Help (EDITORIAL)

After such a joyous week in sports, we learned of an unfortunate story. Jaheim Benton, a young man who went all the way to the Little League World Series as a member of the Chicago-based Jackie Robinson West team turned out to be homeless. 

Thankfully, Spencer Leak, Jr. -- a local mortician-- sent the young man and his family gets him some help.

I'm not big on utilizing religious imagery but I'm truly glad this young man and his family is getting the help he needs. It's certainly good that he gets this attention because he's part of a champion little league baseball team.

We must remember that he isn't the only child who may be part of a family who's homeless. Hopefully these other young people and their families will also get the help they need.

~ Levois J. 

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Good Cop, Bad Cop | The Blurred Lines Of Law Enforcement

Before social media, the only way to see police in action was to watch the show "Cops." Now, you can watch unedited accounts of those same "cops" on YouTube or Facebook.

But what happens when the bad cops harass their own?

Veteran police officer Ericson Harrell found out the hard way after engaging in a peaceful protest. (Watch the video below to hear his account). After almost 20 years in public service, he was surprised to learn that some of his own colleagues would target him for exercising his First Amendment rights.  
Fortunately, he received good news about 2 months ago. But his quest for justice is not over.




On Mr. Harrell's Facebook page, he posts videos and articles concerning all forms of injustice. In fact, he lists his official occupation as "Oath Keeper." And the muscular officer continues dealing with tests of his emotional strength as he fights for fairness. 

But he's not alone.

Across the nation, protesters continue to rally against police brutality. To their chagrin, the police have arrested a few of them.  

As a sign of hope, social media has helped create more awareness for citizens. On the flip side, it has led police departments to rethink their strategies upon dealing with the public.

 

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Here's A Better Alternative To The #IceBucketChallenge

By now, you've seen videos of celebrities writing checks to support ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease) and then dumping ice water on their heads.

It's called the #IceBucketChallenge. 

And just about every household name has fulfilled the requirements. 

But the #IceBucketChallenge should be more than a fun way to raise money for charity. Instead, it should be a catalyst for more people to volunteer with health organizations.



As I have reported before, there are ailments such as scleroderma and lupus which receive very little attention-- in addition to ALS.

While the campaign has been a huge success from a public relations perspective, it does trivialize the suffering which many ALS patients deal with on a daily basis.

What would have been better was for celebrities to surprise their fans at an event or spend the day volunteering for the cause. They could have done a "swap" with a fan who has ALS and allowed them to be an "Oprah" or a "Rock" for the day.

Let's hope that next year's campaign goes along those lines.

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Cute Kids & A Good Dad: A Picture of Hope In Chicago

John Paulus is not a stereotype; he is a devoted husband and father who works to provide a better life for his family on Chicago's South Side. 

John and his wife, Sythera, want their two daughters, Mia and Faith, to grow up in a happy and healthy environment. As proud residents of the Chatham neighborhood, they are active in their children's lives to ensure that both girls reach their full potential. 

Today, John took his kids to the Summer Breeze Block Party hosted by St. James Evangelical Lutheran Church -- only a stone's throw from their home. While attendance was less than 100 people, the event was safe, fun, and brought smiles to the faces of every child there.

On the other side of town, the popular Bud Billiken Day parade had thousands of people and celebrities. But that event received some negative attention. According to various reports, two people were shot near the parade. 

While many just complain about Chicago violence, John reacts by consulting churches and nonprofits on ways to create solutions. Since 2010, Do-Gooder Consulting has been an integral component in community affairs strategies for different organizations. 

For John Paulus, the "big picture" is that Chicago can become a safer place when good men step up and lead by example.

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"What Ever Happened To?"| The Cast of "VR Troopers"

Next month, it will be 20 years since the premiere of "VR Troopers"-- a show considered a sister series of "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers." 


I decided to use Google and IMDB to virtually find the whereabouts of these actors. 

Brad Hawkins ("Ryan Steele")

The Dallas, TX resident got his big break on "VR Troopers" at 18. 

According to his IMDB page, Brad pursued a career in music after the show ended in 1996.

Upon resuming his acting career, he landed roles on "NCIS," "CSI" and "Prison Break."

Now, he is featuring the film "Boyhood" and continues to stay active in the entertainment industry.

Sarah Joy Brown ("Kaitlin Star")

Sarah landed the VR Troopers role on her 19th birthday in February 1994-- according to her IMDB page.

She went on to play "Carly" on "General Hospital" from 1996 to 2001 and "Madison James" on "Days Of Our Lives" from 2011 to 2012. 

Sarah's latest role is "Katherine Wesley" on the hit series "Beacon Hill." 

Michael Calvin Bacon ("J.B. Steele")

(Update April 12, 2015: A lot of you have been searching for Mr. Bacon's whereabouts -- because I see it on my diagnostics page. I will say this: he is a video game animator now and his name has changed. That's it. It's up to you to figure out the rest.) 

CHECK OUT A CLIP FROM VR TROOPERS BELOW: 

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