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Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Street Fighter Alpha Anthology

A change of pace was offered when the Street Fighter Alpha series came along. Street Fighter Alpha (called Street Fighter Zero in Japan) games offered up new characters and some more intense gameplay than standard Street Fighter titles. The realm of Street Fighter Alpha was all compiled into an anthology collection in 2006. For what I know, it is ONLY for the PlayStation 2. I'll be here to tell you more about this title.

--- Street Fighter Alpha Anthology at a Glance ---

^ from: amazon.com - Street Fighter Alpha Anthology. This includes four Alpha games (plus one unlockable title) and Pocket Fighter (called Super Gem Fighter Mini Mix).

Street Fighter Alpha entails some hard-hitting offense with an experience much more intense than the standard Street Fighter games. One of the primary elements of the Alpha/Zero games is in Super attacks. Another big difference between the standard games and the Alpha series is the impressive artwork. Much more expressive artwork both in characters and in environments help define the Alpha/Zero series of games.

The very first Alpha featured a fresh new look at the classic Street Fighter characters, but also included many newer characters making their debut. Street Fighter Alpha 2 came along with two different versions. This game took the appeal of the first game and enhanced it. SFA2 Gold was an enhancement to SFA2 with new characters as well as non-Alpha (as in no Supers) versions of characters. A few hidden characters can also be accessed. In Street Fighter Alpha 3, this game features a huge amount of characters and a real story-based tour of ten matches. Your final opponent is Bison. If you are using Bison, your final opponent will be Ryu. As a bonus, you get to play Super Gem Fighter Mini Mix. This is a lighthearted Street Fighter game full of comedic value. You collect gems to gain enough energy to use Super energy. This is really a fun title and a real diversion from the more serious Alpha games.

Each game can be customized to suit your playing style. Set items like difficulty, controls, handicaps, and more to suit your play style. One bonus game can be unlocked. Come out fighting!

--- Street Fighter Alpha: Warriors' Dreams ---

In 1995, Street Fighter Alpha debuted offering a different experience from what the original Street Fighter games offered. Think of the Alpha series to Street Fighter as the MegaMan/RockMan X series to the MegaMan series. Some characters are making their grand debut while a few others came from other Capcom games.

• Ryu - the classic and purest fighter of Street Fighter.
• Chun-Li - She is prolific in her kicking attacks along some fireball attacks.
• Akuma - think Ryu and Ken... only evil.
• Charlie - a fighter whose style is similar to Guile.
• Ken - Ryu's friend and rival, who is slightly more versatile than Ryu.

• Guy - Final Fight protagonist who delivers both speed and power along with precision.
• Birdie - a beastly fellow who wields a fierce chain.
• M. Bison - the formidable final boss of Street Fighter Alpha.
• Sodom - a Final Fight boss who lends his vicious offense to the Street Fighter Alpha universe.
• Adon - think of Adon as a lighter and leaner Sagat.

• Rose - a fortune teller who specializes with her Soul Illusion attacks.
• Dan - a more lighthearted version of Ryu and Ken.
• Sagat - tall, lanky, powerful, imposing. Unchanged since the original Street Fighter games.

Video Preview.

I tried to find a quick and useful video to demonstrate what this game is about.

--- Street Fighter Alpha 2 ---

A top-to-bottom upgrade of the Street Fighter Alpha formula was delivered in with Street Fighter Alpha 2. Along with this top-to-bottom upgrade were more characters and much more vivid graphics.

• Ryu - Ryu remains as dangerous as ever to battle as or against.
• Adon - The shorter and leaner (compared to Sagat) Adon is as capable and pesky.
• Chun-Li - Her lightning-quick feet and legs return with intense fury.
• Guy - Final Fight's quick and powerful protagonist is back to deliver more beatings!
• Ken - Ryu's equal and rival has more moves to befuddle his enemies.

• Dhalsim - This surreal Hindu warrior is back with more insane moves.
• Gen - Street Fighter Alpha's wise old man has plenty of new tricks for this old dog.
• Sakura - a powerful Japanese schoolgirl notorious for flashing her bloomers/panties with her kicks.
• Rolento - Final Fight boss character who is immensely fast and deadly.
• Zangief - He may be slow, but how will you counter his powerful grapples?

• Charlie - Guile-like character who doesn't exactly have Guile strength.
• Birdie - Being yanked by his chain is the LAST thing you want to experience.
• Rose - The master of Soul Illusion will mystify anyone who threatens her.
• Sodom - His name is offensive, and so is his hard-hitting offense.
• Sagat - Keep aerial attacks to a minimum against this imposing Muay Thai fighter.

• Akuma - Also known as Gouki, he is every bit as powerful as Ryu and Ken... only much more evil.
• M. Bison - He's the arch nemesis that can't be beat. Unless YOU think you can beat him...
• Dan - Dan is more of a lighthearted version of Ryu and Ken.

Video Preview.

I think this is from the Japanese version.

--- Street Fighter Alpha 2 Gold ---

Better music and some extra options help spice up the original Street Fighter Alpha 2 to make SFA2 Gold. You can even access some bonus options for characters as well. Just press Start (or at least in the PS2 version) to access some extra versions of characters. Among them, you can access Evil Ryu and Cammy. Among the ones that have alternate versions, some of them are either different outfits or classic versions of fighters that don't have Super moves available. Use these specific characters if you don't want to fool around with Super attacks.

(NOTE: any character with an exclamation point (!) have different versions available.)

• Ryu! - anything but one-dimensional, Ryu is always formidable to fight against.
• Adon - He will get on your nerves if you let him have his way against you.
• Chun-Li! - The fiercest legs in all of Street Fighter (including Alpha), Chun Li has no problem kicking your butt.
• Guy - Don't blink... because he'll make you pay if you stand in his way.
• Ken! - Ken has more agility and versatility than Ryu.

• Dhalsim! - the master of Yoga battle is ready to fight with his stretchy limbs.
• Gen - prepare to be schooled by this teacher!
• Sakura - She'll knock you out if you pay more attention to her panty/bloomer flashing (even if unintentional) than contend with her varied offense.
• Rolento - Try to keep up with him, or his expansive offense will drive you insane.
• Zangief! - He'll throw you around and slam you hard if you get in his way.

• Charlie - Guile moves, not really Guile strength.
• Birdie - Get away from this beast's chains if you expect to win fights against him.
• Rose - her offense is predicated mostly on her Soul Illusion technique.
• Sodom - If he catches you with his sais, you're in trouble.
• Sagat! - Bigger, badder, better. Sagat controls space like no other fighter.

• Akuma - Expect getting beat down if you take him lightly.
• M. Bison! - He's back for more. Will you put an end to his madness?
• Dan - don't let this Ryu/Ken-type fighter go crazy on you.

No video preview. I couldn't find a good enough brief video to showcase SFA2 Gold.

--- Street Fighter Alpha 3 ---

The omega of the Street Fighter Alpha series is SFA3. The hardest-hitting of the Alpha games is here. It features the most characters of any game in the entire Street Fighter Alpha Anthology. Some classic Street Fighter characters even made their debut into the SFA universe with this game (if you can believe it). There are more characters available when you unlock a certain version of this game that includes more characters. To beat the game, you will go through ten matches. The halfway point features one of your first rivals. The ninth match features your biggest rival. Then in the final match, you take on Bison. Regardless of whether you win or lose the fight against Bison, the game will be over, and you will see either a good ending or a bad ending. You need to use the same fighter you start out with if you want to be able to play through the entire game. If you lose with some fighter and choose a new fighter after continuing, the progress will go back to the very beginning with a new character. So in other words... you can't see the ending (good or bad) if you don't stick with the character you start with in Arcade Mode. Each character has his/her own story that you must play through.

The most intriguing aspect of this game is the Super system. You can choose between three different Super systems:

• X-ISM: you are allowed only one level of Super energy. This is recommended for beginners.

• A-ISM: you are allowed up to three levels of Super energy. This one is very recommended since it is more versatile.

• V-ISM: a freestyle ISM dictated by your own combo. When your gauge reaches 50% or higher, you can chain together your own combo attack by simply utilizing your own attacks. You lose your V-ISM combo when you are attacked by your opponent (even if you successfully block his/her attack).

I am not certain, but there MAY also be EX-ISM and S-ISM modes to choose from for fighters, but I think you have to unlock this.

(NOTE: All Characters are listed from top to bottom, left to right. Characters already featured previously won't have any descriptions on them.)

• M. Bison - the root of all evil in the Street Fighter universe. Beat him before he beats you.

• Charlie
• Chun-Lu - fiercest kicks in all of Street Fighter.
• Sagat

• Dan
• Guy - Guy delivers his hardest-hitting offense in SFA3.
• Rainbow Mika (or R. Mika) -
• Birdie - uglier and meaner than ever!
• Akuma - Fear. Akuma.

• Ryu
• E. Honda - Street Fighter's elite sumo wrestler makes his Alpha debut.
• Cody - Final Fight protagonist who was a hero, now is a bad guy.
• Karin -
• Vega - the Spanish ninja debuts proper in the Street Fighter Alpha realm.
• Blanka - the Brazilian beast is ready to shock and/or awe! But... will definitely shock.
• Ken - the versatile Ken is even more versatile here.

• Dhalsim - a good fighter, but is not very good to use with his elongated arms and legs.
• Sodom
• Cammy - not as fierce as in the classic Street Fighter games, but still deadly.
• Adon
• Zangief

• Rolento
• Sakura
• Gen

• Rose - her Soul Illusion Super is like a pseudo V-ISM combo.

Bonus Street Fighter Alpha 3.

There is a bonus version of Street Fighter Alpha 3 you can unlock that features more characters to fight with. This makes the already stacked list of fighters in SFA3 even more stacked. You have to unlock this version in SFAA. When you unlock it after accomplishing a certain task in SFA3, you will have instructions as to how to access the bonus version of SFA3. This version includes the most fighters of any of the included games in SFAA. Trust me- you'll have plenty of fighters to choose from here.

In addition to new fighters, there are also four different modes you can choose from. (some information taken from Street Fighter Alpha 3's StrategyWiki page)

• Normal - original SFA3 gameplay. Allowed only one taunt.

• Mazi - the Guard gauge is longer than it in Normal mode. Taunting disabled. Double damage given and taken, and the opponent can beat you in just one round.

• Saikyo - the Guard gauge is half of the Normal mode. Taunting disabled.

• Classic - experience classic fighting without using Super attacks.

Here are some of the extra characters you get with this extra package:

(new characters from top to bottom, left to right)

• Guile - brawny fighter, TERRIBLE voice acting.
• Fei Long - one of four fighters to debut in Super Street Fighter II, now Alpha-ized for SFA3.

• Dee Jay - the cool crazy Jamaican is back and ready for more.
• Evil Ryu - somebody spiked Ryu's punch and made him evil!

• Juli - All I know about her is that she works for Bison. Otherwise, not much else to discuss.
• Juni - All I know about her is that she works for Bison. Otherwise, not much else to discuss.

• Thunderhawk (or T. Hawk) - the mountain of a man from Super Street Fighter 2 makes his Alpha debut.
• Balrog - the fiercest Balrog ever with punishing punches!

The most frustrating aspect of this game is that I have NEVER beaten M. Bison in the final match. One time, I played AS Bison and had to take on Ryu instead. I wanted to fight as Bison so I could beat the game with the supposed "Good" ending for Bison. Unfortunately, I lost against Ryu and saw Ryu's GOOD ending. I have tried at least 15 times to beat this game in Arcade Mode with a good ending, but failed to at least 15 times. That's why after a while, I've given up trying to beat this game. The closest I've come was beating him with about one shred of life left on Bison's bar as I was using Ryu. He just shattered my hopes with a high kick to my head that did me in.

I couldn't find a good enough video to use to showcase this game.

--- Super Gem Fighter: Mini Mix ---

Also known as "Pocket Fighter," this game is a pint-sized and cutesy version of Street Fighter. You build up Super energy by collecting gems. Whatever Super you can execute depends on how many gems you have of a certain kind. The Super moves you can execute are listed based on whatever Super is associated with those gems. So in other words, you cannot execute one Super if you don't have enough gems to execute it. Each character has his or her own story as you go through a series of about eight matches. Certain Capcom characters make cameo appearances throughout the entire game in the levels. How many can you find?

Here are the characters in this game:

(displayed from top to bottom, left to right)

• Ryu - the classic Street Fighter powerhouse with some cool attacks.
• Ken - the versatile fighter with some fun attacks.

• Chun-Li - the First Lady of Street Fighter (as I call her) with great moves.
• Sakura - the world's favorite upskirt-crazed fighter.
• Morrigan - Morrigan is a boyish-looking girl with bat wings.
• Hsien-Ko - she is a very weird, but very cool fighter.

• Felicia - the Darkstalkers feisty feline can really deal some damage.
• Tessa - she is the witch with fun attacks and cute looks.
• Zangief - can you honestly make a fierce wrestler cool in chibi size?
• Ibuki - this girl is agile and deadly.

Two extra characters can be accessed in this game. One is to the right of Ryu and above Chun-Li. The other is to the right of Ken and above Hsien-Ko.

Much like how Street Fighter Anniversary Collection is a great package for Street Fighter fans, this collection is great for Street Fighter Alpha fans. I probably would have liked more additional content (like music, artwork, and things like that), but this is still a great game if you love the Street Fighter Alpha series. Note that Street Fighter Alpha Anthology was released in 2006. So because of this, you won't get to play the Street Fighter Alpha 3 MAX game from the PSP, which was released in 2009 or 2010.

Want to get Street Fighter Alpha Anthology online? Check it out on Amazon:

Thank you for reading!

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Monday, May 30, 2011

Brad Pitt Fight Club Body

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HotForWords

"Hello, my dear students!", as one Marina Orlova would greet her viewers. This blog post is a salute to the Russian beauty who is world's sexiest philologist (a person who studies the origin of words). This may kick off a few different blog posts where I share some of my YouTube inspirations and why they inspire me. I do talk about certain YouTube channels from time to time, and this is one of those blog posts.

The initial post is mostly about why "HotForWords" has been an inspiration to me. I may consider either deleting this post to make an updated one about Marina herself, or I may add more material to make it better. This all depends on traffic to this post or what I choose to do to enhance this post.

--- HotForWords as an Inspiration ---

HotForWords is an inspiration to me because she offers a service to society in her own way. Many people see Marina as a smoking hot babe (and she is) who offers up the origin of words and explains them in her own way. But to me, she's contributing to society by doing such a thing. HotForWords is offering a service to her loyal viewers worldwide in educating others on words. You probably could see a video of a bunch of friends doing something random and stupid that gets many more views than any of my videos. However, when you want to see something educational and fun, HotForWords delivers in her department.

The one thing I've always been disappointed in is that I feel like I have to be someone high-voltage and flashy to be noticed. I am as old-fashioned of a person you'll find. I think HotForWords is beautiful. I look at her material, however, for more than just her beauty. I'm not going to (and this may sound cheesy to some of you) watch her videos just to be wrapped up in how beautiful she is, but because I want to learn more about the origin of certain words. I actually learn something from Marina the way she expresses everything. HotForWords takes something like the origin of words and makes it fun and accessible to her many viewers around the world. She provides this service and expends her energy to continually create videos of quality for all to see.

If you all are wondering why I talk about offering a service, that is exactly what I mean. Marina offers a service of educating people who wonder about the origin of words. She's positively contributing to the greater society of YouTube with her own brand of educating people. As I say before, there are four ways to generate an audience of any kind- entertain, educate, inspire, or inform. Can you offer something to a general audience that can be of great use? HotForWords has done just that and done so in an amazing way.

As of the date of this blog post, here are her YouTube stats:
• 12th Most Subscribed All-Time among Gurus
• 62nd Most Viewed All-Time
• 2nd Most Viewed All-Time among Gurus
• 61st Most Viewed All-Time among Partners

So this a case where excellence speaks for itself. HotForWords is truly solidified as a true YouTube heavyweight for what all she brings to YouTube.

--- Why HotForWords Inspires Me ---

Here is a look at HotForWords as her contribution to YouTube's Five Year project. I recommend you watch this video because a lot of what I'm about to say next is based on this video below:

After watching this video in preparing this blog post, let me show you why I respect HotForWords as one of my many YouTube inspirations. Marina provided a video on something she felt like she could positively contribute to society with and put her best effort into what she does. Despite getting few views early on, her popularity skyrocketed later as she started gaining more popularity in her work. It was Marina's determination and drive to satisfy her audience with more than just her sexy looks that makes me appreciate her for what she does. She's become a star, people have given her a chance, YouTube has given her a chance to where she'd eventually become a YouTube partner... HotForWords basically represents what any YouTube channel aspiring to be great is capable of.

I didn't begin to appreciate HotForWords until I really thought about what she brings to YouTube. Yes, she is absolutely beautiful and sexy. However, it's what she brings in content and in value that separates her from most other YouTube channels. That's why I respect her so much. She takes something educational and makes it fun and enjoyable. Marina could have had her channel be about something other than words. However, this is something she loves and takes seriously in providing a service to her viewers and fans that is of value and good use. The same ideas and concepts define my YouTube channel and my blog(s). I at least see "HotForWords" as a channel of great content-based videos. These are content-based videos that remain fun and enjoyable.

I'm obviously not as eye-catching, and hardly anyone besides my mother has called me handsome. Many people think I have a synthetic or fake voice. Most people have just pushed me aside like I am completely fake. Even if you think I am too unattractive to be any kind of YouTube star, at least I like to think that I provide a service to my blog readers and video watchers. Sad thing is that not as many people have given me much of a chance to really feel like I have arrived and emerged online either in blogging or YouTube. In no way am I conceited or overbearing. I know and understand that while I am nowhere near as talented or as most YouTube heavyweights, at least I know I don't have to be incredibly handsome to get peoples' attention. The main thing I take away from HotForWords is that you can be a star at whatever you like to focus most on. If you aspire for greatness on YouTube (or in any arena of life), you can become great as long as you contribute to society with content people will enjoy and continue to enjoy.

--- Final Thoughts ---

It is for these reasons why I owe a debt of gratitude to "HotForWords" for being a trail blazer in providing quality material for others to enjoy. She has shown that you can make something like learning about words and make it fun. The most important note is that people have given her a chance. If you're one of my regular YouTube viewers, you know I used to say "comment and rate, but don't hate." Many of you have that as my anthem or motto. However, it isn't. "Give m a chance" is my true motto. When you give people a chance and let them try to win your respect, great things happen. When you DON'T give people a chance, one never realizes his/her true potential and worth. It takes people to provide quality content; however, it also takes people to help make that quality content relevant. Marina has been one of the really fortunate ones to have her work showcased in a great way to a great audience. Her work is still cherished and loved today. Marina had her own inspirations on YouTube to which she chose to aspire to the levels to. Since being popular, "HotForWords" is certainly a YouTube heavyweight and remains one to this day. She has even aspired/reminded me to stick to whatever service you provide to YouTube people and do what you love. Do what you love while putting in love for what you do. She is more than just a beautiful woman; she is a beautiful woman who does a beautiful job of making something educational fun and accessible.

If Marina Orlova is Reading This...

Thank you for being one of my different inspirations on YouTube. You've risen up in popularity to levels many of us average YouTube folk can only dream of. People have given you a chance and allowed you to become larger than you are. As somewhat of a sad note, I do wish I could be as popular as you are with my own work even though I am mostly old-fashioned. Still, you are someone really inspiring for what you do and what you provide. Inspiring not only for YouTube, but really for any arena of life. Thank you for your inspiration! Best wishes and kindest regards to you in future endeavors.

To learn more about HotForWords, please visit the following:
• HotForWords official home page
• HotForWords' YouTube channel and "Hot4Words," Marina's alternate YouTube channel
• HotForWords' Facebook fan page
• Follow HotForWords on Twitter!

Thank you for reading! Your homework for reading my blog... take part in any or all of the following (if you haven't done so already and if you enjoy my work):

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)
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Sunday, May 29, 2011

Not Good Enough

Ever get the feeling that you're good enough to succeed in almost anything, but consistently fall short of greatness (or what you perceive to be great)? Well, many things in my life have been about shortcomings. Almost like I'd be good enough to get traffic from around the world to my blog(s), but not enough to get more followers and Facebook fans. My YouTube has been no different. I would do just enough to get a few views and subscribers, but never enough to be any established figure. Some people just are bridesmaids; never brides. If you are not familiar with that expression, it basically means you are watching other people being successful while knowing that you can be just as happy and successful as those you know or see. So this blog post is about being good... but not good enough. Maybe I can even help you to be better than you can be.

--- Not Good Enough... ---

This here is a semi-rant followed by some motivation. Some of you may have read my blog post about my thoughts concerning Justin Bieber being upset by Esperanza Spalding for "Artist of the Year" at the 2011 Grammy Awards. What does this moment have to do with my online work? Well, Justin Bieber, upon losing "Artist of the Year" honors, said that he wanted to use this experience to try to make himself better for the future. What goes through one's mind in a situation like this is that you have to find ways to be better than you were before in becoming more of a viable entity in your field of study. How do you make yourself better? It depends.

We are a society of superlatives, so being 2nd best in anything is what we want to avoid. Good competition often plays a role in realizing our full potential. However, it just becomes tough trying to reach heights we can only dream of and that we can actually reach if given the right chances and tools. Thing is... some people probably just have poor luck or never get to be as great as they can ever be. That's purely sad to have to settle for less than what we are really worth and what we are really capable of. Just thinking about these things brings me to tears and makes me realize I could be in a much better place than where I am now. So many times, I've been so disregarded and have to settle for less than what I am really capable of. It is like having a great sports team with lots of history, but not much to show in the way of championships and glory.

Are you often the bridesmaid and never the bride? Are you good... but not good enough? This is what I am going to discuss in this blog post from a number of perspectives.

--- Intimate Thoughts on Being Second Best ---

I guess often times, I am in that category. You know- that category of always being the bridesmaid and never the bride. Seems like no matter how hard I try at whatever I do, I have always been second best. I see others go to levels better than I ever have. There aren't enough people whom have believed in me so much to where I am capable of more. Then too, I have to perform in clutch times when given that golden opportunity.

It may sound like I'm whining, but it's the truth. A lot of things I've worked towards has me being basically pushed aside or not reaching any sort of levels that makes me even 0.01% relevant. You remember when I talked about my video that got 4,000 views in two days? That video wasn't even among the top viewed videos when there were a few others that got 4,000 views. I wanted to track the success of my material and what happens? I don't even get a notification of having a vastly-watched video. Sometimes, I feel like I am not as popular as I COULD be just because I don't have some kind of high-voltage personality. I stay away from music because I don't want anything distracting in trying to prove a point. I want the point of videos to be about content rather than just a song or something. So because of this, I try to have as few props as possible. Even people who sit in front of a camcorder or video camera get more views than I do. And what are most of my videos like? Sitting in front of a webcam or video camera. Again- I try to go on content rather than impressive video quality or shenanigans. Maybe that's why other people get so much more attention and love than I do.

Not Good Enough... Blogging.

And what about blogging? I've just been miffed that I don't get as many followers and supporters to match the many hits I get to (especially) "John's Blog Space." I also get miffed that I don't get as many comments. Either I'm not doing enough to promote myself, or others aren't doing enough to support work they love. Some of the comments I have gotten previously were non-genuine ones from people who just find my blog as part of a spam search. When you post a comment that is relevant to the topic but then post a link to a certain suspicious website, I have since disallowed certain comments. I used to allow them because I didn't know how to react to such comments. Let me put it this way- post genuine comments related to the material. I want comments, not GENERATED comments. Stuff like "thanks for sharing" or spammy/generated material is doing absolutely nothing to show that I have a legitimate audience that actually matches the popularity of my blog. I want genuine people to post, not spammers who browse the Internet placing suspicious comments to websites and blogs.

I think the fact that I've stayed away from niche blog material has helped me to be more diverse. Maybe the reason why I can't join a blog community is because certain blogs have to be all about a certain topic. My blog was even declined by Technorati as I was looking for any sort of blog community to join. And it's not even like this is some commercial blog. The main assumption is that a blog about all kinds of topics usually is a hot mess and not good enough to really gauge what it is about. If you are someone who can't decide what category "John's Blog Space" is about, let me make it simple for you- this is a PERSONAL blog. The reason why I don't specialize in one specific topic is for two reasons. The first reason is because if I post a blog entry on a certain topic, I am expected that future blog posts will regard the same topic or a related topic. The other reason? I want to surprise people a bit. I may talk about some of my favorite cars... then post a blog post about a completely different subject. Sometimes even, a completely different topic you never saw coming. I make sure to explain everything professionally. Some make random posts expecting people to visit and care. If I post a blog post on something, I need to make sure I express my points properly whether it takes five minutes or a couple of days to complete. You came here because something caught your interest when you did a search online. The least I can do is make your search worth your time by expressing myself in a way you'll enjoy.

To many people, I'm still just good enough for only so much. People come and go. I do applaud those who visit any links I post in my material. It shows that people actually read my material and want to enhance their reading experience based on material posted in my blog. That makes me happy like you won't believe.

Not Good Enough... Videos.

People... I guess I'm just upset about a lot of things. I should be happy that I am positively contributing to society by posting these blog entries and videos, but I am mostly upset that not as many people have given this blog (or my others) a chance. This is my personal blog. I don't try to push this thing to be a professional blog, but I do act professionally and professionally try to showcase my work to the whole of the Internet. Okay, maybe to a certain 10% to 15% of YouTube people think I'm too ugly or too "retarded" for YouTube. However, those who actually have given "JohnMarineTube" a chance actually have praised me for speaking my mind in a professional manner without having a high-voltage personality. What sets me back is just that for all I do, it's only good for second best. Sometimes, I'm not even in the "best" category. I'm just more, maybe middle-of-the-road or mediocre.

I could probably do more game videos, but I feel I have to be near perfect or groundbreaking in my work to be of any real attention. Then again, I feel I have to be perfect in everything that I do in videos to feel respected. Nothing is ever perfect, but the public makes it seem like you HAVE to be at the absolute best if you are going to post anything online. I just hate game videos of intentionally failing and not even trying in games. I can't do any personal and emotional videos without feeling like I'm making a jackass out of myself. Like being real and honest doesn't equal great videos.

I had planned on making a blog post about why I haven't been as active and confident in making videos and being on YouTube lately. So consider this paragraph as a tell-all for "JohnMarineTube" fans of mine. Among many reasons, I have just been thinking about what all I have tried to bring to YouTube with my personality and my views and don't think I'm really of any good to be of any elite status. There have been some videos I've seen that I thought I could have done that may get me noticed more. I just feel undervalued as an old-fashioned person. I would think that certain old-fashioned people would be better respected than most viral video people. I have felt my value has been diminished. Only those who have appreciated my work for what it is have earned me friend requests and all-important subscribers. I felt like I was on the rise as I reached 100 subscribers. Even more so as I reached 250 subscribers not too long after. Since? It has been at least a year since surpassing my 250 subscriber goal and announcing my 500 subscriber goal. I still have not reached that 500+ subscriber goal even more than a year later. I am not a person of promises or guarantees, but I'm still awaiting making that video when I reach that 500 subscriber mark. Also, certain personal issues and intimate thoughts have brought down my psyche and morale in making videos and continually making videos. All of these reasons are just a number of major reasons why I can't continually provide great video content to all of you.

Or maybe... YouTube is becoming too commercial to where casual videos from casual YouTubers don't bear as much value anymore as anything television-worthy or movie-worthy. Almost like you need your own production crew, booking agent, and stuff like that to be relevant on YouTube.

Not Good Enough... Online Media in General.

I see myself as, and work towards much more than being mediocre. I make just about all of my own content from blog posts to videos to artwork... yet, all I can get from public reaction is second best. Always the bridesmaid and not the bride. Not good enough. I try to market my material across social media. I have a Facebook fan page I've set up. Twitter has been useful in promoting my material. Yet still... I get only so much support from people who actually bothered about my work. I've been through so much in life that I've stopped caring about certain things after a while. Here I am trying to push myself as far as I can, and the most I can get is only so much support from certain people. I am either not doing enough, or not a lot of people have actually supported my work. If you think I'm hating on everyone, I am not. I am just sad that I wish I could have had more support from more people who enjoy my work. This is just depressing knowing that so few people have actually cared about your material when many more could be enjoying your material.

I feel I can get more Facebook fans, Twitter followers, and YouTube subscribers than what I have at present on all services. I have things like wibiya and such to allow for such material to be accessed. Trouble is, few have actually used and utilized my material. Is it that I am not doing enough? Are others just coming and going with no feedback or support? I'm just unsure in a lot of respects what to think.

--- Do Some People Just Have Poor Luck? ---

Maybe some people are just unable to get many big breaks. Then again, I've gotten one of my biggest breaks as a blogger when my friends on GTPlanet.net linked to my blog post regarding my first impressions of the Gran Turismo 5 kiosk demo. Since then? Not much else except for maybe my two blog posts on Charice Pempengco and Sarah Geronimo.

To my sadness, perhaps I just can't get much attention from others on my work. Some people just don't seem to get as much attention from the general public. Maybe there aren't as many people who are fortunate enough to have someone generous to give others a chance. Almost as if everyone has an equal chance at becoming superstars, but only so few are actually treated generously to where they can become superstars.

--- Staying Focused When Perceived as Second Best ---

If nobody believes in you being the best at anything, you always just think, "why bother?" None of what you seem to do seems to matter to anyone no matter how hard you work to make your work relevant. How does one stay focused, then? My response is to just keep doing what you're doing even if it isn't something that most discriminating people even give the time of day. If you think your work still means a lot to people, just remember that these people who love your work the most still care about your material. At least you have a believable audience who cares about your work. If others don't want to give your material any support,

This is also why I treat and regard people with kindness. Because there are people who don't want to regard or treat someone like they are special, I feel it is my responsibility to make people feel respected and humbled when many others have failed/disregarded giving people a chance. I hate for people to feel like they can never aspire to great heights. I've seen other people reach levels I have never been able to reach in any field of study I devote my energy to.

I'll stop right here with a Jump Break. Read More (or disregard this section if you're reading the full post) to find out about certain stats involving my online work to express being second best.

--- Not Good Enough: Statistics of Mine ---

This area features a more insightful look at me not being as good as I could be. Have a look...

Not Good Enough: My Blogging Insight.

Let me provide some blogging insight to stretch these points a bit further. Blogger/Blogspot rolled out its statistics for blogs back in June 2010. My blog was mostly on the rise as I would get 3,000 views rather easily. I would continually and consistently get 3,000+ views for my blog (even on weekends). Since December 2010, my monthly blog views have declined. December 2010 was my first month where I had lower views than the previous month. I had 113,641 views in November 2010, which remains my single-month record number of views. Since then- 99,432 (Dec. 2010), 89,706 (Jan. 2011), and 74,789 (Feb. 2011)... until I got my first positive number of views in March 2011 with 76,819 views. The following month saw my blog get 77,146 views total.

What has made me upset (and concerned) was that my blog was losing visitors and its magic apart from the torrid pace I was enjoying blogging. I didn't know how else I could improve this personal blog about anything and everything, so that's why I felt upset that my blog was going in the wrong direction in trying to maintain a solid pace. You begin to feel bad when your best efforts do not result in your best reactions. In other words, it is like making a song that many people love... but with only so few fans who actually do love your song.

I am someone who believes that anybody will follow anything. Put something out into any environment, and people may eventually come around to it. It's the classic "if you build it, they will come" concept. The curiosity of others will make other people interested in someone's work. It is then up to that person to accept what they've read/seen/tasted/experienced. If your work was accepted by the person in question, you won his/her respect. But when many people see your material and love it, but don't really show their support; you begin to feel bad because you know you could have won over many more people than what people actually accepted your work.

Not too long ago, I edited a lot of the comments people have posted in my blog. I realize that a number of people put up non-genuine comments (in other words, spam/suspicious comments). This was before and even after changing my comment system. I've started to crack down on suspicious comments and delete any comments that seem generated to my blog. Getting comments is always great. However, when the majority of people post things like "thanks for sharing" or something like that, it's a slap to the face because you know you could get more human traffic instead of people who make spam searches to post suspicious comments. I get upset about this. I mean, I do get loyal readers who read my content, but I know I can do a lot better. If other blogs can get/average at least 5, 10, even 20+ comments per blog post; I know I can do a lot more to get myself more involvement from my readers. I always tell people to get involved with my content. Don't just visit and leave! Share my content with others and post some comments if you find my work enjoyable. Look at it like this- I make an effort to post comments on blog posts I read if I have something to discuss with others. Not as many people comment on my own material. And it isn't like I post extremely often to where not everyone can keep up. I do post a lot of my own personal comments on topics.

Despite all of my efforts... I only get so much attention. In no way am I an ego-maniac or extremely conceited, but I think I could get a lot more fans and support from others than what I really have. I should really think that I've gotten more attention with my own blog than a few others. I expressed my blogging concerns on Facebook, and one of my Facebook friends was pleased that I was able to get 3,000 daily blog hits to my blog. Sometimes, I just feel like I had the sort of status to match my material. I always think realistically about how I feel about my published content as opposed to how others have perceived my work.

If there's one thing I can probably change, I can make myself more of a "Public Figure" to hopefully draw the attention of other people. I quoted Public Figure because that is the only status that describes me the closest on Facebook, and I don't consider myself a public figure except for the fact that I post material for the Internet. Only those who know and love my work appreciate me as some sort of celebrated figure.

Not Good Enough: My Video Insight.

When I wasn't sure what I wanted to do with my life, an avenue I considered was YouTube. I needed to have something to do with my life and provide something to society. So I chose YouTube. Despite my low-key videos where I tried to market my material on content rather than on high-voltage personality (and because I consider myself professional), I have earned only so many views for videos. Many YouTube people have greatly been so supportive of my work. Of course, I am most thankful for my devoted fans.

I've given up trying to be a great low-key YouTube channel. Because of some personal problems and perceptions others give about me, I get the feeling that I am never going to succeed ever again on YouTube. YouTube can really bring out the best in people... and obviously the unfathomably worst. People have said things about me that very few people have EVER said about me in person. I am even thankful to have the number of subscribers I have.

Here is a big example of not being good enough. When I made my video about KanYe West dissing Taylor Swift at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, my video got over 4,000 views in just two days. That video earned me the attention of YouTube and Google to sign up for Google Adsense to profit from my video. You know what the sad thing about this was? My video got over 4,000 views, and it took me almost ten months since releasing the video to get to 5,000+ views for that video!. I then disallowed comments for that video because I was getting sick of people posting bad comments about me and my voice.

Almost like I'm too undesirable for YouTube success. Yet, there are YouTube channels that I can't even bring myself to subscribe to, let alone see their videos, that are much more successful and much more viewed. Always thought of YouTube as a thoroughfare for expressing yourself through the means of video. For most people, though, it has become a bit too commercial to where the casual video blogger (or vlogger) is a dying breed in regards to what a successful channel is all about. I am not ashamed that I am my own production crew, booking agent, and director

On another note, I try to do everything cheaply. I'm not going to spend money to get support from the viewing public that I could get for free. I don't promote my YouTube videos with ads. I don't do ad campaigns just to draw more attention. I'm more like... I'm right here waiting for you to come along. Take the bait.

Even if you think I have (pardon my language) "wack-ass" content (which is fine to think), at least there are people who actually care about my content. I don't make anything to hurt anyone, even if unintentionally. I have too much class and respect for myself to try to make anything to demean anyone or anything. A lot of my life has been about being either second best or not good enough to even be heralded. In a surreal way, you can say that I am driven by disappointment. With disappointment, I try to make other people feel happy about themselves when they experience similar woes. I don't want others to have to suffer what I may have suffered in my past. I wish I could right the wrongs of the entire world, but I am capable of only so much. Most other things are out of my control and my abilities anyway.

If you don't think you're good enough, just keep going and keep on keeping on. Persistence pays off. Determination pays off. Your just rewards will come your way one day. Thank you for reading and God bless all of you.

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Saturday, May 28, 2011

Dangers of Motorsport

Motorsport is as Dangerous As it is Exciting.

(UPDATED: October 16, 2011)

Motorsports can be dangerous despite its full throttle appeal. Motor racing is a thrill ride that many people don't even know/care can be dangerous. I've created this blog post to quickly share some thoughts on how dangerous motorsports can be. In addition, I lend some thoughts to all of my readers around the world regarding racing and the dangers involved. And after all, it is these dangers and the fearlessness of racers which help all of us to love and appreciate motor racing. It is why we regard racers as our heroes/heroines. This blog post just shares some personal thoughts on the danger racing provides. Feel free to have a look at my commentary here.

POST NOTES:

Originally Created: May 28, 2011 at 7:26 PM Pacific [Daylight] Time (I had intended on updating this post among my most recent posts, so that's why I included the Originally Created note.)
Updated: OCT 16 2011 - added note on Dan Wheldon's death

--- Dangers of Motorsport ---

As much as I love motor racing, there is a reason why people often fear motor racing- danger and injury. The racers basically risk injury (and even death) every mph/kph at a time. It is their relentlessness to contest for speed and push their abilities to the absolute finest as why we love racing. We love the thrill of speed. We love how athletes take a simple task of driving/riding and apply actual racing technique to dominate race tracks. We love how racers put it all on the line to try to get to the checkered flag first before anybody else.

I don't like crashes. I don't like watching video highlights of crashes. People mostly love them because it's an adrenaline thrill or something like that. Well, I actually do think demolition derby can be fun to watch. But of course, not every race is a demolition derby. For the purpose of this blog post, I am reminded of why I dislike crashes as I saw some vicious crashes recently. In the Australian V8 Supercar Series at Barbagallo earlier this year, one driver's car stalled on the grid at the start of the and got rear-ended, leading to a fiery explosion. The driver who got rear-ended was Karl Reindler, and he got rear-ended by Steve Owen. Thankfully, Karl was able to quickly escape despite the violent explosion.

A link to the video. Because I don't want to anything seriously graphic, I will show you only the link to this horrific accident. You don't have to see this video if you don't want to, but just know that this is rather graphic: ""V8 Supercar explodes into flames at startline!!!.

If there is anything positive about watching crashes and such, it is a testament to the safety involved in making sure drivers/riders can race again. Racing machines can be rebuilt and repaired; human lives can not be rebuilt and repaired. That's why I'm proud of the many advances we have made in keeping race cars safe. You want to be able to fulfill your speed rush as many times as you like and live to keep racing. I saw a series of videos on YouTube in the past where race car drivers were killed in racing. It was just so scary and so disheartening to see racers lose their lives performing in their favorite sport. You know... Greg Moore. Aryton Senna. Colin McRae (though he died in a helicopter crash). Peter Brock. Daijiro Katoh. Dale Earnhardt Sr. Paul Dana. Just about every racer who was killed either during a race or during a racing session (like practice, qualifying, warm-up, etc.) are reminders that racing, while immensely satisfying to watch, can be immensely dangerous. Even if there are racers you don't like, you NEVER want to see them in a vicious crash that takes their lives. It is also just classless to wish something like that to your least favorite racers.

The moral of this story? Enjoy racing. Enjoy what racing brings. Just remember that motor racing is dangerous. Racers of various kinds are fearless athletes who contest for speed. They know that while their ultimate goal is to cross the line as winners, they also know that injury and/or death literally awaits every mph/kph at a time, every corner at a time. This is why we love racing and what racers do. They battle as fearlessly in their sport as much as any gridiron football player trying to make plays or basketball players trying to shoot baskets or block shots. Any athlete of any sport is subjecting themselves to injury every time they compete, and racers are no different.

(ADDED: October 16, 2011)
With a 15-car crash that ensued at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in the IndyCar Series, Dan Wheldon of England was tragically killed in this horrific wreck. He was 33 years old and is survived by his wife and two children. The Indy cars for 2012 will have various upgrades to help aid in safety. Perhaps after this horrific incident earlier today, more innovations could be put to good use to help make these cars safer. We should be able to take negatives as a means to help make us better in the future. The unthinkable still lingers, but at least we can do what we can to help minimize the risk of injury as much as we can.

For more information on this horrible accident, read the following article, courtesy of Yahoo! Sports: "Indy 500 winner Wheldon dies after massive wreck" on Yahoo! Sports.

PERSONAL NOTE: I would like to send my deepest thoughts and prayers to any motor racers whom have lost their lives through racing. The thoughts and prayers go out to friends, family, and all whom have known and loved each fallen racer. Please honor and respect all racers in all disciplines of motorsport. That even includes various non-racing personnel (such as flagmen, pit crews, race officials, etc.). Their jobs are just as important as the racers on the track.

Thank you for reading. One last time: honor and respect all racers and racing personnel. That includes car racers, motorcycle racers, drifters... anyone basically in the path of impending danger while motorsport competition is going on.

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Thursday, May 26, 2011

Leona Lewis

British beauty Leona Lewis has one of the loveliest singing voices of any recent singer. This London-born lady of Afro-Guyanese descent has one of the loveliest voices whether singing or simply speaking to others. Her sense of style is divine. This young singer is really one of the best out there right now. It was her "Bleeding Love" song where many people got to hear the real depth and richness of her music and her musical style for the first time.

This initial blog post was primarily designed to be just a simple post on Leona Lewis' music. I may edit it in the future to include more about her.

--- Leona Lewis ---

Here is the lady I'm blogging about here:

^ from: images.contactmusic.com - Leona Lewis. As beautiful in looks as she is in singing.

From becoming champion of "X Factor" 2006 to being a singing goddess, Leona Lewis really made her mark with her sensational voice and goddess-like beauty. She has a great singing voice. But when talking normally, the (born: April 3, 1985)-year old British beauty has a VERY cute speaking voice. Very cute speaking voice with a nice British accent. I think Leona Lewis has a powerful voice and sweet voice in her singing. When I first heard "Bleeding Love," her singing and tone are somewhat along the lines of Mariah Carey when Mariah Carey started out. For as long as she is, I think she will have a very wonderful career ahead of her with perhaps a multitude of awards and honors in the future.

Leona Lewis Videos.

Let's check out some videos now.

Many people heard Leona Lewis for the first time with this song:

^ from "leonalewisVEVO" on YouTube

This song is another favorite of mine from Leona Lewis. She delivers another sweet and powerful performance that gets "Better in Time."

--- What I Would Tell Leona Lewis (if she were to read this) ---

You are one of the most beautiful and brightest young singers today. You have an amazing voice whether speaking or singing. I wish you nothing but the best in continuing your career. Also wish you the best if you have any sort of humanitarian and/or philanthropic efforts you are working on or considering. Leona Lewis, you are amazing!