Goals and objectives for 2015

Thus ended 2014.

Now that 2015 has started, there will always be the mandatory planning and goal-setting for the New Year. Don’t ask, it’s a blogging thing.

Actually, it’s not. I just want to sound clever.

Anyway, this is just a full-blown blog post of what I already posted in my Facebook page before 2014 ended.

Goals and objectives for 2015

1. Continue the positivity

I have always been a pessimist, a realist-pessimist to be more accurate.  But well-meaning friends often tell me to “loosen up” and “BE POSITIVE,” which I did especially in the last few days of 2014. I hope to continue and prolong that positivity this 2015 as much as I can.

2. Read more

I used to read a lot when I was younger. I read almost everything. I was buying books at a time when I cannot still afford to buy books. There was no particular subject or book genre for me. I would buy anything that would catch my interest then. Be it a sci-fi, self-improvement, crafts, computer, or even paranormal – anything! And I would definitely read them.

I used to be a blogger.

I used to be a blogger.

Yes, I was. And I must say that I wasn’t just a blogger, but I was an active blogger. I blogged in the morning, I blogged in the afternoon, I blogged in the evening. Heck! I used to even dream about blogging!

It was fun, addicting and therapeutic. Being in my own little corner in the blogosphere, pouring my soul out through my blog, unmindful of the fact that no one was reading my posts.

Then I met other bloggers online. I began to have readers and I started reading other blogs. I began interacting online, made some friends and my own little corner on the web got wider. It made blogging more interesting.

I also learned that I am not confined to my own personal experiences in blogging. I can also share my thoughts and views on what’s happening around me – in sports, politics, entertainment, business, and anything I can share my two-cent’ worth of opinion. Blogging could be my voice!

So I did! Delved into politics when I used to be apolitical. Shared my thoughts on movies and personalities when I am really not much into the entertainment industry. Talked about boxing when I do not even follow the sport.

And this is what made me more excited about blogging – that I can earn money through my blogs! Goody! Doing something I really love and earning money on the side. What could be better than that?!

But it wasn’t easy. I began hearing about search engine optimization (SEO), online advertisement, online affiliate marketing, online writing opportunities, and other online money-making buzz!

Then I heard about blogging events and bloggers’ meet-ups and I said to myself, “Hey! I’m a blogger, I should be there!”

So I started attending blogging events and bloggers’ meet-ups. Met bloggers in the real world and heard some inspiring, motivational, as well as some horrific blogging experiences. It was kind of weird at first though… it felt like I was listening to the blogs talking.

Getting my voice heard on current issues… income opportunities… inspiring bloggers… what could go wrong?!

Fast forward… I now consider myself lucky if I could get at least a blog post every six months.

What happened? Honestly, I don’t know. I just lost my blogging zest.

Never got to see those floating moolahs online, never got to understand SEO, never got any decent writing opportunity and got too tired on sinking my teeth on issues I don’t even want to take a bite into.

And bloggers? Just like any real people – some are good, some are bad, some are real, some are nice, some are mean, and some are everything in between.

At the end of the day, blogging was no longer fun.

I had much fun… freedom, when blogging for me was just sitting there in my own little corner and writing just about anything that might only make sense to me… when blogging was as natural as breathing and there were no keywords to consider and no target audience to think about, but just letting your soul breathe.

Blogging was fun when a blogger was not defined – SE0, events, product launchings, influencers, marketers, public relations, money-makers, reviewers, fact (which were often just opinions) presenters, and the like. I am not saying that those are bad, but they just don’t fit me.

I miss my old blogging self… believe me, I used to be a blogger.

(And if you noticed that I seem to cut my post and omitted some points, it only shows how bad I am a blogger right now)

One blog post at a time

It’s been a while and I really don’t know if this time it would be for real. I’m talking about my blogging mojo.

I cannot count the times that I’ve been in and out of blogging lately. This time, I am no longer sure if I am really getting back to blogging or it’s just another itch that I needed to scratch. Maybe in the next few days, you might see me spewing blog posts left and right until such time I lose my steam again. Or maybe even after this post, I might just get lax in my blogging until I bump my head for the nth time. I really don't know.

Giving up on The Struggling Blogger

It was inevitable. As much as I like to keep the dot com URL for this blog, I finally decided not to.

I finally gave up. 

As I mentioned in a previous post, the on-and-off loading of my blog makes me want to give up. Now, I did. I had to contend myself with the .blogspot extension just so I can be sure that it would load every time I share a link.

It was either that or I would finally give up The Struggling Blogger totally.

I waited for propagation... nay! Too long, more than two months actually. Still, the problem persists.

So I guess, with this decision it would be smooth sailing from here. Of course, unless Blogger itself would have a problem... which I pray would not happen.

As I’ve said, I had time. From now, it’s back to basic blogging for me.

Thank you very much.

Why do we choose the lesser evil?

Choose the lesser evil... this is a cliché that we hear all too often, especially during election.

But why do we need to choose the lesser evil? Is evil really the only choice we have?

It is really sad that almost everybody believed that to be a fact – that the better option really is to choose the lesser evil.

It is an accepted fact, unfortunately, that politics is dirty. Although some would correct that statement saying, “Politics is not dirty, politicians are,” which does not really make it any better.

iBlog9 - The Philippine Blogging Summit year 9

It’s iBlog season once again, now on its ninth year, iBlog9 is scheduled on May 31 and June 1, 2013 (Friday and Saturday) at the Malcolm Theater, UP College of Law, UP Diliman Quezon City.

Registration  for the said event is now open. Just proceed to the iBlog9 event post to register. Yes, the annual blogging summit is still FREE!

I started attending the yearly blogging event in iBlog5 (2009) and has been attending it ever since. I’m looking forward to attend again this year and see old blogging buddies, as well as meet new friends.

The schedule of program for the first day of iBlog9 is:

Day 1 AGENDA (May 31)

Yes, I hashtag on Facebook. So sue me!

I don’t know why it bothers you. You are not the marshal here on Facebook, are you?

Yes, I know. Hashtags only work in Twitter and it doesn’t have any function in these talking walls.

But, I hashtag on Facebook. So, sue me!

Why do I really put hashtags here? Then again, is it really your business?

Social media is like real world – you deal and meet a lot of people, only it’s virtual. But just like walking on a crowded street, you may not always like everything that you see. You may not favor the actions of some people.

Do you have to react every time?

iBlo9 - The 9th Philippine Blogging Summit

One of my favorite events for bloggers is just around the corner – the iBlog9: The 9th Philippine Blogging Summit is scheduled on May 31 and June 1, 2013 at the Malcolm Theater, College of Law, U.P. Diliman, Quezon City.

Janette Toral is now calling for speakers for iBlog9. Interested bloggers who want to share their knowledge may check the iBlog9 post for more details. The deadline for submission of topic is on April 15, 2013.

Usual topics on the first day of the blogging summit are about blogging for businesses and advocacies, while second day topics are focused on general blogging subjects like Blogging 101, SEO, social media, earning online and more.

Almost wanting to give up... again

It is very frustrating and honestly, it’s making me want to give up... again. I am referring to this new struggling blogger blog.

I was very happy and excited that I was able to revive The Struggling Blogger and have it hosted in Blogger for free. Unfortunately, taking a free ride surely has its consequences.

If you are reading this now, then that’s good! I am lucky this time. This site loaded well now. But most the time, the site would not load and instead, this message shows up...

The same is true with my other domains that I tried to transfer to Blogger – Travel To Angeles City, Womenagerie, and Roysville.

Subscribe to me, maybe?

In this post, I will make a pitch. I will make an appeal. I will ask you... I’m sorry, I mean I am requesting that you subscribe to my blog.

Really, it will mean a lot for this once-again-newbie blogger.

For your convenience, here is the subscription form:

Enter your email address:


Delivered by FeedBurner

Or, you may also subscribe through your reader, if you prefer that way.

Thank you very much. You’re very kind.

“What’s in it for me?!”

A blogging newbie once again...

Second post and I still cannot tell heads from tails. As you can see, aside from the header of this blog, I haven’t changed anything yet. It looks like it may take a while. Honestly, I feel like a blogging newbie once again.

Do I intend to make one post a day now? Because I just uploaded my first post yesterday and here I am writing another one. Can I do it?

No. I can’t do that and I really have no intention of having a one-post-a-day blog. It would be nice if I can pull that, though. But I did mention to make good use of the time until my domain expires, right?

Why I (almost) wanted to give up blogging

Blogging has been my life. It has been my way of expression... my outlet. It has kept me company since I was left on my own.  I love blogging, to say the least. Friends who really knew me know what blogging means to me.

But I wanted to stop. Not just rest, but stop totally... and permanently.

Somehow, I lost my blogging zest. I am even having a hard time just starting this post.

When I started blogging back in 2008, it was like I finally found what I wanted to do in my life... and that is to write. Finally I was doing something that I was really enjoying.

Lately, however, it’s not fun anymore. It was frustrating, really.

First, I lost my free-hosting. Fine, you cannot have your free ride forever, but the feeling of being dropped off abruptly, without any warning and even without any explanation why, makes me feel that I do not deserve to be respected enough to be given courtesy.