26 Nov 2009
Me me me....me2
So for some reason I've been thinking a lot about memes - or to be specific Internet Memes:The term Internet meme is a phrase used to describe a catchphrase or concept that spreads quickly from person to person via the Internet, much like an esoteric inside joke. The term is a reference to the concept of memes, although this concept refers to a much broader category of cultural information.
So this could include such classics as Lolcats or Demotivator posters. These are the simplest memes & most often the most popular for the more geeky/techy amongst us. However, what's better than a picture - a moving picture or "video" if you will! The Youtube generation which has risen up over the past 3-4 years or so means that memes can now be videos rather than just pictures (the so-called viral video). 
I think that the humour involved within this field is often brilliant, because it evokes the great comedian in finding humour in everyday situations & seeing the funny side in serious issues. What it does bring to light it the viral idea -which, although it has negative connotations, creates a "have you seen/heard about" culture, when internet phenomena spread through word of mouth, or through forums.
Of course especial mention should go to the daring 4chanwhere they took the simple idea of forums & added the meme to it.
So where someone posts a fairly amusing picture for example, other people will construct & edit around it. So a classic would be using images from the 300 & editing it to sync in with another meme e.g. King Leonidis in the film should "This is SPAAATTTAA" when added to another cultural pic brings classic results:
About themselves, 4chan say:
4chan is a simple image-based bulletin board where anyone can post comments and share images. 4chan's collaborative-community format is copied from one of the most popular forums in Japan, Futaba Channel. Different boards are dedicated to different topics, from Japanese anime, manga, and culture to videogames, music, and photography. Feel free to click on a board that interests you, and jump right in—anyone can contribute!
25 Nov 2009
Top 10(ish) most impacting Rock bands
OK according to yours truly here are my top 10 band - with first listened to track, best album (imho) & seminal track to sum up the band:
These are what I would call my most influential...but only in terms of rock & doesn't include say:
Dire Straits, Metallica, Arcade Fire, Radiohead,
The Who, Black Sabbath, Snow Patrol, Kings of Leon,
Blur, Beck, R.E.M., Rage Against the Machine, the Hives & Autolux
ALL of whom I deeply respect & feel they rock most heartily! I think it also shows my age a little too much, but hey what can you do - also notice that I rate SSPU highly!
Six Rock out!
Foo Fighters: Down in the Park: Colour & the Shape: Everlong/My Hero
Jimi Hendrix: Voodoo Chile (slight Return): Are you Experienced: All Along the Watchtower/Crosstown Traffic
Muse: Origin of Symmetry/Black Holes & Revelations: Plug in Baby/Knights of Cydonia
Pixies: Wave of Mutilation: UK Surf: Surfer Rosa/Come on Pilgrim: Where is my Mind/Monkey Gone to Heaven
Placebo: Nancy Boy: Meds: Bruise-Pristine/Drag
Nirvana: Smells Like Teen Spirit: Nevermind: Aneurysm/You Know You're Right
Queens of the Stone Age: No One Knows: Songs for the Deaf/Queens of the Stone Age: Little Sister/No One Knows
Red Hot Chili Peppers: Aeroplane: Californication: Around the World/Dani California
Silversun Pickups: Lazy Eye: Carnavas/Swoon: Well Thought Out Twinkles/Panic Switch
Smashing Pumpkins: Tonight, Tonight: Zeitgeist/Rotten Apples: Zero/Bring the Light
Sonic Youth: Sugar Cane: Daydream Nation/Dirty: Purr/ Teen Age Riot
System of a Down: Chop Suey: Toxicity: Toxicity/Aerials
These are what I would call my most influential...but only in terms of rock & doesn't include say:
Dire Straits, Metallica, Arcade Fire, Radiohead,
The Who, Black Sabbath, Snow Patrol, Kings of Leon,
Blur, Beck, R.E.M., Rage Against the Machine, the Hives & Autolux
ALL of whom I deeply respect & feel they rock most heartily! I think it also shows my age a little too much, but hey what can you do - also notice that I rate SSPU highly!
Six Rock out!
24 Nov 2009
Them Crooked Vultures: Them Crooked Vultures
Right enough of my geekery...for now - on to some music.
This is the 'debut' (& I use the term very loosely for these guys - it's an epic super-group consisting of Mr John-Paul Jones, Mr Josh Homme & Mr David Grohl, from; Led Zeppelin, Queens of the Stone Age & Foo Fighters respectively.
It certainly excited me when I first heard about them a couple months back & even the short minute long Youtube vids they previewed helped.
Their sound is heavy enough to sound like old-fashioned QotSA (the Songs for the Deaf era - which also coincidentally featured Grohl on drums!) but is definitely catchy as well.
They released their album a full week before it was due for general release, on their Youtube channel & there are already 3 stand-out tracks for me - the tracks grow & there are hints of the associated bands (especially the Foo's) & I really would put them at the top (well equal top really) of my must-see-live list! (the other is of course my band of 2008 & 2009 - Silversun Pickups).
I would definitely have a listen to their Youtube version before buying, as I don't necessarily think it will have the universal appeal of say Foo Fighters, but definitely worth a blast. My top tracks are:
Grohl on drums = win
This is the 'debut' (& I use the term very loosely for these guys - it's an epic super-group consisting of Mr John-Paul Jones, Mr Josh Homme & Mr David Grohl, from; Led Zeppelin, Queens of the Stone Age & Foo Fighters respectively.
It certainly excited me when I first heard about them a couple months back & even the short minute long Youtube vids they previewed helped.
Their sound is heavy enough to sound like old-fashioned QotSA (the Songs for the Deaf era - which also coincidentally featured Grohl on drums!) but is definitely catchy as well.
They released their album a full week before it was due for general release, on their Youtube channel & there are already 3 stand-out tracks for me - the tracks grow & there are hints of the associated bands (especially the Foo's) & I really would put them at the top (well equal top really) of my must-see-live list! (the other is of course my band of 2008 & 2009 - Silversun Pickups).
I would definitely have a listen to their Youtube version before buying, as I don't necessarily think it will have the universal appeal of say Foo Fighters, but definitely worth a blast. My top tracks are:
Track 1: No One Loves Me & Neither Do I
Track 2: Mind Eraser, No Chaser
Track 5: Elephants
Track 6: Scumbag Blues
Grohl on drums = win
Xplay/G4 - who?
So why use the style of X Play?! Here's what I've perused from Wiki about it:
The video game reviews on X-Play use a five-point rating scale, based on such factors as graphics, sound, gameplay, and playability (i.e. replay value). On X-Play's original TechTV homepage, the ratings system was broken down in the following way:
* 1 - Hated it. Do not buy this game. Not even worth the bargain bin. Run from it. Escape!! Escape!!
* 2 - Alright. These games are fun, with some good points, but nothing special. There's definitely a few specific things holding this game back. Wait until the price comes down or pick it up as [a] renter to check out some of the things it does right.
* 3 - Good. Fun to play, pretty solid titles, with a few minor flaws. Most games will probably fall into this category. They're the games that if you like the genre, or liked other similar titles, you might consider giving it a good look. Otherwise, you might not be into it.
* 4 - Very good. Games that are at the top of all our lists, but are missing that strange intangible aura of perfection, and unfortunately that's keeping them from getting in the realm of the almighty five.
* 5 - Near perfect/perfect. If you're a true player, these games will undoubtedly be in your collection, or at the very least you'll have played them until the cartridges and CDs melted. If a game gets a 5, and you like the genre, you should buy.
The hosts (Adam & Morgan) also explained why they use a 5-point ratings system, rather than a 10- or even 100-point scale:
Morgan: Our system is better because it recognizes that scores are broad generalizations.
Adam: For example, a popular web site gave Mobile Suit Gundam: Crossfire a score of 3.0 out of 10. They gave Torino 2006 a 3.9. What is the difference?
Morgan: Both games suck, all the score is gonna be able to communicate to you is that the game is bad. If you want more nuance on the suckage, you have to actually go and read the review. See, in a 10-point scale, everything under 5 just means 'this game ain't worth buying', so there's no real difference.
Adam: And there's no real nuance to a score difference of two- or three-tenths of a point. Our scores at least give sweeping generalizations for you to use as a guide.
It's the rating system I'm used to & have been using them as a guide since I started listening to podcasts! Hence why 1-5*s rather than anything else.
Six out.
PS I don't always agree with X Play...Football games for example - or soccer as they call it - they're never happy with any 'soccer' games.
The video game reviews on X-Play use a five-point rating scale, based on such factors as graphics, sound, gameplay, and playability (i.e. replay value). On X-Play's original TechTV homepage, the ratings system was broken down in the following way:
* 1 - Hated it. Do not buy this game. Not even worth the bargain bin. Run from it. Escape!! Escape!!
* 2 - Alright. These games are fun, with some good points, but nothing special. There's definitely a few specific things holding this game back. Wait until the price comes down or pick it up as [a] renter to check out some of the things it does right.
* 3 - Good. Fun to play, pretty solid titles, with a few minor flaws. Most games will probably fall into this category. They're the games that if you like the genre, or liked other similar titles, you might consider giving it a good look. Otherwise, you might not be into it.
* 4 - Very good. Games that are at the top of all our lists, but are missing that strange intangible aura of perfection, and unfortunately that's keeping them from getting in the realm of the almighty five.
* 5 - Near perfect/perfect. If you're a true player, these games will undoubtedly be in your collection, or at the very least you'll have played them until the cartridges and CDs melted. If a game gets a 5, and you like the genre, you should buy.
The hosts (Adam & Morgan) also explained why they use a 5-point ratings system, rather than a 10- or even 100-point scale:
Morgan: Our system is better because it recognizes that scores are broad generalizations.
Adam: For example, a popular web site gave Mobile Suit Gundam: Crossfire a score of 3.0 out of 10. They gave Torino 2006 a 3.9. What is the difference?
Morgan: Both games suck, all the score is gonna be able to communicate to you is that the game is bad. If you want more nuance on the suckage, you have to actually go and read the review. See, in a 10-point scale, everything under 5 just means 'this game ain't worth buying', so there's no real difference.
Adam: And there's no real nuance to a score difference of two- or three-tenths of a point. Our scores at least give sweeping generalizations for you to use as a guide.
It's the rating system I'm used to & have been using them as a guide since I started listening to podcasts! Hence why 1-5*s rather than anything else.
Six out.
PS I don't always agree with X Play...Football games for example - or soccer as they call it - they're never happy with any 'soccer' games.
23 Nov 2009
Review: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2!
...or to give it it's proper name...CoD 6! It's finally out - an eagerly awaited sequel - the original game is still at its RRP even after the 2 years its been out! That's quite extraordinary for a 4th outing in a series, so the hopes are high for this latest title.
I got it the day it came out (for a change!) & managed to get a few minutes spare that lunchtime to get past the opening credits & training mode - it's really fast & great fun is had using the modern weaponry - all machine-pistols, sub-machine guns & the occasional shotgun.
One (almost-instant) negative of note - the included manual is perhaps the worst I have ever seen! Everything is in standard font, there's not a huge amount of substance at all & even the 1 screenshot has no background to it. It certainly look incomplete & a little unprofessional - especially for such a high quality game - very bizarre. It was almost as if they didn't feel the need to tell people how to play the 6th edition of their game!
Anyways, the game-play! There are many moments of awe-inspiring/jaw-dropping` game-play - on board a stolen skidoo going at full tilt over an epic jump, taking an entire airbase with just one other member in your squad, the Rio scenes are impossibly good, & the some of the later levels seem rather epic.
The challenge offered by the single-player is good - it's not just a simple walk, shoot occasional & progress - even on the regular difficulty setting there are some parts of the game that really do take all your concentration & effort just to get through. For example holding a building, whilst downloading files, all the while your enemies come from all sides at the same time with scoped weapons & sub-machine guns is an epic & challenging bit of play, reminiscent of the legendary Nazi Zombies!
The Weapons, the sub-machine guns all feel pretty similar, but with different sights & scopes add a little variety. There are lots of different pistols, but the most fun have been the shotguns. Normally their lack of accuracy over distance is quite limiting, not so much now - in Rio & especially during Whiskey Hotel the quick-shot & lethal Striker is very much the harbinger of doom!
I did complete it on Regular in just 2 evenings (about 8 hours) which seemed a little fast, but I then wanted to play it again & grind through on Veteran, just to run through it all again with an epic challenge!
Also there are the side missions - Spec Ops to be precise - 23 levels of increasingly difficult replays of the original storyline, as well as some familiar reworkings of the first Modern Warfare. Expect lots of silliness when playing with your friends - it's a little bit Bob & Steve (see below)
But the levels are really tough - even for the experienced CoD gamer - it represents a proper challenge, but I think it's great fun & does reward you for playing well.
The more starts you earn (1 for regular, 2 for hardened & 3 for veteran) then unlock more levels, each represents a big step up from the previous levels - so far have unlocked Delta & need just 1 more star to open up the hardest levels - Echo. The Delta levels are already the toughest I've seen, so the Echo will need every ounce of prowess methinks.
In terms of the levels - the ghillie-suit vs ghille-suit & snow-sniper levels have been favourites - but the bridge levels are great fun as well.
The overall rating is a well-deserved 5 out of 5
I got it the day it came out (for a change!) & managed to get a few minutes spare that lunchtime to get past the opening credits & training mode - it's really fast & great fun is had using the modern weaponry - all machine-pistols, sub-machine guns & the occasional shotgun.
One (almost-instant) negative of note - the included manual is perhaps the worst I have ever seen! Everything is in standard font, there's not a huge amount of substance at all & even the 1 screenshot has no background to it. It certainly look incomplete & a little unprofessional - especially for such a high quality game - very bizarre. It was almost as if they didn't feel the need to tell people how to play the 6th edition of their game!
Anyways, the game-play! There are many moments of awe-inspiring/jaw-dropping` game-play - on board a stolen skidoo going at full tilt over an epic jump, taking an entire airbase with just one other member in your squad, the Rio scenes are impossibly good, & the some of the later levels seem rather epic.
The challenge offered by the single-player is good - it's not just a simple walk, shoot occasional & progress - even on the regular difficulty setting there are some parts of the game that really do take all your concentration & effort just to get through. For example holding a building, whilst downloading files, all the while your enemies come from all sides at the same time with scoped weapons & sub-machine guns is an epic & challenging bit of play, reminiscent of the legendary Nazi Zombies!
The Weapons, the sub-machine guns all feel pretty similar, but with different sights & scopes add a little variety. There are lots of different pistols, but the most fun have been the shotguns. Normally their lack of accuracy over distance is quite limiting, not so much now - in Rio & especially during Whiskey Hotel the quick-shot & lethal Striker is very much the harbinger of doom!
I did complete it on Regular in just 2 evenings (about 8 hours) which seemed a little fast, but I then wanted to play it again & grind through on Veteran, just to run through it all again with an epic challenge!
Also there are the side missions - Spec Ops to be precise - 23 levels of increasingly difficult replays of the original storyline, as well as some familiar reworkings of the first Modern Warfare. Expect lots of silliness when playing with your friends - it's a little bit Bob & Steve (see below)
But the levels are really tough - even for the experienced CoD gamer - it represents a proper challenge, but I think it's great fun & does reward you for playing well.
The more starts you earn (1 for regular, 2 for hardened & 3 for veteran) then unlock more levels, each represents a big step up from the previous levels - so far have unlocked Delta & need just 1 more star to open up the hardest levels - Echo. The Delta levels are already the toughest I've seen, so the Echo will need every ounce of prowess methinks.
In terms of the levels - the ghillie-suit vs ghille-suit & snow-sniper levels have been favourites - but the bridge levels are great fun as well.
The overall rating is a well-deserved 5 out of 5
7 Nov 2009
Thoughtus generalus
You might have noticed but I am writing a lot more blogs, probably more than ever before & I'm trying to understand my own reason!
So here are my thoughts:
As a way to reflect, blogging is a great tool - the classic theory of getting ones brain on paper, to process my thoughts.
Another thought is just the sharing of my brain - my thoughts, opinions, geekery etc. as above. So when I here an awesome band/mix then sharing it to the masses seems obvious. Also as a gamer (Pikachuind in Xbox of course, as below) then telling people what I think & sharing the knowledge sees to be obvious.
The way I treat my blog is very similar to my relationship with my best mate (Vet Boy by the way). What I mean by that is that I don't really care what people think about my blog - you might think interesting, or not - but that's not really the point! It's like with Vet Boy - I tell him repeatedly he's my best mate, & he will be my Best Man, I don't care what he thinks of me & would not expect him to view me as his best mate in return!
I'm not really sure that even makes any sense to anyone but us, but that's the weirdness of our friendship!
With this blog, I'm thinking, processing & posting - I don't need people to care less about my thoughts - they're just out there.
Right that's enough randomness from me - time for some tea!
So here are my thoughts:
As a way to reflect, blogging is a great tool - the classic theory of getting ones brain on paper, to process my thoughts.
Another thought is just the sharing of my brain - my thoughts, opinions, geekery etc. as above. So when I here an awesome band/mix then sharing it to the masses seems obvious. Also as a gamer (Pikachuind in Xbox of course, as below) then telling people what I think & sharing the knowledge sees to be obvious.
The way I treat my blog is very similar to my relationship with my best mate (Vet Boy by the way). What I mean by that is that I don't really care what people think about my blog - you might think interesting, or not - but that's not really the point! It's like with Vet Boy - I tell him repeatedly he's my best mate, & he will be my Best Man, I don't care what he thinks of me & would not expect him to view me as his best mate in return!
I'm not really sure that even makes any sense to anyone but us, but that's the weirdness of our friendship!
With this blog, I'm thinking, processing & posting - I don't need people to care less about my thoughts - they're just out there.
Right that's enough randomness from me - time for some tea!
6 Nov 2009
Pro Evo: Current Team: 4:4:2
Keepers:
Buffon, Cech, Almunia
Defence:
Maicon, Carlos Puyol, Sergio Ramos, Dani Alves, Clichy, Vermaelen, Mexes, William Gallas
Midfield:
Rosicky, Iniesta, Ramsey, Sissoko, Vieira, Cesc Fabregas, Simon (Brainshare) Hodgkins,
Attack:
Lionel Messi, James (Hobbit) Sinden, Fernando Torres, Andrei Arshavin, Theo Walcott, Wayne Rooney, David Villa, Kaka, Van Persie, Thierry Henry
Not bad, but it is only our first season!
Buffon, Cech, Almunia
Defence:
Maicon, Carlos Puyol, Sergio Ramos, Dani Alves, Clichy, Vermaelen, Mexes, William Gallas
Midfield:
Rosicky, Iniesta, Ramsey, Sissoko, Vieira, Cesc Fabregas, Simon (Brainshare) Hodgkins,
Attack:
Lionel Messi, James (Hobbit) Sinden, Fernando Torres, Andrei Arshavin, Theo Walcott, Wayne Rooney, David Villa, Kaka, Van Persie, Thierry Henry
Not bad, but it is only our first season!
Halo 3: ODST
Ahhhhh Halo - one of the biggest selling title in Xbox history - a console shifter when it was released & Halo 2 was bigger still. Then, when Halo 3 came out, the hype was epic. For the new outing from the Bungie team, (originally called Halo 3: Recon, but renamed later on) Halo 3: ODST had a lot to live up to, but but there was not the hype of previous games. However, I was still excited & brought it as soon as I could afford to.
But all that is background - what's it actually like - that is the real question.
It is very different not playing as the enhanced hero of the series: Master Chief, but instead as one of the elite soldiers known as Orbital Drop Shock Troopers (ODST's - hence the game title). The most noticeable difference is the fact that your shield does not re-energize - you actually need to find medipacks, which are scattered in places around New Mombasa.
The key element of the game is to explore the deserted city of New Mombasa, which is filled with squads of Brutes & their minions, trying to discover what happened to you missing teammates, separated from each other as they entered the city.
You play as the rookie (ironic really) exploring using your VISR (Visual Intelligence System for Reconnaissance) to get a better look at the city. The VISR creates a line around specific features on the landscape, so enemies show up in rad, ammo & weapons in blue, teammates in green & yellow for important items. As most of the play that happens with the Rookie takes place at night, the VISR is indispensable as it also acts like enhanced night-vision goggles.
As an ODST, you get some rad weapons, including a silenced machine gun and pistol that is not just an emergency weapon - it's really accurate & ranged enough to be able to take out snipers with single-shot head shots. However fans of the previous games will love the fact you can still get shotguns, assault rifles, sniper rifles, from the marines & a load of plasma guns from the Brutes. One thing to note is that there is no dual wielding as an ODST & ammo & fresh weapons are few & far between!
When you're searching for clues as the Rookie, you will pick up different objects which take you to different events which have caused your team to go AWOL. These break up the game nicely & are very reminiscent of the old Halo levels - bright sunlight (very different to the darkness of Mombasa), epic battles against the odds & great level design.
There are many different levels types highlighting the best of the Halo series: flying, group combat, run & gun, sniping, driving & big bad-ass weapon levels...oh & tanks - never forget about tanks. Although at first this makes the main detective story feel a little bit like a side quest - once you start to encounter multiple Brutes, a Chieftain or 2 as well as a pack of jackals - the challenge is really noticeable - mostly because of the non-recharging shield.
Overall - this game is really spectacular. Taken on it's own merits it is outstanding. When you add it to the Halo series, it will stand out as being rather difference to the previous Master Chief outings. However my rating is a well deserved 5 out of 5
But all that is background - what's it actually like - that is the real question.
It is very different not playing as the enhanced hero of the series: Master Chief, but instead as one of the elite soldiers known as Orbital Drop Shock Troopers (ODST's - hence the game title). The most noticeable difference is the fact that your shield does not re-energize - you actually need to find medipacks, which are scattered in places around New Mombasa.
The key element of the game is to explore the deserted city of New Mombasa, which is filled with squads of Brutes & their minions, trying to discover what happened to you missing teammates, separated from each other as they entered the city.
You play as the rookie (ironic really) exploring using your VISR (Visual Intelligence System for Reconnaissance) to get a better look at the city. The VISR creates a line around specific features on the landscape, so enemies show up in rad, ammo & weapons in blue, teammates in green & yellow for important items. As most of the play that happens with the Rookie takes place at night, the VISR is indispensable as it also acts like enhanced night-vision goggles.
As an ODST, you get some rad weapons, including a silenced machine gun and pistol that is not just an emergency weapon - it's really accurate & ranged enough to be able to take out snipers with single-shot head shots. However fans of the previous games will love the fact you can still get shotguns, assault rifles, sniper rifles, from the marines & a load of plasma guns from the Brutes. One thing to note is that there is no dual wielding as an ODST & ammo & fresh weapons are few & far between!
When you're searching for clues as the Rookie, you will pick up different objects which take you to different events which have caused your team to go AWOL. These break up the game nicely & are very reminiscent of the old Halo levels - bright sunlight (very different to the darkness of Mombasa), epic battles against the odds & great level design.
There are many different levels types highlighting the best of the Halo series: flying, group combat, run & gun, sniping, driving & big bad-ass weapon levels...oh & tanks - never forget about tanks. Although at first this makes the main detective story feel a little bit like a side quest - once you start to encounter multiple Brutes, a Chieftain or 2 as well as a pack of jackals - the challenge is really noticeable - mostly because of the non-recharging shield.
Overall - this game is really spectacular. Taken on it's own merits it is outstanding. When you add it to the Halo series, it will stand out as being rather difference to the previous Master Chief outings. However my rating is a well deserved 5 out of 5
5 Nov 2009
Gaming Part 3: Pro Evo 2010
Professional Evolution Soccer (aka PES) is a football (real football that is, or soccer as our American cousins would say) has been around for as long as its biggest rival: FIFA & is now starting re release annual games, very much like FIFA. It's also a football game. But what a great game it is.
Sure you can score dozens of goals on the easiest setting, but what my advice is to challenge yourself & go straight to Top Player.
Like other games, when you crank up the difficulty setting - you really have to work hard to make any progress - hello Call of Duty on Veteran mode, Halo on Legendary mode or Gears of War on Insane mode. This means that it's not just a quick breeze to complete a game, it's a challenge. Sometimes (& I'm looking at you Halo 3) you need to work in cooperative mode to complete parts of games where your own team's AI is not too amazing or where you don't have a team - you need one to make it through!
Anyways I digress.
I've always viewed PES as a bit of a social tool - it's OK to play on your own, but with friends, there is much teamwork/competitive spirit to the game & makes the game more fun.
So what's new in this year's offering? Well year-on-year, the realism has been growing. Now there are nice touches which add a little extra detail, such as the water bottles next to the keeper, when you make a substitution during the game, you can hear the announcer in the background. Also more fundamental changes, such as the removal of a points system & a shift to actual money - your choice of pounds, euro, dollars or yen.
The look of the game is really good & everything is sharper & movements more realistic. Initially I was very impressed.
Unfortunately, there is a little bad news - the refereeing. After a dozen games or so, I started noticing some inaccuracies. As always in games the referees are millimeter perfect when it comes to being offside. However, in Pro Evo 2009 the horrendous/dirty challenges were severely punished. In PES 2010, the opposition seem to get away with everything!
There have been numerous horrific challenges (even within 1 match) from the computer-controlled players & play is allowed to continue, unless advantage should be played, then the referee gives a free kick. This is very frustrating.
Now it might be the Top Player setting, but I'm not sure that is the case. When you've been working really hard just to get a goal & then your best striker gets flattened by the opposition's central defenders, in the keepers box, you would expect instant red card & penalty. But for nothing to be given seems extraordinary. It would be more acceptable if the opposition were treated the same, but yellow cards for to be doled out only to our team seems beyond comprehension.
It even made Hobbit not want to play the game again with this kind of ridiculous refereeing.
That's quite a fundamental issue & can cause real headaches when you're playing your socks off just to be destroyed by Wigan/Birmingham/Hull etc. because of a glitchy ref.
For this game I feel a 4 out of 5...but I still prefer it to FIFA!
Sure you can score dozens of goals on the easiest setting, but what my advice is to challenge yourself & go straight to Top Player.
Like other games, when you crank up the difficulty setting - you really have to work hard to make any progress - hello Call of Duty on Veteran mode, Halo on Legendary mode or Gears of War on Insane mode. This means that it's not just a quick breeze to complete a game, it's a challenge. Sometimes (& I'm looking at you Halo 3) you need to work in cooperative mode to complete parts of games where your own team's AI is not too amazing or where you don't have a team - you need one to make it through!
Anyways I digress.I've always viewed PES as a bit of a social tool - it's OK to play on your own, but with friends, there is much teamwork/competitive spirit to the game & makes the game more fun.
So what's new in this year's offering? Well year-on-year, the realism has been growing. Now there are nice touches which add a little extra detail, such as the water bottles next to the keeper, when you make a substitution during the game, you can hear the announcer in the background. Also more fundamental changes, such as the removal of a points system & a shift to actual money - your choice of pounds, euro, dollars or yen.
The look of the game is really good & everything is sharper & movements more realistic. Initially I was very impressed.
Unfortunately, there is a little bad news - the refereeing. After a dozen games or so, I started noticing some inaccuracies. As always in games the referees are millimeter perfect when it comes to being offside. However, in Pro Evo 2009 the horrendous/dirty challenges were severely punished. In PES 2010, the opposition seem to get away with everything!
There have been numerous horrific challenges (even within 1 match) from the computer-controlled players & play is allowed to continue, unless advantage should be played, then the referee gives a free kick. This is very frustrating.
Now it might be the Top Player setting, but I'm not sure that is the case. When you've been working really hard just to get a goal & then your best striker gets flattened by the opposition's central defenders, in the keepers box, you would expect instant red card & penalty. But for nothing to be given seems extraordinary. It would be more acceptable if the opposition were treated the same, but yellow cards for to be doled out only to our team seems beyond comprehension.
It even made Hobbit not want to play the game again with this kind of ridiculous refereeing.
That's quite a fundamental issue & can cause real headaches when you're playing your socks off just to be destroyed by Wigan/Birmingham/Hull etc. because of a glitchy ref.
For this game I feel a 4 out of 5...but I still prefer it to FIFA!
3 Nov 2009
Game Review Part 2...Fable 2
I thought I'd do a little review, starting with Fable 2:
Now I know it's been around for about a year, but I thought I would not even begin to get into it, as it was a Role Playing Game (RPG) which is not really my bag at all. However, after some prodding from Sparky (who just got it with an X360 for his birthday & was raving about it) I decided to download the first episode from Xbox Live Marketplace.
My main observation was the similarity between Fable 2 & Star Wars: The Force Unleashed - getting experience points (XP) from beating enemies & upgrading skills & weapons. However there are also comparisons to more open world (sandbox) games, like the GTA series.
Once you get through the child stage, which is really just a back-story & scene setting section, then a whole world is open for you to discover (only part of it, if you go through the episode method) & begin to gain employment (to earn gold, which you can exchange for property/supplies/weapons), or do quests, various missions which progress you through the game.
If you just did the main quests, you could probably complete it in say 8-10 hours. However, doing all the side-quests, finding all the secrets & generally experiencing the world of Albion, created by Lionhead Studios in full, game-time is huge - days rather than hours.
And if you do get through to the end, there are some download-able content packs (DLC) which open up more quests & regions to explore.
I had great fun with this game, which gets better the more you play & develop your character. Also I think that repeat plays might well be in order, to try to get some of the the more challenging achievements. So overall I would heartily agree with the XPlay rating of a 5 out of 5.
Now I know it's been around for about a year, but I thought I would not even begin to get into it, as it was a Role Playing Game (RPG) which is not really my bag at all. However, after some prodding from Sparky (who just got it with an X360 for his birthday & was raving about it) I decided to download the first episode from Xbox Live Marketplace.
My main observation was the similarity between Fable 2 & Star Wars: The Force Unleashed - getting experience points (XP) from beating enemies & upgrading skills & weapons. However there are also comparisons to more open world (sandbox) games, like the GTA series.Once you get through the child stage, which is really just a back-story & scene setting section, then a whole world is open for you to discover (only part of it, if you go through the episode method) & begin to gain employment (to earn gold, which you can exchange for property/supplies/weapons), or do quests, various missions which progress you through the game.
If you just did the main quests, you could probably complete it in say 8-10 hours. However, doing all the side-quests, finding all the secrets & generally experiencing the world of Albion, created by Lionhead Studios in full, game-time is huge - days rather than hours.
And if you do get through to the end, there are some download-able content packs (DLC) which open up more quests & regions to explore.
I had great fun with this game, which gets better the more you play & develop your character. Also I think that repeat plays might well be in order, to try to get some of the the more challenging achievements. So overall I would heartily agree with the XPlay rating of a 5 out of 5.
1 Nov 2009
Game Reviews: Part 1 of....
OK this might turn out to be a bit of a long post, so I might well split it over 3 posts.
Here are my current most played games:
Fable 2
Halo 3: OTSD
Pro Evo: 2009/2010
Call of Duty 5/Nazi Zombies
I'm going to do some reviews & post them up over the next couple of weeks - so expect some geekery!
Here are my current most played games:
Fable 2
Halo 3: OTSD
Pro Evo: 2009/2010
Call of Duty 5/Nazi Zombies
I'm going to do some reviews & post them up over the next couple of weeks - so expect some geekery!
31 Oct 2009
Twitter Apps
The apps I use for Twitter are; Twitter application, to the Google Desktop interface. This app makes posting very fast & simple & you get the top 7 feeds from the live twitter homepage.
However, Google Desktop is not available on Snow Leopard yet, so on my main home computers I use the Twitter Widget, this is on, but only allows posting, rather than having a feed as well.
The other is on my phone. You can use the web browser & Tweet that way, but is a rather laborious, so I downloaded a Twitter app from the Ovi Store & again it's very simple & has no feed, but still useful when you need to Tweet & you're away from your computer(s)
Right no more geekery...today!
However, Google Desktop is not available on Snow Leopard yet, so on my main home computers I use the Twitter Widget, this is on, but only allows posting, rather than having a feed as well.
The other is on my phone. You can use the web browser & Tweet that way, but is a rather laborious, so I downloaded a Twitter app from the Ovi Store & again it's very simple & has no feed, but still useful when you need to Tweet & you're away from your computer(s)
Right no more geekery...today!
Tweet update:
Having now used Twitter for the past few months (now much more regularly thanks to some cool apps...more later) I'm liking it more and more.
It also is gaining more popularity through mass media & people are now starting to quote it as gaining peoples opinions for news articles on the Beeb News site, especially Stephen Fry!
This was something that was slowly revealing itself with the whole Blog idea, but now because of the simplicity & speed of posting people are micro-blogging more than ever.
As evidenced here, blogging can easily be off-putted by their bloggers because you almost have to be in the right mood to blog - to get one's brain on paper as it were, but this is not the case with Tweeting - it's instant & can be done just with a phone.
Now I know that it's possible to email in a blog or try doing it from a phone, but it really isn't quite as smooth.
Personally I love to process with writing, but the time-consuming element can be a little daunting.
I shall leave you with my postulating.
It also is gaining more popularity through mass media & people are now starting to quote it as gaining peoples opinions for news articles on the Beeb News site, especially Stephen Fry!
This was something that was slowly revealing itself with the whole Blog idea, but now because of the simplicity & speed of posting people are micro-blogging more than ever.
As evidenced here, blogging can easily be off-putted by their bloggers because you almost have to be in the right mood to blog - to get one's brain on paper as it were, but this is not the case with Tweeting - it's instant & can be done just with a phone.
Now I know that it's possible to email in a blog or try doing it from a phone, but it really isn't quite as smooth.
Personally I love to process with writing, but the time-consuming element can be a little daunting.
I shall leave you with my postulating.
30 Oct 2009
Working again
Working again at Pearson has made me realise what I geek I am. A Mac geek that is!
When I left Pearson & went to pastures new, I started using Mac OS 10.4 rather than Win XP & never really looked back.
This meant that when I came back, rather than being scared about this foreign OS, I now embrace the challenge of trying to make as many of the 3k pieces of software work on a mac.
Prime example RM Easiteach which as far as I ever knew was only PC compatible, with a few Google searches turns out to have a reader, available free from RM (a la Adobe Acrobat Reader opening *.pdf files).
I think that I might actually be able to contribute something useful to the team...whatever next!
When I left Pearson & went to pastures new, I started using Mac OS 10.4 rather than Win XP & never really looked back.
This meant that when I came back, rather than being scared about this foreign OS, I now embrace the challenge of trying to make as many of the 3k pieces of software work on a mac.
Prime example RM Easiteach which as far as I ever knew was only PC compatible, with a few Google searches turns out to have a reader, available free from RM (a la Adobe Acrobat Reader opening *.pdf files).
I think that I might actually be able to contribute something useful to the team...whatever next!
Tiny tiny url's
The TinyURLwebsite (http://www.tiny.cc/), is a very clever tool which allows you to "Post shortened URL links on blogs or forums. Make email friendly URLs. Simplify links to your website. Hide an affiliate link. Create personal or unique addresses using a keyword. Tiny.cc turns a ridiculously long URL into a tiny URL... short, meaningful and permanent."
Basically where you have an epic address like:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/24-Complete-Season-7-DVD/dp/B000Y7ZBZS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1256652761&sr=8-1
(new 24 Season 7 box set btw)
You can slam it into Tiny URL & shrink it down to http://tiny.cc/24561 Not bad for a free website & very useful for certain microblogging websites (twitter) which require users to make absolute use of every character!
Intersting & useful!
Basically where you have an epic address like:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/24-Complete-Season-7-DVD/dp/B000Y7ZBZS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1256652761&sr=8-1
(new 24 Season 7 box set btw)
You can slam it into Tiny URL & shrink it down to http://tiny.cc/24561 Not bad for a free website & very useful for certain microblogging websites (twitter) which require users to make absolute use of every character!
Intersting & useful!
The golden age of infinite music
A brilliant article I just read from the Beeb website, written by John Harris (author of Hail! Hail! Rock'n'Roll, published by Sphere.)
He makes some very interesting observations about the changing face of music. Thinking about the the cultural power of music on young people, & their thirst for knowledge about all things, it does make you think about what do I know? Does my lack of musical/tech knowledge impede my youthwork? Something to ponder & explore at least
Not long ago, if you wanted music, you had to save up your pocket money, take a trip to the local record shop and lovingly leaf through its racks. Now, it's almost all free, instant and infinite. And our relationship with music has changed forever. We all know what the alleged future of music will look like. The record industry will be reduced to a smouldering ruin, the album replaced by endless individual songs and music rendered pretty much worthless by the fact that it's universally free. Empty record shops will be overrun with weeds and old CDs will be used as coasters. Your Madonnas, U2s and Coldplays will prosper, but for anyone further down the hierarchy, the idea of making much of a living will be a non-starter.
That's the accepted wisdom, at least. Some of it will probably prove to be true. But that grisly picture ignores subtler and more fascinating changes in our relationship with music that people have barely begun to understand. Fans can instantly discover the Rolling Stones' 1980s works, if they want to. Now, just to make this clear from the off: I'm nearly 40. Having recently moved house and consigned my CD collection to cardboard boxes, I've been surprised to find that I don't miss it at all. I use the free version of the music streaming application Spotify almost every day - and I now understand that it represents a genuine revolution in music consumption (and makes iTunes look pathetically old-fashioned).
Should the music industry finally get its act together and insist on some kind of subscription model, I'll pay for the same kind of service. But I wouldn't imagine that will alter my new listening habits. All that said, my musical mindset is still rooted in an increasingly far-off past, where to be a true fan of a band took real dedication, access to obscure information - and, frankly, money. I've just poured the music-related contents of my brain into a book, and I would imagine that 30-ish year's worth of knowledge about everyone from Funkadelic to The Smiths has probably cost me a five-figure sum, a stupid amount spent on music publications, and endless embarrassed moments spent trying to have a conversation with those arrogant blokes who tend to work in record shops.
Last weekend, by contrast, I had a long chat about music with the 16-year-old son of a friend, and my mind boggled. What to listen to next: Little Richard or La Roux? At virtually no cost, in precious little time and with zero embarrassment, he had become an expert on all kinds of artists, from English singer-songwriters like Nick Drake and John Martyn to such American indie-rock titans as Pavement and Dinosaur Jr. Though only a sixth-former, he seemingly knew as much about most of these people as any music writer. Like any rock-oriented youth, his appetite for music is endless, and so is the opportunity - whether illegally or not - to indulge it. He is a paid-up fan of bands it took me until I was 30 to even discover - and at this rate, by the time he hits his 20s, he'll have reached the true musical outer limits.
What does all this tell us? Clearly, for anyone raised in the old world, the modern way of music consumption has all kinds of unforeseen benefits. A good example: though I've always heard plenty of talk about the utter awfulness of such infamous albums as Lou Reed's Metal Machine Music (a double album of guitar feedback and white noise) or Deep Purple's Concerto For Group And Orchestra (don't ask), I can now listen to them for nothing, and have an opinion of my own.
As one of my music press colleagues use to say, there's no longer any past - just an endless present. They're both terrible, incidentally, but that isn't the point. What really matters is the fact that I can so easily tune in - and what that says about a new world of completely risk-free listening. Most importantly, as the great digital revolution rolls on, bands are no longer having to compete for people's money. Instead, they're jockeying for our time. And the field is huge, crossing not just genres, but eras. Who do you want to investigate today: TV On The Radio or Crosby, Stills and Nash? Do you fancy losing yourself in the brilliant first album by Florence And The Machine, or deriving no end of entertainment from how awful The Rolling Stones got in the 1980s? Little Richard or La Roux? White Lies or Black Sabbath?
As one of my music press colleagues use to say, there's no longer any past - just an endless present. U2's last album may have been a "grower" - but not many let it grow. For musicians, it's self-evident that there are all kinds of new openings for their music, but even if they break through, much less concerted attention will be paid to it. They may get an audience, but it will be very easily distracted. After all, endlessly playing the same album so as to extract your "money's worth" is behaviour that will soon seem like something from the dark ages. Woe betide the act that decides to make the kind of record that tends to be charitably described as a "grower" - something that may account for, say, the scant interest paid to the last U2 album. Certainly, as a record company MD told me a couple of weeks ago, stuffing your albums with mere filler is no longer a sensible option. So, yes, the record industry may yet have to comprehensively reinvent itself, or implode. Sooner or later, given that the need to read reviews before deciding what to listen to is fading fast, I rather fear that even music journalists may be rendered irrelevant.
But for now, this is a truly golden age - the era of the teenage expert, albums that will soon have to be full of finely-honed hits and the completely infinite online jukebox. Even if the music business manages to somehow crack down on illicit downloading and claws back a few quid via annual subscriptions in return for that self-same endless supply of music, the same essential rules will apply. Really: what's not to like?
He makes some very interesting observations about the changing face of music. Thinking about the the cultural power of music on young people, & their thirst for knowledge about all things, it does make you think about what do I know? Does my lack of musical/tech knowledge impede my youthwork? Something to ponder & explore at least
29 Oct 2009
Current Job:
OK so here's the skinny about what I'm doing back in Digital Support.
I'm helping teachers, home users & IT technicians install & operate software on their computers. It breaks down as all Primary & Secondary Schools & FE Colleges. Overall there's about 24'500 educational establishments & about 3000 pieces of software.
This means it's far busier than ever & a massive step up from when I worked here 4 years ago. The team's kinda the same size, it's just the workload has increased significantly.
But it does raise a certain question - why am I not perusing more of a Youthwork career? Well more on that in another entry later on. But for now I'm content with helping people & it's actually helping young people - just a little indirectly!
Six out
I'm helping teachers, home users & IT technicians install & operate software on their computers. It breaks down as all Primary & Secondary Schools & FE Colleges. Overall there's about 24'500 educational establishments & about 3000 pieces of software.
This means it's far busier than ever & a massive step up from when I worked here 4 years ago. The team's kinda the same size, it's just the workload has increased significantly.
But it does raise a certain question - why am I not perusing more of a Youthwork career? Well more on that in another entry later on. But for now I'm content with helping people & it's actually helping young people - just a little indirectly!
Six out
28 Oct 2009
Move On Up/Plans:
So here is a plan for me for the short term - keep working hard & trying to convince Pearson that I'm a necessary member of the team, rather than 'just a temp'.
My actions so far have been to firstly write an observational document & then begin to look at creating some statistical fact to back my observations.
So far so good.
But what will a more long-term contract mean in reality?
Well I did start to explore (mostly when going for the KBC youthworker job) about the idea of moving out of my current abode & out into somewhere new. To do this requires money (naturally) & stability.
If (& at the moment it is still a BIG if...IF) I do manage to get a more permanent contract, rather than temporary, there exists the possibility of getting a small house, still in Kidlington, which I could move into after Christmas. The great thing about that is that it's 2 bedroom, so a house-mate would be in the order - so checked with my good friend Hobbit, who thought it could be great!
So the potential exists to (finally) move out & get some independence & have a good deal of fun (& Pro Evo) in the process.
My actions so far have been to firstly write an observational document & then begin to look at creating some statistical fact to back my observations.
So far so good.
But what will a more long-term contract mean in reality?
Well I did start to explore (mostly when going for the KBC youthworker job) about the idea of moving out of my current abode & out into somewhere new. To do this requires money (naturally) & stability.
If (& at the moment it is still a BIG if...IF) I do manage to get a more permanent contract, rather than temporary, there exists the possibility of getting a small house, still in Kidlington, which I could move into after Christmas. The great thing about that is that it's 2 bedroom, so a house-mate would be in the order - so checked with my good friend Hobbit, who thought it could be great!
So the potential exists to (finally) move out & get some independence & have a good deal of fun (& Pro Evo) in the process.
What's going on?
So some people might well be wondering why I'm not perusing my calling to youthwork?
Why, after giving up this tech-support job once before, going to University to study Youth & Community Work with Applied Theology at the Centre for Youth Ministry, would you stop looking for youthwork jobs?
So am I done with youth ministry?
Well here's some thought's that I'm wrestling with.
1) Amount of effort put into seeking Ministry. After attending many interviews (at least a dozen) & even volunteering for a few months, flying to America & back & all the while not earning anything & being supported by family & to get no positive response was deeply frustrating.
2) The feedback from the interviews. The feedback that I received from the interviews I went to have ranged from not being Christian enough, not being passionate enough & questions over where I stand with God. Also not having the 'right' experience, with the suggestion of volunteering for a few years before reapplying for ministry jobs. How does that help someone who has 8 years real-world experience & 7 years youthwork experience? Or is it a case of being too immature?
3) A very challenging summer. This summer has been exceptionally difficult for me personally, as well as my girlfriend & her family. I'm not going to divulge what happened in the Blog-sphere, but it dragged me to the darkest I've felt since I was an angry teenager. Not positive at all & leads me to question what to do about where I served & whether I will continue to do so.
So am I done with youth ministry?
In short I don't know. In the short term, I'm not practicing youthwork at all & the one place I was practicing might not be in place next year. I'm trying not to retreat into a shell, but things are not stable yet.
Why, after giving up this tech-support job once before, going to University to study Youth & Community Work with Applied Theology at the Centre for Youth Ministry, would you stop looking for youthwork jobs?
So am I done with youth ministry?
Well here's some thought's that I'm wrestling with.
1) Amount of effort put into seeking Ministry. After attending many interviews (at least a dozen) & even volunteering for a few months, flying to America & back & all the while not earning anything & being supported by family & to get no positive response was deeply frustrating.
2) The feedback from the interviews. The feedback that I received from the interviews I went to have ranged from not being Christian enough, not being passionate enough & questions over where I stand with God. Also not having the 'right' experience, with the suggestion of volunteering for a few years before reapplying for ministry jobs. How does that help someone who has 8 years real-world experience & 7 years youthwork experience? Or is it a case of being too immature?
3) A very challenging summer. This summer has been exceptionally difficult for me personally, as well as my girlfriend & her family. I'm not going to divulge what happened in the Blog-sphere, but it dragged me to the darkest I've felt since I was an angry teenager. Not positive at all & leads me to question what to do about where I served & whether I will continue to do so.
So am I done with youth ministry?
In short I don't know. In the short term, I'm not practicing youthwork at all & the one place I was practicing might not be in place next year. I'm trying not to retreat into a shell, but things are not stable yet.
Musical Interlude:
OK there has apparently been a lack of my musical thoughts for far too long so expect some reviews of Silversun Pickups: Swoon, Muse: The Resistance, (Adam) Freeland: COPE/COPE Remixed, Deadmou5: Random Album Title, Evil 9: They Live, plus some Friendly Fire, Late of the Pier & some thoughts on some very random Foo Fighters B-Sides.
I've mostly been posting about Life & Ministry & I think it might be good to break it up a bit.
Which reminds me - expect some gaming reviews to!
...we continue
I've mostly been posting about Life & Ministry & I think it might be good to break it up a bit.
Which reminds me - expect some gaming reviews to!
...we continue
27 Oct 2009
Happy Happy Joy Joy
Some good news...always nice - today is the 2nd Anniversary of being with my beautiful Maddie.
It's been awesome & I'm exceptionally happy that we're still very much together & more in love than ever!
I love you, Maddie. That is all...for today.
It's been awesome & I'm exceptionally happy that we're still very much together & more in love than ever!
I love you, Maddie. That is all...for today.
26 Oct 2009
Like waking from a dream
It has once again been far too long bloggers. However, once again I'm going to try to get my brain on paper!
A brief update then:
I was working for Royal Mail Door to Door as a Manpower Temp, but quit that 'not-the-most-amazing-job-in-the-world-ever' (& definitely not for me) to go work back at my old job in what was REPP, then Harcourt & is now called Pearson - still with many of the same faces & still in the same place! It's back doing what I seem to do best - supporting people with using software aka Digital Support.
Some might view this as a backward step, but for the time being it's a good place to start, because it gives me the scope to possibly get full-time employment & raises the potential to move out & get on with my life...not a bad thing methinks.
I'll do some more updates when I can..but for now...we continue.
A brief update then:
I was working for Royal Mail Door to Door as a Manpower Temp, but quit that 'not-the-most-amazing-job-in-the-world-ever' (& definitely not for me) to go work back at my old job in what was REPP, then Harcourt & is now called Pearson - still with many of the same faces & still in the same place! It's back doing what I seem to do best - supporting people with using software aka Digital Support.
Some might view this as a backward step, but for the time being it's a good place to start, because it gives me the scope to possibly get full-time employment & raises the potential to move out & get on with my life...not a bad thing methinks.
I'll do some more updates when I can..but for now...we continue.
30 Apr 2009
Prayer request/answer to prayer:
This is a copy/pasta from an email I sent out today to my homegroup, but I thought I'd share it with the Brainshare it as well:
Six out
It was great to see everyone at 18-30's & I thought I'd bear my heart at the moment. This was a vision which I've been unable to shift this from my head, so I thought I'd share it:
"I felt adrift, like an ancient mariner caught in the middle of the ocean with no wind or compass to get to land & out of trouble."
I beleive this feeling has come from not being able to find a youthwork position which I have been able to fill, even after getting a degree & youthwork qualification & being experienced for many years working with young people etc. etc.
However, the positive form this is that people are really rallying round for me - I've now started applying for more vacancies in youthwork & am not limiting myself to any particular geographical location - in fact I completed an application form last night for Leicester, & for an eccumenical organisation - all based on a recommendation from a former classmate.
I now feel that with a little direction, this lost man might finally find the shore, but please pray that I can finally get there!
Six out
27 Apr 2009
Silversuns Live Again - UK Tour coming up
Quick posting to let y'all know about the coming tour of the great Silversun Pickups. Check out this link here for full details or this map here. I'm head to Oxford's Carling Academy in July with a bigger crew this time - 10 so far!!
Six
Six
20 Apr 2009
14 Apr 2009
You Twitt
Having seen all the hype about Twitter, I finally succumbed & joined up myself. As a total shock I decided to be called Pikachuind, so check me out & follow me here.
Basically, for the uninitiated, it is very similar to the status updates for Facebook & it follows that it is known as an online social network. However, it is much simpler than other site, like Facebook, myspace, etc. because it's not geared up for a certain age bracket, but for 'everyone'. The idea is that you follow people & other people follow you.
It's quite addictive & also, there's less onus on you to do anything, it's really just a mini-blog. This sense of minuscule-ness is further heightened by the fact that you only have 140 characters to tell the world something. Also it's not just for us mere geeks, apparently celebrities use it as well, the most popular being Barack Obama, Stephen Fry, Jonathan Ross & Britney Spears but there are loads of others a well, including my favourites Bill Bailey & Eddie Izzard - theirs are classic.
My advice is to go check it out & see what some of your friends & some stars are up to!
13 Apr 2009
Silversuns Live Part 5 Setlist
OK here's the set list as far as I could work out:
New song*
Well Thought out Twinkles
New song* (waiting raving falling?)
Little Lovers so Polite
New song* (right in your way)
Future Foe Scenario (brilliant!)
Kissing Families (awesome)
New song* (with a killer riff!)
Lazy Eye (amazing & awesome pedal work!)
*nooo idea what it was called, but always sounding good.
Unfortunately we both had to go (so Maddie to get back to Canterbury) so we missed the last parts of the set - d'oh!!
New song*
Well Thought out Twinkles
New song* (waiting raving falling?)
Little Lovers so Polite
New song* (right in your way)
Future Foe Scenario (brilliant!)
Kissing Families (awesome)
New song* (with a killer riff!)
Lazy Eye (amazing & awesome pedal work!)
*nooo idea what it was called, but always sounding good.
Unfortunately we both had to go (so Maddie to get back to Canterbury) so we missed the last parts of the set - d'oh!!
Silversuns Live Part 4 - The main event
Now we come to the good stuffs - the Silversun Pickups themselves.
I have to say I was properly excited about seeing them live, after how much time I had given over to listening to them & how much of an impact it made on my last year - it's good, happy, feel-good music & very melodic. What was great was that the crowd were all fans & really there to see Silversun's perform live or regulars there to check out a new band.
Their set list (more on that later) was packed with great songs from their EP & album, but sandwiched between these gems were selected tracks from their new album (Swoon, out today from amazon or via iTunes).
They were great, funny & Brian (the lead singer & guitarist) kept playing even when one of his pedals failed. All the songs were similar to the album versions, but there were some good 'live additions' between the song & you could see that they had really nailed down how they were going progress through their set. I decided that I really do want Brian's guitar - it is awesome (Epiphone Sheraton 2 from a previous blog)
Overall rating for the gig would 5* out of 5 - it was a great venue, great crowd, great warm-up band & awesome main act & to top it off I didn't have to sell my kidneys just to get a ticket! I'd give it 6*'s but the parking sucked (£1.50 for 15 minutes 24/7, I think not!!).
Finally, given the chance to see a small & intimate gig like this, with a great band like this again, I would literally jump at the chance & will certainly see them again next time they're within 100 miles of Oxford!!
P.S. Check out Lazy Eye live here
I have to say I was properly excited about seeing them live, after how much time I had given over to listening to them & how much of an impact it made on my last year - it's good, happy, feel-good music & very melodic. What was great was that the crowd were all fans & really there to see Silversun's perform live or regulars there to check out a new band.
Their set list (more on that later) was packed with great songs from their EP & album, but sandwiched between these gems were selected tracks from their new album (Swoon, out today from amazon or via iTunes).
They were great, funny & Brian (the lead singer & guitarist) kept playing even when one of his pedals failed. All the songs were similar to the album versions, but there were some good 'live additions' between the song & you could see that they had really nailed down how they were going progress through their set. I decided that I really do want Brian's guitar - it is awesome (Epiphone Sheraton 2 from a previous blog)
Overall rating for the gig would 5* out of 5 - it was a great venue, great crowd, great warm-up band & awesome main act & to top it off I didn't have to sell my kidneys just to get a ticket! I'd give it 6*'s but the parking sucked (£1.50 for 15 minutes 24/7, I think not!!).
Finally, given the chance to see a small & intimate gig like this, with a great band like this again, I would literally jump at the chance & will certainly see them again next time they're within 100 miles of Oxford!!
P.S. Check out Lazy Eye live here
Silversuns Live Part 3 - The Support Act
Before the Silversun Pickups were on the stage, they had their support act - The Joy Formidable.
I would describe them as a little band with a BIG sound. They are a 3-piece setup - female fronted & lead guitarist, a mad bassist (with the volume up proper loud) & a very accomplished drummer.
Their style was similar style to the Silversuns, very melodic & well put together, loads of power chords & distortion.
The bass-lines were loud - a good thing & the vocals were hauntingly beautiful & very different because of the female lead. The bassist also sang & offered really good harmonies to the mix. Overall this band demand to be played loud - it suited their style & pulsing sound.
Finally, they also offered part of their EP/Album as a free download & for those who indulge, here is their myspace page
I would describe them as a little band with a BIG sound. They are a 3-piece setup - female fronted & lead guitarist, a mad bassist (with the volume up proper loud) & a very accomplished drummer.
Their style was similar style to the Silversuns, very melodic & well put together, loads of power chords & distortion.
The bass-lines were loud - a good thing & the vocals were hauntingly beautiful & very different because of the female lead. The bassist also sang & offered really good harmonies to the mix. Overall this band demand to be played loud - it suited their style & pulsing sound.
Finally, they also offered part of their EP/Album as a free download & for those who indulge, here is their myspace page
12 Apr 2009
Silveruns Live Part2 - Teh Venue
The Venue was The Borderline appeared really small (not much bigger than the Cellar & made the Oxford Academy look like a stadium) with a small stage. However, there were really good acoustics & a massive sound system - it said something about the place with the amount of people that had ear plugs in - a good sign of things to come.
"The Borderline is a few minutes walk from Tottenham Court Road tube station. It is a cosy and atmospheric underground bar and venue, with a capacity of 275." apparently
"The Borderline is a few minutes walk from Tottenham Court Road tube station. It is a cosy and atmospheric underground bar and venue, with a capacity of 275." apparently
Silversun Pickups overload!
OK, now for something a lot more recent - the Silversuns. This going to be a multi-part review, otherwise this will be an epic single posting!
So, where to begin?! This up-and-coming band, who have previously supported the Foos & Kaiser Chiefs on their last tours,few people have heard about & they are still relatively unknown to the majority. This suits them, however, as their gigs are more smaller, more personal & rather more fun!
I called them my band of '08 & I was really excited when Ents24 told me that they were coming to London!
They had 3 dates & I went for Borderline & got 2 tickets for me & Madd for a very reasonable £8.50 each & excitement began!
Coming up, the Venue, Support Act & Main Act & a picture or 2!
We continue...
So, where to begin?! This up-and-coming band, who have previously supported the Foos & Kaiser Chiefs on their last tours,few people have heard about & they are still relatively unknown to the majority. This suits them, however, as their gigs are more smaller, more personal & rather more fun!
I called them my band of '08 & I was really excited when Ents24 told me that they were coming to London!
They had 3 dates & I went for Borderline & got 2 tickets for me & Madd for a very reasonable £8.50 each & excitement began!
Coming up, the Venue, Support Act & Main Act & a picture or 2!
We continue...
Blogs to write this week
Going to do several updates this week,
1. Silversun Pickups Gig report from last week
2. Life/Ministry update
3. New book report - Mike Yaconelli collection - Getting Fired for the Glory of God
1. Silversun Pickups Gig report from last week
2. Life/Ministry update
3. New book report - Mike Yaconelli collection - Getting Fired for the Glory of God
8 Apr 2009
Hot Chip Gig Report
This is from what seems like a very long time ago...oh wait it was!! Way back on 23rd October [2008] in Southampton Guildhall.
The gig was of course Hot Chip & my accompanying crew were Madd, Doodles & her friend Hols.
As a general setup, the Guildhall was pretty good, it looks like an old cinema or theatre & had a good vibe about it. There were about 8 strobes & there plenty of studio lighting, rather than effects (a la Lemon Jelly) or anthing.
Here's their setlist:
One Pure Thought,
Bendable, Posable,
Shake a Fist,
I Was a Boy at School,
Hold On
*Alley Cats (New Song),
Over & Over,
Wrestlers,
*(New Song),
Ready for the Floor,
Made in the Dark,
Encore:
*(New Song),
My Piano.
No Fit State
Finale:
Nothing Compares (Cover)
The support act was terrible, so bad in fact, I'm not going to say anything about him! Hot Chip, however, were great - they really know how to rock the crowd & their set was packed with great tracks. Also their performance was really passionate & they worked really hard.
Overall I'd give it 4* (out of 5*), they lost one with that shocking support act!
For an alternate review, check out what click music had to say.
The gig was of course Hot Chip & my accompanying crew were Madd, Doodles & her friend Hols.
As a general setup, the Guildhall was pretty good, it looks like an old cinema or theatre & had a good vibe about it. There were about 8 strobes & there plenty of studio lighting, rather than effects (a la Lemon Jelly) or anthing.
Here's their setlist:
One Pure Thought,
Bendable, Posable,
Shake a Fist,
I Was a Boy at School,
Hold On
*Alley Cats (New Song),
Over & Over,
Wrestlers,
*(New Song),
Ready for the Floor,
Made in the Dark,
Encore:
*(New Song),
My Piano.
No Fit State
Finale:
Nothing Compares (Cover)
The support act was terrible, so bad in fact, I'm not going to say anything about him! Hot Chip, however, were great - they really know how to rock the crowd & their set was packed with great tracks. Also their performance was really passionate & they worked really hard.
Overall I'd give it 4* (out of 5*), they lost one with that shocking support act!
For an alternate review, check out what click music had to say.
30 Nov 2008
USA Day 5: Sunday
This was the last day at Lake Champion, so packing up was in order, then the final session, before heading off to Washington D.C. We drove for about 5 hours & ended up crossing 5 different states to get there. We arrived at a luxurious house to meet Lee Corder [Vice President of Young Life & Director of the Northern International Young Life Ministries] who we chatted to for a while, about who we were & where we came from etc. Next we headed to where we were to stay overnight, the name of the place I cannot say, but it was a place where many famous dignitaries & heads of state have stayed over the years. It’s a very stately place & extremely secret. It was the origins for the Good Will charity & the National Prayer Breakfast. It’s a very splendid & restful place.
My Grandma would love this place – it’s very much the sort of place she’d thrive in!!
My Grandma would love this place – it’s very much the sort of place she’d thrive in!!
29 Nov 2008
Epic Failz
OK I admit it, I'm a blogging slacker, there's sooo much for me to catch up on with things going on with me at the moment: finishing off the america blog, more about Young Life/jobs & I've been to see Hot Chip & The Mighty Boosh live shows & said nothing about any of this yet.
So I'm pledging to try to catch up asap, so watch this space!
We continue
So I'm pledging to try to catch up asap, so watch this space!
We continue
9 Nov 2008
8 Nov 2008
Day 3: Friday: Continued Camp
Today; quite busy, seeing the rest of Asian Young Life weekend away. We also helped in the kitchen after breakfast & lunch, before seeing in another weekend away group of about 250 young people, most of who weren’t Christians. The idea was to see a whole weekend of Young Life camp.
Day 2: Thursday: Seeing camp
OK today was a late waking day [jetlag grrr!] & basically had a day to have a look around Lake Champion, taking in their facilities, then went out for a pizza with Randy & the guys. Later on that evening, a group of 50 or so young people came over from Asian Young Life. It was great to see this guy’s ministry & see how he interacts with this young people from Asian descent.
Day 1: Wednesday: Arrival
So it’s Wednesday [OK really it's Saturday teehee!!] & I’ve been up for nearly 24 hours & am totally bushwacked, but here’s the story so far:
Got up at just after 5am & got on the 6:20am bus to Heathrow Terminal 5. With plenty of time I got through check-in & security & had a Starbucks breakfast & chatted to Maddie for a while before I boarded the plane. It was a British Airways 747 flight & nice & comfortable, but maybe not enough legroom for me – my knees properly caned afterwards. Good food on the flight & a couple of good movies kept me occupied for most of the flight, but did sleep [& dribbled!!] for a little while.
When I landed it definitely dawned on me that I’m coming to America [duh!], to meet with some people from Scotland & an American guy called Randy – none of whom I’d met before in my whole life!! Once through the intense security at customs, I got my case & went through the exit door – not know who I was looking for, or even if I could find them! Thankfully when I got through to the terminal, there was a guy asking every person if they were called Simon! This turned out to be Randy Nickel, & waiting for me just outside were 2 Scottish gentlemen - Paul & Graham.
We chatted for a bit & headed into Manhattan [a.k.a. New York], where we took in the sights of Times Square, went up the Empire State building saw the awesome views of the city. Next we had a wicked Chinese banquet & then headed off for a 2 hour drive to Lake Champion. We settled in & went to sleep almost instantly to a great place called Swiss House – the adult guest rooms.
Got up at just after 5am & got on the 6:20am bus to Heathrow Terminal 5. With plenty of time I got through check-in & security & had a Starbucks breakfast & chatted to Maddie for a while before I boarded the plane. It was a British Airways 747 flight & nice & comfortable, but maybe not enough legroom for me – my knees properly caned afterwards. Good food on the flight & a couple of good movies kept me occupied for most of the flight, but did sleep [& dribbled!!] for a little while.
When I landed it definitely dawned on me that I’m coming to America [duh!], to meet with some people from Scotland & an American guy called Randy – none of whom I’d met before in my whole life!! Once through the intense security at customs, I got my case & went through the exit door – not know who I was looking for, or even if I could find them! Thankfully when I got through to the terminal, there was a guy asking every person if they were called Simon! This turned out to be Randy Nickel, & waiting for me just outside were 2 Scottish gentlemen - Paul & Graham. We chatted for a bit & headed into Manhattan [a.k.a. New York], where we took in the sights of Times Square, went up the Empire State building saw the awesome views of the city. Next we had a wicked Chinese banquet & then headed off for a 2 hour drive to Lake Champion. We settled in & went to sleep almost instantly to a great place called Swiss House – the adult guest rooms.
7 Nov 2008
Intro to trip:
This is what happened to get me to America: had a phone interview with a guy called Tom Hammon, from a youth ministry company called Young Life. Now some good friends of mine from CYM [Han & Sparky] both work for Young Life in Hillingdon [London] & had suggested talking to their boss [Tom] who is the head of the UK ministries. But they had also been singing my praises to both their immediate boss & their committee. People seemed pretty excited about me & the possibilities of working with Young Life in ministry. Anyways to cut a fairly long story short, I had a 45 chat with Tom Hammon & I shared a bit about me & my testimony. He suggested seeing if there was space with a group of Scottish guys who were going over to Baltimore & New York city to check out what Young Life is all about. Originally he suggested it was for a trip at the end November, then rang back shortly afterwards & said what was I doing next week! Obviously nothing, so I said why not – managed to get the funds raised for a flight & now I’m here!! What follows will be a series of blogs about what I get up to!
To be continued!
To be continued!
America Blog Part 1…of Many
OK this is going to be a series of old-skool blogger-blog’s from yours truly – what I did, where I went etc. enjoy peeps! Photos will be up on Facebook soon & I’ll try to post every day or so – there’s currently internet where I am, but not sure how long I’m here for! For those who don’t already know – I’m going to/in America for the next week or so.
Six out
Six out
27 Oct 2008
What on earth
I have been meaning to post this for ages, but have been a slacker/busy!! So this is written about a week after I meant to!!
That concludes this blog, but expect more in the next week with all my goings-on in America!!
...we continue!
Not that I would ever borrow ideas from another blogger...but checking out Mark Oestreicher's blogthe other day, I came across a good template, like a kind of old skool questionnaire [see his original answers here]. I thought the questions were very apt for my own ministry/life/world, so I asked myself the same 8 questions:
the weekend that was: Last weekend was the beginnings of the studio idea [more on that on another blog methinks - watch this space!]
where I am at the moment: Was in Oxford, am now in a place called Lake Champion, in New York state, in America!!!
on my to-do list this week:Was to book a flight to Newark & get packing, but now it's all about checking out Young Life & spending so great times meeting people & seeing how they do ministry.
procrastinating about: Blogging & general geekiness & also what presents to get Maddie from America...oh & should I get some new/decent headphones while I'm over stateside?!
book I’m in the midst of:Jack Higgins' new Sean Dillon paperback: The Killing Ground. Haven't been reading it that much, it seems a little samey as other Dillon books [this is like 13/14th in the series!]. Have also been hearing a lot of the Stephen Fry audiobook forms of the Harry Potter series - a modern classic!
music that seemed to catch my attention this past week: Silversun Pickups & Autolux's debut albums [Carvanas & Future Perfect respectively]. However, I've also been learning the guitar & listening to a bit of acoustic stuff - the DVD's for Nirvana: Unplugged in New York & Foo Fighters: Skin & Bones. On the dance side it has to be Adam Freeland's BBC Radio 1 mix [aka 2 hours to Jupiter mix].
next trip:America - NOW!! To visit a Young Life camp with some others from Scotland & see how their ministry runs. Taking in New York, Washington DC & Baltimore.
how I’m feeling about this week:I have been really stoked about the possibilities of coming here to America to see Young Life, but also I had the chance to see the Mighty Boosh - legendary, simply legendarily funny. I had not laughed that much or that hard for a looooong time!! Having said all that, I am really missing my girlfriend, who I haven't seen for a few weeks, but will do when I get home - yaaaaaay!!
That concludes this blog, but expect more in the next week with all my goings-on in America!!
...we continue!
A whole year!
OK this is a quick update for my relationship with Maddie - we've been together for a whole year today! I got her a cute, but fairly grown-up watch from Swatch in Canterbury which replaces her really old one from Disneyland Paris!! She got me loads of small & random presents, like a brand for toast which you press in then toast & it leaves a message - awwwww & some other narly things as well!! & the cards were proper cute as well.
Today we spent the whole day together, sharing meals, looking around Woking & as I type she's making me a romantical dinner - awwwww!! We've not spent a huge amount of monies on each other, but to be honest that's not really the point - we've managed with the means that we have & we've had the day together so that's all that matters.
It's been a great year, being with Maddie & long may it continue ;o)
Six [all loved up] out
Today we spent the whole day together, sharing meals, looking around Woking & as I type she's making me a romantical dinner - awwwww!! We've not spent a huge amount of monies on each other, but to be honest that's not really the point - we've managed with the means that we have & we've had the day together so that's all that matters.
It's been a great year, being with Maddie & long may it continue ;o)
Six [all loved up] out
23 Oct 2008
HOT CHIP!!!
OK this should be auto-posted by the time I'm down in Portsmouth to visit young Doodles & also to see Hot Chip today - 23rd in the evening at Southampton Guildhall - I'm so very stoked about this & below is a darn good reason why!!
21 Oct 2008
Clubbing & Spirituality - my thoughts
OK here are my thoughts….albeit briefly on the idea of the spirituality of clubbing.
Firstly what do I mean by clubbing? This, I would describe as the culture of dance music; specifically the sub-genre’s of Trance & Hard House. I choose these two specifically because of my own experience in going to clubs where this was the musical genre of choice. However, this can also be expanded to any genre of dance music, but usually with the stipulation that live mixing [that of merging two musical tracks together using either CD or vinyl turntables] takes place. The joy of dance music is that it is continually evolving.
In terms of the spirituality & dance music, I would argue that there is a real sense that when clubbers gather together & in the patterns that they form in the venue that they are dancing, there are at least parallels with how church operates. From ‘greeting’ at the door [bouncers!] & refreshments [all be it alcoholic], to the ‘alter’ that the DJ operates from. There is even a bizarre parallel to the ‘holiest of holies’ - the green room where the DJ’s gather before their performances.
This may not necessarily represent a true, or at least Christian idea of spirituality, but my argument would centre on the idea that there is still the search for spirituality. As a seasoned clubber myself [& one who still listens to a great deal of dance music!] I would suggest that having seen how clubbers behave, I would suggest that there really is spirituality rife in the clubbing world & therein lies a great opportunity for evangelism & to reach out to these people who are searching for something….although they may not know what!!
Firstly what do I mean by clubbing? This, I would describe as the culture of dance music; specifically the sub-genre’s of Trance & Hard House. I choose these two specifically because of my own experience in going to clubs where this was the musical genre of choice. However, this can also be expanded to any genre of dance music, but usually with the stipulation that live mixing [that of merging two musical tracks together using either CD or vinyl turntables] takes place. The joy of dance music is that it is continually evolving.
In terms of the spirituality & dance music, I would argue that there is a real sense that when clubbers gather together & in the patterns that they form in the venue that they are dancing, there are at least parallels with how church operates. From ‘greeting’ at the door [bouncers!] & refreshments [all be it alcoholic], to the ‘alter’ that the DJ operates from. There is even a bizarre parallel to the ‘holiest of holies’ - the green room where the DJ’s gather before their performances.
This may not necessarily represent a true, or at least Christian idea of spirituality, but my argument would centre on the idea that there is still the search for spirituality. As a seasoned clubber myself [& one who still listens to a great deal of dance music!] I would suggest that having seen how clubbers behave, I would suggest that there really is spirituality rife in the clubbing world & therein lies a great opportunity for evangelism & to reach out to these people who are searching for something….although they may not know what!!
12 Oct 2008
Classic....but better
I think it sounds so much better with Hot Chip lolz, but here's the original anyways
10 Oct 2008
Ideas Factory 3
If this studio idea has some merit, then here is a product which might just help me. It's called the JamVOX & is made by the legendary VOX Amplifier manufacturer.
The idea is that you get monitor speakers, which you can jack your electric/acoustic guitar into. It also has a mic input.
The unit hooks up to your Mac or PC via USB 2.0 & with the software you can change the inputted sound.
The software itself uses various synthesized amplifiers, stomp-boxes & effects pedals to alter the sound. Although it is synthetic, I believe that for recording purposes it could be brilliant.
It will record digitally which will be great for edting purposes.
It is not hugely priced - it is about £150 online at the moment. However, this is not much more expensive than a reasonable practice amp [VOX or Marshall].
Overall, I think that this could make a brilliant start for the idea of a studio & a worthy purchase!
The idea is that you get monitor speakers, which you can jack your electric/acoustic guitar into. It also has a mic input.
The unit hooks up to your Mac or PC via USB 2.0 & with the software you can change the inputted sound.
The software itself uses various synthesized amplifiers, stomp-boxes & effects pedals to alter the sound. Although it is synthetic, I believe that for recording purposes it could be brilliant.
It will record digitally which will be great for edting purposes.
It is not hugely priced - it is about £150 online at the moment. However, this is not much more expensive than a reasonable practice amp [VOX or Marshall].
Overall, I think that this could make a brilliant start for the idea of a studio & a worthy purchase!
9 Oct 2008
Confused by what?!
OK this might just be me [& please take no offense from this if you feel my quirky sense of humour is, well, just a little bit too quirky for your liking] but attending the grad ceremony yesterday, & it's been something I thought was funny for a while, but it occurred to me how classic we all looked in our gowns & hats. But also just how similar they are to Harry Potter & his crew - of wizards!!! It could of course be my imagination, but you judge for yourself:
All in the name of comedy, or science, or something
OK I've got to add this one - for pure comedy value - I think my grandfather would not be amused - regardless of how funny he looks in my wizards hat!
Some grad pics
Me & the old man
Me & the Madd Thoughts, sans silly hat!
Parentals in the same room - a very rare sight
My 'baby' brother
Taking it all a little too seriously?! I think not
Me & the Madd Thoughts, sans silly hat!
Parentals in the same room - a very rare sight
My 'baby' brother
Taking it all a little too seriously?! I think not
Thoughts of a post-grad!!
Well yesterday it finally happened - Brainshare has become a post-graduate!! I picked up my Bachelor of Arts degree certificate for my Youth & Community Works with applied Theology, along with most of the rest of the Class of '08!
It was my first degree so didn't really know what to expect, but it was pretty good - managed to get my old man over from Switzerland [but he missed his flight back & is only now back home!], my mum, brother & grandfather down from Oxford & my dear Madd Thoughts came up from Canterbury. A great day was had by all, with the slight exception of my bro who I'm not sure enjoyed the whole God aspect of the proceedings!!
It was a great day out in London [yes I know I went to Oxford Brookes, but why would that mean graduating in that fair city?!] & it was great to see so many former classmates there.
I'll post up a few pics in a little while, but for now here's the 'money shot' ;o)
It was my first degree so didn't really know what to expect, but it was pretty good - managed to get my old man over from Switzerland [but he missed his flight back & is only now back home!], my mum, brother & grandfather down from Oxford & my dear Madd Thoughts came up from Canterbury. A great day was had by all, with the slight exception of my bro who I'm not sure enjoyed the whole God aspect of the proceedings!!
It was a great day out in London [yes I know I went to Oxford Brookes, but why would that mean graduating in that fair city?!] & it was great to see so many former classmates there.
I'll post up a few pics in a little while, but for now here's the 'money shot' ;o)
8 Oct 2008
Want this one!
I have too many plans methinks, but here is number two [of many hopefuly!]
At the moment there is nothing wrong with my guitar & yet because it cost little monies, I feel that when I have established myself in suitable employment, I might actually get around to purchasing my first guitar. Having thought & researched it a little, I have an inkling that this might be the way forward. I think it will do the job, but I will wait until I can actually play properly.
At the moment there is nothing wrong with my guitar & yet because it cost little monies, I feel that when I have established myself in suitable employment, I might actually get around to purchasing my first guitar. Having thought & researched it a little, I have an inkling that this might be the way forward. I think it will do the job, but I will wait until I can actually play properly.
Idea Factory
Now this sounds a little far-fetched, however, a random idea came to me the other day & I thought I should blog as such. The simplest way to describe this is that I wish to create some form of studio. To grow this as an idea, I shall expand on what I mean.
At the moment I'm still living at home & have wheat I call my lounge downstairs which at the moment just has a TV & DVD surround-sound system in it. I also have a large Apple iMac in my room which has some limited music making capabilities. I've also got my guitar set-up in the lounge. Now my father has offered me a Roland keyboard & another USB MIDI keyboard.
What struck me was that with all this kit, why not put it all together. The potential is that I could get more kit & then get the boys [Nate, Hobbit, AJ/PeteE] round to jam & record some random worship/rock stuff.
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