Kvlog101 Blog

Posts form the past...

2013-05-20T06:51:00.004-07:00

In the history of this blog i have wrote a whole lot of posts (322 to be exact) this is due to my daily work pattern were i am always making content and having plans for future posts...

I write a lot of things about very different topics and have a back catalogue of some interesting articles that i thought i would link to in this post:

Why do we Exaggerate?
18 Sep 2011
http://kvlog101.blogspot.co.uk/2011/09/why-do-we-exaggerate.html

New Media vs. Old Media
19 May 2013
http://kvlog101.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/new-media-vs-old-media.html

Review of summer in the city 2012
21 Aug 2012
http://kvlog101.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/the-review-of-summer-in-city-2012.html

The worst article to appear in the newpapers
30 Sep 2011
http://kvlog101.blogspot.co.uk/2011/09/worst-article-ever-to-appear-in-todays.html

Olympics Closing Ceremony
12 Aug 2012
http://kvlog101.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/olympics-closing-ceremony.html

I hope you enjoy looking back at some of my old posts.

thanks for reading and supporting the blog.

New Media vs. Old Media

2013-05-19T10:59:00.001-07:00

Times have changed and with the rise of YouTube and more social media sites on the Internet we have seen a change in how media works. The past few years have changed the landscape of broadcasting as more and more people have started to see how sites such as YouTube, catch up services and social media can be used.
When was the last time you sat down for longer than 2 hours to watch TV?
For me it has been a while since i have watched television as i have been able to get the media content that i need from the Internet and apps on my tablet PC.

YouTube has grown to become the best video/ media service on the Internet as you will find everything you will ever need on one site and with a few clicks of the the mouse. The great thing about YouTube is the types of content and the creators, to put it simply:
YouTube content is created by the people for the people, Anyone who wants to created a video can make on and upload it meaning everyone can express themselves freely...

Old media is not as open as this new form of expression and only opens it self up to certain people who can work in television. Old media has lost its edge and like everything else is being replaced by a bigger and better system. Old media such as newspapers and radio have also lost the market share as more and more people read the papers online and on apps for tablets and Ipads This has led advertising shifting towards the online market in recent years as companies have found that there is more success in online marketing and advertising as the audience of old media have move in to the new age of online viewing of papers, news, home grown content and online media.

What do you think about new media?

Thanks for reading and supporting the blog.

Blogging Update

2013-05-15T07:46:00.002-07:00

The kvlog101 blogging network is getting bigger and better as this year goes on. I have started 2 new projects in the past week and i hope to grow these projects very quickly over the next month or two.

Project 1: Review Site
http://kvlog101reviews.blogspot.co.uk/
There are plenty of review sites already out there on the Internet but i have found myself move towards doing more tech and gadget stuff lately so thought i would look at setting up a review site.
This is going to be a blog that will help to raise money for funding future projects and travel costs for a time lapse project in July.
The way the blog works will be simple and help show off good quality products.
By using the amazon affiliate programs for everyone that buys a product we review using the links on the post we get a small cut of the sales meaning that by shopping with amazon using the links on the site you help the blog grow and improve and to bring better content to the network.

Project 2: one day in my life project
http://one-day-in-my-life-project.blogspot.co.uk/
I have had an idea for a while now to create this blog but have held off until i had everything planned.
This is going to be a blog were i am wanting to get people from around the world to write about what they do in a normal day then email it to the email address on the blog so i can post it. This will allow everyone to read about someones day and see what other people experience...
I will be posting a a blog post of a normal day to start then i want to get as many people involved by posting there day in an email to the email address on the blog.
I am not 100% sure how this project will turn out but i think it could make for some interesting reading.

Thanks for reading and supporting the blog.
I will be posting more content on the main blog in a day or two...

Clearing my thoughts:

2013-05-09T07:14:00.002-07:00

Why can't anything be simple and just work?

I have been working on a project with a few people recently and it started out well and was going nicely but as time has gone on it seems the people involved are not communicating as much...

This project is important and is meant to be moving at a steady pace but day by day it has started to come to a halt due to communication issues and time management, The main issue lies in the fact that when you need some information form someone to advance in the project they seem to not have it or have made mistakes meaning you have to back track... Working as a team means supporting each other and getting on with the work not delaying it...

Reliability of people is a real issue for me at the moment as sometimes other people just seem to cause more problems than they solve meaning it is starting to impact on my work and at the end of the day this kind of thing really makes you think about life and what you want out of it...

I have started to plan my holidays now as the accommodation is booked. I am just in the process of planning out were to visits, stuff to do, video ideas, time lapse ideas, shoot locations and general stuff that goes along with any holiday.

I have also started planning my trip to London and getting things sorted out so i have a definite plan of what i am going to do while i am there. I am looking at shoot locations and things to do plus planning for summer in the city 2013. I have some big plans this year so keep reading the blog to keep up.

It seems that the minecraft server i was planning will not be going ahead just yet as a few things have come up that have lead to me rethinking the way to move forward with my blog and my time, I think the builds i have in store will be better built single player and let up for down load then run on a server. so stay tuned for more information as i post on the games blog.

Also in other news i am having a few upgrades to my computer before i start the posting more games content as i am not 100% happy with the computer as it is.

Thanks for reading and supporting the blog.

Computer Update: Lets Start Again

2013-05-04T07:06:00.002-07:00

The Computer is fixed and working now... But we lost the minecraft worlds, builds and research documents...

The problem was diagnosed as a fault in the processor so had to have a new one fitted, the hard drive had a few issues too so that had to be wiped and many files destroyed...

So now i have my computer back i will start to build up a new minecraft project for the games blog were i will be looking at texture packs and doing a few single player builds and when the time is right we will be looking at servers or releasing the maps for download.

I will be putting some content together for the games blog over the next few days so be sure to check out the games blog.

Just thought i would update you all and tell you a few plans i have so be sure to follow the blogs and to follow me on twitter for the latest information.

Thanks for reading and supporting the blog.

My computer is DEAD...

2013-04-28T13:23:00.005-07:00

It is a sad day as my computer has just given up working... My computer is only two years old and has been great but it seems something inside has stopped working so it will be going to the repair shop tomorrow were hopefully they can do something...

The main problem we will face is if the hard drive has failed because if it has and we can't recover the information we may have lost the minecraft saves and the builds for the new world we were creating...

It also means that i may have lost several folders worth of research for a project that as going to be starting in a few weeks time...

Lets hope its good news and we can get it sorted out soon...

The blog will continue with little or no disruption as long as nothing goes wrong so don not worry about the blogging network.

Thanks for reading and supporting the blog.

Cispa: How it will backfire on the US Government

2013-04-23T06:23:00.003-07:00

Cispa has put in to the lime light again as the US Government tries to get hold of information of everyone in the USA.

How Cispa will backfire:

Cispa has been said to be for the protection of the Internet and to stop threats of national security and terrorism. BUT it seems many of the people backing the bill may have overlooked a few things...
The bill is so loosely written that many of the things stated in the bill could be taken in many ways so interpretation could lead to the down fall of many people in power in the USA.

For example:

1. If someone with in congress was involved in heavy talks about defence contracts and lots of money was being dealt with this bill could be used by the government to see what backroom deals were being cut...
This could lead to big problems and expose corporation deals to public sources if a 3rd party system was ever hacked.

2. If "someone in power" was brought by a corporation to help pass a bill or law allowing something to happen that made the US government look the other way and then the said company was to be involved in selling arms and weapons to a terrorist group you could say that "person of power" was involved in terror activities meaning Corporations, US Government, Anyone could then go and search through all their past online and in real life... My guess is that many US government officials might not like that...

The biggest thing about cispa is that it will cause more trouble for the US than they could ever imagine:
By sharing sensitive information and personal details with other companies and government yo expose the information to weaker systems and this allows for hacking groups to gain access easier, The Internet is in outrage about how the US government is treating people and their information and if this bill passes and it is not stopped the US Government better be prepared for the problems it will face. No Doubt that if this bill passes many US officials will have their own lives exposed to the open Internet by hackers and the US government and corporations will have to sort out their security as Hackers will be wanting to break in to the information.

The only thing this bill will do is Cause pain and suffering to America and Remove the right to privacy on the Internet in in your own lives.

DO NOT SUPPORT CISPA...

To help stop this from destroying the right to privacy contact your heads of government, sign the petitions and spread the word about how this will cause problems for everyone.

Thanks for reading and supporting the blog.

16000 pageviews

2013-04-16T04:30:00.002-07:00

This blog has reached 16000 page views and I can't thank people enough for supporting this blog.
I am always looking at how to improve the blog and setting goals and my most recent goal is to reach 20000 page views by Summer in the City 2013.

This is going to a challenge but we can do it if we all work together... This blog is something that has grown from an idea i had back in 2010 and i have major plans in the near future to set up a blogging community in a small corner of the Internet... More shall be revealed soon...

As this blog has grown i have had the chance to work with people who i never thought i would meet and i have had some great opportunities that would never have happened if it was not for this blog.

I have been in talks with a few people/companies and have had a few ideas about how i can reward my readers and followers with a competition.
I have amounted several products over my time of blogging and might have a giveaway of a few things...

More details soon...

Thanks for reading and supporting the blog.

Summer in the City 2013: Hotels

2013-04-13T04:00:00.003-07:00

Summer in the city 2013 is going to be great as the line up looks good and the venue will open up many new opportunity's for the event to grow.

London can be expensive and looking at the hotels around the venue they have adjusted prices since the rise in interest of this event. looking at the accommodation available in the area i have listed a few hotels i would recommend to people who need to stay over in London for the event.

Here are some great hotels to look for if you need a place to stay in London

Piccadilly Backpackers Hostel:

http://www.piccadillyhotel.net/
If you are looking for a cheap deal check out this hostel as it is one of the best in London.
It has a good central location and has plenty of transport links to the other parts of the city.
Prices are around £8 to £20 a night with lots of extras included.

Hostels:
http://www.hostelworld.com/
This is a great website for finding accommodation around the world and the database of London hostels is great so if you want somewhere cheap check out this website.

B&Bs In the area around the venue:
http://www.alexandrapalacebandb.co.uk/#

Hotels near the venue:
Be warned that these hotels will be expensive and the cost will be upwards end of £100
http://www.queenshotelmuswellhill.com/
http://www.theraglan.com/raglan/index.jsf
http://www.nationalshotel.com/
http://www.roseviewhotel.co.uk/

The best option for accommodation in London:

Travel Lodge:
http://www.travelodge.co.uk/
If you are looking for a basic room with good facilities try one of the travel lodges near kings cross as it gives you access to the city and a short journey to the venue for summer in the city. Prices are from £70 to £150

This year i will be staying in central London for access to the city and the event so the travel lodges are the best for if you are doing the same.

Hope this helps everyone out, Lets all make Summer in the City 2013 the best event in London.

I shall be posting stuff in the run up to summer in the city so be sure to follow the blog and keep checking back every week or so.

Thank you for reading and supporting the blog.

Support charities today: Save the Children

2013-04-12T07:14:00.000-07:00

The Internet is a great resource for helping people in need as we are more connected than ever before and we have a platform to support and raise money for many charities.

There are some great websites that have allowed charities to reach a wider audience by calling on great communities such as the YouTube and Bloggers. This situation is good as a charity such as save the children can raise awareness to campaigns, gather new volunteers for charity work and get more people involved in raising money for a good cause. Many people underestimate the power of the Internet and think it is a bad thing but the truth is that the Internet has made it possible to connect with more people and this can be used to the advantage of charities to gain more support.

Many people are going through a hard time themselves with unemployment and may not have money to spare for a charity donation but services such as Twitter, Facebook , Reddit and other social media can help you make a huge difference to a charity.

If you spread the word about campaigns such as #If YouTube and other campaigns by save the children you can make a difference by gaining support from other people who may not have know about what they were doing to help thousands of children around the world.

It only takes a few minutes to copy the link or click a button to spread the word about the lifesaving work of save the children...

There is a great campaign that everyone should get behind and support that is going on now... It is called #If YouTube you can watch a great set of videos for save the children made by Charlie McDonnell (charlie) and Lindsey Atkins (liliesarelike). They have travelled to Tanzania to highlight the work of save the children and to raise awareness of the situation regarding food.

I would highly recommend you watch these videos then like, share and favourite the videos and help spread the word about how we can all make a difference and save a life of a child somewhere in the world.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZwCVNM_qwDI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XhMZNoo70Yo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=idi5j-Uygys
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_Gd5yVbG18

These charities need support to continue their work and the Internet can help to support them... If you want to help today visit the save the children website and share the link in any way you can http://www.savethechildren.org.uk/

There are some great people working for save the children and you could join in and help out today by spreading the word around the Internet.
I hope this post can help spread the word and gain some more support for save the children and help save someone.
Share this post, share the links, spread the word and let's make a difference to someone that is less fortunate than ourselves.

Thank you for reading and supporting save the children

Summer in the City 2013: Advice and Information

2013-04-09T03:16:00.004-07:00

Summer in the City 2013 is going to the biggest gathering in the UK as people from around the UK and abroad are going to descend on Alexandra Palace in London .

Last year was a big learning curve for the organisers with many problems but this year it should be great as the line up looks good, the venue looks perfect and growing community on YouTube will be there to show their support.

Here is some advice about summer in the city gatherings:

I was there last year I thought I was great but I will say now that if you are going to summer in the city be sure to sort out you tickets as soon as possible as it is going to be busy...

Like every gathering ever held I will state that if you are going to fan girl around your idol be prepared that it is a busy event and there are no guarantee you will meet them... it is a fact that YouTube has grown and the community is growing everyday so be prepared you are not the only one going there just to see them and they will only stand round meeting people for a set amount of time they cant just stand there all day...

Summer in the City is an event for people to meet up and share the common interest that is YouTube, Social Networking and Blogging so be sure to talk to many people or may be enjoy a game or two of ninja...

Many people feel nervous and intimidated when you first arrive but ultimately you should not feel alone in that feeling... if you see someone sat in the corner on their own go and talk to them and be prepared to make plenty of friends at summer in the city as there are plenty of friendly people to meet.

Go with a few friends or be sure to meet up with a few friends there as you will find it more enjoyable...

Don't forget your camera...

I hope the information above is helpful and gives you an idea of what summer in the city is about.

I will be attending this year and hope to meet as many people as possible.

Thanks for reading and supporting the blog.

Summer in the City Details...

2013-04-04T07:04:00.001-07:00

What a launch... it seems the organisers have had a few issues with the launch on the ticket site but hopefully they get it all sorted out today and have them up for sale again tonight.

The new ticket price is £18 and the venue looks great, Alexandra Palace is set in a parkland of 196 acres but the great thing is the building that will be housing the event this year.

The palace is located near Wood Green underground station in zone 3 of London with underground links from kings cross every few minutes, you can get the W3 bus from outside the underground station or it is just a 5 minute walk from the station.

If you are looking for hotels there are some great deals to be had in the centre of London and in the surrounding areas of the city. I will be posting more details of hotels in the area over the next few days so be sure to check the blog and to follow the blog for more information

I shall be posting some more details over the next few days as they are released by the organisers.

Thank you for reading and supporting the blog.

Summer in the City/ London Trip 2013

2013-04-02T00:29:00.002-07:00

Tweets have been broadcast as everyone waits to see where the event will be held in London... the countdown has started for the release of information at 8pm BST on Wednesday 03.04.2013.

This year looks set to be the biggest event as the number of people attending are more than last year, which raises the questions of if this year is going to be the better than last year.

The youtube community is growing larger everyday and looking at the way it has grown over the past few years we are only growing larger as a community and event like summer in the city are great for networking and working together on ideas for videos, blogs and more...

I will be posting more content about summer in the city and i hope to create some Time lapse videos of the event when i am there which i will be posting to my youtube channel so if you want more summer in the city content be sure to follow this blog and subscribe to the youtube channel.

Check back in a few days for more information on summer in the city and stuff to do while you are in London.

Thanks for reading and supporting the blog.

Photography Weekend

2013-03-28T10:46:00.002-07:00

Last weekend I was busy on a small trip to Derbyshire to do some photography and I can say now that it was a bit different to what I thought it would be...

In Britain we have had some strange weather over the past few days, Normally around this time of year it should be warming up and getting ready for summer but instead mother nature threw us a curve ball and parts of the UK have been submerged in snow and in some parts of the countryside it has been higher then the cars and vans.

So I was asked by a few people to go to Derbyshire to do some photography and i also wanted to visit a few English heritage sites while i was there so i decided to take the trip and do some photography. Also i should mention that one of the best fish and chip shops in Britain is in a town called Belper.

The fish and chips there are the best i have ever tasted and you would have to go a long way to beat them. Here's the link to the place http://www.georgestradition.co.uk/ if you are ever near Belper you have to try the fish and chips.

The meals are great and well worth the money. The food is perfect and place is perfect to escape the cold weather outside.

10/10 for everything about this company and its food.

Back to the photography... The weather was bad on the way there but we did not let that put us off as we had packed of all eventualities and we decided to make our way to a place called carrsington waters but had to turn back as the roads were blocked.

This is just one of many shots of the small snow drifts at the side of the roads.

Even though the snow was bad there was still something about the
landscape and we got many great pictures.

The landscape was hit hard as many of the fields have been damaged and there have been reports of farmers digging out flocks of sheep from under the snow.

Derbyshire is a great place to visit as you find some great features like the bridges and you can find some great scenery that can be breathtaking.

The UK has so much to offer in history and in culture, it has some great places to visit as you can see great lochs in Scotland, see for miles over from remote hillsides and find great little treasures that show British craftsmanship.

English Heritage Sites:

English heritage is a great organisation that preserves and keeps old buildings, rich in history and architecture...On the below is a picture from Bolsover Castle which is a great mixture of preserved buildings and ruins that are great to explore. Link to site:

http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/daysout/properties/bolsover-castle/

On the above is a picture of a grand house called Sutton Scarsdale hall which is a ruin that has not had a roof since 1919 great to explore and look at great architecture. Link to site: http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/daysout/properties/sutton-scarsdale-hall/

While in Derbyshire I also visited Chatsworth House.

This is one of only a few places on list of favourite locations as it is an amazing place to visit, The house is great to visit as it is rich in history and the estate is great as it has many businesses in the many acres of the country side.
The farm shop is perfect and you can get some of the best quality products sourced from the local area.
Link to the website:
http://www.chatsworth.org/

The snow was a surprise for the weekend and at first I thought it would not be that good but i think the bad weather added to the drama in the photos and created something more life like and real.

I am hoping to do more travelling and already planning a trip to London to do some photography while i am there.

Thanks for reading and supporting the blog.

New Shop

2013-03-18T07:55:00.002-07:00

As you all may know if you read my blog i have had a shop tab up above and it has been dead linked. But now i would like to invite you all to view my amazon affiliate shop were you can see some the products i use and have tested over the years.

The great thing about the shop is that every time someone buys a product this blog gets a cut of the sales which means it can go towards the running costs of the blog and to pay for giveaways and competitions.

If you wish to support the blog feel free to browse the products and buy them.

Hope you all like the products available.

Thanks for reading and supporting the blog

How can blogging change the world.

2013-03-12T06:21:00.002-07:00

If a picture paints a thousands words, what can a blog post paint? Maybe a small canvas...

I have been spending more time designing and taking photos recently as i have been in a creative mood and also i got my new camera which is just amazing. Over the past few years i have wrote about many subjects and topics covered by conventional media and unconventional media and through it all i have always seen this blog as a part of me that helps me express and communicate in a creative way.

I Started this blog from a small idea and it has grown to become a successful blogging network with a range of blogs covering different subjects and topics. This blog has become a large part of my life as i have found that blogging is a great way to be creative and express myself through writing. People have commented on my work and even distributed it on their own blogs and i think this is great as it has helped me to reach out to people around the world and spend my time doing something that i want to do.

Blogging is a great tool for anyone to communicate and share part of their life, work, surroundings, holidays and what they are passionate about. In a world were we are all connected to technology and we all have our own lives we can read blogs about other people in other countries and places. You can even read blogs from people who are in space...

As the technology grows and improves blogging will be a way to see what we have done in the past and it leaves an account of what we did as people for future generations to read about the past and not just selected chapters in the history books

If you want to blog about something just do it as it will open your own life to the world and you will discover so much more to life than what you see now.

Leave a comment in the box below with your links to your blog and lets share our work with the world...

Thank you for reading and supporting the blog.

Creative Lifestyle:Blogging and Design

2013-02-24T05:59:00.004-08:00

Throughout my life i have always been creative and always been involved in making something be it photography, drawing, writing or designing.

I found that over the years my creativity has grown and i have created some of my best work in the past year or so i have always enjoyed the fact that i can be involved in creating something that will be used or seen by people and this blog has been a great tool for unleashing my creativity.

Some of my most read posts are of the minecraft content and my photographic posts and i have decided to make something special. Over the next few months i am going to be creating a series of blog posts, videos, plans and photographic process that will show you how i plan a minecraft build, this will include planning of themes, sketches, foundation setting and ultimately the final build.

Everyday i wake up and fire up the laptop ready to post the blog entries of the day then i will get on with the graphic design work and then i will sort out websites and content building for the web design business.
Working from home is great as i can manage my own time and work on creative projects, as with most self employed people money can be tight at times but it can also be the part of the drive to work hard and make the business work. My blog is my space were i go to vent my creative ideas and to clear my head and this helps to keep me positive.

Blogging is more than just a task or job it is an art form as it can be a direct display of an idea or something more complex and interesting. When an artist is painting a picture they look at the world around them and put there own style and vision on paper, it then hangs on a wall for people to see and talk about.

Bloggging is an art form were anyone can express themselves and reach out to others around the world, my blog has created so many opportunities and options for me over the years i would not be the person i am to day.

Over the next few months i will be posting plenty of content as i am wanting to get to 25000 page views before summer in the city so if you want to support me keep reading and follow the blogs so you get up to date alerts when i post.

Thanks for reading and supporting the blog.

15000 Page Views: Thank You

2013-02-20T05:42:00.000-08:00

I have hit 15000 page views on this blog and its all because of my readers and supporters and i would like to say thank you for making this a blog a success and supporting my work:

I was thinking about the number 15000 and trying to comprehend how many people that would be in one place so created this little segment to put it in context:

Royal Albert Hall:
The seating capacity is about 5000 seats so in theory i have filled the Royal Albert Hall three times.

London Eye:
The capacity of the London eye is 800 people so in theory i have filled the London eye nearly 18 or 19 times.

Royal Festival Hall:
The capacity in the venue is 3000 so i have had enough readers to fill it nearly 5 times

The Globe Theatre:
the capacity of this great building in London is 3000 people so i have filled this 5 times with the amount of readers i have had.

Lyceum Theatre, London:

The theatre were the lion king has been performed in London for the past 11 years or so can hold 2100 people, most of the shows are fully booked so in theory i have had enough readers to fill this theatre nearly 8 times.

Thank you to everyone who has taken time to visit my blog and read my work

here's to the next 15000 page views and lets try to get to keep the blog growing by following the blog with the tool on the right hand side of the screen.

Thank you for reading and supporting the blog.

15 to 15000

2013-02-18T02:52:00.002-08:00

I have not blogged in a while as i have been trying to grow my photography blog and get more views on the project 365 blog...

I has been going well as over the past month i have managed to get around 600 page views on the photography blog and i am now getting a better response with project 365 so i decided to make this post about how this blog is going to hit a milestone in a short amount of time.

When you first start a blog you have to work hard and get people interested in what you are writing about and posting and you build an audience who will keep visiting the site and checking out the content you post.

Over the past few years i have learnt a lot about blogging, Internet browsing patterns and how people view things on the Internet. here are just a few observations;

Viewers and Readers:
On blogs you get 2 types of visitors and these are core audience who follow the blog and read the most parts of the content posted and then you get chance audience people who find you blog through the search engines and just read one or two articles and leave. For the most part my blog is built on chance encounters and widespread social media as i write about everything and anything meaning at some point anyone will find my blog through a search engine while searching for something on the Internet.

Comments:
In the history of this blog i have not really had many comments on articles as i write my content in such a way that it is there to be read and then people can leave without commenting if they wish but i always try to pose a question to grow an article as it is a great tool to see who your audience are and what they think.

I will leave it there for today but i will be posting a fun post when i hit 15000 page views so be sure to follow and keep visiting the blog to see when that is released.

Thanks for reading and supporting the blog.

Top Secret Minecraft Project: Solo Build

2013-02-10T06:48:00.002-08:00

Today is a good day as i have started a new minecraft building project for a map i will hopefully release in a few months time...

There has been a lot of stuff happening with the design business and with other projects i have not played on a game in while but i thought i was about time to do another minecraft build and release some games related content.

This build is going to be different from the last few i have done as i am going to change the way i handle the build.

1. This is going to be a solo build on a large scale
2. No world edit tools
3. It is going to be a world wide server build with zones and one theme throughout
4. The build will be done on Saturdays and Sundays

I hope to get as much built on the server as possible over the next few months and release information each month about how it is going. There will be a video released when everything is ready and i will put the map up for download if there is a big enough response to the posts.

So leave a comment about what you think is going to be built...

To support the build be sure to keep visiting the blog and follow the blog so you get up to date posts...

Thanks for reading and supporting the blog.

Reading List: My Book List Part 1

2013-02-05T07:23:00.002-08:00

When i left university after doing 5 years of study i found that i started to read more books on a variety of subjects as i can tell you anyone who goes through university will gain a certain mind set were you have to keep learning new and interesting stuff because of how you develop your skills through university life and nearly everyone i know has the same problem.

When you spend an amount of time doing academic work you get in to a mind set were you want to keep expanding your skills and learning as you find that if you don't you feel really stupid. We are all wired differently but when you work in such a creative and academic place you will gain a quest to want to learn as much as you can as you will find that it serves you well in the future.

Since leaving university i have gained a large collect of books and thought i would share a book list that i think everyone should own: I have included links to amazon were you can buy them. plus if you buy from this link i get a cut of the sale meaning that you are helping yo support this blog.

Book 1:

Beginners Get . . . Sorted: Over 140 simple, tasty recipes that take the fuss out of food

http://amzn.to/XJxuj8

At £10 this book is great and i suggest it at anyone who loves cooking

Book 2:

Sorted: A rookie's guide to crackin' cooking - cookbook

http://amzn.to/XJy9Bb

This is another sorted food book

that i would recommend and its only £10

Book 3:

Sorted - A Recipe for Student Survival: Student Cookbook

http://amzn.to/XlpPG6

This book saved me through university and

this is a must for every student. Best £10 spent...

Book 4:

The Hobbit

http://amzn.to/XJzVlS

This book is only £4 and it is the best book for when

you have a long train journey. you have to

buy it as it is just great... enough said...

Book 5

Assassin's Creed: Renaissance

http://amzn.to/11PnOVo

£6 for this book and if you enjoyed the assassins

creed games you will enjoy this book.

Book 6:

Assassin's Creed: Forsaken

http://amzn.to/XJCvbs

£4 for this book and and it is a good read and goes well with the latest game

So that concludes this post and i will be posting another list soon.

Thanks for reading and supporting the blog.

Phone Scam 118 118

2013-02-01T05:11:00.001-08:00

we had the phone bill arrive today and we had a shock when we checked the phone records.

A few weeks a go we had to get a phone number for a hospital in Ireland as one of my relatives had an accident while on holiday so we rang the phone operator on 118 118 and spoke to someone about trying to get a number, after a minute or so they redirected us to another department and we were on the phone for around 10min or so trying to get this number we needed they were not being quick about there job.

When you ring the number there is no talk of cost involved with using the service and when you look online it says its only around £1.70 per min.

Back to today when we open the phone bill to find a 14 Minute record of a number that we supposedly dialled that is charging us £35.71, the number in question is 118 661 and when i looked online we were put thorough to a higher rate number charging nearly £4 a min... while all this was going on there was no talk or messages of how much they were charging for the calls.

When we spoke to Virgin Media to dispute the call they said that we had dialled it and we will have to pay for it. BUT in the long and short of it we dialled 118 118 and was re-directed to a higher fee phone line such as 118 661... So it looks like they are not going to help curb this trend in companies performing highway robbery on people and are happy to feed these companies.

These blood sucking parasitic companies are charging outrageous prices and not being transparent about the costs of the calls with the people who use these services, I feel like these companies are just praying on people and its daylight robbery.

DO NOT USE ANY OF THESE PHONE SERVICES AS THEY WILL BLEED YOUR WALLET DRY...

DO NOT USE 118 118 AS THEY WILL TAKE YOUR MONEY AND RIP YOU OFF...

DO NOT FALL INTO THE TRAP THAT THESE COMPANIES HAVE CREATED...

TELL YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY AND SPREAD THE WORD ON HOW THESE COMPANIES ARE NOT BEING TRANSPARENT AND PRACTICALLY STEALING PEOPLES MONEY.

Thanks for reading and supporting the blog.

My work space: Blogging/ Design hub

2013-01-31T07:37:00.006-08:00

Many of my readers might know that i have converted a room in the house to a new office space for the design business and also to serve as a hub were i can write blog posts and plan projects.

It has taken a while to get it to the point i have now and the office is far from being finished, but i thought i would give my readers an update of my workspace at the moment:

NEW DOOR:
Only today have i just got a new door for the office
(well its not a door but i acts like a door)

we removed the old door as it was not that good and it took up to much room, so we decided to put a curtain up instead as it would not take over too much space...

Cost:
Pole/ Fixings £10
Curtain £35

NEW WALL LAYOUT:

I have moved round the contents of my wall of inspiration and added 2 new boards that i have been using for graphic design ideas, these have helped a lot as i have had a rise in the amount of work recently and need to create more and more stuff for clients.

Having a dedicated space to design work can help a lot and bring so many more ideas and concepts that will help you in the long run.

Top tips to anyone who needs to get inspiration for designs:
1. Surround yourself with colour
2. Look at work that has been successful and look at how they created that product.
3. Never throw away anything you have made as it may be helpful in the future.
4. Read books and talk to people as it can help to gain ideas and concepts that will help with your design work.

LETTERS:

Typography is something that can unlock ideas and
display so much more than an image or photograph,

How a simple font can be used to show something in design is a amazing and it can be used in such a powerful way in modern design.

I have several books on the subject and use many quotes from history to give me inspiration when i need to start designing a product or graphic.

So the office is taking shape slowly and i am going to be doing a few more alterations to the furniture in the next few weeks so i will post another update soon.

Thank you for reading and supporting my blog. Don't forget to check out my other blogs on the new top menu on the main blog site.

Everything online: Is that a good thing?

2013-01-24T03:38:00.003-08:00

As everything starts to progress on the Internet were is it all going to end?

Every week i talk with friends and we all have a laugh and when we get together we always have some good conversations that spark interesting ideas.
If you talk to anyone they will no doubt say everything has changed in modern day society due to the expanding Internet and technology. we were talking about how things have changed in the job markets and how the Internet has affected things.

Film Industry
Then:
Many years a go film makers would have to make films with expensive equipment then have to rent studio space to edit these films then send off the reels/media to studios and hope they had their movie made...
Now:
You can log on to amazon and order a good quality DSLR, rigs and equipment and have them delivered the next day for a fraction of the price compared to many years ago, then you can make your film and then use your own computer to edit and then upload them to youtube... simple and you can make money from your films online...
Conclusion:
Times have changed a lot and people can access this industry a lot easier than before and to be honest i think some of these independent films on youtube are so much better than some of the crap Michael bay has created. due to the Internet we can access a wide range of media and see some of the talent some of these film makers have.

Music
Then:
If you ever wanted to make money you had to make it big time and be part of a record label. You had to hire a studio to record music if you ever wanted to sell it and you had to pay a lot of money to get anywhere.
Now:
Anyone who wants to do music can upload to the Internet and monetise the content and make money. The growth in technology has meant that people can own there own recording equipment and use it in there own homes meaning that anyone could record a album if they wanted to.
Conclusion:
The freedom to create to create music has been unlocked so much and to the point were many artists around today would not have been heard if it was not for the technology and the Internet sites such as YouTube.

Writers
Then:
Years ago there was a high standard of publishing and to get published you had to do so much work and hire companies to represent your book and to print it meaning that you could make small profit.
Now:
Writing has changed so much over the past few years as most modern day writers create content for e-readers and digital media as they can now upload there books to reading services them selves and not have to deal with large publishing houses unless they are printing the book to paper.
Conclusion:
The technological age has made it so much easier to write books and to get them published and out to the public meaning that writers have more freedom over there work and can create more and more content as the process of books have changed. its a rare sight to see people reading a paperback now as many people use tablet PCs, e-readers and ipads as there portable library.

Artists
Then:
Art has been a driving force of culture for many years and artists have used so many mediums to create some great art and some not so great art.
Now:
The digital age has created more ways to create art and make things possible, some of the most interesting buildings have been taken from pen to paper over the years but with the digital age of graphics tablets and computers we can do so much more and create some great things.
Conclusion:
As technology advances art is going to grow and grow creating things we won't have seen in the past and the use of digital media will play a big part in the growth of art.

So here we are at the end of this blog post and i am going to ask a question for people to answer in the comments section below:

Where is technology taking us?

Thanks for reading and supporting the blog

14,000 Page Views

2013-01-20T03:54:00.001-08:00

Its hard to believe that this blog page has been viewed 14,000 times... when you start a blog you always question the content and if people will read it and this has been so true with the blog every time i post something. I feel like this blog has entered a new level of development and has grown in to a success but ultimately it will always be developing and adapting to new content and posts as long as people still enjoy reading.

If anyone would have asked me a few years ago about how many people would read this i would have said not many people... but now i can see that this blog can grow more and more with your help, i shall start planning something big for the 15,000 page views and i want to get everyone involved. I am thinking i might run a contest or give away, but i shall release more details at a later date.

I know many of you have been here and read my past work and i have activated the follow feature on my blog now so you can follow this blog with your google account and view my blog posts in google reader when they are released.

I cant stop thanking everyone for supporting my blog and giving me the chance to keep doing what i love, i know today that if it was not for that first blog post and running this page my life would not have been as good as it has been, all my readers have given me the chance to blog to a wider audience and to gain so much in life.

Thank you for reading and supporting the blog