My 2011 Blogging Highlights

(UPDATED: January 6, 2012)

This is a quick post where I look back on 2011 while also looking ahead to 2012. The year 2011 was more about keeping the wheels turning while motoring forward. That motoring forward, however, has been fairly rough. Disappointments and rough blogging times have me feeling less than stellar in trying to keep John's Blog Space going strong. I am going to take a wild guess- I've done at least 250 blog posts for 2011. They have ranged from completely new topics to old posts that have been deleted and replaced with new versions.

LATEST UPDATE:

JAN 6 2012 - a very important part of 2011 was omitted in my initial post! That highlight was added.

--- 2011 Blogging Highlights ---

I am making my own highlight package for 2011. Each heading indicates personal highlights I want to focus on. So enjoy this lookback with me. If you want to read the blog posts I am associating each section with, links to all will be indicated for you to read. Just because this is John's Blog Space means that JBS material is not the only thing that will be covered. In fact, I have some thoughts on my other two blogs, "John's Shop Space" and "John's Gran Turismo Space." So read on:

Viral Success.

Among my 2011 blog posts, the first major hits were my blog posts on singers Charice Pemgengco and Sarah Geronimo. I had no idea so many people would actually read my posts on these two young singing sensations. I picked up a huge deal of hits from that as well as some Twitter followers. People were reluctant to see my post as well as videos on both of these singing stars. I had even launched a blog label called "Philippines and Filipino," dedicated to topics regarding the Philippines and Filipino topics. The Philippines remains as one of the most popular places where I get blog hits from.

Making People Happy.

John's Blog Space is about anything and everything, and when "anything and everything" includes interesting posts about interesting people, there is that surprise factor that often times arise. I have posted "Famous People" posts about various people. I felt like some comments had to be made about certain people I've featured. One post I felt a bit emotional about this year was when I posted about Keira Kang. Keira is a singer whom has been through a lot of tough times. She loves music as well as fashion. I felt like my readers need to know more about her as I shown my appreciation for this person. I then extended my Famous People looks at many others. I had thoughts on Rebecca Black, whom I don't like music from, but I also wonder why people hate her so much. She is not a good singer at all, but I just failed to understand why people hate her like she did something totally wrong. Just recently, I blogged about Arielle Lee Bair- a woman who has taken on and defeated eating disorders in her life. I praised her for her motivation and her insight.

So I do what I can to make mention of certain people... even if they don't suspect it right away. Sometimes, I wonder who would ever make anything appreciative of me and my material. It's not like I ask for anything in return, though. It would just be interesting to see someone show some love and support for my own material with their own compliments.

The Beauty of It All.

I took a stand to try to talk about beautiful women from around the world. Starting in a post on February 22, 2011; I devoted an entire post to women from certain regions, countries, continents, and the like. I began with a post to try to draw more blog readers from Africa. I posted about African beauties. One loyal reader was satisfied that I broke up and divided African beauties by the region they are from. It was a taxing effort, but I managed to find as many different women as possible to help spice up the post. The biggest name I mentioned in "African Beauties" was Charlize Theron of South Africa. However, I became fond of the ultra-sexy Candice Swanepoel, also from South Africa.

Because of that post's success, I took my "Beauties" posts to include many more parts of the world. So I took my focus elsewhere. It began with a look at beautiful women from Latin America. That was the initial plan. However, I changed up my focus to try to be better categorized with the names I was featuring. I began with Mexican and Central American Beauties- focused on Mexico and some of Central American women. The next post in the series regarded beautiful women from Caribbean islands. Finally, I ended with beautiful women from South America. In a still incomplete series, I shifted my Beauties post from the Western Hemisphere... to Asia. It began with a look at beautiful women from East Asia, Southeast Asia, and ended with South Asia. I still haven't ruled out beautiful women of Central Asia as well as the Middle East.

There are many more posts I am considering for next year in this category. Here are some of the ones I hope to work on and complete (YOU READ IT FIRST!): UK and Irish beauties, Australian and New Zealand beauties, American beauties, and even beautiful women of continental Europe.

My latest "Beauties" post was about plus size women from around the world. I appreciate the support I've gotten in response to me mentioning plus-size women. That even includes bloggers whom I follow here on Blogger/Blogspot. I am considering doing one regarding petite beauties.

Shoe Focus.

The most popular shoe-related post of 2011 was my post on the Jeffrey Campbell "Lita" booties. Many people who visit John's Blog Space to see that blog post were treated to various facts and figures on these popular shoes. I even linked to various blogs and videos featuring these boots being worn. Any time A blog post is successful, I try and hope to add more content to help make the post more interesting and useful. Those efforts seem to have worked for the most part.

I then tried to mention other shoes- such as the "Snick" sandals from Jeffrey Campbell and the "Dany" sandals from Jessica Simpson. Those two, unfortunately, were nowhere near as popular as my Jeffrey Campbell "Lita" booties post. Even my old post on Converse sneakers remains popular.

Going Aussie.

This year was magical for me because I was able to see the Bathurst 1000 live on TV in the United States. I posted a blog entry regarding Speed Channel's coverage of the Bathurst 1000. The praise came in the fact that this series was so loved in the States that it was shown live for the first time ever in the US. However, some NASCAR-type elements were to my disliking. I otherwise enjoyed the coverage.

An element I changed up about labeling blog posts is that I now include topics regarding Australia and New Zealand as part of my "Pacific and Oceania" label. The "Pacific and Oceania" topics were primarily about the many South Pacific island nations, but I've also included Australia and New Zealand as part of my range of topics in this category.

A Makeover.

The biggest change to "John's Blog Space" was a new layout and feel. I was convinced to change the theme of this blog from its blue and gold to a blue/gold/teal combination that I called "Sea of Stars." I initially had teal graphics in the sidebar to resemble an underwater adventure. But because it was hard to read, I deleted the underwater graphics and just replace it with a solid teal background. I even added a slider to make my blog feel more like a proper home page. The point of all of this was to make the blog a lot more interesting to look at. Equal treatment was given to "John's Gran Turismo Space." Speaking of which...

Attempts to Impress JGTS.

Rather than post a review of Gran Turismo 5 to "John's Blog Space," I instead chose to use "John's Gran Turismo Space" to make my review of GT5. JGTS needed more views, and I thought this would help. I even managed to move over a lot of my GT-themed topics to JGTS to make it better. It was not too long ago that John's Gran Turismo Space surpassed 25K views. I hope to get more views and involvement there in the future.

The Ones That Got Away.

Some blog posts never got the amount of views I think they would get. Here are some of the many- Ballet, Cats, (almost any music-related post), (almost any race track post), Attention to Booty, and more. I guess I got to a point where I feel certain blog posts would be so popular that they'd rake in views. Sadly, I was wrong. Most of these posts don't have anywhere as many views as I think they'd be capable of getting.

There's hope! Please contribute views to the following posts to help me feel a bit better about my blogging work:

• Ballet - a look at ballet as well as dancer-inspired fashion.
• Cats - meow! A fun post about cats.
• Bahrain International Circuit - Bahrain's fabulous international race track.
• Attention to Booty :) - a fashion post about making your backside fashionable.
• Wild Side - animal-inspired fashion topics.
• Arielle Lee - my post about a young pop singer (not to be confused with my post on Arielle Lee Bair)
• Deals - my review of the Live Well Network show hosted by Katishia Cosley (or Kat Cosley)
• The Jeremy Kyle Show - daytime talk show controversial for how the host treats guests in trying to gain resolution.

Making an Experimental Blog.

Did you know that the recent layout changes were actually set up by an experimental blog? I created a fourth blog specifically to test layout changes. I did not want to ruin the layout of any of my existing blogs to any substantial degree trying to edit it in real time. So I was finally compelled to make an experimental blog to test out blog templates and learn from these templates to edit my own blogs. The "Sea of Stars" theme for John's Blog Space was created through extensive modification and testing of various blog formats I have downloaded and play-tested online. There is no easier way to test out unique templates, so you may as well practice using other blog templates while modifying your own.


But among all highlights, this one was the biggest for me in 2011:

1,000,000 Hits!

(ADDED: January 6, 2012)
When you work with something for a long time and reap the benefits from your audience, you end up in rare air- 1M hits. On June 26, 2011; Blogger/Blogspot stats shown that my blog crossed the 1M view mark all-time. I credit this to the many people who even cared to visit my blog and share my content. I don't view my own blog; that's just cheap views in my estimation. I even don't let a browser track my own page views. In my initial version of this post, I absolutely forgot to mention crossing the 1M view mark! I have no idea how I could forget the most important highlight of 2011 for John's Blog Space.

--- 2011 Blogging Lowlights ---

This post is about HIGHlights, but this one was a potentially hurtful LOWlight:

Nearly Killing a Popular Post.

One time in updating my post on Plus Size fashion, I accidentally copied and pasted my "Sweet Petite!" post in place of "Plus Size Fashion." I IMMEDIATELY changed this over and saved my post from any further disarray. I'd hate to imagine what damage I would have done long-term in trying to avoid destroying one of my most popular posts.


And then, this:

Nearly Killing off John's Shop Space?

Though I get a bit more traffic to John's Shop Space (JSS) than John's Gran Turismo Space (JGTS), I feel that JSS seemed to have been created out of trying to decrease the workload off of featuring items on John's Blog Space. It used to be that I'd create posts on certain topics, then post some material people can shop for online in case they are interested. So in case I thought people would be more interested in shopping for material rather than reading my posts and then shopping for material, I created "John's Shop Space" as my alternative blog to JBS.

There was a reason why I never seriously promoted "John's Shop Space." The big reason why was because I set that blog up specifically to have would-be shoppers be more interested in a more shop-friendly environment. I was too lazy to set up and maintain a proper store, so my would-be store is also its own blog. I have now used JSS to mostly feature certain things and allow my visitors to go see related websites in case they are interested.

I disallowed comments because it was specifically about whatever was being offered for each topic. That blog was not designed to be a place of great debate or discussion. I don't mind Followers for John's Shop Space, but it was never meant to be a proper blog people can actually enjoy.

Finally, there was a point where I felt like "John's Shop Space" just wasn't performing well, and that my vision to try to expand upon JBS' success just wasn't working. I didn't know what to post about and how often to post to better service my audience. So I had almost considered getting rid of John's Shop Space.

--- Looking Ahead to 2012 ---

Among other things for 2012 for John's Blog Space, I have expressed some interest in doing some tech product reviews. There are some products that I've read about and wanted to learn more about. Maybe I get to be so cheap to purchase certain items, but I do wonder about certain products.

The Money Factor.

There was a reason I created "John's Shop Space." I feared that people may think I'm blogging for money. I do not predicate the success of my blog on making money. And besides, it isn't like I am actually making real money (if any). There are other bloggers out there who get a lot of views and probably rake in more cash than me. I'm only talking about money because I'd like to actually see my blog's success translate to money. Of course, I care more about speaking my mind than any sort of financial aspect of my work.

Getting Noticed.

You only know me in a few ways- if you're a personal friend of mine, if you're a family member of mine who somehow reads my blog or sees my YouTube videos, you somehow follow my work online. I guess I am pushing to become better noticed and respected among a certain audience. I can not guarantee that I will actually be saluted by someone or greatly featured in posts and websites. What I do hope for someday is that I can actually be (at least) noticed and admired by people on some sort of public forum for my blogging and video work. My work may not be spectacular, but I am far from being truly mediocre.

More Fans and Followers.

I don't know what it is with me. I get a lot of traffic, but not a lot of loyal readers willing to show their support of my work. Only so many Facebook fans. Only so many Followers. I hope to TRULY change that. How, though? I am not sure. Maybe being better noticed will help.

More Topics and More Labels.

To better sort blog topics, I have set up and utilized various labels. What labels am I talking about? Stuff like "Fashion and Style," "Gaming," and more. Use the labels in the sidebar to find the latest posts to some of my many different topics. Speaking of topics, I hope to discuss more things and find more ways to keep all of my blogs intact and active.

A Return to Prosperity.

If "disappointment" was my word for my 2011, I am hoping "recovery" is a word that describes 2012 for me. This blog used to get about 3K hits daily. Then, I was fortunate enough to get between 2K and 3K hits daily. Nowadays, I am fortunate to get 1.5K to 2K hits. My blog is slowly dying if you go on these figures alone. I can only hope to regain my audience and win some new fans and subscribers. Only YOU can make it happen. I can only do so much.

More "John's Corner" Posts.

The "John's Corner" posts are casual posts where I Simply discuss certain things with you all from a mostly lighthearted perspective. They even involve certain comments from me about a few issues, like why I post on certain topics or why I express certain views. Even if to casually grow my audience, I'll try to make more of my "John's Corner" posts so you can have a piece of my mind free of charge. :)


I am hoping to expand upon and grow my blog and my audience.





No matter what, I am thankful for the support I have from many people the world over. I will try to get with other peoples' blogs and try to expand my international audience with original content. I hope my audience can support me in their own way by getting involved with me and my content. Here's to a happier and more promising new year. Well...

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Thank you for reading all year long! Have a great 2012!

Become a Fan (or Like) my Facebook Fan Page and subscribe this blog (and my others) via FeedBurner (or any other aggregator in the sidebar)! Visit (or subscribe):
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• Subscribe to John's Shop Space! (http://jbmshopspace.blogspot.com)
• Subscribe to John's Gran Turismo Space! (http://johnsgtspace.blogspot.com)

Plus Size Beauties - the World Tour!

(UPDATED: March 12, 2012)

To everyone who thinks plus size women can't be beautiful, I am here to prove you wrong with this post. This post was created by semi-popular demand based on hits I've gotten to my blog post on plus size fashion. Curvy models, bloggers, celebrities, and more will be featured here in my salute to lovely plus size women. Consider this a World Tour of beautiful plus size women because I want to showcase lovely plus size women from around the world. And as anyone would know, I do NOT use the "world" to just mean a couple of different countries. I am here to share with you that you can be a plus size girl AND be beautiful looking at the same time! I am also here to show any critics that you don't have to be Barbie-doll slim or perfect to be a beautiful woman. If I can, I want to try to find as many plus size beautiful women to feature from various parts of the world.

That's right- plus size beauties... the World Tour! And... I'm your tour guide!

NOTE: I read online that there are actual differences in terms like "curvy," "plus size," "full-figure," and terms like that. I will mostly use "plus size" and "curvy" throughout my post almost interchangeably. However, I will NOT use the word "fat" to describe anyone here.

LATEST UPDATE/REVISION:

MAR 12 2012 - added another blog (HINT: from Brazil)

--- Big and Beautiful: Plus Size Beauties ---

This blog post was created as I've seen how people have found my post on plus size fashion. I extended my look at beautiful plus size women. "Plus Size Fashion" was a blog post that has helped me to gain a good amount of respect among the plus size community in the blogosphere and even on Facebook. I have had the opportunity to visit blogs, meet new people online, and things of that nature to help enhance my profile online.

As a Houston native, I'm in a city that has been considered the "fattest city in America" in the past. So I've gotten to meet a number of plus size women before. What is really sad about society is that people can't appreciate that beauty comes in many forms. Most people in society have nothing better to do but to just make fun of and disrespect women just because they aren't slim. You know, calling them "fatties" and stuff like that. Perhaps most misconstrued is the correlation between slim and healthy. There are larger-size females who are active and fit. Heck... I have even see larger size women do splits! Another misconstrued factor is what actually qualifies as "plus size." What some people think are plus size females are average at best.

Curvy and Proud.

The idea of being slim leads some curvy females to feeling disappointed that they can't be as loved and as respected as slim (or at least average) size female. Some curvy women want to lose weight. Some, however... are happy with their size. So what happens when you still want to look good while still flaunting your curves? Unless you find some great-fitting and good-looking clothes, your options are fairly limited because a lot of average fashion designers don't cater to or have garments meant for larger-size women. Your luck really runs out if you are among the BBW (big beautiful women) crowd, with clothing sizes north of 5X. But on the other hand, accepting your larger frame and wanting to accommodate yourself with clothes for larger figures can be a challenge. It really feels great knowing there are designers that do cater to larger sizes when there are designers who fail to cater to larger sizes.

Why Are Plus Size Females So Disregarded?

There are people who have characteristics of what makes a woman beautiful. I certainly have my own. Many people just think that plus size women just aren't as attractive as slim and slender women. Some people who think that being curvy is not only unattractive, but also unhealthy. This goes back to a social ideal in which every female should be as attractive as a Barbie doll. A number of these plus size ladies would probably feel unattractive because of their size. They would feel so unattractive just because they don't get as much attention or as much appeal as any slim and slender women. Because of this, a number of curvy women feel disrespected, disregarded, and simply ugly. Like, "do I really have to be as slim as a Barbie doll to be considered beautiful?" Or on the other hand, correction- people DO love curvy women... as long as curvy women lose weight.

I just can't see how there are some people out there who are not as willing to accept certain thick women as being as beautiful as any slim women. Sometimes, I think some curvy women can be as beautiful, if not more beautiful, than some slim women. A curvy lady in a hot short dress with some platform pumps can be just as sexy as a slim lady in a short dress and platform pumps. Some people, unfortunately, think that being thick or having some extra body fat doesn't equal sexy.

If you don't think curvy women can be beautiful, check this video out (or just read the rest of this blog post!). This is a video from the FOX reality show "More to Love." These curvy women look beautiful all dolled up here:



Curvy women can be just as beautiful as any slender woman. Can curvy women be sexier than (or as sexy) as any slender girl, however? The answer is a resounding yes if you watch this Torrid video:



So there you have it- curvy girls can be just as beautiful as slender girls. Just too bad many people don't appreciate curvy beauty.

--- Plus Size Beauties: World Tour! ---

These include various curvy ladies of many kinds. The ladies range from bloggers to celebrities.

The only criteria- "more to love" or more. It's about being plus-sized/curvy/extended-size. No slender ladies will be featured here. The point of this post is to show that plus-size women can be just as beautiful as any slim and slender lady.

Just to show this is a "World Tour" of curvy beauties, their location is noted in parentheses (). I want to do this to show that there are many beautiful ladies the world over. And in the case of this post, there are many curvy beauties the world over. Visit the links in each lady's heading to visit either their official website or fan page.

(ADDED: January 3, 2012) This post features other peoples' blogs. If you encounter someone's blog that I post here, and if you like the blog in question; you are more than welcome to follow that person's blog. Just about all of the blogs featured are on Blogger/Blogspot, so feel free to introduce yourself to some new blogs if you love plus size fashion.

Part of my method of enjoying blogging is in helping others find related blogs and sites of the same category. So by all means, get to meet various other blogs in case what you find in this post interests you.

Shay Shaunte' (USA).

One of my most popular blog posts, "Plus Size Fashion" featured one lady who goes by the stage name of Shay Shaunte. I wanted to find a plus size lady to show that even curvy ladies can be every bit as attractive and hot as any average slender girl. The one I eventually found was Houston native, Shay Shaunte'. Her website can be visited from the heading to this section.

Coupon Conte$$a. (WordPress Blog; USA)

(ADDED: January ??, 2012)
As featured on Live Well Network's "Deals," Nora Kapche, also known as "the Coupon Contessa," is a woman who is all about getting and seeking good deals on many things. She has been featured in a number of segments on "Deals," and she even play-tests certain frugal offers. Will any work for you? The Coupon Contessa will let you know in her own way!

Nora may be about couponing and saving money, but her beauty is priceless. Her advice is also priceless. Here is a look at the Coupon Contessa:


"Walk for Deals" - on Deals, on livewellnetwork.com

Nadine Moon.

(ADDED: January ??, 2012)
The beautiful Nadine Moon is the owner of Houston's premier cake studio- Who Made the Cake! This Texas native has created some of the most unique cakes you will ever see. She is one artist who creates delicious and unique masterpieces. Nadine Moon was featured on the Live Well Network program "Deals" a few times before. This video below showcases Nadine Moon, so here is a chance for you to see this lovely woman while being interviewed by another lovely woman, Katishia (Kat) Cosley. And if you like this video and want to learn more about the video's topic, visit the link below this video:


"Cupcakes" - on Deals, on livewellnetwork.com

I am considering a blog post with a related topic to this section. Stay tuned to John's Blog Space for a possible future post on an element regarding this section you just read.

Principessa Gabriella (USA).

Gabriella is beautiful and charming. This Pennsylvanian princess offers charm both American style and Italian style. "Principessa Gabriella" is her blog devoted to almost anything (mostly fashion and beauty). Speaking of beauty, she has beauty in abundance. Gabriella's style can primarily be defined as girly and cute. She is unafraid to showcase her style in her own way. Her range of styles even includes vintage-style glamour. I encourage fans of my blog to visit Principessa Gabriella because she is a wonderful person and a great supporter of my online work.

Style 4 Curves --For the Curvy Confident Woman (USA).

Here is a lady named Venessia from the state of Mississippi. Blogging since June 2011, Venessia showcases her sense of style to the world through her various blog posts. The curvy beauty can be girly and cute with her style, but she can always turn up the heat and showcase a little fierce style. Her glorious hair and sweet smile are as lovely as the outfit posts she makes.

Curvy Girl Chic (USA).

Allison is the lady behind "Curvy Girl Chic." She boasts one of the cutest smiles and some of the cutest looks in her blog. I discovered her flipping through the pages of Teen Vogue or Seventeen magazine. I have since appreciated and admired her lovely sense of style. In trying to find curvy ladies from around the world to feature, she is the only Asian I could find, as she is both Cantonese and Taiwanese.

Paula Deen (USA).

The Southern cooking queen is one Paula Deen. Born in Albany, Georgia, USA; Paula Deen is both a cooking superstar as well as an inspiration. She has lived through many hardships and remained strong to become the figure she is today. I think more people should appreciate her for getting through rough times rather than just know her as the highly entertaining cook she is. Not to belittle her cooking or anything. She is about the oldest lady I'll feature here, as she is (born: January 17, 1947) years old. Here is a little insight on Paula Deen's and her entertaining style:



This was an old blog post I did about Paula Deen: "Paula Deen" on John's Blog Space.

Nikki Blonsky (USA).

Sweet as sugar and completely down to earth, Nikki Blonsky of Great Neck, New York, USA is an actress and a singer. This is someone who is very lovely in looks and in spirit. One thing that makes her special is how she is not afraid to be herself. Nikki is not letting the fact that she's curvy be any sort of deterrent to her being successful in any arena she partakes in. One thing I didn't know about her- she's short! This sweet petite is 4'10". She is so cute! Don't believe me? Check this out:



Oh, and I blogged about her a long time ago: "Nikki Blonsky" on John's Blog Space. :)

Gabi Gregg (USA).

Gabrielle (Gabi) Gregg's claim to fame was in being MTV's first Twitter jockey. This beautiful lady from Detroit showcases her curvy style in everything from outfit posts to even a swimwear post she once did. Any one curvy girl who is unafraid to showcase her style is one GABIFRESH. Visit her blog to see her broad range of styles from this lovely curvy lady.

Jordin Sparks (USA).

The winner of Season 6 of American Idol is Jordin Sparks. This young singing star from Glendale, Arizona delivers a powerful voice while also sounding sweet. She has sung a number of great songs. My personal favorite of hers is "One Step at a Time." Other classic songs include "No Air," "Battlefield," and more.

I have not ruled out doing a blog post on her. I actually want to do one on her.

Curves Ahead (USA).

Candy is a makeup artist behind Curves Ahead Makeup and the blog "Curves Ahead." This candy girl from North Hollywood, CA, USA is sweet with a delicious sense of style. She will commonly share her beauty expertise as well as showcase a number of her looks, often called her "Weekend Girlie Looks." Also part of Candy's fashion repertoire is a shoe line called Fancy Steps. This luscious Latina also lends her fashion and beauty know-how to YouTube. Visit Candy's blog to get a taste of her beauty and style.

Or if you are on YouTube, you can see her YouTube channel by visiting "Curvesaheadmakeup" on YouTube.

Bigg Badd Wolf (USA).

The plus size Baltimore beauty known as The Notorious ZAG delivers her own unique sense of style. Her blog has a lot of different fashion looks as well as various insight on all sorts of looks. Her interest in my blogging work has earned me full respect in all she does. Because of her support, I am including her among my Plus Size Beauties post. Why not pay a visit to Bigg Badd Wolf?

Queen Latifah (USA).

Dana Owens to some people is Queen Latifah to many others. As one of the best hip-hop artists of the 1990s, Queen Latifah's talents were taken into acting as well as in going from hip-hop to sultry jazz numbers. Many may remember Queen Latifah from the '90s FOX sitcom "Living Single." While I am not any kind of fanatic of Queen Latifah, I best remember her song "U.N.I.T.Y." from the '90s.

Betsy Ruth (USA).

Here is a BBW (big beautiful woman) who can wrestle you. From what I read, she's no longer wrestling; but former TNA Knockout Rosie LottaLove (also known as Betsy Ruth) is a (born: January 17, 1985) was born MaryKate Duignan Glidewell. She stands 6'1" and weighs 250 lbs. I think she's beautiful. Maybe not glamourous, but there is a little pin-up beauty to this BBW. Here is a link with pictures of her: LethalWOW page on Betsy Ruth (Rosie LottaLove).

Kia Stevens (USA).

Awesome Kong or Kharma is what many professional wrestling fans know her as. She is one of the most physically imposing professional wrestlers today. She is Kia Stevens away from the ring. As of this post, I hear she's still becoming a mother. So while her time in the WWE is fairly short up to this point (as Kharma), there is hardly anyone in women's professional wrestling who is as imposing as her. I actually think she is a lovely woman to be 5'9" and weighing in at a crazy billed weight of 272 lbs. Think of Awesome Kong/Kharma as the Big Show of women in pro wrestling because of her imposing character and power. Pictures of her can be seen here: PWPIX.net page on Awesome Kong/Kharma.

Ashley Graham (USA).

Controversy arose when a Lane Bryant (a plus size fashion specialist) commercial was banned from being shown on television at a certain time of day because of "too much cleavage." The model at the center was young Ashley Graham. Ashley Graham is a beautiful curvy diva from Lincoln, Nebraska (that's right, college fans- Cornhusker Country). This sparked outrage from some people, including one Queen Latifah. The plus size community would argue that for as much as we see slender women parade around on TV in lingerie, it is somehow a double standard that we don't see classy, beautiful plus size women showcase their beauty in lingerie. If anything, Ashley Graham should be an inspiration for plus size women.

If you don't believe that Ashley Graham is a beautiful curvy lady, you might have a change of heart after seeing this video:


Well?

Crystal Renn (USA).

One Florida-born girl's dream was to be a supermodel. Her name was Crystal Renn. She would be someone who could grace the cover of magazines like Vogue... on one condition- only if she lose over 70+ pounds. In the rat race to try to be slim and slender, Crystal found herself not accepting her body much and nearly dying from eating disorders. She tried to give into society accepting slimmer women over those who don't just be themselves, and it almost killed Crystal Renn. Accepting her body was the best choice she ever made.

The link takes you to her Facebook fan page. She has an official page, but I was NEVER able to pull it up.





I am NOT done here! I am providing this Jump Break to improve the performance of this blog post, so click on "Read More" to continue reading if you are not looking at the full blog post. I have not yet featured some non-American curvy ladies. So read on to find more plus size beauties!

Love John's Blog Space? If so (and if you haven't yet subscribed or followed), Subscribe and/or Follow!

Kai Lee (USA).

(WARNING: Link leads to content NOT SAFE FOR WORK!)
Kai Lee is both a girl gamer as well as a lovely model. I can appreciate her as a Gran Turismo fan. She is a big booty model who is very lovely as well as very fit and active. My respect for her grew when she discovered my blog and decided to friend me on Facebook. There is no doubt that she is a very cool person. So I've included her among the curvy beauties.

To keep this blog world friendly (and to avoid linking to a highly explicit website), I am including her Myspace fan page as the link to where you can see more of Kai Lee.

Hello Lucie! (USA(?)).

Lucia (or Lucie) is the young blogger who also loves interior design. She is a beautiful lady with great style. Her smile and style will amaze you and warm your heart. Why not visit Lucia's blog today to prove the point?

Jennifer Hudson (USA - Honorable Mention!).

Even before losing lots of weight, Chicago's Jennifer Hudson remains a beautiful lady. This lady still remains a very good singer. I personally think her singing is incredible. She's a slimmer diva now (disqualifying her as "curvy" here), so I'm placing Jennifer Hudson as Honorable Mention.

I have not ruled out possibly making a blog post on her.

Bonjour Gazel. (Canada).

Sometimes in my Beauties-themed posts, I include certain names because I want to include certain people that I think my readers would probably appreciate me posting about. I personally select whomever it is I want to feature in my blog posts. That even includes material I don't necessarily like or admit being a fan of. So while I don't read her blog or visit it often, I am including Canada's Gazel (pronounced "gay-zelle"). This young Asian fashion blogger from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada is the creator of "Bonjour Gazel." It is a very popular fashion blog regarding plus size fashion.

Viva Voluptuous! (Canada).

(ADDED: February 19, 2012) It is sometimes discomforting for a plus sized lady to not be able to romantically showcase her curves. Marisa of "Viva Voluptuous!", however, plans to change that. This is a plus size fashion blog not afraid of showcasing curves in a romantic and classy way. She isn't afraid to wear lingerie and showcase her curves to you. A lot of her posts mostly feature outfit she's put together or feature some inspiration for curvy women. I honestly think Marisa will really change your perception if you think curvy women can't be as beautiful as any slender woman.

Vida Guerra (Cuba).

Vida Guerra was one of the first to showcase that curvy can be beautiful. She did so by gracing the cover of FHM Magazine. She was both curvy as well as short. Still, Vida was hot enough to win the hearts of most men who gazed at her. Vida was the hostess of "Livin' the Low Life," a show dedicated to lowrider culture.

SELECTIVE MEMORY (Mexico).

Representing Mexico is Emmy of "SELECTIVE MEMORY." This curvy Mexican sort of has a little of everything in her style posts. Nothing too girly or cute is featured. However, parading in combat boots is uncommon. Her style is a little of everything. Have a visit to SELECTIVE MEMORY to check out this lady's style.

Fluvia Lacerda (Brazil).

If you prefer some South American loveliness, Brazilian beauty Fluvia Lacerda is a very lovely plus size model.

Fofoleca (Brazil).

The Portuguese blog "Fofoleca" is run by a curvy Brazilian named Vanessa. "Fofoleca" is not a real word as Vanessa tells me. "Fofoleca" is a combination of "fofo" (meaning "cute") and "moleca" (meaning either "tomboy" or "a witty girl"). This sweet-faced and super-cute lady shares her fashion and beauty style along with a little insight on losing weight. Her blog is still worth visiting even if you don't understand Portuguese. Vanessa's beauty translates well in any language. All you have to do is visit "Fofoleca" and say "ola!" to my lovely Brazilian friend.

Sachê e Bombom (Brazil).

(ADDED: March 12, 2012)
Even though her blog is in Portuguese (with English subtitles), Camille is a young Brazilian who has outstanding beauty. She is a curly-haired beauty with a sweet smile and a cute face. Her blog is called Sachê e Bombom. As I mentioned previously, her blog is in Portuguese but with English translations. Have a visit to Camille's blog and check out her many different styles.

Georgina Doull and Charlotte Doull (England, United Kingdom).

I am including these two sisters in one section. The older sister here is Georgina. Georgina is the blogger behind "Cupcake's Clothes." "Cupcake's Clothes" can be thought of as a playful showcase of fashion and style. Georgina has many creative outfits and looks. Besides outfits, she usually enjoys playing around with nails and making creative nail polish touches. It is worth a visit to check out this curvy cutie's blog. Georgina also has her own accessory line called Dolly Mixx, so you may visit that too if you enjoy her work.

Georgina's younger sister, Charlotte, is the creator of "Sugar and Spice." She is as lovely as her older sister. Charlotte's trade is in making beautiful artwok of pets called PAWtraits. You can learn more about her Pet Pawtraits by visiting the Pet PAWtraits by Charlotte Doull Facebook Fan Page.

The Woolen Mitten (England, United Kingdom).

"The Woolen Mitten" is the blog of one young curvy blogger named Sara. She also happens to be a petite in addition to being curvy. I am including her out of respect for her work.

Adele (England, United Kingdom).

While I am not really a fan of her music (she's alright to me), Adele is a charming, curvy lady. She certainly has great musical talent though. "Rolling in the Deep" is EASILY my favorite song of hers. Most others just haven't been to my liking much. I just don't like her music as much as other people do. But again- I don't hate her music. Adele brings soulful Motown style with some modern instruments and beats. Considering this lady is from England delivering soulful MoTown singing style is worth some love.

I am not ruling out a blog post about Adele, so be sure to stay subscribed to "John's Blog Space" to see if I do post about Adele.

Pearls, Lace, and Ruffles ; a fatshion blog. (Ireland).

Dee is a beautiful Irish girl behind "Pearls, Lace, and Ruffles." When she smiles at the camera, her smile is sugar sweet along with many of her outfits. Part of her appeal mostly lies in vintage-type outfits. Her outfit posts can range from very cute and soft looks to somewhat edgy looks. She still maintains a modicum of girly-girl charm in all of her outfits and all of her posts. Perhaps an underrated aspect of her blog and her style is in all of the soft colors she presents in her posts. You'll see how lovely she is once you check out her blog. So go on- visit!

Charlotte Coyle (Ireland).

Charlotte Coyle is an curvy Irish fashion model. The 5'11" beauty born in 1982 is undeniably beautiful. Real sweetheart she is. Courtesy of www.judgmentofparis.com, you can learn more about Charlotte Coyle by seeing her pictures and reading about her at this page on www.judgmentofparis.com.

Lique Fleur (Netherlands).

Lique Fleur is a delicious Dutch diva. This curvy woman is very angelic in beauty. Lique has golden blonde curly hair, beautiful blue eyes, a sweet smile, and a very charming personality. Her beauty is breathtaking in my view. To see modeling pictures of this beautiful woman, please visit this thread on www.judgmentofparis.com featuring pictures of Lique Fleur.

Angy's Tea Room (Russia).

If your spot of tea involves fashion, Angelica Ardasheva of "Angy's Tea Room" should be to your liking. She is a Russian fashion blogger based in Italy. She has a range of styles showcased in both outfit posts and in inspirational fashion posts.

Aarti Sequeira (India).

(ADDED: January 12, 2012) Meet Aarti Sequeira. She's a curvy beauty who made her fame by winning "The Next Food Network Star." This (born: August 19, 1978)-year old used to be a producer for CNN before taking on food. Her show, "Aarti Party," highlights on making great meals with a little twist of India. She is a beautiful woman.

To read my blog post on Aarti, check out "Aarti Sequeira" on John's Blog Space.

PLUMP, or The Plump Pinay (Philippines).

This blog features two Filipino bloggers- Stacy and Danah. Both of which, are 5'7" plus sized young women. Their dimensions are unlike the average Filipino woman. Through accepting your body and living healthy, Stacy and Danah promote themselves respectfully on PLUMP and in discussing plus size fashion the way they see fit. Stacy and Danah even offer their own outfit posts.

Fat Aus! (Australia).

Fat Aus! is the blog of a lady named Bronny from Australia. This Aussie's curvy style is showcased nicely with a vast array of outfits ranging from girly to edgy. I actually discovered this blog in trying to come up with any sort of international curvy ladies.

Phebe Rendulic (Australia).

A photographer, a musician, and a blogger; Australian Phebe covers many bases in media. She is a native of Adelaide, South Australia, Australia; and she lends her love of many things (including fashion) to her posts. Her blog is called "Lightning Heart." She is part of a band called Radio Spectacular. This is a young lady with a little of everything. The link in the header takes you to her official home page.



Do you know any other beautiful plus size women? Perhaps any BBW's (big beautiful women)? Contact me via E-Mail! If I like your suggestion(s), I will be sure to add them in a future edit. I will also add names to this post if I personally find some online lovely enough to be mentioned here.

--- What I Hope I Have Accomplished in This Post ---

I hope my blog post has helped to showcase the beauty of plus sized women as well as reverse any perceptions most people have against plus size women. It began with "Plus Size Fashion," which was a general blog post devoted to plus size fashions. The popularity of that blog post ultimately lent itself to this one regarding curvy women. I felt like I needed to create this post to showcase the beauty of curvy women and oppose any stereotypes or double standards regarding curvy women.

If You Are One Many Women Represented in This Post...

If you enjoyed my post, I am glad you did. I do whatever I can to try to give back to my audience. You are very welcome for me featuring you if you enjoyed my work. Thank you very much!

--- Cross-Promotion and Other Reading ---

Thank you for reading my blog post! If you want to visit more links on related to this topic, I invite you to click on the links in this section. They include other blog posts of mine and other material.

• "Plus Size Fashion" - John's Blog Space
^ This is my popular blog post that has won me the respect of plus size women. It includes a look at plus size fashion as well as salutes to plus size fashion bloggers.

• "Deals" - John's Blog Space
^ I mentioned the Coupon Contessa (Nora Kapche) and Nadine Moon of Who Made the Cake! Both featured on "Deals." This blog post of mine is a review of "Deals."

• "Fat and Proud - Part 1" - YouTube
^ If you want to see the "Fat and Proud" series on YouTube, you can start by watching Part 1 of this special by clicking on the link above. It highlights on curvy women in the United Kingdom.

• The Judgment of Paris: Plus-Size Models and Timeless Beauty
^ A Canadian website devoted to beautiful plus size women.

• (ADDED: February 24, 2012) PLUS FOR US
^ PLUS FOR US features all sorts of resources for Plus Size women.


Again- if I find more links to feature, you can be sure that I will update this post as many times as need be.





And as they say... big women need lovin' too! :) Love John's Blog Space? If so (and if you haven't yet subscribed or followed), Subscribe and/or Follow! Thank you for reading!

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I Wish...

It doesn't have to be Christmas for me to offer kind wishes to my loyal and loving fans. Allow me to take this opportunity to give all of you my best wishes and share with you what I want for all of you. This video from JohnMarineTube, my YouTube channel, showcases what dreams and visions I have for you. So if you don't mind, please have a look at this video:

--- I Wish... ---

^ "I Wish..." by JohnMarineTube


I wish to all of you:

• the best life has to offer
I hate seeing honest-to-goodness people have to struggle and/or suffer for whatever reason. Life, school, work, love, parenting... I want you to be happy and want the best for you. That's even if you hate me for whatever reason.

• happiness
Because life stinks when you're hanging your head low with no hope of a brighter future (I know this feeling all too well), I wish yo happiness and joy.

• good fortune
We often times want to be fortunate enough for things to go our way. I wish you good fortune in hopes that times get better and that you get great breaks.

• prosperity
Grow like a flower. Don't just stop where you are- go as far and reach as high as you wish to achieve. Try to shake off anything and everything negative that dare challenges your push towards prosperity.

• positive progress
Keep the wheels turning, baby! Ride that wave of positive momentum. Be as happy as you want.


My best wishes are with all of you because I love my loyal audience. I hope this blog post gives all of you some lighthearted and motivational support. I love all of you loyal fans like my extended international family.

Because you are reading my blog, here is a bonus wish that I have for you:

• Love and Peace!
"Love and Peace" has been my traditional sign off in my YouTube videos. Love is always better than outright hate. Spreading peace is always better than always trying to start fights. So chill out and show some love!


That is a blogging salute to my fans, family, friends, and all of my many supporters worldwide.

--- One Extra Note... ---

Here is one important thing I want to stress in this blog post and with my video:

This is NOT a Christmas Blog Post!

Again, why does it have to be Christmas for me to wish things like this to people? This blog post was not created just because it's Christmas time as of this post. I mean, some people only look to holidays to think about things we should be thankful and mindful of every day. Not once in my video or this post have I mentioned ANYTHING related to holidays or Christmas. This is an all-year thing. I posted this video for any time of the year.

But if it's important that I post something regarding Christmas, then you've just read my post and seen my video. Enjoy.



To see more of my videos, please visit "JohnMarineTube," my YouTube channel.





Thank you for reading! Love John's Blog Space? If so (and if you haven't yet subscribed or followed), Subscribe and/or Follow!

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Unusual Lipstick Colors

Wear lipstick? You probably have multiple shades of red and maybe some pink ones. Fashion is a "dare to be different concept." So what happens when you consider going with different colors of lipstick? For some people, anything other than red or pink for lipstick is usually disliked. Some designers, however, dare to be different. You may remember from my blog post about Doe Deere that Lime Crime is one of those designers who try to go with lipstick colors other than red or pink. There is also another designer who showcases different colors of lipstick. Ka`Oir Cosmetics is another designer that specializes in lipstick colors other than red and/or pink. The creator of Ka`Oir Cosmetics, Keyshia Dior, is a "dare to be different" Jamaican lady who showcases various shades and colors of lipstick. Her YouTube channel features some of the different colors of the Ka`Oir Cosmetics line.

For my female audience who wears lipstick... you may love your red or pink lipstick, but would you wear lipstick colors like these:

• blue lipstick?
• mint green lipstick?
• lavender lipstick?
• white lipstick?
• black lipstick?
• yellow lipstick?
• (any neon-colored) lipstick?

Even celebrities like Lady Gaga and Ke$ha have embraced unusually-colored lipstick, when Lady Gaga wore some turquoise blue lipstick as well as Ke$ha sporting blue lipstick herself. Should you try different colored lipstick? Would you try different colored lipstick? This blog post is all about those unusual lipstick colors. Get some insight and feel free to offer your opinions on these different lipstick colors.

--- A Look at Unusual Lipstick Colors ---

Let's look around online for some inspiration of colorful lipstick. Here is your look at what a difference going with an unusual color of lipstick can do for you. Have a look around and get your inspiration of unusual-colored lipstick.

Inspirations: Ka`Oir Cosmetics.

Let me lend you some YouTube inspiration. First off, here is some color from Ka`Oir Cosmetics. Come and get your colorful lipstick inspiration by checking out this video:




This is a look at two lipstick colors I will feature in this post. The first is Pool Party (turquoise), and the second one is Virgin (white). Check these out and Keyshia Dior's descriptions:


^ "Pool Party," from Ka`Oir Cosmetics.


^ "Virgin," from Ka`Oir Cosmetics.

So what do you think about this?

Inspiration: Lime Crime.

And this one is from Lime Crime:


^ from: beautyandthefeastblog.com - "Kiss the Sky" blue lipstick from Lime Crime.


Lime Crime is usually the first one to come to mind for me in regards of different-colored lipstick. The beautiful Doe Deere believes in strong and popping colors for lipstick.


These two are two of the more popular brands online. To learn more about the respective makeup lines featured here, you are invited to visit the following links:

• Ka`Oir Cosmetics
• Lime Crime Makeup

Thank you for your support!

--- A Look at Unusual Lipstick Colors: Blogging Insight ---

Here are a few fashion bloggers who sport some unusual lipstick colors. Unusual in the sense of a non-red or non-pink colors.


• "Partied way too hard in a Zara skirt and Stanwells' Carthusia Perfume Ligea" (Lucy and the Runaways)
^ Natalie wears orange lipstick along with a bold orange skirt and some Jeffrey Campbell "Lita" booties.

• "Purple Lips!!!!" (Styles 4 Curves -For the Curvy Confident Woman)
^ Meet a lovely curvy fashion blogger from Mississippi named Venessia. This lady sports purple lipstick in this blog post.

• "lime crime permanent lipstick collection review, swatches" (miss kitty charms)
I am only including this post just to showcase the different colors of lipstick offered by Lime Crime with this lady reviewing these shades and colors. This one focuses on colors offered by Doe Deere's Lime Crime makeup line.


If I find any more unusual lipstick color blog posts, I will place links to those posts in any future edits.

--- My Own Thoughts on Unusual Color Lipstick ---

A lot of people would normally dislike the notion of me not appreciating anything fashion forward. I think colors other than red or pink are certainly different. But of course, different doesn't always mean better. Unusually-colored lipstick can be tacky and ugly if done wrong. It's tough to look fashionable when you wear lipstick, and especially when you wear a lipstick color other than red and/or pink. How do you style the rest of your look besides wearing a certain unique lipstick color? Wearing different-colored lipstick is a good way to stand out. Thing is, you can either look very fashion forward... or very tacky depending on your choice of lipstick color and how you style the rest of your outfit.

Much love to females who can sport lipstick colors other than red or pink and look great. I wouldn't even dare attempt this trend if I were a female. I am so old-fashioned. I am used to red and only modest variations of pink. But ask if I would prefer a female wear lipstick colors other than red or pink, and I'd probably say "no" unless she knows what she's doing going with some other color of lipstick. It is entirely too easy to look horrid with any unusual lipstick color. Rather than take a chance, stick to the classic colors. But of course... it is definitely up to you as to whether if you want to go with any unique lipstick colors or not.





What do you make of these unusual colors of lipstick? Do you think unusual colors of lipstick are trendy and stylish? Feel free to comment away! Love John's Blog Space? If so (and if you haven't yet subscribed or followed), Subscribe and/or Follow! Thank you for reading!

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John's Corner: Recent Rough Times

Welcome to John's Corner! What was a page is now going to be a category of blog posts where it is just me talking to you. These posts primarily relate to how I am doing and what I am up to lately. I invite all of my readers to check out my material. If you would like to comment, please do so. But if I get more suspicious spam material than material from loyal visitors, then I will disallow any and all comments to my "John's Corner" posts.

Recent Blogging Struggles.

Recent times have been fairly rough for me blogging. I am not sure if it is because of the Christmas season or if it's something else, but my views and involvement have been declining the past few days. And also, two spammers sent suspicious comments to John's Blog Space (both blocked) after a long while of not getting as many spam comments. It is almost as if people have stopped caring about my blog. Am I not good enough, as I previously blogged about long ago? Is there just not as many people viewing my blog (or maybe others' blogs as well)? Whatever the case, I am going through the motions again.

I usually used to get 3K views daily at the real height of my blog's popularity. Then, I would be fortunate to be north of 2K views daily. My range of daily blog hits later became in the 1.5K to 2K range. Now for the past few days, it has been a few days since my blog has surpassed 1.5K hits. As if I need any more reminders that 2011 has been a mostly disappointing year for me personally, this just adds to my dismay. It would be pathetic to end 2011 this way.

Rekindled Interest in YouTube.

Also... I have redeveloped interest in returning to doing YouTube videos. Part of my shift from YouTube to blogging was because I lost my desire and determination to do videos. But recently, I have redeveloped interest and have considered coming up with videos on certain topics. Anyone who knows of my YouTube channel know what my videos are about- anything and everything. "JohnMarineTube" is the name of my YouTube channel. I use a combination of JMTube and blogging to express points. If I return to YouTube, I'll return the moment I make a great-enough video worth releasing.

Where Are the Loyal Readers/Visitors?

Here is just one last note for my loyal readers- I hate picking up spam comments. These are people who post on any blog site any suspicious links or absolutely nothing pertaining to the actual topic itself. Any comment that just sounds like spam will be shot down. That's why I always want loyal readers to actually share thoughts and share my blog posts with others. It makes no sense to have so many people visit my blog but have only so few comment with useful (non-spam, non-suspicious) comments. I just can't get more involvement and fans seems like. It just saddens me. Almost makes me feel like I am posting all of this material... for nothing. It is almost as if some people have just have stopped believing in me and this blog.

And not to sound rude or sarcastic, but... at least spammers get involved with my material and post accordingly. I dislike spam commenters (as does anyone else who passionately post material for others to enjoy), but at least they post their thoughts on my material even though I don't appreciate their suspicious comments. My blog could be much better if I could get some more HUMAN support from loyal readers and loyal visitors. Just sayin'...





So please- show your support for my work and comment on anything that interests you on John's Blog Space! Help restore my sanity and my confidence by commenting on my material and getting involved with material I post. Subscribe to this blog. "Like" my Facebook fan page. Just show me (in some way) you care about me and my work! Thank you for reading!

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New Year's Resolutions

I couldn't care less for New Year's Resolutions because I basically have just learned to let each day run its course. Resolutions are more like, "what could I work towards to make the coming year better?" These involve things in and out of your control. They also involve your own expectations or forecasts of a year you haven't yet experienced. You never know what the new year will bring. Likewise, you hope the following year goes better than the previous one, especially if the current year has been unfulfilling.

If you read my "Disappointment" blog post, you may know that my 2011 has personally been disappointing. Most of it has been about things outside of my control that has made me feel not as personally happy or just not cheery enough to feel satisfied. Maybe it's focusing too much on doom and gloom for me that has helped me feel disappointed. Maybe too many things in sports and in life brought me down for 2011 that didn't make me enjoy it as much as I would like, like my Houston Astros finishing 56-106 (worst record in Major League Baseball) among other disappointing things. If you wanted to read about more disappointments for me, read "Disappointment" here on John's Blog Space.

The most usual resolutions most people are usually to lose weight, get a job (or maintain a current good job), and things like that. I haven't given a thought to resolutions because I have basically reached a mindset where no matter what I hope to have out of a year, my hopes either fall flat or that I don't get to fully accomplish whatever it is I want out of a year. So I basically just let a year come to me the way it wants to and adapt in real time. In a way, resolutions are like expectations; and some of you know I don't believe in expectations. So I just take the year as it is and just adapt quickly to new challenges.





If you have any realistic goals or hopes for the new year, I hope you can stick to them as best as you can. Good luck to you and hope next year is as promising and hopeful as you want it to be. And once again... if you wanted to read about more disappointments for me, read "Disappointment" here on John's Blog Space.

Thank you for reading! Have a great current year and an even better new year!

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Moto Racer 2

Moto Racer 2 (or MotoRacer 2) in 1998 is a game I'll look back on when I used to play it in Windows 98. It is the successor of the original Moto Racer from 1997. You can do motorcycle road racing and motocross in this game. Best of all, you can create your own tracks! Can you prove your worth as a two-wheeled speed demon? This game was available for the PlayStation 1 and PC. I played it on my PC in my past. If you can, championship glory will be yours. If not, you'll have to try and try again. This blog post is a look at Moto Racer 2 as well as some memories I'd like to share.

NOTE: This blog post mostly pertains to the PC version.

--- Moto Racer 2 at a Glance ---

^ from: amazon.com - Moto Racer 2 (PC Version box cover).

Before I explain this game, let me show you a video of the game you are about to read about in this post:



I think the PS1 version allows only eight motorcycles to a track. The PC version allows you to have as few as eight to a track and as many as 24 motorcycles. This game (at least the PC version) includes 32 tracks. Some of the tracks have layouts similar to real-world courses. Each of the courses have a variety of different options you can tweak. You are allowed the option to race with Arcade or Simulation handling. Arcade Mode lets you enjoy the unmitigated fury of high-speed superbike racing while being forgiving. Simulation Mode, while realistic, isn't extremely realistic to where being near-perfect is the way to win. It still delivers quite a kick. The game's musical score is a punk rock score mostly featuring the V-Town Have Nots (VTHN). After each race, you can view a replay to recap the highlights of the race. The motorcycles you race with are fictional, and everyone races the same bike. You race the same superbike or motocross bike as everybody else. The only difference lies in the performance capabilities of each.

Getting Started.

When you begin, you can choose between single player and multiplayer options. Up to four players can play from a non-linked mode. Select your difficulty (Easy, Medium, or Hard) as you are choosing how many players there will be. There are three ways to race: Single Race, Practice, and Championship. Single Race allows you to choose between any of the 32 tracks included in the game or any track that you have created. Practice is a simple time trial around any given course. Compete in a Championship to race a series of events and try to win the championship. Winning the championships (there are multiple ones, and you can even make your own Championships) allows you to unlock some bonus material.

The courses consist of many tracks of different themes (four themes each for the two different styles of racing). The best way to tell the course type apart from the menu is to look at the helmets. The Speed courses have racing helmets while the Dirt tracks have dirt helmets. After choosing a track. You must then select a motorcycle. Each of the eight motorcycles have different levels of performance. To be safe, go with the blue motorcycle, as it is the most well-balanced for all courses. Various other bikes are tuned for certain characteristics of tracks, handling, and the like; but as any racing gamer would know, these other bikes fail in other departments.

Motorcycles: Speed.

Courses raced on with these regular superbikes are all about high-speed racing. The bikes are very fast and grip very well. They can be quite a handful when racing!

Motorcycles: Dirt.

The world of motorcross is all about style and skill as you tear up the off-road. Perform some mid-air tricks and show off while also making sure to finish ahead of everybody else.

Tracks and Creating Tracks.

The Speed bikes feature four themes. The Grand Prix setting is a race track exclusive to superbikes held in a modern city and takes place on city streets closed off to traffic. Held in the desert, the Sahara theme winds its way around desert villages, dusty hillsides and even around an oasis. Take your superbike racing to Amazonia if you fancy full-speed racing in the jungle. The Brittania environment takes you for a countryside ride in a locale inspired by the British countryside. I personally have had trouble winning on tracks using the Brittania setting.

Courses in the Dirt environment take advantage of off-road racing and big jumps. A real champion is able to rule the jungle, so prove your worth on the jungle trails of Amazonia. The Dirt version of Sahara features lots of sand to kick up as well as going all-out between sand dunes and a local desert village. You can race in the Brittania environment, which is the off-road version of this British-inspired locale. Exclusive to motocross bikes, the Forest environment features good old motocross racing in a forest setting.

When you race on a track for the Speed and Dirt disciplines, you note some key differences. The Speed venues are clearly designed for superbike racing, and the Dirt tracks have many bumps and humps unique to motocross racing. Trying to create tracks for either style of racing takes some good consideration. You can't edit roads for the Speed bikes to be too high or too low in elevation change. Your elevation change options are not as severe with Dirt bikes and Dirt tracks.

A created track can be ridden on to test the nuances of the course. To really give your track that finished appeal, you can select from five different pre-made layouts for the given track. These layouts determine the environmental appearance of your course. While you have no control over each of the finer points of the course, you can still give your course a unique charm based on specific environmental features you select from the pre-determined layouts. Find one you like and save your work.

--- Final Thoughts on Moto Racer 2 ---

I never had the chance to play the first Moto Racer. So therefore, my first Moto Racer was Moto Racer 2. There are very few motorcycle racing games out there especially today. One of the best motorcycle racing games on the market in its day was the Moto Racer series. This title was a great one with some great memories. This was another one of those Electronic Arts racing games of the late 1990s that still resonates to this day.

--- The "Sad Memories" Part of Moto Racer 2 ---

In the intro, I mentioned some sad memories. Well, what makes me sad is that I can't play this game on any platform besides Windows 98. I had once downloaded some supposed "patch" that allows you to play "Moto Racer 2" on Windows XP. What happens when I play this game with this patch? As soon as I play one track or try to create a track, as soon as I exit my work, the game crashes and then reboots my computer. I run Windows XP on my computer. One of the fallacies of being a classic gamer is that you have to deal with not being able to play certain classic games on modern systems and interfaces. All I am left with are memories of my Moto Racer 2 experience. While I still have the game disc, I can do no more unless I play this game on my old eMachines PC.





So make sure you have Windows 98 if you think about buying this game. Speaking of which, you can get it on Amazon. Please support my work (if you love it) by finding items on Amazon that may interest you.


^ Moto Racer 2 for PC


^ Moto Racer 2 for PlayStation 1.

Thank you for reading!

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The Jeremy Kyle Show

(UPDATED: February 15, 2012)

The Jeremy Kyle Show is a show that has been around for some time in its native England. The show has debuted an American version in September 2011. How would I describe Jeremy Kyle? Well, think of someone with Maury's class but with Judge Judy's no-nonsense. He is unbiased and passionate towards trying to help families and couples in crisis. However, he does it an unapologetic manner. This is someone who will confront his guests straight up to convince them to change their brutal ways. While some may deem him as being controversial and too arrogant in his approach to help others, Jeremy Kyle is doing something that matters more than anything- getting results and resolution.

Here is a look at the Jeremy Kyle show. This one is the American sneak peek:


And this is a sample of The Jeremy Kyle Show in the United Kingdom:


Finally, here is a video of Jeremy Kyle on The Wendy Williams Show; where Jeremy Kyle explains his show to others. Here is a more lighthearted Jeremy Kyle expressed in this video:



Now you know about Jeremy Kyle and his show. I mentioned he's like the combination of Maury and Judge Judy. He is someone outspoken and to the point. No distractions or tomfoolery gets in his way to get through to people who need help. I speak respectfully of Jeremy Kyle, but many have considered him controversial for how he deals his brand of justice and resolution on his show.


(ADDED: January 19, 2012; EDITED: Febuary 15, 2012)
I really have to say that Jeremy Kyle (who is nicknamed "Jezza") is probably the ONLY daytime talk show host where guests are unafraid to get on the host's case. Very few hosts get hated on by guests quite like what Jeremy Kyle does. You have to see some of the British shows to see how some of the British guests have treated this guy.

I respect Jeremy Kyle because he is someone who is tell-it-like-it-is, but also someone impervious to other peoples' crap. He represents a brand of justice and resolution that is difficult to grasp at first glance. I think it is something he passionately believes in. I also respect his stance on not believing in violence or arguing to get in the way of resolving matters. In fact, there are times where he could just take people off the stage or out of the studio who refuse to be helped or are so full or problems that they can't be helped. Jeremy Kyle has the ability to get through to people in his own way. In one video piece, he mentions that others have deemed him all kinds of negative things, he claims he is just being honest.

A reason why you should care about this show is that this show is that The Jeremy Kyle Show is because it involves resolution. I guess Jeremy Kyle's mindset is about getting results and resolution. Dr. Janet Taylor is a big part in the department of helping guests start anew. Her insight and expertise helps in trying to help others. The Jeremy Kyle Show is all about trying to resolve matters in a mature matter. He really is about focusing on the task at hand rather than let silly nonsense get in the way.





Most of my blog posts are usually detailed. Here, I am just posting this one rather quickly because I didn't intend on being too detailed on this show.

Basically, I respect Jeremy Kyle for how he does his show and the results he can garner. The show's primary daytime TV opposition will mostly be Maury and Steve Wilkos, and maybe Bill Cunningham as well. Be sure to check local times and listings in case you want to see The Jeremy Kyle Show on American TV.

To learn more about the Jeremy Kyle Show, visit the following links:

(all links from the USA show)
• http://www.jeremykyleusa.com/
• The Jeremy Kyle Show Facebook Fan Page
• The Jeremy Kyle Show (USA) on YouTube
• Follow The Jeremy Kyle Show on Twitter!

Thank you for reading!

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Minecraft Thoughts

(UPDATED: December 13, 2011)

I don't have Minecraft. I haven't bought Minecraft. I have no experience playing Minecraft. Therefore, this is NOT a review on Minecraft. Everything shown here is primarily opinion-based. So allow me to share some thoughts on a game I've never played or owned. Have I on a post on a game I've never played before? Sure! There are some games I have only mentioned in which I have hardly any experience playing or haven't played before. So let me share my ideas on the very popular Minecraft.

What IS Minecraft? This video explains it all:

--- Minecraft... as Much as I Know, Anyways... ---

Minecraft is one of the most popular sandbox-type games today. This entirely Java-driven game was made by Sweden's Team Mojang, and it is the successor to Fortresscraft. In Minecraft, this game is not about some pre-determined storyline. Minecraft is what we call as a "sandbox" game. It basically means that everything you want to do and all adventures thereforth are determined entirely by YOU. It's about taking someone else's product to make your own adventures.

The very essence of Minecraft is in molding a world into your own while also trying to survive in that world. Part of your survival in Minecraft relies heavily on collecting resources and as its name implies- crafting your own tools. It isn't like you have a store or a bunch of people willing to help you out. You are basically on your own unless other Minecraft players come along with you in co-op play. If you search for a lot of videos on YouTube on Minecraft, you may note a lot of videos where some people are in co-op play navigating through Minecraft, providing narration or just fooling around.

You must also be careful going up against mobs. They range from mostly harmless creatures that can be killed for resources all the way towards various monster mobs. Various updates have added many more characters and creatures to go up against. If you are SERIOUSLY committed to battling, there is a boss creature in one Minecraft update known as the Ender Dragon.

Tools and Resources.

To my knowledge, there are TWO aspects of Minecraft to be concerned with- building your own base and being careful at night. Part of Minecraft involves taking various items from the world around you and converting some of those items into tools and resources that you can use. Part of taking items around you involves building enough to make your own home base. Taking items (like wood from trees) will allow you to make some wood items. Killing animals like chickens and cows can be good for replenishing health and even making armor. You first have a two-by-two grid that you can use to make a few simple things, but you have to build a Crafting Table to be able to craft many more tools and items with. The Crafting Table you build (from four wooden planks) have a three-by-three grid for which you craft tools based on items in your possession. How you build certain items in this grid will give you certain items. Proper crafting of items from the Crafting Table will allow you to create tools. One of the most vital for survival is a sword. This table below is a demonstration of what you need to craft a sword from your Crafting Table:

(empty)	1	(empty)
(empty)	1	(empty)
(empty)	2	(empty)

LEGEND:
1 = iron, stone, wood, gold, diamond
2 = wooden plank

Crafting a sword will allow you your best offense against mobs. On the tools front, various items help you more efficiently gather resources, such as a pick axe. A pick axe will allow you to break rocks faster. It is important you try to make some torches. Without torches, you increase your chances of getting spooked by monsters at night. A good amount of torches around your living quarters and areas around your shelter/home will help drive away monsters. You can pick up other different items to make other tools. You can even make items for decoration and other things. For one, you can create a bed to sleep in to advance nighttime into daytime. You can make things like bookshelves and stairs and even make a cake. There seems like nothing you are unable to do within the Minecraft realm.

Furnace.

Later, you can create a furnace to melt certain items. With eight cobblestone blocks crafted like this...

CS	CS	CS
CS	(empty)	CS
CS	CS	CS

CS = Cobblestone

...you created a Furnace. Use the furnace to smelt items, cook raw food, or prepare certain foods. The furnace requires certain materials to use as fuel (the bottom square) and some sort of item (the top square) to prepare the item. Certain items created have to be completely created together. When an item is successfully created, an arrow showing its creation progress will fill white. The created item can then be able to be acquired and used as an item.

Making it Last.

There is one thing to note- most items have a certain amount of usefulness before they can no longer be used. Of all materials, gold offers the weakest amount of uses. Wood allows you the second least. If you want items from a material that lasts longest, diamond is what you should be crafting tools from. It will be tougher to come across diamond, but most diamond items last the longest.

Getting Around in Carts and Boats.

Minecraft allows you to build a cart as well as a boat to help you get around. Creating a cart requires you to build a rail system. Your cart will ride on these rails. Design a rail system to help you better navigate through the Minecraft world you are in. In addition, you could be creative and have some special rails that provide boosts to get around a bit quicker.

Build a boat to get around on water (DUH! obviously!) quicker. You can get around to other islands or safely traverse through watery locations. You can even make fun water slides while riding in your boat if you're creative.

Taking on the Night.

The other aspect is in dealing with nighttime. And I quote:

"What a horrible night to have a curse."

-Castlevania 2

Not having enough lighting around can lead to zombies and other monsters pursuing you. The land in Minecraft is not some sort of place that is infested with evil monsters stemming from one source. Remember- Minecraft is a completely open-world type of game. It is also all about survival.

Griefing.

One of the most disrespectful things anyone can do in the Minecraft realm is grief. Or in other words- go into somebody's Minecraft server and destroy anything or everything in sight. Call it vandalism in Minecraft- and vandalism of someone else's hard work ain't cool. This is usually where most people burn others' houses and property in Minecraft. Some servers have specific guidelines and parameters designed to curb griefing. Some servers may even only allow certain players to play within a certain Minecraft server. But just know one thing- griefing isn't cool.


So that is as much as I know about a game I haven't played or bought.

--- Minecraft's Appeal ---

What I think makes Minecraft so appealing is a lot of things. Most special about Minecraft is just the creativity that people have in regards to making these adventures and videos and stuff. Making your own Minecraft adventures and sharing them with the world is great fun. A game like this also shows that you don't need over-the-top audio and visual quality to have a great game. The old-school voxelized charm gives the game some unique character.

What appeals most to me about Minecraft is mostly about how creative people can be in creating all sorts of worlds, buildings, texture packs, and things like that. Many people are finding new ways to make Minecraft even more addicting and fun. An active community always makes any game fun for a long time. I do not see Minecraft going away anytime soon unless Team Mojang () comes up with something even better than their current offering.

--- Final Thoughts on Minecraft ---

Minecraft is the kind of game that is what almost anyone can ever want- the ability to make your own experiences with a game world you can actually craft. Taking the world around you and making your own tools and resources is just a fantastic concept executed well in this game. There is a reason people are making videos and setting up servers for a reason.

Some people are going to say the game looks ugly just because it doesn't look like a PS3 or XBOX 360 game. If you're one of those people, here's my response- who the hell cares (besides you, obviously)? You can't just boil a game down to audio and video. Minecraft does a great job of providing a gaming experience for its character and with its personality. It doesn't have to be any recent first-person shooter or anything just to win YOU over. Minecraft is one of the finest independent games ever made with the amount of respect it has garnered from the gaming community.

How come I don't have Minecraft? Random admittance of mine- I can admit to being cheap often times. So I just haven't bought Minecraft. I think I have the basic PC requirements for Minecraft (I think). So I'm often a bit cheap to not want to buy Minecraft. I downloaded one demo of Minecraft, but it wouldn't load on my PC when I attempted to play the demo. So... I have not played a second of Minecraft. Not one.

--- Minecraft Resources ---

So... do you want to get in on the Minecraft fun? Here are some resources for you:

• Minecraft Official Home Page
• Minecraft's Wikipedia Entry
• Minecraft Wiki
• Minecraft on Wikia (recommended)
• Minecraft's Facebook Fan Page
• Follow Team Mojang on Twitter!
• C418 - music composer for Minecraft

And as a note about C418, my personal favorite song I've heard for Minecraft is "Sweden." You can hear this lovely song here:



You can visit C418's website to hear more music as well as buy and download these songs.





To all you Minecraft folk worldwide, you've read my thoughts on this great sandbox game I have not played. I salute you Minecraft people. Thank you for reading!

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