Hi
At last I get round to writing a blog on this page. My plan to do nothing over Christmas failed and I found my self busier than ever. Also I have been posting blogs on the next level blog page recently and run out of things to say after one blog normally! But anyway before one of my friends gets the chance to go all ninja on me (so he claimed) I will give a quick, personal look at 2007.
Its been a long, but in the whole pretty good year. I've been to Europe twice and racked up quite a few land miles in the process. Improved my presenting ability and confidence. Recently joined a new band. Convinced myself through one massive session on singstar at a party i've got what it takes...ish....Improved at karate and achieved quite a lot in other things as well. Got a PS3 (oh shut up fanboys please, I'd say the same if I got an 360). SEEING SERJ TANKIAN LIVE was a massive highlight. And probably top of my list, made quite a few new friends.
Its also had some low points, mostly to do with people to be honest. I have less to do with certain members of my family than I would like, and have managed to get myself involved in a difficult situation fairly late on in the year (friends will know what I mean lol). But I would, without sounding daft and soppy, to thank the good friends that have stuck by me through all the shit I kept causing for myself. Cheers for that, and I will do the same should I have too.
So now I'm looking forward to 2008. It should be a good year. If I've cursed it by saying that I'll apologise in advance! Throughout this year, I feel I've become more relaxed and content, much more than I ever have been and hope that even though I will end up with a s**t load of exams to do, I will not turned into a complete stress head...So to finish my final blog for this year, I'd like to wish every reader a happy new year! But I've got a party to go to tonight, so may write a drunken slur of a blog tomorrow at around 1am...
Cya
Josh
Monday, 31 December 2007
Sunday, 23 December 2007
Crap, that feeling again
Hello people
It's this time of year when i get the same feeling that I only really have one time a year....(stop sniggering at the back). That feeling that tells you that you should be incredibly excited and that the world will turn into one big turkey if you don't look at the positive side of things. Now, I aint miserable or unhappy, far from it, it's just that I'm probably too cynical when it comes to Christmas, but its just an excuse be given stuff and be lazy.
Hey, this is 'pre-Xmas' Josh talking, so its more than likely that tomorrow I will be jumping for joy. I will probably tidy the house for the first time this year in preparation for making it a complete tip the next day and double check that I've got everybody who deserves it,presents (time for the emergency selection box). I will willingly go on a ridiculously long walk, so that I have at least done some movement before Christmas.
This year I aint a clue what we are doing. Christmas eve is a funny night, as everybody either gets more pissed than a school urinal or sinks into depression after a predictable family row. The majority of people simply are waiting for the next day.
This year I also to be honest I am more looking forward to break and spending time with family than tearing down stairs on christmas morning like a demented hamster, ripping all forms of paper, including wallpaper, from where it was placed.
I also am using the time to plan various projects for next year. I am hoping to help continue the music revolution I am involved in and then continue with a little thing called 'The Next Level' (yes I know I said at the top it has nothing to do with it, BUT CLICK ON THE LINK!!). Plus I will buy some stuff! I have a video to shoot and edit for media studies (fun fun fun) so all in all am quite busy....but I wouldnt have it any other way...
Oh and by the way. Apologies to anybody who is reading this blogs and is morally shocked at the fact I have said Merry Christmas and not Happy Holidays...I have 3 words for you PC obsessed folk....'Get'....'Over'....'It'..
Have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year
Josh
It's this time of year when i get the same feeling that I only really have one time a year....(stop sniggering at the back). That feeling that tells you that you should be incredibly excited and that the world will turn into one big turkey if you don't look at the positive side of things. Now, I aint miserable or unhappy, far from it, it's just that I'm probably too cynical when it comes to Christmas, but its just an excuse be given stuff and be lazy.
Hey, this is 'pre-Xmas' Josh talking, so its more than likely that tomorrow I will be jumping for joy. I will probably tidy the house for the first time this year in preparation for making it a complete tip the next day and double check that I've got everybody who deserves it,presents (time for the emergency selection box). I will willingly go on a ridiculously long walk, so that I have at least done some movement before Christmas.
This year I aint a clue what we are doing. Christmas eve is a funny night, as everybody either gets more pissed than a school urinal or sinks into depression after a predictable family row. The majority of people simply are waiting for the next day.
This year I also to be honest I am more looking forward to break and spending time with family than tearing down stairs on christmas morning like a demented hamster, ripping all forms of paper, including wallpaper, from where it was placed.
I also am using the time to plan various projects for next year. I am hoping to help continue the music revolution I am involved in and then continue with a little thing called 'The Next Level' (yes I know I said at the top it has nothing to do with it, BUT CLICK ON THE LINK!!). Plus I will buy some stuff! I have a video to shoot and edit for media studies (fun fun fun) so all in all am quite busy....but I wouldnt have it any other way...
Oh and by the way. Apologies to anybody who is reading this blogs and is morally shocked at the fact I have said Merry Christmas and not Happy Holidays...I have 3 words for you PC obsessed folk....'Get'....'Over'....'It'..
Have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year
Josh
Tuesday, 18 December 2007
Save the Planet, Lose some friends....
Yello
It seems to of been a while since I lasted posted a blog...This is simply down to me being incredibly busy and quite frankly knackered. I also have had very little to write about...except how tired and ill I was, so decided that would be boring.
I also have noticed how some people are making video blogs. Now I make this clear, they are really cool and I would make one. But there are a couple of reasons I won't be (at the moment!). The first reason is that my webcam makes it look like I am having a disco, where the DJ who set up the lights was blind and two, whereas I can talk and present stuff for hours (possibly) when I know what I'm saying...but far too often video blogs turn people on them into either hyperactive, sweet filled 5 year olds, or a depressive, with as bright an out look on life as Derby do of being crowned premiership champions.
But anyway...It's the week leading up to Christmas and the postmen and women are all getting fed up with the amount of cards being sent through peoples doors, and schools are filled with people who's pockets are brimming with cards who will forget about until January....we've all been there....
But this year, I've had a novel idea, which thousands of millions of other people probably have...E-cards. Now for the last few years, my excuses for not giving people cards have been either 1. I see you all the time 2. I'm saving the environment and the most honest of them all 3. Couldn't be arsed.
So after being hit by that familiar sense of guilt of been given a card yet and been given one, so I thought of how I could send my Christmas message to people. Youtube are offering a video e-card and this seemed the best option for me as I could either use to wind people up with daft vids or send em a music video of a song they like etc. Now it aint the most customisable thing in the world but does do the job.
Now before I get shouted at by people for being lazy and impersonal, listen. I understand it's far nicer to receive a piece of cardboard, possibly with your name spelt wrong in it, and stick it in your window.But I am so busy (yeah I've mentioned it again) people were either going to get this or nothing.
Now with the appointment of the new England manager, Fabio Capello, who apart from having some problem language wise (he's been in the country less than a day for christs sake) seems the right bloke for the job, I may try and send him a e-card with england's match against Croatia on the front and leave a little message...'Have fun with that Mr Capello'.
Anyway, Merry Christmas and all that, but should be posting again before that!
Josh
It seems to of been a while since I lasted posted a blog...This is simply down to me being incredibly busy and quite frankly knackered. I also have had very little to write about...except how tired and ill I was, so decided that would be boring.
I also have noticed how some people are making video blogs. Now I make this clear, they are really cool and I would make one. But there are a couple of reasons I won't be (at the moment!). The first reason is that my webcam makes it look like I am having a disco, where the DJ who set up the lights was blind and two, whereas I can talk and present stuff for hours (possibly) when I know what I'm saying...but far too often video blogs turn people on them into either hyperactive, sweet filled 5 year olds, or a depressive, with as bright an out look on life as Derby do of being crowned premiership champions.
But anyway...It's the week leading up to Christmas and the postmen and women are all getting fed up with the amount of cards being sent through peoples doors, and schools are filled with people who's pockets are brimming with cards who will forget about until January....we've all been there....
But this year, I've had a novel idea, which thousands of millions of other people probably have...E-cards. Now for the last few years, my excuses for not giving people cards have been either 1. I see you all the time 2. I'm saving the environment and the most honest of them all 3. Couldn't be arsed.
So after being hit by that familiar sense of guilt of been given a card yet and been given one, so I thought of how I could send my Christmas message to people. Youtube are offering a video e-card and this seemed the best option for me as I could either use to wind people up with daft vids or send em a music video of a song they like etc. Now it aint the most customisable thing in the world but does do the job.
Now before I get shouted at by people for being lazy and impersonal, listen. I understand it's far nicer to receive a piece of cardboard, possibly with your name spelt wrong in it, and stick it in your window.But I am so busy (yeah I've mentioned it again) people were either going to get this or nothing.
Now with the appointment of the new England manager, Fabio Capello, who apart from having some problem language wise (he's been in the country less than a day for christs sake) seems the right bloke for the job, I may try and send him a e-card with england's match against Croatia on the front and leave a little message...'Have fun with that Mr Capello'.
Anyway, Merry Christmas and all that, but should be posting again before that!
Josh
Monday, 10 December 2007
At last....
Hello
I aint posted a blog for a bit, mainly because I have had nothing to write about, so would of bored you even more than usually! But I finally do have something to write about.
Im quite a big fan of boxing. I will often stay and watch a fight or too, so long as it ain't a pair of big girls hugging each other for a couple of rounds. I like a fight with a lot of pace, good, fast strong hits.And I suppose an evenly matched one. Like going and watching a good football team trounce a crap one, its good, but its not edge of your seat stuff like a relegation scrap.
For example there were 2 fights which really mattered. Amir Kahn won his very easily , knocking his opponent out in about 72 seconds....shame i'd got a drink and was ready for the long haul...And Ricky 'Hitman' Hatton, as everybody says, fighting a jumped up yank Floyd Mayweather....
I couldn't predict which way the fight would go. Mayweather has a good hit and is very quick, bouncing all over the place like a rabbit with a red hot poker up its arse, and Hatton just keeps hitting and hitting and hitting. In the end, after a rather comical 'showdown' at the weigh in, Mayweather knocked Hatton down in the 10th round and that was it. Had Hatton won, he may of been in the running for Sports personality of the year...but instead in went to a boxer who really deserved it.
Joe Calzaghe (I had to copy the name, doubted i would spell it right), has been a world champion boxer for 10 years. He was in extremely impressive form in Cardiff last month and if a boxer was gonna win it, he deserved it more than Hatton. Make no mistake, both are incredible fighters, and to be honest need to fight more than they do in a year, but does this mean that the sport will be better recognised.
The main problem with boxing is the concept. Smacking folks in the head attempting knock em out for however long may be seen as a little barbaric. But at the end of the day, its becoming more and more controlled and seems less likely that people will get hurt boxing than driving a F1 car.
But so long as people still pay a lot of money go see it, the popularity won't fade.
Josh
I aint posted a blog for a bit, mainly because I have had nothing to write about, so would of bored you even more than usually! But I finally do have something to write about.
Im quite a big fan of boxing. I will often stay and watch a fight or too, so long as it ain't a pair of big girls hugging each other for a couple of rounds. I like a fight with a lot of pace, good, fast strong hits.And I suppose an evenly matched one. Like going and watching a good football team trounce a crap one, its good, but its not edge of your seat stuff like a relegation scrap.
For example there were 2 fights which really mattered. Amir Kahn won his very easily , knocking his opponent out in about 72 seconds....shame i'd got a drink and was ready for the long haul...And Ricky 'Hitman' Hatton, as everybody says, fighting a jumped up yank Floyd Mayweather....
I couldn't predict which way the fight would go. Mayweather has a good hit and is very quick, bouncing all over the place like a rabbit with a red hot poker up its arse, and Hatton just keeps hitting and hitting and hitting. In the end, after a rather comical 'showdown' at the weigh in, Mayweather knocked Hatton down in the 10th round and that was it. Had Hatton won, he may of been in the running for Sports personality of the year...but instead in went to a boxer who really deserved it.
Joe Calzaghe (I had to copy the name, doubted i would spell it right), has been a world champion boxer for 10 years. He was in extremely impressive form in Cardiff last month and if a boxer was gonna win it, he deserved it more than Hatton. Make no mistake, both are incredible fighters, and to be honest need to fight more than they do in a year, but does this mean that the sport will be better recognised.
The main problem with boxing is the concept. Smacking folks in the head attempting knock em out for however long may be seen as a little barbaric. But at the end of the day, its becoming more and more controlled and seems less likely that people will get hurt boxing than driving a F1 car.
But so long as people still pay a lot of money go see it, the popularity won't fade.
Josh
Wednesday, 5 December 2007
Huh! How many days!
Hi
I had an interesting experience today. Lately I've been completely tied up and really really busy, so have not had time to do anything, let alone think, wow its only ** days till Christmas. But I looked at the date on my watch and realised 'Hell its only 20 days till Chrimbo'. As I wrote in a previous blog, Christmas shopping is not my forte, so I am moving my new years resolution forward...only buy stuff off the net. But if this resolution joins the long list of previous ones, it wont last.
I'm currently sitting at the computer, watching from the corner of my eye, my Mum and sister attempting to decorate a tree. It's surprising that the cat hasn't got its claw in a live wire yet and all the baubles aren't in a broken pile at the bottom of the box.
I however don't get involved with this task, maybe because me and anything regarded as 'aww thats a nice decoration' always results in it spontaneously breaking...I just don't know how it happens. Almost like the speed at which the Xmas appears.
I also like at Christmas the constant pestering you get from relatives for a Christmas list. Due to my sole obsession with digitalised documents, I always write it on the PC... or that may be because my handwriting looks like I am constantly hooked up to the mains...
I didn't really know what write about today. Its being dead busy lately, with karate (and it's Christmas party), helping create a band, doing various stuff after school as well as all my coursework/Homework. I can not believe how fast the next to weeks are going to go...ironically in fact, as about 2 months ago, it would of been fairly empty.
So I believe its time to go simply on auto pilot for about 3 weeks, which i believe will coincide with school closing for the winter. However then in the holidays after the main Christmas period, I have to act and help shoot a trailer for my media studies piece, then edit it.
So if I don't get time write a blog for a bit, I've either got nothing inspiring me or am too busy.
See you around
Josh
I had an interesting experience today. Lately I've been completely tied up and really really busy, so have not had time to do anything, let alone think, wow its only ** days till Christmas. But I looked at the date on my watch and realised 'Hell its only 20 days till Chrimbo'. As I wrote in a previous blog, Christmas shopping is not my forte, so I am moving my new years resolution forward...only buy stuff off the net. But if this resolution joins the long list of previous ones, it wont last.
I'm currently sitting at the computer, watching from the corner of my eye, my Mum and sister attempting to decorate a tree. It's surprising that the cat hasn't got its claw in a live wire yet and all the baubles aren't in a broken pile at the bottom of the box.
I however don't get involved with this task, maybe because me and anything regarded as 'aww thats a nice decoration' always results in it spontaneously breaking...I just don't know how it happens. Almost like the speed at which the Xmas appears.
I also like at Christmas the constant pestering you get from relatives for a Christmas list. Due to my sole obsession with digitalised documents, I always write it on the PC... or that may be because my handwriting looks like I am constantly hooked up to the mains...
I didn't really know what write about today. Its being dead busy lately, with karate (and it's Christmas party), helping create a band, doing various stuff after school as well as all my coursework/Homework. I can not believe how fast the next to weeks are going to go...ironically in fact, as about 2 months ago, it would of been fairly empty.
So I believe its time to go simply on auto pilot for about 3 weeks, which i believe will coincide with school closing for the winter. However then in the holidays after the main Christmas period, I have to act and help shoot a trailer for my media studies piece, then edit it.
So if I don't get time write a blog for a bit, I've either got nothing inspiring me or am too busy.
See you around
Josh
Sunday, 2 December 2007
What is it with Sundays?
Hiya
Well, after my slightly ranty post earlier, which was almost long to qualify as a article rather than a blog (shame it doesn't on pure quality terms), I thought I should talk about the weekend.
Weekends, for most folks, is about either getting recovered from a friday night, doing a weekend job or simply 'chilling out' from a hard week. I this weekend had to do the dreaded....maths.... I find it difficult to reason with people who say 'oh your in a higher set, you must love maths'... because I share the same amount of love for maths as I do for the bloody bird that wakes me up every morning. Both of which include my longing to blow them off the face of the earth with a shotgun.
Numbers, of all shapes and kinds irritate me, no thats wrong, infuriate me. I don't know why, but I would much rather do a English GCSE again (DUN DUN DUUUNNNN) than maths...I'm that wound up by it. So when told to do 22 questions on quadratic equations for homework, I felt the familiar feeling of 'oh no, not again' as I knew that if the teacher said it would take around an hour, it would take me about 5...
So as I write this, at Sunday night, I have wrote all the questions down, and even managed to answer some, but the majority are more messy and scribbled than a 3 year olds drawing book. But I achieved something much greater today...built the carcass of a flat pack wardrobe.
Now I was surprised at the sheer size of the thing. The blokes that bought the 4 boxes into the house sounded as though they were giving birth, and when me and my uncle were trying to get them up the stairs, it felt like we would have to call a midwife. But anyway, it took quite a few hours, but eventually we got the main thing done (building it that is, we were up the stairs by then!)...not without a series of mishaps I may add.
First of all, the hammer got used probably more than it should of done...OK i launched my self at any piece of wood like a deranged Timmy Mallet when it didn't quite fit and managed to get myself in a position where it was impossible to move without lots of pain...We also managed to rip the bottom of the supporting wood off, leaving splinters all over the floor...but after a brief period of me creating ideas of how we could blame it on the delivery men and get a new one, we fixed it!
We are no where near finished, but it becomes a one person job at this point, and seeing as though it isn't even mine, I can't be bothered to attached some screws to a door, especially when people in China get PAID for doing this kind of thing...
So for once I have had a Sunday that involved me doing something, not going into 'American mode' and sitting around eating crisps. I have a rejuvenated hatred of Maths, and have pieces of wood all over the bedroom floor, but at least I've not been sacked from a job after 10 years....
[UPDATE: after my last rant of a post, I believed i better give a update to the latest happenings....The GS boards are on fire with hatred, many of the editorial team have posted cryptic blogs or simply not said very much and people from '1up' a rival site to GS have gone campaigning outside the offices. It's all American claptrap, but surely watching the yanks get angry is an interesting experience!]
Thanks for reading...better go and do some maths!
Josh
Well, after my slightly ranty post earlier, which was almost long to qualify as a article rather than a blog (shame it doesn't on pure quality terms), I thought I should talk about the weekend.
Weekends, for most folks, is about either getting recovered from a friday night, doing a weekend job or simply 'chilling out' from a hard week. I this weekend had to do the dreaded....maths.... I find it difficult to reason with people who say 'oh your in a higher set, you must love maths'... because I share the same amount of love for maths as I do for the bloody bird that wakes me up every morning. Both of which include my longing to blow them off the face of the earth with a shotgun.
Numbers, of all shapes and kinds irritate me, no thats wrong, infuriate me. I don't know why, but I would much rather do a English GCSE again (DUN DUN DUUUNNNN) than maths...I'm that wound up by it. So when told to do 22 questions on quadratic equations for homework, I felt the familiar feeling of 'oh no, not again' as I knew that if the teacher said it would take around an hour, it would take me about 5...
So as I write this, at Sunday night, I have wrote all the questions down, and even managed to answer some, but the majority are more messy and scribbled than a 3 year olds drawing book. But I achieved something much greater today...built the carcass of a flat pack wardrobe.
Now I was surprised at the sheer size of the thing. The blokes that bought the 4 boxes into the house sounded as though they were giving birth, and when me and my uncle were trying to get them up the stairs, it felt like we would have to call a midwife. But anyway, it took quite a few hours, but eventually we got the main thing done (building it that is, we were up the stairs by then!)...not without a series of mishaps I may add.
First of all, the hammer got used probably more than it should of done...OK i launched my self at any piece of wood like a deranged Timmy Mallet when it didn't quite fit and managed to get myself in a position where it was impossible to move without lots of pain...We also managed to rip the bottom of the supporting wood off, leaving splinters all over the floor...but after a brief period of me creating ideas of how we could blame it on the delivery men and get a new one, we fixed it!
We are no where near finished, but it becomes a one person job at this point, and seeing as though it isn't even mine, I can't be bothered to attached some screws to a door, especially when people in China get PAID for doing this kind of thing...
So for once I have had a Sunday that involved me doing something, not going into 'American mode' and sitting around eating crisps. I have a rejuvenated hatred of Maths, and have pieces of wood all over the bedroom floor, but at least I've not been sacked from a job after 10 years....
[UPDATE: after my last rant of a post, I believed i better give a update to the latest happenings....The GS boards are on fire with hatred, many of the editorial team have posted cryptic blogs or simply not said very much and people from '1up' a rival site to GS have gone campaigning outside the offices. It's all American claptrap, but surely watching the yanks get angry is an interesting experience!]
Thanks for reading...better go and do some maths!
Josh
Friday, 30 November 2007
Corporate Moneybags
Hello!
I write today in a bit of a angry mood. Not especially angry then, more annoyed. I'm quite into video games, and I ain't a 'Fanboy' so don't say things like, 'ooo yeah, the wii would ass kick anything' etc, but I enjoy keeping on top of the latest games and news.
To do this, I use a variety of websites, some based in the UK and others from the states, but mostly use Gamespot and Gamesradar, Gamesradar mainly for the randomly made articles, poking fun at the industry, and Gamespot for the videos (for those who don't know We're live And ONNNNN THE SPOOOOOTTTT'.
For this blog however, I am going to focus on Gamespot. To start with, its a core American website. Yeah there are separate sections for the UK, Australia etc but these are about as fleshed out as a catwalk model. The USA section is where its at. Now Gamespot and GameFAQs all come under a big conglomerate web organisation called CNET, who focus on new technology on there main website.
Gamespot is popular for its vibrant community in the form of blogs and forums and for its many internet TV shows such as the aforementioned 'On the Spot', 'Tournament TV' and 'Button Mashing', and a podcast 'The hotspot'. Now the guy who used to host these shows was a bloke called Rich Gallup, who was filled with charisma and used to be able to control shows naturally. He was awesome and my inspiration for attempting to make a video game show.
He left though, not too long ago, and followed in the footsteps of various other senior members of staff, who either moved to gamespot's sister sites or left the Cnet group entirely. The latest person(s) to leave have not left in the best of circumstance, which has got me and lots of long serving members of the GS community (I don't include myself within that group by the way) in complete uproar.
Jeff Gerstmann was a outspoken, loud and shameless gamespot reviewer. He started around 1997, during the infancy of the website. He was known for his typical reviewing style and created various pieces of controversy and fan boyism attacks on reviews such as giving Tony Hawks Pro skater 3 and 10 and LoZ: The twilight princess a 8.8, yet he managed to give a reason for each time, 99.9% of them valid. He was a regular on all the shows and took over the hosting job when Gallup left. He had been working there for 10 nearly 11 years and was the Editor in Chief. He was fired this week.
Now what could he of done which was so bad. Got angry about a pay cut, destroyed half the office by leaving the coffee machine on. No, he wrote a review on a bad game. He gave it a 6.0 which rates as fair. Now from what I gather, the game scored that on most game websites, with the review score on Metacritic being around 60-65. However, unlike most websites, GS's owners CNET had a very lucrative deal with the games developer to plaster the GS website in a custom advert banner and skin for the website, with a future worth of around thousands of dollers.And this was going to be pulled due to the negative nature of the review.
Now it seems that money has overtaken credibility in importance. By going to joystiq and browsing some forums it becomes quite clear that although Jeff was a fairly controversial character around the GS community, he was well liked. Now it seems that he has been betrayed by a company that likes money more than loyal employees. A recent statement by Cnet says:
"GameSpot takes its editorial integrity extremely seriously, "For over a decade, Gamespot and the many members of its editorial team have produced thousands of unbiased reviews that have been a valuable resource for the gaming community. At CNET Networks, we stand behind the editorial content that our teams produce on a daily basis."
It then appears than it is CNET policy not to disclose any information on the status of employees. All of GS's current staff also seem bound by this rule. Also, Tim Tracey, who only recently moved over to Tv.com and was a friend of Jeff's resigned. He was also a community favourite.
So now it seems that no review that Gamespot produce can be trusted to provide us with accurate information. Nothing like this has really ever happened in a internet community before and people appear to be leaving the site and cancelling member ship fees in droves. I am going to seriously consider if I go back to that website again.
But now what. Where on earth can we get a valid opinion. I always have believed that either a friend who owns the game is better than review and lots of reviews are better than nothing. But this could have consequences larger than they appear, with forms of media being shackled to High reviews due to high revenues. Although it seems that Gerstmann has being warned before about his, surely free speech allows him to pass an honest judegment, and by sacking such an loyal employee, this company has shown its true colours.
Thanks to various sources around the net where I found this info
Josh
I write today in a bit of a angry mood. Not especially angry then, more annoyed. I'm quite into video games, and I ain't a 'Fanboy' so don't say things like, 'ooo yeah, the wii would ass kick anything' etc, but I enjoy keeping on top of the latest games and news.
To do this, I use a variety of websites, some based in the UK and others from the states, but mostly use Gamespot and Gamesradar, Gamesradar mainly for the randomly made articles, poking fun at the industry, and Gamespot for the videos (for those who don't know We're live And ONNNNN THE SPOOOOOTTTT'.
For this blog however, I am going to focus on Gamespot. To start with, its a core American website. Yeah there are separate sections for the UK, Australia etc but these are about as fleshed out as a catwalk model. The USA section is where its at. Now Gamespot and GameFAQs all come under a big conglomerate web organisation called CNET, who focus on new technology on there main website.
Gamespot is popular for its vibrant community in the form of blogs and forums and for its many internet TV shows such as the aforementioned 'On the Spot', 'Tournament TV' and 'Button Mashing', and a podcast 'The hotspot'. Now the guy who used to host these shows was a bloke called Rich Gallup, who was filled with charisma and used to be able to control shows naturally. He was awesome and my inspiration for attempting to make a video game show.
He left though, not too long ago, and followed in the footsteps of various other senior members of staff, who either moved to gamespot's sister sites or left the Cnet group entirely. The latest person(s) to leave have not left in the best of circumstance, which has got me and lots of long serving members of the GS community (I don't include myself within that group by the way) in complete uproar.
Jeff Gerstmann was a outspoken, loud and shameless gamespot reviewer. He started around 1997, during the infancy of the website. He was known for his typical reviewing style and created various pieces of controversy and fan boyism attacks on reviews such as giving Tony Hawks Pro skater 3 and 10 and LoZ: The twilight princess a 8.8, yet he managed to give a reason for each time, 99.9% of them valid. He was a regular on all the shows and took over the hosting job when Gallup left. He had been working there for 10 nearly 11 years and was the Editor in Chief. He was fired this week.
Now what could he of done which was so bad. Got angry about a pay cut, destroyed half the office by leaving the coffee machine on. No, he wrote a review on a bad game. He gave it a 6.0 which rates as fair. Now from what I gather, the game scored that on most game websites, with the review score on Metacritic being around 60-65. However, unlike most websites, GS's owners CNET had a very lucrative deal with the games developer to plaster the GS website in a custom advert banner and skin for the website, with a future worth of around thousands of dollers.And this was going to be pulled due to the negative nature of the review.
Now it seems that money has overtaken credibility in importance. By going to joystiq and browsing some forums it becomes quite clear that although Jeff was a fairly controversial character around the GS community, he was well liked. Now it seems that he has been betrayed by a company that likes money more than loyal employees. A recent statement by Cnet says:
"GameSpot takes its editorial integrity extremely seriously, "For over a decade, Gamespot and the many members of its editorial team have produced thousands of unbiased reviews that have been a valuable resource for the gaming community. At CNET Networks, we stand behind the editorial content that our teams produce on a daily basis."
It then appears than it is CNET policy not to disclose any information on the status of employees. All of GS's current staff also seem bound by this rule. Also, Tim Tracey, who only recently moved over to Tv.com and was a friend of Jeff's resigned. He was also a community favourite.
So now it seems that no review that Gamespot produce can be trusted to provide us with accurate information. Nothing like this has really ever happened in a internet community before and people appear to be leaving the site and cancelling member ship fees in droves. I am going to seriously consider if I go back to that website again.
But now what. Where on earth can we get a valid opinion. I always have believed that either a friend who owns the game is better than review and lots of reviews are better than nothing. But this could have consequences larger than they appear, with forms of media being shackled to High reviews due to high revenues. Although it seems that Gerstmann has being warned before about his, surely free speech allows him to pass an honest judegment, and by sacking such an loyal employee, this company has shown its true colours.
Thanks to various sources around the net where I found this info
Josh
Wednesday, 28 November 2007
Who keeps ringing me!
Hello!
About 5 minutes ago, my home phone rung. Now usually this means that someone is either ringing to have tell us that we've forgotten some important bill or something, or that people want to talk to us. Most people who want to talk to me, the few that do, ring me on my mobile (an ancient machine that I wouldn't be surprised if tutankhamen is on my contacts list).
But for some random reason, every time I pick the phone up it simply starts going 'pip pip pip pip pip pip pip'. Now this may be charging us lots of money. But its not that which bothers me. The phone number is from Nottingham...I know absolutely no one in Nottingham and nobody in my family knows who people up there. So why do they tease me.
I'm not sure if anyone has ever noticed, that there is always a complete panic when the phone rings in a family house. We have one phone downstairs and one upstairs. It turns into a sprint over who can pick the phone up first, occasionally resulting in me having a 3 way conversation with one of my sisters friends...not a great experience. It can be calm and peaceful, and then all of sudden, like a firework has just being shot up your backside, you jump up and run.
When I was once told not to answer the phone, it was the most tempting thing I have ever seen. More so than those cheap bags of sweets you buy, or perhaps (i would guess) a cigarette. So when I pick the phone up I expect it to be a interesting conversation. Not a pip. So if the person or computer that is having some kind of love affair with my handset is reading this STOP. Before I ring you......
Lol, basing a blog on a couple of random phone calls, these things can have anything in em!
Josh
About 5 minutes ago, my home phone rung. Now usually this means that someone is either ringing to have tell us that we've forgotten some important bill or something, or that people want to talk to us. Most people who want to talk to me, the few that do, ring me on my mobile (an ancient machine that I wouldn't be surprised if tutankhamen is on my contacts list).
But for some random reason, every time I pick the phone up it simply starts going 'pip pip pip pip pip pip pip'. Now this may be charging us lots of money. But its not that which bothers me. The phone number is from Nottingham...I know absolutely no one in Nottingham and nobody in my family knows who people up there. So why do they tease me.
I'm not sure if anyone has ever noticed, that there is always a complete panic when the phone rings in a family house. We have one phone downstairs and one upstairs. It turns into a sprint over who can pick the phone up first, occasionally resulting in me having a 3 way conversation with one of my sisters friends...not a great experience. It can be calm and peaceful, and then all of sudden, like a firework has just being shot up your backside, you jump up and run.
When I was once told not to answer the phone, it was the most tempting thing I have ever seen. More so than those cheap bags of sweets you buy, or perhaps (i would guess) a cigarette. So when I pick the phone up I expect it to be a interesting conversation. Not a pip. So if the person or computer that is having some kind of love affair with my handset is reading this STOP. Before I ring you......
Lol, basing a blog on a couple of random phone calls, these things can have anything in em!
Josh
Tuesday, 27 November 2007
Techno geekery is here to stay
Heeellloooo,
I read an interesting article not too long ago. It claimed that eventually people were going to discover a hatred for all thinks electrical and that we will all stop using them and go back to the good old days of communicating through baked bean cans and believing that TV is some kind of foreign disease.
I cannot remember where I read it, but I can remember what I thought...What a load of complete air head rubbish. My first question I thought if i was going to ever speak to the person(s) who believed this would be 'Why'. Why would we stop using loads of really cool and interesting technology that has made many peoples lives easier and probably better.
They also claimed that unless we stopped using 'copious' amounts of technology our brains would melt into a pool on the floor (or words to that effect I'm sure)...OK, I don't see the population of Tokyo suddenly drooling into their keyboards in one of the most technology filled places on the planet because the iMac got warm.
Another question I would ask is that who would want to go back to a time without technology. And then I realised that its always been around us. We, as human beings never stop trying to make life better for ourselves...It also seems that no matter how much the green lobby get stressed about all this electricity being used etc, everyone is getting more and more powerful machines as everyday items.
I am in no doubt that most people are quite happy just to have Sky+ record their favourite show and that they can go on the internet to do their shopping and chat to friends. Not many people, like what I did all weekend, attempt to get a PlayStation 3 working as a PC (hey it was a slow weekend). But whether you are a complete techno freak who feels naked without a PDA in one hand a internet connection as near to their brain as possible...or somebody who gets scared of freeview boxes, we all get something out of technology.
I find the idea that most right minded people would give everything techno related, up ridiculous to be honest. I currently have a song playing that was no doubt put together on a computer, I'm writing this by sending data from the keyboard to a PC which then is inputting it into a text box using some kind of internet script (or summat like that). And at the moment thats the way its going to stay.
Josh
I read an interesting article not too long ago. It claimed that eventually people were going to discover a hatred for all thinks electrical and that we will all stop using them and go back to the good old days of communicating through baked bean cans and believing that TV is some kind of foreign disease.
I cannot remember where I read it, but I can remember what I thought...What a load of complete air head rubbish. My first question I thought if i was going to ever speak to the person(s) who believed this would be 'Why'. Why would we stop using loads of really cool and interesting technology that has made many peoples lives easier and probably better.
They also claimed that unless we stopped using 'copious' amounts of technology our brains would melt into a pool on the floor (or words to that effect I'm sure)...OK, I don't see the population of Tokyo suddenly drooling into their keyboards in one of the most technology filled places on the planet because the iMac got warm.
Another question I would ask is that who would want to go back to a time without technology. And then I realised that its always been around us. We, as human beings never stop trying to make life better for ourselves...It also seems that no matter how much the green lobby get stressed about all this electricity being used etc, everyone is getting more and more powerful machines as everyday items.
I am in no doubt that most people are quite happy just to have Sky+ record their favourite show and that they can go on the internet to do their shopping and chat to friends. Not many people, like what I did all weekend, attempt to get a PlayStation 3 working as a PC (hey it was a slow weekend). But whether you are a complete techno freak who feels naked without a PDA in one hand a internet connection as near to their brain as possible...or somebody who gets scared of freeview boxes, we all get something out of technology.
I find the idea that most right minded people would give everything techno related, up ridiculous to be honest. I currently have a song playing that was no doubt put together on a computer, I'm writing this by sending data from the keyboard to a PC which then is inputting it into a text box using some kind of internet script (or summat like that). And at the moment thats the way its going to stay.
Josh
Saturday, 24 November 2007
O well never mind...
Hello,
Its a saturday today which means only one thing (most of the time)...football! I support Stoke City (yes i've heard it all before) so my team isn't really in the spotlight most of the time. Therefore I keep checking on the results for my team but the only league I really follow is the Premier League.
English football has been in both mourning and outrage this week as we fell over quite spectaculary to a team that we really should of walked over.. This resulted in the great white and red elephant which is the england side failing to reach the Euro 2008 compition in Austria-Switzerland (why both of 'em have to have it is anyones guess).
Now people have been saying 'Oh we had our best players out injured and that this happened and that happened'....bollocks. We are (supposedly) one of the worlds most developed nations and can't churn out a 11 people who can play a good game of football. To put it in perspective, the best player on wednesday night was the 19 foot bean pole Crouch, who has to look for the ball through fog when its on the ground....
Hold on a min, lets blame it all on the long legged one, as he failed to perform the robot dance after his equalising goal. Or lets blame the Romans for not staying in Britain 1000s of years ago, we might of been able to play like Italians if that was the case.
The point is, we can think of thousands of different reasons for us not getting through, but everyone is ignoring the most important factor. We were not good enough. Our passes flowed like a Indian sewer and I've seen more ball control on celebrity love island. If we are ever going to get to a major competition again, we need to stop blaming people, the manager included (even if McDonut did have the tactical know how of turkey twizzler) and tell the over hyped national team to play as one.
At the moment, English football has come under a load of pressure about having too many foreigners and that grass roots footie is on its arse...no its not. Its the fact that places are awarded in the team mainly out of whether the fans like em and if they would have a strop if they were dropped. Fair enough, we had injury problems, but surely there are enough skilled talented players in the under-21 squad which would of relished the challenge to play with the big boys, meaning we wouldn't be stuck playing a formation designed on the back of a napkin...
As for the premier league today, well there was goals, upsets, sending off, the cliched word (passion) and more goals. Creators and providers of some of those were in the team on Wednesday. My view is in order to sort the problem out, Simply get them playing as a team, and less as a ego trip.
Cya
Josh
Its a saturday today which means only one thing (most of the time)...football! I support Stoke City (yes i've heard it all before) so my team isn't really in the spotlight most of the time. Therefore I keep checking on the results for my team but the only league I really follow is the Premier League.
English football has been in both mourning and outrage this week as we fell over quite spectaculary to a team that we really should of walked over.. This resulted in the great white and red elephant which is the england side failing to reach the Euro 2008 compition in Austria-Switzerland (why both of 'em have to have it is anyones guess).
Now people have been saying 'Oh we had our best players out injured and that this happened and that happened'....bollocks. We are (supposedly) one of the worlds most developed nations and can't churn out a 11 people who can play a good game of football. To put it in perspective, the best player on wednesday night was the 19 foot bean pole Crouch, who has to look for the ball through fog when its on the ground....
Hold on a min, lets blame it all on the long legged one, as he failed to perform the robot dance after his equalising goal. Or lets blame the Romans for not staying in Britain 1000s of years ago, we might of been able to play like Italians if that was the case.
The point is, we can think of thousands of different reasons for us not getting through, but everyone is ignoring the most important factor. We were not good enough. Our passes flowed like a Indian sewer and I've seen more ball control on celebrity love island. If we are ever going to get to a major competition again, we need to stop blaming people, the manager included (even if McDonut did have the tactical know how of turkey twizzler) and tell the over hyped national team to play as one.
At the moment, English football has come under a load of pressure about having too many foreigners and that grass roots footie is on its arse...no its not. Its the fact that places are awarded in the team mainly out of whether the fans like em and if they would have a strop if they were dropped. Fair enough, we had injury problems, but surely there are enough skilled talented players in the under-21 squad which would of relished the challenge to play with the big boys, meaning we wouldn't be stuck playing a formation designed on the back of a napkin...
As for the premier league today, well there was goals, upsets, sending off, the cliched word (passion) and more goals. Creators and providers of some of those were in the team on Wednesday. My view is in order to sort the problem out, Simply get them playing as a team, and less as a ego trip.
Cya
Josh
Tuesday, 20 November 2007
Its begun
Its that time again...
Where everyone looses all their senses and relaxes the purse strings so much the purse couldn't of been more chilled if you'd shoved weed in it...ok that may of stretched it a bit, but you get the idea.
In the words of Noddy Holder 'Its Christmasssss' very soon, or thats what is always drilled into our minds at this time of year. I mean, we haven't really had a summer this year, unless your idea of summer is sheltering inside on a computer (apologies WoW fans, I understand you can't fall behind the rest of you guild). So I suppose I look forward to Christmas time more when we have a year like this. Bad weather is much more acceptable when its winter.
But anyway, me, being a male, does not understand the concept of Christmas shopping. I mean, the internet is my shopping centre at the end of the day. All the thousands of websites to buy stuff off and people choose to go and get stressed when they can't find what they want at shops. This year I plan to get all the presents I need of the internet. Like last year. Now unfortunately, I am not very imaginative, when it comes to gift ideas, so I will probably end up buying either books or DVDs for my parents...Mind you, it could be worse, if I had a girlfriend, she would be getting second hand perfume through the post, on recommendation from someone from ebay...
But never mind that, I would buy my sis summat, but she doesn't deserve is (lets move on shall we). So I am not getting stressed at all. In fact I'm quite relaxed about buying presents this year. I mean what is the point of Christmas eve shopping, there's only three things I would do in this order on Xmas eve. 1. Go a party 2. Get pi***d 3. work. God knows what I'm doing this year.
Perhaps we should look at it this way, what if we just chilled. If everyone just chilled out and got each other half arsed presents, then everyone would have a crap christmas, get drunk, dance around the room and end up watching christmas themed pornography on channel 5...but no body would be disappointed with socks or a jumper...second thoughts, that sounds like hell. So in a master-stroke of blog writing I've managed to destroy my own opinion and would much rather have a nice normal Christmas....and its only November....
Crap better get shopping
Cya
Josh
----------------
Now playing: Avenged Sevenfold - Bat Country
via FoxyTunes
Where everyone looses all their senses and relaxes the purse strings so much the purse couldn't of been more chilled if you'd shoved weed in it...ok that may of stretched it a bit, but you get the idea.
In the words of Noddy Holder 'Its Christmasssss' very soon, or thats what is always drilled into our minds at this time of year. I mean, we haven't really had a summer this year, unless your idea of summer is sheltering inside on a computer (apologies WoW fans, I understand you can't fall behind the rest of you guild). So I suppose I look forward to Christmas time more when we have a year like this. Bad weather is much more acceptable when its winter.
But anyway, me, being a male, does not understand the concept of Christmas shopping. I mean, the internet is my shopping centre at the end of the day. All the thousands of websites to buy stuff off and people choose to go and get stressed when they can't find what they want at shops. This year I plan to get all the presents I need of the internet. Like last year. Now unfortunately, I am not very imaginative, when it comes to gift ideas, so I will probably end up buying either books or DVDs for my parents...Mind you, it could be worse, if I had a girlfriend, she would be getting second hand perfume through the post, on recommendation from someone from ebay...
But never mind that, I would buy my sis summat, but she doesn't deserve is (lets move on shall we). So I am not getting stressed at all. In fact I'm quite relaxed about buying presents this year. I mean what is the point of Christmas eve shopping, there's only three things I would do in this order on Xmas eve. 1. Go a party 2. Get pi***d 3. work. God knows what I'm doing this year.
Perhaps we should look at it this way, what if we just chilled. If everyone just chilled out and got each other half arsed presents, then everyone would have a crap christmas, get drunk, dance around the room and end up watching christmas themed pornography on channel 5...but no body would be disappointed with socks or a jumper...second thoughts, that sounds like hell. So in a master-stroke of blog writing I've managed to destroy my own opinion and would much rather have a nice normal Christmas....and its only November....
Crap better get shopping
Cya
Josh
----------------
Now playing: Avenged Sevenfold - Bat Country
via FoxyTunes
Saturday, 17 November 2007
The Sky really is Over
....
Last night....
What can I say.
Serj took the ass and catapulted it into the middle of the next decade. He left me more than speechless. Usually when you are going to see someone who you really want to see, you are worried that it won't be what you expect it to be. But Serj did deliver last night and everyone who you spoke to afterwards just kinda of smiled and didn't say much. That was either down to the fact I was covered in beer, I didn't buy it mind :P, or that they were stunned by the what they had saw.
Now, you may think I simply saying this because I really like his music, but people I spoke to there, some said they didn't really get a lot out of the music but he was so entertaining and god damn awesome live they couldn't describe it. I admit I was getting a bit worried to start off with. The support band/ special guests were 'Fair To Midland' which are signed to Serj's record label 'Serjical strike' were good, but the crowd never really got going, and the singer had a strange technique of jamming his fist into his throat area whilst singing...must try that some time...
When he came on though, everything changed...I ended up in the pit, but I'm glad I did, because I got damn close to him as result. He opened with possibly the two heaviest tracks off the album ('The Unthinking Majority' and 'Empty walls') and the momentum was never lost. Serj was quite possibly high, but he produced a faultless assault on anything he did. He danced around the stage and on one of the best songs of the night (lie lie lie) got everyone dancing clapping their hands in their air. He cracked jokes and made sure that he, the band (Flying Cunts of Chaos (!?!)) and most the importantly the audience had an awesome time.
You could often see him posing for cheesy photographs with the fans at the front and was constantly encouraging the crowd to go crazy. He also played a song they had not done live on the tour at all (Money) and played a Dead Kennedy's cover and a song not off the album. And whilst introducing the band, he went over to the bassist and said 'All the way from Italy, SUPPPPPERRRR MARIOOOOOO'.
I suppose I really should end it now, all this constant going on and on about it, but the one thing that summed it all for me is the amount of people, in and around the pit who were their smiling...not frowning and taking it all seriously, but really having a great time. He's playing again tonight, at Astoria, London and I would quite happily go down their to watch it again. Going to watch him quite easily help heal the crap couple of weeks I have had lately...
Cya
Josh
----------------
Now playing: Serj Tankian - Saving Us
via FoxyTunes
Last night....
What can I say.
Serj took the ass and catapulted it into the middle of the next decade. He left me more than speechless. Usually when you are going to see someone who you really want to see, you are worried that it won't be what you expect it to be. But Serj did deliver last night and everyone who you spoke to afterwards just kinda of smiled and didn't say much. That was either down to the fact I was covered in beer, I didn't buy it mind :P, or that they were stunned by the what they had saw.
Now, you may think I simply saying this because I really like his music, but people I spoke to there, some said they didn't really get a lot out of the music but he was so entertaining and god damn awesome live they couldn't describe it. I admit I was getting a bit worried to start off with. The support band/ special guests were 'Fair To Midland' which are signed to Serj's record label 'Serjical strike' were good, but the crowd never really got going, and the singer had a strange technique of jamming his fist into his throat area whilst singing...must try that some time...
When he came on though, everything changed...I ended up in the pit, but I'm glad I did, because I got damn close to him as result. He opened with possibly the two heaviest tracks off the album ('The Unthinking Majority' and 'Empty walls') and the momentum was never lost. Serj was quite possibly high, but he produced a faultless assault on anything he did. He danced around the stage and on one of the best songs of the night (lie lie lie) got everyone dancing clapping their hands in their air. He cracked jokes and made sure that he, the band (Flying Cunts of Chaos (!?!)) and most the importantly the audience had an awesome time.
You could often see him posing for cheesy photographs with the fans at the front and was constantly encouraging the crowd to go crazy. He also played a song they had not done live on the tour at all (Money) and played a Dead Kennedy's cover and a song not off the album. And whilst introducing the band, he went over to the bassist and said 'All the way from Italy, SUPPPPPERRRR MARIOOOOOO'.
I suppose I really should end it now, all this constant going on and on about it, but the one thing that summed it all for me is the amount of people, in and around the pit who were their smiling...not frowning and taking it all seriously, but really having a great time. He's playing again tonight, at Astoria, London and I would quite happily go down their to watch it again. Going to watch him quite easily help heal the crap couple of weeks I have had lately...
Cya
Josh
----------------
Now playing: Serj Tankian - Saving Us
via FoxyTunes
Thursday, 15 November 2007
Hmm....
Hello!
Well I think this week it has finally dawned on me. I need music. I ain't one of these peeps with headphones constantly on or must have music on constantly. But I really enjoy being part of it. I can't really call myself a fan of 'music' as obviously I don't like everything, but if I hear a song that I really like, I much prefer singing along to it that simply listening to it again and again and again.
I know of a couple of people like this. But as this is my blog, I suppose its only right to write about me. I have had an urge for a while now to be part of a band, problem being is that with instruments, I have very little talent at all, if any. I have tried the keyboard, guitar etc and it just didn't grab me. The only thing I am capable of doing is vocals...
And then you enter the problem of thinking, oh yeah I can sing, when you so can't (latest series of X-factor, possibly had the worst version of Snow Patrols 'Chasing Cars' in existance). I was in a band once, albeit we never got very far. It was a System of a down tribute band in essence, or at least that's what i was told when i joined. We performed occasionally together, but it was usually just me and the guitarist.
At times we rocked, others less so, mainly because at the age I was doing it, my voice was more unstable than it is now, meaning that some days I could blast out tracks ranging from 'sugar' to slower more stretching songs such as 'aerials' (check the vids > for the songs) easily. Other times it just didn't work. But no matter, I loved performing alongside a guitar in a back garden on a late summer night.
It ended not working out. I was being asked eventually to do songs by artists that was far too difficult for fledgling little Josh to accomplish, mainly artists such as Trivium, whereas I found the music to be good, but at the time I crucified my vocal cords attempting to sing them.
Now its a bit easier, but seeing as I ain't in band there seems little point other that the occasional karaoke/singstar session. So basically if anyone is looking a singer, which has open tastes in music (to a degree) and is fairly alright at singing (my favourite artist at the moment is Serj Tankian, apparently I can sing like him a bit ?!?) contact me... there's probably (more like certainly) better singers around than me but never mind!
Anyway enough for the shameless plugging, I am so looking forward to seeing Tankian tomorrow its indescribable
Anyway, should get chance post another post (?) over the weekend
Thanks for reading!
Josh
Well I think this week it has finally dawned on me. I need music. I ain't one of these peeps with headphones constantly on or must have music on constantly. But I really enjoy being part of it. I can't really call myself a fan of 'music' as obviously I don't like everything, but if I hear a song that I really like, I much prefer singing along to it that simply listening to it again and again and again.
I know of a couple of people like this. But as this is my blog, I suppose its only right to write about me. I have had an urge for a while now to be part of a band, problem being is that with instruments, I have very little talent at all, if any. I have tried the keyboard, guitar etc and it just didn't grab me. The only thing I am capable of doing is vocals...
And then you enter the problem of thinking, oh yeah I can sing, when you so can't (latest series of X-factor, possibly had the worst version of Snow Patrols 'Chasing Cars' in existance). I was in a band once, albeit we never got very far. It was a System of a down tribute band in essence, or at least that's what i was told when i joined. We performed occasionally together, but it was usually just me and the guitarist.
At times we rocked, others less so, mainly because at the age I was doing it, my voice was more unstable than it is now, meaning that some days I could blast out tracks ranging from 'sugar' to slower more stretching songs such as 'aerials' (check the vids > for the songs) easily. Other times it just didn't work. But no matter, I loved performing alongside a guitar in a back garden on a late summer night.
It ended not working out. I was being asked eventually to do songs by artists that was far too difficult for fledgling little Josh to accomplish, mainly artists such as Trivium, whereas I found the music to be good, but at the time I crucified my vocal cords attempting to sing them.
Now its a bit easier, but seeing as I ain't in band there seems little point other that the occasional karaoke/singstar session. So basically if anyone is looking a singer, which has open tastes in music (to a degree) and is fairly alright at singing (my favourite artist at the moment is Serj Tankian, apparently I can sing like him a bit ?!?) contact me... there's probably (more like certainly) better singers around than me but never mind!
Anyway enough for the shameless plugging, I am so looking forward to seeing Tankian tomorrow its indescribable
Anyway, should get chance post another post (?) over the weekend
Thanks for reading!
Josh
Tuesday, 13 November 2007
Glum Tuesdays...
Hi
Why do I get the feelings Tuesdays are always going to be a bad day? I wake up and think, I really can't be bothered today. I don't mean just can't be bothered to go to school because of poor lessons etc, I mean the feeling that you really don't want to do anything. The one you get when you think 'ah good its a Sunday' and then you realise its a Monday....
I gave quite a lot of thought to why this is. Is it because of the fact that the excesses of the weekend finally catch up with you. Or is it because you realise that that it really isn't worth doing anything until the next Friday night. It just seems like every week everything suddenly seems to dip at Tuesday. It is (in my view at least) the cursed day.
By Wednesday and the rest of the week I just don't give a stuff and just attempt to get to the weekend. This doesn't always work, but the majority of the time it helps! The fact that people always moan about Monday mornings is also something I agree with, but they are never going to go away...so no point talking about that then...
That about does it for this blog as I ain't a single idea about what to write about, or at least make it interesting...
Cya
Josh
(PS: The maths exam went ok...hopefully, now just have the rest of the tests to do :( )
Why do I get the feelings Tuesdays are always going to be a bad day? I wake up and think, I really can't be bothered today. I don't mean just can't be bothered to go to school because of poor lessons etc, I mean the feeling that you really don't want to do anything. The one you get when you think 'ah good its a Sunday' and then you realise its a Monday....
I gave quite a lot of thought to why this is. Is it because of the fact that the excesses of the weekend finally catch up with you. Or is it because you realise that that it really isn't worth doing anything until the next Friday night. It just seems like every week everything suddenly seems to dip at Tuesday. It is (in my view at least) the cursed day.
By Wednesday and the rest of the week I just don't give a stuff and just attempt to get to the weekend. This doesn't always work, but the majority of the time it helps! The fact that people always moan about Monday mornings is also something I agree with, but they are never going to go away...so no point talking about that then...
That about does it for this blog as I ain't a single idea about what to write about, or at least make it interesting...
Cya
Josh
(PS: The maths exam went ok...hopefully, now just have the rest of the tests to do :( )
Saturday, 10 November 2007
Weekends seem overated
Helloo
As I sit here on a Saturday night, having done nothing interesting all day, which may actually not a bad thing, I realise I should really revise for a Maths GCSE exam I have on Monday. Now usually I would at least be doing something fairly interesting at a weekend, possibly involving alcohol, but this test has been drilled into our heads as being 'crucial to the continuation of you thought processes'...or summat like that.
So surely, weekends should be a time for relaxiation and recovery. After a difficult week at school or whatever. But no. Now you are told your entire weekend should be focused on revision or homework or coursework of some shape or form. We recently were given a 'fill-in-the-gaps' revision timetable. I took one look at it and thought 'hold on, every single hour has been set out as revision time [during the weekend'. When I asked the teacher about this, he replied 'Oh well you'll be able have about three hours off'.
I believed I was going to have a break down. 3 hours. I take more time off than that at school when I'm supposed to be learning. How can people be expected to revise when the prospect of the completion of revision...is more revision.
So I have a plan. I'm going to multi task. Whilst revising I'm going to do as many things as possible, it might work or might not, but never mind.
I'll let you know how it goes on
Josh
As I sit here on a Saturday night, having done nothing interesting all day, which may actually not a bad thing, I realise I should really revise for a Maths GCSE exam I have on Monday. Now usually I would at least be doing something fairly interesting at a weekend, possibly involving alcohol, but this test has been drilled into our heads as being 'crucial to the continuation of you thought processes'...or summat like that.
So surely, weekends should be a time for relaxiation and recovery. After a difficult week at school or whatever. But no. Now you are told your entire weekend should be focused on revision or homework or coursework of some shape or form. We recently were given a 'fill-in-the-gaps' revision timetable. I took one look at it and thought 'hold on, every single hour has been set out as revision time [during the weekend'. When I asked the teacher about this, he replied 'Oh well you'll be able have about three hours off'.
I believed I was going to have a break down. 3 hours. I take more time off than that at school when I'm supposed to be learning. How can people be expected to revise when the prospect of the completion of revision...is more revision.
So I have a plan. I'm going to multi task. Whilst revising I'm going to do as many things as possible, it might work or might not, but never mind.
I'll let you know how it goes on
Josh
Friday, 9 November 2007
'Lets ride a little train....'
Hiya again
Well yep I am writing blog number two tonight as blogger conviently lost my last one. Anyway i thought i better begin to fill this empty vacuole of webspace, tho I'm surprised I aint lost it more times. I'm at my Dads house, yes my parents are divorced, and it hasn't turned me into a pregnant chav...that would be odd... but for some reason today the power keeps dimming. PC no like in other words.
This has basically been a completly random week. And has left feeling very angry at the end of it. Nothing paticulary bad has happened, but nothing really bad, which i suppose is a good thing. However i do feel the need for a punch bag, mainly due to personal reasons which aint gonna enter this text box.
But anyway feeling kinda better after the traditional friday night chippie tea (sorry Peter Kay reference coming up) 'Its the law!', and thought about what I have got to look forward to. And I came up with spending £300 on a telly, nout like a bit of retail therepy eh, and that I'm going to see my idol, Serj Tankian, live in concert at the Manchester academy. However that involves going to Manchester.
Make no mistake, I aint against Mancunians in anyway, i know plenty and am friends with plenty. However, they are another group of people who unfortunatly are tarnished by a group of idiots who like getting car paint on their coins and drugs on their trackies. The problem I have is that last time I went a concert/gig in Manchester the car I went in was never the same again when i got back to it (I wasn't driving before you ask).
So this time I have to use the dreaded (by me) rail network. We are driving up to a secure location in Stockport (I make it sound like an MI5 compound) and then going from Stockport station to Oxford road, which from my limited knowledge of the rail network, is near the academy. I don't know why, but all forms of public transport stress me out. For somebody who loves cars, I find the idea of cramming myself on half a bus seat, or clinging onto a pole for dear life, odd when i could be sitting in luxery in a ...Citroen Saxo... ok maybe less so but you get my point.
So I have no choice and must use the trains. They will probably be fine, but i have the unnerving feeling of impending doom stepping onto them, the same way I hate those doctors gloves which they always put on even if they are talking to you about an embarassing sweat problem...But it could be so much worse. I could be going a steam rally this weekend, but that seems unlikely as MPH is on, and even though I can't go this year, being the victim of a twisted trap in the 'Saw' movies is better than steam power, i have a friend who will agree with that...
Should get round to writing another blog or two this weekend, I'm sure they put subliminal additives in these pages.
Josh
Well yep I am writing blog number two tonight as blogger conviently lost my last one. Anyway i thought i better begin to fill this empty vacuole of webspace, tho I'm surprised I aint lost it more times. I'm at my Dads house, yes my parents are divorced, and it hasn't turned me into a pregnant chav...that would be odd... but for some reason today the power keeps dimming. PC no like in other words.
This has basically been a completly random week. And has left feeling very angry at the end of it. Nothing paticulary bad has happened, but nothing really bad, which i suppose is a good thing. However i do feel the need for a punch bag, mainly due to personal reasons which aint gonna enter this text box.
But anyway feeling kinda better after the traditional friday night chippie tea (sorry Peter Kay reference coming up) 'Its the law!', and thought about what I have got to look forward to. And I came up with spending £300 on a telly, nout like a bit of retail therepy eh, and that I'm going to see my idol, Serj Tankian, live in concert at the Manchester academy. However that involves going to Manchester.
Make no mistake, I aint against Mancunians in anyway, i know plenty and am friends with plenty. However, they are another group of people who unfortunatly are tarnished by a group of idiots who like getting car paint on their coins and drugs on their trackies. The problem I have is that last time I went a concert/gig in Manchester the car I went in was never the same again when i got back to it (I wasn't driving before you ask).
So this time I have to use the dreaded (by me) rail network. We are driving up to a secure location in Stockport (I make it sound like an MI5 compound) and then going from Stockport station to Oxford road, which from my limited knowledge of the rail network, is near the academy. I don't know why, but all forms of public transport stress me out. For somebody who loves cars, I find the idea of cramming myself on half a bus seat, or clinging onto a pole for dear life, odd when i could be sitting in luxery in a ...Citroen Saxo... ok maybe less so but you get my point.
So I have no choice and must use the trains. They will probably be fine, but i have the unnerving feeling of impending doom stepping onto them, the same way I hate those doctors gloves which they always put on even if they are talking to you about an embarassing sweat problem...But it could be so much worse. I could be going a steam rally this weekend, but that seems unlikely as MPH is on, and even though I can't go this year, being the victim of a twisted trap in the 'Saw' movies is better than steam power, i have a friend who will agree with that...
Should get round to writing another blog or two this weekend, I'm sure they put subliminal additives in these pages.
Josh
Thursday, 8 November 2007
Hello, welcome to typical first blog
Hiya,
If you haven't guessed, this is the blog of Josh Dean, a person. Is that enough detail? Well today I can't be bothered to write a blog saying who i am again...
Today i just randomly decided to do this, as i basically haven't had a blog that wasn't tied into a myspace or windows live space thing. I don't really have much time to write much today, but hopefully will be able to post more soon, its just my 'busy day' of the week so I'm rushing about like a ferret on steroids...
I have a facebook account, which seems a much better way of people actually knowing who I am than me writing it down here. I will try and write something interesting here, but it may be focused on different stuff.
Anyway Tschüs, Auf wiedersehen, Goodbye
Josh
If you haven't guessed, this is the blog of Josh Dean, a person. Is that enough detail? Well today I can't be bothered to write a blog saying who i am again...
Today i just randomly decided to do this, as i basically haven't had a blog that wasn't tied into a myspace or windows live space thing. I don't really have much time to write much today, but hopefully will be able to post more soon, its just my 'busy day' of the week so I'm rushing about like a ferret on steroids...
I have a facebook account, which seems a much better way of people actually knowing who I am than me writing it down here. I will try and write something interesting here, but it may be focused on different stuff.
Anyway Tschüs, Auf wiedersehen, Goodbye
Josh
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