Never Give Up on Your Dreams!

On May 17, 2008; I reached a significant accomplishment in my life- getting my Associates in the Arts. It was sunshine for me in a cloudy point of my life where I was unsure if I would ever accomplish anything special since graduating from High School. Thinking about this special day has allowed me to come up with this motivational post in remembering my significant accomplishment.

--- Never Give Up on Your Dreams! ---

I graduated from High School back in 2001 as Most Improved Student. In 2002, I considered my next goal- attending a four-year university to focus my school energy on Computer Animation. I was influenced by things like Disney/Pixar and an old 3D-animated cartoon series from the mid-1990s called Reboot. That dream of a four-year university came true. I became a student of Lamar University (Beaumont, TX, USA). As I was trying to push towards that dream career of being a computer animator, my dream lasted only 11 weeks. Thereafter, I would suffer personal heartbreak and would become immensely dissatisfied with my life.

So I returned to Houston after my Lamar dreams failed. I then wanted to get into the University of Houston. It was about the Fall 2003 semester for me as I got back into the collegiate circuit. My University of Houston dreams never materialized for me. I then changed my goals from Computer Animation to Graphic Design, then from Graphic Design to Broadcasting and Journalism. I've been going to Houston Community College - Southeast trying to get my Associates in the Arts. Previously, I had no real plan- basically taking classes just to take them and earn college credit. I also wanted to learn in certain classes to enrich my mind. It wasn't until about maybe 2005 or 2006 when I finally set up a degree plan with counselors. In 2007, two personal landmarks were set- I passed all of my classes (I failed at least one class every semester since Fall 2003 up until the Fall 2007 semester). And more importantly- I earned enough credit to get my Associates in the Arts. However, I would do one more semester just for a little extra credit because I failed to register for graduation in the Fall 2007 semester.

Fast forward to Spring 2008. I would celebrate my 25th birthday in January 2008. Most people my age then have probably gotten their Bachelors or Masters as they reached age 25. I was still wondering if I'd ever reach getting my Associates. On May 17, 2008 at Reliant Stadium; it was time for me to walk the stage and celebrate a lifelong accomplishment- getting my Associates in the Arts. I might see some of my old college friends for the last time in person. I knew one thing- a journey of ups and downs ultimately resulted in epic triumph. Could I have gotten my degree sooner and with better academic progress? Absolutely. But life is never easy. I am admittedly not a good student. If I was a better student, I would have been in better academic status to begin with. I wouldn't need to rely on community college. I may have lasted longer on the four-year university side. Because I didn't have the best life or the face the most favorable of circumstances, I had to make due with what I had and make the most out of life.

After getting my Associates Degree, I wasn't really sure what I wanted to do. Part of me actually wanted to go for a Bachelors Degree in Broadcasting and Journalism. One thing my brother taught me was about getting a degree in something I know I would actually utilize.

As a dark secret- I began to push more towards YouTube and blogging as I began to think about Broadcasting and Journalism would entail and if I was ready to take on the challenges involved with Broadcasting and Journalism. So much of what I've read and heard about different aspects of Broadcasting and Journalism made me feel less like it is what I always wanted to do. I actually wanted to be a sports anchor or cover sports. Because of certain aspects of mass media that I wasn't too happy with after contemplation, I began to shift my focus a bit more in different directions. Directions that would eventually lead me to think more about YouTube and blogging. Remember- I first wanted to do 3D animation! I changed my career focus twice while in college. Even while I was in college, I once admitted that blogging for money was an aspiration of mine. I would blog a lot on Myspace before eventually contributing to the blog on Blogger/Blogspot called... "John's Blog Space." I even developed interests in making YouTube videos as I started visiting YouTube a bit more often. Eventually- "JohnMarineTube" was born. And the rest... as they say... is history.

Today, I am still mostly happy where I am now. I make videos online and post blog entries like this one. Despite my struggles through college, I never gave up on hope. I wanted to impress both myself and my family/friends. I always believed in myself even when having my worst days. Times in college could have been better, but you make the most of what is given to you. At least I am doing something that I love and that keeps me occupied. Plus, I'm contributing to society with my videos and my blogging. I am contributing while also meeting certain loyal people (excluding spammers and scammers). I am happy doing videos today. I am happy posting blog posts. Could I be doing something more worthwhile and more rewarding? Sure. However, these two arenas I take part in are just as important and special to me as any other occupation. Until something much better or more promising comes my way and if I'm qualified and able to take part in those opportunities, I'm happy where I am at now.

--- Lessons Learned ---

So what is the motivational message I am trying to send? There are a few to mention:

• Never give up on your dreams.
If you know there is a goal in sight, why take yourself out of the race? Do whatever it takes to cross the finish line and do something to feel important and accomplished. I hated many of my college experiences, but what more could I do than focus on the task at hand?

• Keep Trying!
Don't feel down just because you failed previously. Move on and stay in the fight.


And this one is perhaps the most important:

• No matter how long it takes, make the most of each day to eventually accomplish whatever long-term goal(s) you have in mind.
You can't build a house from start to finish in one day. Long-term goals are NEVER accomplished in a short amount of time (unless you are EXTREMELY fortunate). Don't start getting too desperate trying to get something big accomplished in short time. Be patient and keep working towards whatever it is that you want accomplished. Remember- I was 25 when I got my Associates in the Arts. Most people were already probably done with college and were living their lives. I'm 29 years old as of this post- most other people are completely done with college and are living life, perhaps they are proud parents to a child or children at my current age of 29. Regardless, every long-term goal has one constant- a finish line. A long term goal has a finish line or a finishing point where hard work has a just reward once everything is complete. So the most important thing to remember...


NEVER GIVE UP ON YOUR DREAMS!





Thank you for reading!

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Words Heal

Some people think words can't heal. Some people don't believe prayer helps. The point of this blog post is to say that words can heal as much as they can easily hurt. When you can't help someone immediately with actions, words and text are just as helpful. The problem, however, is that we are an action society. We prefer quick action or quick justice. While it is true that words alone can not reverse any wrong, they can provide some healing and some hope.

To provide some powerful words and inspiration, allow me to quote from someone I've blogged about before:

"Break the silence. Use your voice."

-Arielle Lee Bair

This quote from Arielle Lee Bair is very true in multiple contexts. Especially the "use your voice" portion means a whole lot. Let me give you an example. In my high school and college days, I had to talk with counselors and psychologists to help me feel better. If talking to these people helped me feel better in my worst times, then I know full well that words can heal for anyone dealing with any sort of issue. Trouble is... people think action is ALWAYS better than words. Well- offering kind words IS an action, so don't tell me (or anybody else) that your voice and your thoughts don't mean anything. I know and understand that offering prayer and kind words aren't going to resolve issues. However, at least it is better than not saying anything and letting someone who needs help (or would appreciate sympathy/help) just have their problems go unresolved.

Bottom line is- words may not equal immediate action, but they can do a whole lot to offer peace and support. Some people use their voice to hate on people and say demeaning things to people. Well, why not use your same voice and offer kindness and help to those who may need it? It's not like you can only say bad things to people. Your words can help. I just get upset at times when people think words can't be as helpful as providing action. There are truly situations where legitimate action is more powerful than even the kindest of words and prayer. But for the most part, words are just as helpful as legitimate action in most cases.





Be helpful- use your voice. Use your words. Words heal. Thank you for reading!

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Be Amazing EVERY Day!

Need motivation today? Recite any or all of these quotes to yourself as your own personal mantra and give yourself empowerment on making this day special. Give yourself a chance to read these quotes while also trying to live up to these quotes. Remember- be AMAZING today! Here's my inspiration to you all:

• Every day is a chance to be amazing and do something amazing. Today is one of those chances.

• I will make the most of this day to make myself amazing.

• I will work to make today an amazing day.

• I will work as best as possible to make today a great day, even if it ultimately ends up a bad day.

• If today ends up a bad day, then at least I did my best to make it as best of a day as possible.

• I will not let anything stop me in making the most of this day.

• I was granted the opportunity to be great today, and I will not fail myself or others.

• Being amazing grants me strength and power. You, nor anything else will not break me in my attempts to make myself stronger.

• Even if uninspired today, I am inspired to be amazing and do amazing things regardless of what today brings or will/could bring.

• Even if I lack motivation to be amazing today, I still willingly drive myself to be amazing in some sort of way today.

While I may commonly say "have a great day" to friends, every day is a chance to be amazing in some sort of way. Your life is a book with many pages and chapters left blank. How will you fill in those pages? Don't tell me your answer(s) to that question- answer this on your own with your own input. Who wants to read a book on someone whose life was without promise, without hope, and without any real determination to make himself/herself better than the day before? Every day is a chance to be amazing. So...

BE AMAZING EVERY DAY!
(a public service announcement by John B. Marine)

Thank you for reading! Hope this gets you going for the day! :)

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Perfectionism

Nothing is ever perfect, yet we push ourselves to be perfect or as close to perfect as possible. Even I must admit I push to be perfect in all I do. I want as few faults as possible in my videos and blog posts. If nothing is perfect, why do we push to be perfect? Why does a sports team think they could finish undefeated? Why can a student feel he/she can pass everything with the highest-possible grades? Why does a gamer think he/she can complete any game without taking any damage or dying in a game? It is because we push to be perfect all the time.

--- Perfectionism ---

Perfectionists think the best way to be fully satisfied with their work is to be perfect in all phases of our craft. If not perfect, then as close to perfect as possible. Perfection is the ultimate form of gratification. It means you've done everything absolutely right with no faults to speak of. Think of unbeaten sports teams- they won every game regardless of how they all played through the season. They didn't have to dominate every game, but they did the most important thing- win. Even in victory, however, perfectionism also relates to the fact that things can be done better and more efficiently. That can be pretty natural when you think about how you could have done something better. For example, you may be a basketball player that scored a lot of points for your team, but you may be upset because you missed a few layups or open shots.

A perfectionist always thinks he/she should be able to accomplish anything efficiently and have it all done as flawless as possible. Whatever "perfect" means to the person in question relates to what he/she deems perfect for a given task. You will need to do everything possible to do a certain task brilliantly. Doing things from a perfectionist's standpoint means doing things to a certain standard. Sometimes, going beyond a certain standard or standards.

Fear of Imperfection.

The one thing that gets to all of us is in making or having imperfections in our work. Realistically, we would like as few imperfections as possible- and I am not just talking about in fashion. I try to post my blog posts and videos with as few faults or forgotten content as possible. Whatever I post online is the best material I could post at the time of that post. Often times, I note I've made certain errors that must be corrected. Everything I put into my posts or videos is everything at my best level. Anything less than acceptable doesn't get posted or featured. My biggest fear is to have too many imperfections to where I felt I could have done a much better job than what I could have done in my very first post. Remember that I am in charge of myself, so there is little fear of me trying to publish something quickly and with professionalism and mastery of skill. However, I do feel like a school/college student, having to do everything right (or as close to right) as possible for the best results.

Imperfection vs. Just Being Sloppy/Lazy.

Is there a difference between imperfections and just being sloppy? Sure! Imperfections usually involve errors that can be corrected. Just messing up facts and content is purely unacceptable. Do you honestly want your published work to be full of errors and faults if you care so much about making quality content? Even if you don't care too much about what people think about your work, you at least want to work to make your material acceptable. Acceptable means... suitable and useful. The other side is just about posting something and not caring about what anyone thinks.

--- Am I a Perfectionist? ---

I think of myself often times as a perfectionist, but even I know I can do so much. I think too much about many things. So you can say I am a perfectionist... to an extent. I often edit and re-edit my posts using NoteTab as well as spell checking with Firefox. I care deeply about posting the best version of something the first time around so that I don't have to keep editing it all the time. If I have to edit something initially posted on a constant basis when I could have done almost everything right the first time, all I am doing is degrading the quality of my material as well as wasting your time. You (as a reader/visitor) deserve my best all the time because I hold myself to such high standards. If I am not doing my blogging at an acceptable level, I am just negatively wasting my creative energy to all of you, which is unacceptable to me.

--- Final Thoughts on Perfectionism ---

You can't let imperfections rule over you. You sometimes have to allow some imperfections to be made so you can make yourself a better person. I always feel learning from errors and imperfections help make us better. How can you make yourself better if you disallow yourself to have faults? Even the very best in any industry has had to overcome faults and shortcomings to eventually be great.





There is nothing wrong with being a perfectionist or having a perfectionist's mindset. However, don't allow yourself to be broken down by focusing too much on making everything extremely perfect. Just work to make everything as acceptable as possible. If there are any faults you have or have experienced, work to resolve those faults in future applications. Most important of all- don't let yourself down if you don't do everything perfectly right. Until next time, thank you for reading!

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Regrets

(UPDATED: April 16, 2012)

At some point, we regret certain things in our lives. What we regret and what actually happens determines how we go about life. Some regrets are comical while others are more serious. Comical regrets can mean things like missing an episode of a TV show or not attending a certain entertainment event. More serious regrets can mean not being able to be a good parent or regretting getting involved in drugs, alcohol, prostitution, and the like. This blog post is a look at regrets- both having them and living with them.

LATEST UPDATE(S)/REVISION(S):

APR 16 2012 - added extra content, including a link to a video



The most important thing to remember about regrets is that we all regret something at some point of our lives. The key here is on how you take certain regrets. Does a regret take you over so much to where you feel like each day feels like you are one step closer to death? Do you regret something to where you do not feel adequate or capable of living happily and healthy? If you feel like life is bringing you down because of something you've regret in your life, you just need to establish peace of mind and some sort of happiness. You need to be at peace with yourself and give yourself some confidence. It may be tough, but it is doable. Life does not end just because something bad happens to you and that you can't work to make things better. I always say that every day is a chance to make yourself better than the day before. So always work to make yourself better even if with a small improvement.

It is perfectly fine to regret things in life. This sort of behavior shows you are mindful of certain things you do or have happened to you. It shows compassion you have for others and that you don't want to hurt them in any such way. And if you do feel like you have hurt someone, you regret having to do so. In regards to personal regrets, at least you show there are things you wish could change for yourself in making yourself better.

Everyone has regrets about things in life, whether big or small. How you accept and acknowledge these regrets make us better people in the long run. All you can do is move on with most things you regret. Just try to make the next day better and try to live as best of a life as you can.

IN CASE YOU'RE INTERESTED...

(ADDED: April 16, 2012)
I made a video on my YouTube channel, JohnMarineTube, where I discuss regrets in video form. To take a look at my video, you're invited here:

"Regrets" - JohnMarineTube (YouTube)





If you enjoy my motivational and life issue posts, I would like to thank you. I care more about helping others feel better rather than try to get more views when these topics are involved. So make sure to take my advice to heart and try to make the most of each day. Thank you for reading!

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You're Welcome Here

(UPDATED: March 21, 2012)

Ever feel unwanted sometimes? Ever feel like your presence means nothing to whatever party or people you are around? I created this blog post for a reason- to offer sweet words for all visitors- you ARE welcome here! Don't ever think your input and involvement mean nothing to me. Without you, this is just another blog or website that nobody truly cares about. As some of you may know, most of my opinions are based on actual experiences of mine or of personal opinions I share. I figure if I don't share my mind about things, nobody will truly know what I think about something. So please enjoy this post of mine.

By the way, I have not ruled out making a related blog post based on elements of this topic. So stay tuned for a future blog post from me with some related issues mentioned here.

As of March 19, 2012, "John's Blog Space" has reached 1.5 million views (Blogger/Blogspot stats)! So thanks to all of you for contributing to the view count for this blog!

LATEST UPDATE(S)/REVISION(S)

MAR 21 2012 - made some edits, added more content, changed back to original title

--- You ARE Welcome Here! ---

Sometimes, I admit to being too concerned about what other people think. None of what I post is to draw any kind of reaction unless I am adamant about expressing something nobody else will express. When I visit some other peoples' blogs, I sometimes wonder if my comments are actually appreciated by whomever I post comments on. Many people will usually say that all comments are appreciated. Some even may go as far as to say that they will try to visit others' blogs based on whomever posts comments.

I comment on a lot of feminine fashion blogs. Thing is, I mostly follow feminine fashion and comment on it. I sometimes think it's unusual for a feminine fashion blog to get comments from a male. To me, most feminine fashion bloggers probably think, "why is a GUY commenting on something made for GIRLS?" That even sometimes apply to YouTube videos of beauty gurus. So maybe that's why I don't feel too welcome with comments on certain blogs. I do, however, comment professionally and like I actually know what I'm talking about. The one thing I always wonder is if other people appreciate my presence and my comments. Some people respond to me; some people don't respond to me. I just want to be assured that my appearance and involvement aren't getting in the way of other peoples' business and other peoples' sites.

IN CASE YOU'RE INTERESTED: I go into further detail about a masculine perspective on feminine fashion in "Male Perspective on Female Fashion." Click on the link at the end of this sentence to read this post of mine: "Male Perspective on Female Fashion" - John's Blog Space.

--- What I Want My Readers to Know ---

I absolutely mean what I say here... your visiting of "John's Blog Space" (as well as my other blogs) is absolutely welcome. Not a lot of people really recognize what someone visiting a blog or a website means to that person. In my life, there have been times and places where I've felt unwanted. Because I know what being unwelcome and unwanted feels like, I don't want other people to feel disregarded. So I'm thankful of all people who even remotely care about any topic I post here. When you did a search for something and found it in my blog, that means I've garnered your attention. All I can hope for is that what I've posted will be to your liking and your enjoyment. I don't just post material just to draw a reaction or just to pull people into a spammy website. Everything I do and post bears some sort of importance or usefulness. It wouldn't be worth expending a search engine's capabilities to find my blog(s) if there was nothing of use to the general public-at-large. Long story short- I'm thankful you're here.

You are always welcome to my blog(s). As long as you are an loyal and respectful person, I sincerely care about your involvement of visiting my blog and its posts. I love it when someone actually clicks on links and even supports any sort of material I post. That is what I would like to have from all of my visitors. Sometimes, other peoples' blogs and sites remind me of what I wish more people would do with my own material. Some blogs/websites get many more comments and posts than mine. I usually have a select few comment. The feeling is just surreal that I can get so many hits to John's Blog Space, yet have a small percentage actually get involved in some sort of way. I want to improve that ratio of loyal visitors if I can.

Loyalty, Not Spam!

Of course, as much as I want people to share their opinions and thoughts, I am also trying to weed out any would-be spammers. There are some people who will perform spam searches and somehow find my blog(s), then will post something with some suspicious link. I have taken multiple measures to ensure that my blog(s) don't get poisoned with spam. Even if a comment even SEEMS like spam or something posted from a suspicious search, I will block that comment and the one who made it. Don't make me feel suspicious. For example- there are people who'll put in a certain search term and find a certain blog post of mine. Any blog post of mine that continually gets consistent spam comments ultimately have comments for that post disabled. It's a disservice to both me and my readers/visitors.

Spam does NOT equal loyalty. Spammers just latch onto certain keywords and don't particularly care about sharing your content. They just come on and post a suspicious link while sounding completely human. I will NOT allow my blog to be poisoned with suspicious comments from suspicious visitors. For those of you who read my John's Corner on "Hobby vs. Profession," I touched up on SEO in regards to websites. I've read an article about how certain "firms" have hired people on the cheap to post an innocent comment to a blog post while also supplementing a suspicious link. It's just spam to try to poison a website and hurt its ranking online. Sad world, isn't it? ANYTHING for money.

So that is just a little extra blogging insight for you all.





Above all else, you are always welcome here on John's Blog Space and my other blogs. Don't ever think you don't mean anything to my work. You made the effort to come here and interact with my work. The least you can do is show your continued support of my work. That is all I ask of my respected and respectful readers. I love and respect all of you who care about and actually enjoy being here.

One last time...

You are always welcome here on John's Blog Space. Thank you so much for visiting. Please come back (and hopefully keep coming back) any time.

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

What is unconditional love? Unconditional love implies these things: "You can screw up really bad- I still love you regardless." "You can lose this game in a beat down- I still love you." "You can make a total fool out of yourself, but I still love you." Unconditional love, then, means that for any situation we get in for better or for worse, we are still loved by those who care about us. Some people feel they have to constantly compete for love from a certain party or parties. Some of us don't feel loved enough by others to say we're loved unconditionally. Do we TRULY feel loved enough to where even when we commit our greatest monkeyshines, we are still loved by the ones we feel loved the most by?

--- More On Unconditional Love ---

Let me set the mood with a picture:


^ from: www.suxiaolan.net - You are loved by others, but are you loved unconditionally by others?


People who don't feel unconditionally loved still feel like they have to constantly compete for love rather than know they are loved and cared for. These are moments when we feel like more can be done to repair (in the minds of those unconditionally loved) any sort of broken link between one person and another.

If you don't feel unconditionally loved by someone whose respect you are trying to win (even if it is from your parents, a family member, your friends, your lover, your peers, etc.), then you'll have to find some sort of way to let that person (or those persons) know just how much winning their trust means to you. You can NOT let someone whom you love and respect regard you any longer as dead weight or excess baggage. You are a human being seeking to be loved and appreciated. If you feel down in the eyes of someone who you truly care about, it is best to share your true feelings rather than hold it all in and feel broken down on the inside. Then, that person has to understand where you're coming from and make an effort to better respect you. It all comes down to an effort to where both sides come together as one and that everyone can feel happy and carefree together. Allow me to quote:

"To love and be loved is to feel the sun from both sides."

-David Viscott, from "How to Live with Another Person," 1974

...and who does not want to feel warmth and love, especially unconditionally? Not every day is a sunny day- metaphorically speaking. However, not every day is cloudy and rainy either. Love is protection from our own personal stormy days. Unconditional love is protection from any and all elements- knowing we are protected and cared for even in the worst of circumstances at every moment.





I hope this post is to your liking. Please subscribe to my blog if you enjoy my work. I don't just post material just to put it out there. I want people to read and share my material because I care deeply about making your visit to my blog a pleasant one. So I hope you have had a great read. Thank you for reading.

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"Me" Time

Sometimes, you need time to yourself. You sometimes need to treat yourself to things rather than put up with other people. These moments of "me" time allows one to relax and unwind while treating ourselves and spoiling ourselves to good things. The blog post you are about to read is all about the "me" time we sometimes need to help us feel better from within.

Let me begin with a quote:

"I ain't tryna do you, I'm tryin' do me..."

-lyric to "I Luv It" from Young Jeezy

...and let's continue with a picture (best I could find to represent this post):


^ from: www.bornfreemumanddad.co.uk - Other people bringing you down? Stress getting to you? Need to chill out? Have yourself some "me" time!

Let's continue on with the post.

--- What Does "Me" Time Do For Us? ---

Having "me" time gives us a chance to relax and humble ourselves. It is an assuring feeling to know we do these things for ourselves to feel better. These "me" moments are like reminders to ourselves that we are amazing people. If others don't love you as much, having "me" time is a good bit of self-confidence and self-love.

The one thing to be careful of is that you don't act too selfishly or regard yourself higher than anybody else (including family and friends). You want these "me" time moments to be self-encouraging; not in being any sort of Narcissist.

--- "Me" Time Examples ---

Here are some examples of "me" time and people spoiling themselves:

• A young male decides to head out alone a nightclub or lounge rather than hang out with his friends at a sports bar.

• A single young lady treats herself to getting a manicure and pedicure at a salon, then goes out shopping for herself at a mall or a department store. She may also decide to go to a nightclub for the night alone and treat herself to a party.

• A teenage male unwinds from the rigors of High School by playing tunes with his guitar.

• A married woman prepares a delicious and satisfying dinner for herself at home rather than have a dinner with her husband or be with her girl friends.


Many people have many different ways of treating themselves. What do you normally do with your "me" time? What was maybe the most memorable "me" time moment you had? Did you have "me" time in response to something negative that has happened in your life? Regardless of the reason or what you do, we all need some "me" time, just these moments that help us to feel better and relax. While not generally appreciated by other people whom we love, this is at least a time where us individuals can spoil ourselves and feel good all the while.





How do you spend your "me" time? Do you allow yourself some "me" time? By the way, I was preparing this blog post during the Super Bowl XLVI halftime show. :)

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

On January 15, 2012; I celebrated my 29th birthday. It gave me some time to reflect on something- I am blessed to receive so many kind words online for my birthday from so many people. Some people don't realize what doing something as simple as wishing someone a happy birthday can do. You know, just showing a little compassion for someone can brighten someone's day. My day was certainly brightened on Facebook with as many as 70+ Facebook friends (including family members) have wished me a happy birthday.

Can't say it enough, people. I am thankful of so many things. I am thankful for all the people whom have cared about me and my work. Blogging and YouTube are basically my life. I am certainly thankful for all the love and the respect I have received from friends, family, and fans of my work. That is why I always try to push for your respect and loyalty. To all the loyal folk, thank you so much for making me even 0.01% relevant in your life.

My birthday has already passed. But if you want to still wish me happy birthday here in my blog, you're free to do so! :)





This concludes my blog post. I just want to share this with my loyal and respectful readers worldwide. I want my loyal readers to show continued support of my work by taking part in various ways. Some of the many ways to show your support (if you haven't already) are listed below. Thank you for reading!

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Musings on the 2011 Houston Texans

(UPDATED: January 15, 2012)

The Houston Texans will play their first playoff game in franchise history starting with the Cincinnati Bengals here in Houston on Saturday. Regardless of how they finish this season, they have done something that gets you noticed- make the playoffs. I will certainly cheer on and salute the Texans regardless. The following blog post is just a bunch of musings from yours truly.


I know there may be people from other sports cities that may have the same thoughts that I am about to express (like Cleveland, OH), but it's about time Houston sports has some sort of relevance. It is also good there is a Houston pro sports team actually doing well. Look at the 2011 Astros. The more they kept failing, the more I stopped caring about the 2011 season. The Astros have been afterthoughts since making their improbable 2005 World Series run. The Rockets are a talented team; just too bad their record hasn't reflected their talent. I was even glad they had a winning 2011 season despite all the failures. The Rockets need to get back to being playoff contenders and true winners so that we can get back to championship-winning basketball. The Dynamo haven't won championships in Major League Soccer since winning two in their first two years in Houston. While the premise of this post was on Houston PRO sports teams, I also salute in football the University of Houston Cougars as well as the Sam Houston State Bearkats. I salute lots of teams, but it's all about the Texans at this time.

So the Texans are about the best thing going in sports right now in Houston unless the Rockets and Astros can somehow become contenders instead of either doormats or mediocrity. If the Rockets and/or Astros don't get better any time soon to where we can be a REALLY proud sports city, then I'm almost hoping the Texans get as far as possible through the 2011 NFL Playoffs. The Texans have won their games with heart and with spirit. Some may simply criticize that we only made it this far because of a fairly weak AFC South division. Almost as if we don't belong where we ended up at. The Texans could have played terribly and just be a middle-of-the-road team that could never win the big one or make the playoffs. Considering the injuries and shortcomings, I thought we've done pretty well. Both of our Matts (Schaub and Leinart) went down with injuries. Now, the keys to the car are with Taylor Jonathan Yates (T.J. Yates) out of North Carolina. I just hope this car can last long enough for this first playoff run to be memorable. That's even if we have some sort of magical run similar to George Mason going from first round to Final Four a few years ago. No matter what happens, a long-lasting goal for the Houston Texans is complete- make the playoffs. Time will tell just what the Deep Steel Blue, Liberty White, and Battle Red can do in the postseason. And when their playoff run for this season ends, the Texans will need to prove their worth in subsequent seasons to show they can be consistent playoff contenders as well as make deep playoff runs all the while (or at least play and show they can be contenders).

What I Would Tell the Houston Texans (if they were to read this)...

Since playing that first game in September 2002, since that epic 19-10 over the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday Night Football, I've long supported the Texans. I didn't care much for football until 2002. Since, I've started watching and enjoying this lovely game of American football. Anyone who supports a sports team knows (or at least dreams) they can go all the way. Considering all the different sports teams in the Houston area, you all are clearly the best thing going unless our other teams step up and start winning more. Even that one season when the Texans went 2-14, I still remained strong. Even in games I know you all could have won, I still believed. Maybe I never thought you all win the AFC South, but you all did it.

You finally made it to the postseason. While being in the postseason is nice, it all means nothing if you don't play with passion, pride, and perseverance. The NFL Playoffs are "win or go home." Who wants to be an also-ran when you have a chance to play for the game's biggest prize? You've established yourself as being among the best teams in the league by making the playoffs. Now play like it. Never mind disappointments like vs. the Raiders, at the Colts, and stuff like that- those games are all behind you. Press forward and make as great of a run as you can. The city of Houston as well as its many fans around Texas, around the country, and perhaps even NFL fans around the world are all pulling for you to do your absolute best. Even if seemingly outmatched, even if the [mostly] ESPN types don't give you a chance, at least you know you can make believers out of even the most discerning sports fan.

Go forth and finish this season strong! Even if in a losing effort, I have never stopped caring or supporting the Texans; and I won't stop caring or supporting. I am no bandwagon fan of the Texans. I am no fair weather fan of the Texans. Stick with your beloved team(s) through thick and thin.

Now go make some noise in the playoffs!





(ADDED: January 15, 2012)
With today being my 29th birthday, I was somewhat hoping for an improbable upset by the Texans. Sadly, the Texans lost 20-13. I'm still very proud of the Texans regardless. Hope they can build off of this for next season and future seasons.

Loyal reader Eric was proud that my Texans and his Saints won last weekend. This weekend... BOTH of our teams lose. Crappy how life rears its ugly head, right?





Win or lose, I'm pulling for the Texans. A great season deserves a great finish, and that's what I hope for the 2011 Texans. 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.





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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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Pleasant Surprises

Pleasant surprises are compliments people don't expect to have come their way, but are there anyways thanks to the generousity of others. I like to think I've provided pleasant surprises to people when I mention them in blog posts and/or videos. I like uplifting the spirits of people. Sometimes, I bring myself to tears or a positive rhythm in my heart knowing I've touched someone in a positive way. Even more so when people look to me as a positive influence. When I have blogged about people, some of the ones whom I've blogged about actually contact ME offering thanks! Some others are pleased when I make mention to them in my blog, like in my shout-out and salute posts.

Life has its fair share of pleasant surprises. We never know who or what is offering kind words or compliments to others, but we're certainly thankful we get them. This feeling of support from others is great when you're talking about average people offering up kind words and complimentary material of and about others. Pleasant surprises come in many forms. For me as a blogger, a pleasant surprise is when I pick up lots of views for posts in one day. It means people actually care about what I post. People have given me a chance and liked my efforts. It means people are rewarding themselves for finding and loving my material. I want this! I want people to engage with my material and (hopefully) enjoy what they see.

So go ahead- surprise somebody (even me) with something nice or positive. Make a respectful blog post about someone. Make a respectful video about someone. Provide a gift to someone you love
You never know what you can do when you provide a pleasant surprise. You may be completely oblivious of something respectful and positive being mentioned about someone... until you show him/her/them. So go ahead- make something pleasantly surprising for someone! :)





More pleasant surprises are when people fan my Facebook fan page and get social with me in other ways. Want to make a pleasant surprise for me? Subscribe and Follow to John's Blog Space! 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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Unrequited Love

You love someone, but that person doesn't love you back. This is the concept of unrequited love. Or if "unrequited" is hard to remember, simply call it one-sided love. Unrequited love could lead to one trying harder to win the heart of someone whom he/she really loves despite the other person's unwillingness to commit to that person. This is either one person feeling hugely attracted to someone while the other is not as attracted as the other, or it may be two sides that just don't really understand how much one loves the other person. Regardless of whatever kind of relationship you're in, there will be a point where your best efforts to try to win someone's love (or win back someone's love) can all be a losing cause where there is unrequited love involved.

PERSONAL NOTE:

I would like to thank a loyal reader who suggested that I do a topic on unrequited love. I will do my best to talk about this topic in that reader's honor.

--- Unrequited Love ---

^ from: www.ladyzona.com (best picture I could find to represent this post) - Unrequited love- where one's affection for another isn't met with the same level of affection from the other person.

And I quote (taken from Wikipedia):

"Some say that one-sided love is better than none, but like half a loaf of bread, it is likely to grow hard and moldy sooner."

-Eric Berne, Sex in Human Loving (Penguin 1970) p. 130

If you want a fantasy example of unrequited love, some of you may be fans of Pepe Le Pew from the Looney Tunes cartoons. This skunk sees this female cat and pursues her to fall in love with the cat. Of course, this cat has some sort of white streak on her that makes her look like a skunk, but she's a cat. Despite Pepe Le Pew's advances to try to win the cat's heart, the cat keeps drawing Pepe Le Pew away.

Now I feel old. You made me remember watching Looney Tunes. Thanks a bunch! -_-


The main point is that unrequited love can simply be thought of as one-sided love. You love someone, but the other person doesn't share the same loving interest. This leads to trying to do almost anything to win the affection of someone in trying to get the other person to share the same level of devotion and affection as you have for someone.

--- Aspects of Unrequited Love ---

Here are some of the aspects of unrequited love:

Does He/She Really Know?

Imagine a single male for a moment. There is one female for whom he most desires to be with and love for all eternity. There is a problem for this single male. It isn't that the female is taken; but more for the fact that she simply doesn't love him. So basically, a guy could love a girl so much, but the girl either couldn't care less or doesn't want to be with him. But... does she REALLY know how much he wants to be with her?

That's the point of this topic of unrequited love- does the other person know how much he/she really wants to be with someone? This is sometimes what I think about certain people whom matter to me- what would I say, if I could say anything at all, to show how much I love and respect someone? As an example, I sometimes say to people that I'm glad I'm friends with them. I don't need a reason or anything to say something like that. The guy who wants the girl so bad has these thoughts as to why he loves her so much. It all means nothing, though, if the other person couldn't care about your level of devotion and love for someone.

So what's next?

He/She Just is Just Not Into You.

Maybe the one you love most just isn't into you. Do you try harder to win that person's love by performing certain actions, or do you just move on and try to have better luck with someone else? The former doesn't apply if you think that one person whose affection you're trying to win is the ONLY one for you. The latter applies if you think you can do better with someone else than try to waste your time and energy trying to be with someone who simply doesn't love you as much (or at all). It may even be possible for you to change up your image and personality somewhat to better your chances of getting with someone. Even still, this won't guarantee you will win the love of someone.

--- Unrequited Love if Together ---

Maybe unrequited love can occur while two lovers are together. There may be a case where one side isn't as faithful to his/her lover/spouse as the other person. How does one deal?

--- Final Thoughts ---

When it comes to showing your love for someone, it is important for both sides to come together to show unity and happiness. How can two loving partners be together or stay together if one person's bond isn't as strong as the other's bond? One should be able to profess his/her love for someone. If the target of one's affection doesn't approve or acknowledge these professions, then it either means there's no chance of the two coming together, or that someone just doesn't have enough in him/her to love someone else.

Do you move on or try harder to win that person's affection? If you try harder and still fall short, then just let that person go. Get that person out of your life and find someone else instead. Don't run the risk of getting on that person's bad side by continually trying to win the love of someone who clearly doesn't love you at all. It's just not going to work. So it's best to move on if your attempts fall short.

Always remember- "I love you" takes seconds to say, but true love takes a lifetime to show and prove. Don't commit to love if you're not in it for the long haul. That goes for you and your partner.

--- Unrequited Love Resources ---

These may help you out if you want to know more about this kind of love (more may be added in future posts):

• How to Handle the Pain of Unrequited Love
• Unrequited Love and Lust: When The One You Want Doesn’t Want You Back
• How to Deal With Unrequited Love: 9 Steps (WikiHow)

More may be added in future edits. These are just a start for now.




Please note that when I do these "Love and Relationships" posts, unlike a lot of my other personal sort of material... most of these are based on ideas and thoughts rather than personal experience. I've never done any dating or anything like that. I had to actually do some reading online to discuss unrequited love because I want to make the most professional style blog posts on certain topics. Professionalism and understanding of something are more important to me than making any sort of posts laden with taboo. You expended your energy to search for something useful, and the least I can do is help make your troubles worth your while. So I hope you enjoyed this post of mine. Also note that topics like this can involve MANY kinds of loving relationships. My "Love and Relationships" topics involve heterosexual, homosexual, and bisexual relationships.

Do you perhaps have your own take on unrequited love? Don't just read my posts- share your own ideas and commentary based on what you just read! Thank you for reading!

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A Salute to Arielle

(UPDATED: May 12, 2012)

For the longest, I've wanted to salute a lady named Arielle Lee Bair. Arielle is a lady whom I've curiously came across online and greatly admire for her positive thinking and her motivation. The curiosity came as I looked for videos on YouTube for a pop singer named Arielle Lee from Arizona. But at one point, I saw an interesting motivational video from another Arielle- and she blew me away. Arielle primarily deals with eating disorders and recovering from eating disorders. However, she also deals in offering advice and motivation to those who most need the support. In addition, she lends her "Wednesday Warriors" advice to an eating disorder rehab collaboration called We Are Freedom Fighters (or "WeRFreEDomFighters"). I will do my best to introduce you to this person.

LATEST UPDATE(S):

MAY 11 2012 - added a link to a YouTube video I did about Arielle at the end of the blog post


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About the Label: "Positive"

I might want to start a series on John's Blog Space devoted to people and groups who help provide something positive for others. These positives can relate either to motivational content, inspirational content, or simply providing entertainment. After all, entertainment can be a great way to provide some positive energy. While fans of my blog are whom I call my "Shining Stars," I want to devote some respect to shining stars that help provide something positive for all to read and enjoy and experience.

"John's Blog Space" is a positive space. I want my readers/subscribers to visit and feel happy to be here. I want people to be encouraged and happy when they're feeling down. With this label devoted to those who bring positive energy of some sort to other people, I hope I can help provide extra support for people who most need the support.

--- Arielle and Her Insight ---

Arielle is an angelic beauty in looks and in heart. This young lady has amazing heart. She speaks confidently in her videos and is professional in videos and blog posts. If you are someone who may need some positive reinforcement and some positive influence in your life, Arielle may be someone who you may want to gain insight from. Let me give you samples of what Arielle brings in terms of motivation. These are fairly brief videos just so I don't spend too much time focusing on her.

These videos below are only a sample of some of the different motivational videos she provides. More of her material can be found on her YouTube channel. Links to these resources will be posted later in this blog post. For now, here are some videos.

This was really one of the first videos I found of Arielle. It is based on a poem she did. Its advice may be able to help you if you are in the situation so eloquently described by Arielle:




Here is another video featuring some advice from Arielle. This one features issues related to having eating disorders:




Arielle also does certain videos in which she calls "Motivational Mash-Ups." These are essentially various motivational messages all crammed into one video. Here is a Motivational Mash-Up of hers:




Now you know what she brings to others.

--- Why I Honor Arielle ---

For someone like Arielle, I am proud for her because she provides wonderful information for those who most want or need support. She is someone who has taken some of her own past struggles and uses her experience to help empower others. I see her as a supportive figure whether you're facing day-to-day struggles or eating disorders. Someone as young as she is and to provide such wisdom is totally incredible.

Actively Arielle: A Voice With a Commitment.

Part of the URL name of her primary blog- Tears to Words- is proof alone that Arielle commits herself to helping others by providing empowering and encouraging content. Arielle's primary blog is called "Actively Arielle: A Voice With A Commitment." Her ability to take negatives in her life to empower others down on life is certainly worth love and respect. Arielle certainly gets my respect for what she does.

"Actively Arielle: A Voice With A Commitment" was voted the Top Eating Disorder Blog of 2010. She even sets up videos and blog posts based on topics people message and Email about. So it's safe to say she may offer video and blogging advice to help you with your issue(s).

One last thing... here is Arielle's mantra (click on it to learn more from Arielle):

"Recovery is possible."

--- What I Would Tell Arielle (if she read this) ---

What began with a curious YouTube search has led me to discovering your YouTube channel and seeing your videos and blog. I looked up one Arielle on YouTube, and I was then pleasantly surprised to come across another Arielle. You are a fantastic person with an amazing heart. Your courage and empowerment are very much needed in a negative world as this one. Even more so considering you're young. All of your insight and support regarding and not regarding eating disorders are very helpful. You already have gotten a good deal of consideration and respect, and I wish you even more success in all aspects of life.

(ADDED: December 22, 2011)
I would like to personally thank Arielle for linking this blog post here to her own blog. I noticed I got a blog hit from "Actively Arielle - A Voice With a Commitment" that linked to this post here. And so, I want to thank Arielle for enjoying my blog post so much that she decided to feature it in her own blog. I welcome everyone who visits "John's Blog Space" from "Actively Arielle - A Voice with a Commitment." And Arielle, it is your inspiration, your dedication, your motivation, your heart... that helped make my salute to you possible. This post was made for good reason. YOU made this possible. My respect for you made this post possible. So keep up the great work!

Would I Want to Meet Arielle (if given the chance)?

If you post a blog entry on someone who you praise and honor, of course you'd want to meet that person!





(ADDED: May 11, 2012)
If you want to see my video salute to Arielle, I invite you to look at this. Click on the link below to visit my YouTube channel and see my video salute to Arielle:

"A Salute to Arielle" - YouTube





I hope all of you enjoyed my blog post on Arielle. If you want to see more of her content, I invite you to check out the following links:

• Actively Arielle: A Voice With a Commitment (primary blog)
• One Page at a Time, Arielle's alternative blog
• Arielle's YouTube Channel
• Arielle's alternate YouTube Channel (a lighthearted YouTube channel featuring her cats)
• WeRFreEDomFighters, which Arielle contributes her "Wednesday Warriors" material to
• Follow Arielle on Twitter!

Again, I'd like to offer my respect and honor to Arielle. Thank you for reading!

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"Bad" Blogging

(UPDATED: November 20, 2011)

Many people say they are bad bloggers just because they don't post anything in a while to their blogs. Really, I wish people wouldn't say that. Life gets in the way of blogging. It isn't like blogging should take over our lives. I will motivate people and help them to realize what REAL bad blogging is. There are some true "bad bloggers" out there who really fit the bill of what "bad blogging" is. You will learn from me what bad blogging REALLY is as opposed to what most people think bad blogging is.

--- "Bad" Blogging ---

The most common thing I read in certain blogs is that they are somehow bad bloggers just because they don't post often. Posting blog entries is a great thing to do any day of the week, any time of the year, and at any time of day. It should be something you should do with joy. You should only take blogging seriously if you are a professional blogger or are affiliated as a blogger with a major company. If you just work solo and don't have much in the way of doing blogging professionally or for money, you shouldn't have to put so much pressure on yourself.

I really wish bloggers wouldn't call themselves bad just because they don't post often. I've encountered several blogs that haven't been updated for a long while. Some have either just one post or none! Some can't commit to blogging often, let alone regularly.

Common Signs People Give About Bad Blogging.

These are usually tell-tale signs most people have in regards to bad blogging. I hope I can provide some great advice to you all if you fall into any of these categories. So here goes:

• not posting often
As I was learning about blogging, I have learned of it as a personal journal online. So if you don't post online often, you are somehow a "bad blogger" because good blogs are posted often. I post to no specific schedule, so I couldn't really care if I am supposed to post something new every day. Nothing I post in any of my blogs would be posted if it did not serve any sort of purpose. I am professional in my approach to posting material online- I will not post anything just to get a quick reaction. Post when YOU feel like it. If you don't post a blog entry every day or on a regular schedule, don't let it bring you down. Also, take into consideration that your online connection may not be 100% operational, or the blogging interface may undergo some maintenance. So post when you feel like it and when you feel like you can post something worth reading. Don't become so stressed about posting more often than when you really want to.

• nervousness
Being nervous is perfectly normal. Not knowing how to blog or what to blog about is perfectly normal. This can simply be cured when you realize that you have a chance to post something people will eventually read. People spend their time online; why not make it worth their while with quality content?

• having "blogger's block"
If you are a writer, "writer's block" is a common expression for not being able to create any material right away. "Blogger's Block" is my term for the blogging version of "writer's block." Trust me- this happens quite often for me at times.

• not knowing what to blog about
You have to be able to come up with something if you're going to post something. Don't post anything random- make sure you post something people will find some sort of purpose or enjoyment in. I don't do random. My topics may be random, but I just won't post anything just to get people to care. This blog is not a "take the bait" blog- everything I do is with a purpose, but at least I get an idea of what to post about.



So I've helped you with your issues. It is now time to discuss what REAL bad blogging is.

--- Then... What Is Bad Blogging? ---

You are NOT a bad blogger just because you don't post often or just because you just aren't good at blogging. Those things can be remedied. There are much worse characteristics of bad blogging.


Bad Bloggers...


• ...Spam.
Some people post ANYTHING just to expect people to care. Some people unfortunately even get their blogs hacked, so you see posts on material no sane person would care about. I recently un-followed a blog because I kept seeing updated posts talking about fake college degrees and stuff. Some blog commentators simply find sites on the merits of suspicious searches. They try to abuse a commenting system by posting seemingly innocent content or encouraging words... followed by a link to a suspicious website. Some even have suspicious profiles where they attacked certain other sites. My thing is- if you even SOUND like a spammer, your comment will be deleted, and you will be blocked. It just doesn't add up for the majority of my loyal commenting audience to be spammers. Just DOESN'T add up!

• ...Lovingly Mislead People.
People have too much time on their hands when using cyberspace. This is basically taking the bait of a certain website/blog. Imagine finding something you are looking for through a search... but then when they reach that site, they reach a site that has all kinds of malware and questionable content. Bad bloggers basically set up these traps and don't care if any would-be visitors take any damage to their computers or networks. Again- bad bloggers do this and have little regard for others' feelings or satisfaction.

• ...Post Only as Attack Sites.
If you specifically set up a blog as an attack site, you are NOT doing us bloggers any justice. A blog is set up as a way to share text and/or images in a creative manner; NOT to simply attack others. You can set up roasts and grills and parodies of people if you are good at that. However, just simply setting up an attack site about someone is just NOT what setting up a website or blog is all about. You can express opinions and thoughts without stooping to the low of simply posting to make personal attacks. You can always report any blog or website that you think seems suspicious.

• ...Plagiarize.
There's nothing like taking somebody else's work and passing it off as your own. There's also nothing like taking things online without offering proper credit. This is a Cardinal sin in doing papers in school or college; it is just as bad doing this online. That is why I don't mind doing extra typing instead of just post about something online. If you wanted to find something specific online, you could just use Internet searches better and find what you are REALLY looking for. I don't mind typing. Not like I have anything else to do with my life. And if I do take material from other sites, I at least credit the source I got it from.

• ...Post Blogs Simply to Increase Search Engine Rankings (Business).
This pertains to the business side of blogging. One reason why certain sites are successful is because their material is ranked highly in search engines. When I was looking around my blog and looking up past comments and visitors, people post comments based on spam searches. They don't care about the actual material- they just post something and leave behind a link to some website. If you are going to post a link to a website, that's fine. Only as long as it is a legitimate website and not some site designed to bring down your page rank (or PageRank), a link back to your site or blog is always welcome.


So you think you're a bad blogger just because you don't post often or anything? At least you now know what REAL bad blogging is compared to what you call bad blogging.





I hope I've cheered you bloggers up if you're down. I do what I can to help others. Thank you for reading!

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Disappointment

(UPDATED: May 10, 2012)

If I was playing Word Association to describe 2011 for me so far, my word would be "disappointment." There were either too many things that just didn't really keep me in good spirits, or it was just a year where falling flat was commonplace. There have been times where I haven't personally felt happy or active. Because of these instances and moments in my life, I feel personally unhappy and unable to positively go through certain days and nights. This is a personal piece regarding disappointment.

--- Disappointment in General ---

Disappointment can take on many forms and originate from many things. I hate disappointing people I am trying to win the respect of, or at least feel like I am not doing enough with current fans of my online work. You may probably say that I think too much about everything once you read some of these points:

My Own Disappointments.

Each bullet notes a certain disappointment. Get an idea of my own disappointments as I try to offer some motivation if you feel disappointed yourself.

• I feel like I am disappointing my YouTube fanbase by not posting as many videos lately. Some people on YouTube say that I should be making more videos. I try to make every effort to at least conceptualize videos. I sometimes even (true story) talk to myself as I'm heading to sleep, imagining that I'm making a video I'll release to YouTube. Does it mean I'll properly make that video? Usually not. The fact I could be doing more on YouTube to support my YouTube fanbase disappoints me.

• I feel like 2011 has been a disappointment blogging because I used to get 3,000 hits daily. These days, I'm thankful I reach or surpass 2,000 hits daily. Involvement with most of my posts have been mostly trial and error. Not as many are interested in some of the different Amazon material I post since moving most material to John's Shop Space. I made these moves for two reasons: (1) to decrease my workload on "John's Blog Space," and (2) to remove any and all perceptions people may have that I'm blogging for money rather than for posting quality content.

On the other hand, I've gotten a good deal more Followers on Google than in 2009 and 2010. I have also noticed having more subscribers than I used to have. Sometimes, I feel like not as many people care about "John's Blog Space" anymore. Almost as if my efforts to continually maintain and update my content isn't reflected with more views and more involvement. If I give up on blogging, all I'll have left is YouTube. I love blogging too much to give up on it.

• Another blogging disappointment is that I feel I don't get as many loyal readers as I could. Not focusing on a specific topic for all of my posts leads to a really mismatched audience. I am not good at focusing on a specific topic or a specific niche. That's why I don't have a fashion blog. That's why I don't entirely focus on gaming. I get the feeling that niche material doesn't add up to enjoyable material. It also means that since it is a niche piece of content, that the only content I would be good at expressing is on that specific topic. That's why my blog(s) and my YouTube channel are about MULTIPLE topics with the focal point being on my opinion-making. Some things get expressed more than others, but I don't believe in categories besides the "Personal" category. I also feel guilty when the majority of posts regard a certain topic. That's why I always have to come up with a topic about something rather unexpected to break up a wave of related topics. Remember- my blog is about anything and everything! The element of surprise is a key factor in my online work's visibility.

• Call me crazy, but as a Gran Turismo fan, I've felt disappointment thinking about Gran Turismo 5 and the various aspects that could have made it better. I have some plans to release a blog post on how I'd make GT5 better or on GT5's most disappointing elements. That will be released on "John's Gran Turismo Space." There are too many disappointing elements that really driven me away from playing this game recently.

• Being a sports fan has been mostly disappointing for me stemming from 2010-2011. The Rockets stumbled all season long until finally getting above .500, the Texans last year had a great start (4-2) before stumbling to a 6-10 record. My 2011 Houston Astros were all kinds of failure, finishing with a 56-106 record. I couldn't even watch their final game of the season as it seemed like the fans cared more about teams other than the 2011 Houston Astros. You may even include the 2011 NCAA Division 1 Men's Basketball championship game between Butler and UConn. The game was sloppy as I was hoping for a better game. I don't know... I guess people thought this would be a poor game since it was played here in Houston.

• Maybe it's just how other people treat other people that disappoints me at times. You may remember that I blogged about Rebecca Black- the girl who wants to establish herself as a singing star. The disappointing thing was how people sent all sorts of unwarranted insults at her. People make good and bad songs, but some of the many things said about her were completely uncalled for and out of line. Thinking about how some people can act (like on YouTube), that has led me not to be as active as I used to be on YouTube.

• Playing some games, I just wonder how certain games I like could be much better. The thought that some games could be much better sometimes disappoints me. I guess even how the massive earthquake in Japan back in March affected game development and such has been a disappointment as well.

• Sometimes, I feel disappointed knowing that I can be in my most awkward moments and feel like I'm disappointing other people. I have even given in to certain rants against me from others. I often feel like I am less of a person than I really am in these moments. This also leads me to not focusing on things properly from a mental standpoint. Almost as if one awkward moment leads to me somehow being an idiot. It's like the pro sports mentality where since you are a professiona, making avoidable mistakes somehow makes you less of a team/athlete than you should be. Professional = perfection to most people. So anything less than perfection often equals failure. Then again, most people take ANYTHING to equal a level of importance as running and controlling a nation.

• I am disappointed after certain days when I feel like they could have been much better days. Some days are so bad that I wish I could have slept through the entire day rather than live certain days. I often think about what I could have done better after a bad day or a bad time.

My Own Disappointments: Summary.

All in all, I guess I think too much about things, even about things well outside of my own control. That is the reason why I often don't think straight or feel confident in anything that I do. However, I guess I am driven by disappointment... in a surreal way. I think taking disappointment and having disappointment is a way to try to solve problems and make yourself better in the long run. Sort of like digging your own hole while trying to get out of that hole. Of course, who would want to dig their own hole? The only good to come out of taking on disappointment is your ability to survive and endure despite hardships.

The main point of all of this is that feeling disappointed can take on many things, stem from many things, and can snowball. You know you are not feeling all that well when it seems like you are disappointed about everything. Maybe disappointment is the result of having your own hopes for every day and everything, only for those hopes to be unfulfilled. The feeling that not everything works according to plan helps you feel disappointed.

I always take life like everybody hates me, and my goal is to try to win peoples' respect. I do blogging and YouTube. Those are two things I contribute to society. Rather than pretend people love my work, I sometimes pretend people don't like me and have to win their respect. I feel like I have to assure my fans why they love my work rather than continue doing what I do to win their respect. Perhaps this is just extra (and sometimes unnecessary) pressure I put on myself. However, it is the best way I feel I can prove myself in the online arena. I also want to do most of this work alone because I want to build character and confidence in myself. I do all of my own material online- typing blog posts, making music to supplement my video work, doing the artwork, and stuff like that. I feel I am the most qualified and able person to push my material in a favorable direction. While I do need the support of my loyal audience for guidance, I feel it is up to me and me alone to make the most of my work. All I can do is post quality material. Everything else- views, reactions, popularity... all depends on my audience. If the audience doesn't think my material is of great quality, it means I have failed in my efforts... which leads to disappointment.

Now you know the level of passion I work with in being the best in everything that I do (or almost everything).





If you have disappointment or things that disappoint you, you have to be able to treat those disappointments as quickly as you can before they get worse. Constantly feeling disappointed just leaves you feeling unable to enjoy life and unable to enjoy many things in life. It also helps to be more positive rather than feeling like you are constantly being dealt bad hands of cards (metaphorically speaking). Maybe I should take my own advice to help my own disappointment, but I always feel it is necessary to share my own problems in hopes I can help others relate with and solve their own problems. These abilities of sharing problems and offering solutions have been a trademark of mine for John's Blog Space and JohnMarineTube. When it comes to life issues and such, I care more about giving people things to relate to rather than getting views and making profit.

Everyone has disappointments and ways to handle disappointment. How do you deal? Share your ideas here. Thank you for reading!

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