It's my birthday today... Here are some of the celebs that I share it with:

** Thom Yorke from Radiohead.

** Simon Cowell. :o

** Shawn Ashmore. (Iceman from The X Men movies.)

** Toni Braxton.

** John Mellencamp.

** Vladimir Putin. :o

** Archbishop Desmond Tutu.

** Rachel McAdams. (Wedding Crashers/The Time Traveler's Wife.)

** Taylor Hicks. (American Idol.)

On a side note, it's also the 57th anniversary of the bar code. (Random alert.) :)

So far, it's been a relaxed, low key celebration. I haven't been bombarded with a tonne of gifts, (nor look for them), but do appreciate the ones I've received.

I even received an ecard from an online friend, who I haven't heard from in months, which was a surprise.

Later on, there'll be a small party around tea time. Also, the promise of a couple extra presents is something that I'm looking forward to.

Here's to another year.

Lately, I've been getting immersed in the world of LittleBigPlanet. The game is occupying my thoughts so much, it's ridiculous.

This was the first title in my collection back in April. However, it had been neglected in favour of shooters and other genres. The thought of making a brand new level, from the ground up, seemed like a long and laborious task.

As a creative person, that was a LittleBigFauxPas. This past week, I decided to pick it up again and give it a proper chance.

The BETA had remained largely untouched, and the first couple of levels within Story Mode were still incomplete. However, once I knuckled down, and watched all the tutorials, the experience has been nothing short of amazing!

The BETA, while time consuming, is a total riot! There's literally no end to the ideas that can pop into your head. The crazier, the BETTER! :D

When it comes to the basics (rocket propelled cars), I can't help but have a huge smile on my face. There's a real child like enthusiasm to the smallest of contraptions. I'm content with just building jeeps and makeshift rockets. For yucks, I also tried to make a cherry gun, with hi-larious results. :lol:

Overall, the game is a breath of fresh air. I feel kinda guilty not to have embraced it sooner. The scope is impressive and it's lots of fun to boot. This might be my new addiction, because I don't see myself playing anything else at the moment.

In terms of creative ideas, the darker notions are at the top of my list. *Insert maniacal laughter here.*

'Escape From Despository One' is the name of my first level. This is a little horror number, set within a mental hospital. The over arching theme is to break out, and drive a 'Crazy Wagon' to the finish.

If the tools permit, I might incorporate a helicopter chase. (Sometimes, a wacky notion is too ambitious, which is kinda frustrating.)

The real buzz is the attention to detail. I want to fill my 'world' with atmospheric touches. This is the main driving force behind 'Depository One', and something that I'm taking pretty seriously.

Anyone can make a mechanised lift, or a fire pit. I've watched a couple of You Tube vids, and there are some generic obstacle courses in the mix.

That's generally something to avoid. The aim is to make everything subtle and functional. I want the player to feel they are walking around a real location, filled with authentic items. Everything from: blast doors, motorised CCTV, broken tv monitors, a munitions locker, electrical force fields, colour coded signs, hidden passwords, and wall mounted weapons.

When it comes to effects, I want people to jump over the remains of a burning door, than a pre-made platform. Electricity will surge from tv monitors, and hazardous smoke will bellow from damaged pipelines.

The need for humour and laugh out loud moments won't be ignored. At the beginning, I have a talking wall, which blurts out gibberish, and this'll be a recurring theme throughout. :)

Other sections may require the player to run back and forth between locations. If they come across a sealed door, they'll need to go back to the munitions locker, and haul out the triggered explosives! They might also want to use the wacky cherry gun, spotted earlier in the route, to finish the job. :D

Anywho... LittleBigPlanet is a really cool game, and I'm glad to have picked it up again. I'm gonna be occupied with my custom levels for some time.

Today, I attended the second appointment of my health tribunal. Technically, this was the first, as the last one had been adjourned back in July, until more evidence was presented.

The stress of waiting has been crazy. Long story short, (and to my relief), the verdict was positive. A giant weight has been lifted from my mind, and I'm still coming to terms with the news.

For the past seven or eight years, I'd been struggling without the proper support from the welfare department. It was like screaming medical fact to a bunch of sharks. I actually second guessed myself more than once, and went along with all their diversionary tactics.

In the long run, it affected my health more than it helped. Thankfully, my M.D put me back on a positive path. He could see how pointless the situation was, and the overall negative effect on my health.

(I actually got to breaking point. The effects are still present, and it's now a slow, rebuilding process.)

In hindsight, I hope to never get into that situation again. I've always stood by the medical facts, and it's good to have someone finally acknowledge them, and not feel like a liar.

With today's result, that chapter is hopefully behind me. There's still a part of me wonderin' if there's a catch. If, there's some hidden agenda or set back. Perhaps getting burnt has made me that way. In any case, I realise that good things can happen if you really fight for them. The outcome has just hit me in a strange way.

I'm grateful of the support from my advisor too. He understood what I was talking about. In the past, I've felt that I've needed to justify myself at every turn.

Ironically, 'Jesus Of Suburbia/City Of The Damned/I Don't Care/Dearly Beloved' by Green Day is playing in the background. This song will have relevance to that seven year struggle. :) Another ironic twist is the relevance of today's date. It was when my grandfather was born.

Are the fates screwing with my mind? :)

Anywho.. Now, I just want to have a quiet night. My brain has genuinely gone splat.

The moment has arrived, when my interest shifts to the 'other' video game company. Five months out of the gate, with twenty four Ps3 titles, and I'm ready to jump ship.

On that note, a burning question needs to be asked. Have I completely lost faith in the Sony brand?

No.

I'll never tire of GTA IV, or blasting five colours of $%&* out of the Chimera in Resistance. :D The grandeur of MGS will always have a special place in my heart, and Resident Evil will quench my thirst for gore.

However, I'm considering buying a 360 Elite in the next month. A prospect that has got me feeling pretty excited! The timing might be slow, (okay, EXTREMELY slow) but there have been different versions, making it hard to settle on the right one.

Now, the timing feels right.

To be honest, the issue of reliability is at the forefront. :| The last thing I want is a machine that craps out after a month, but it's a risk that I'm willing to take. Fingers crossed that I'm not blogging (or ranting) about it at some point. Recently, I hear the problem has been lessened, which is assuring.

For years, I've appreciated the two, main rivals. There's no preference, and follicle wrenching hatred towards the other. :) The rabid fan boy issue is a total mystery to me. Both engines provide memorable game play, and each come with good, individual perks.

It's hard to believe the 360 has been out since 2005, and I've never bought one sooner. Bizarrely, it's the same four/five year period that I jumped from Ps2 to Xbox. :shock:

In terms of games, I'm keen to sink my teeth into the Halo universe again. Gears Of War is taunting me, :lol: and definitely on the wish list. Then, the venerable classics come in the form of Perfect Dark Zero and Dead Rising.

Talking about zombies, the real anticipation is focused on Left4Dead. I don't think that I've played a true zombie game since the early days of Resident Evil. I need my undead fix, and that'll probably make up the bulk of my first choices.

This blog is just to mark the next step in my gaming habits. Also, to signify a broader range of (upcoming) reviews on this profile.

Uncharted 2 has been on my wish list since the E3 showcase. I was excited about the collapsing environments, and that ruddy, great, big Hind in the promo video. :o Then, I heard about the lip sync feature, which is pretty cool and pushes the envelope of gaming.

Now, the inclusion of 'cinema' mode has pretty much sealed the deal. The inner film director is wide eyed and happy. This is my favourite kind of creative control. I know for a fact that I'm gonna be spending hours (of Oblivion proportions) playing this, and to the detriment of future reruns! :)

Check out the details here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CG5kwtsDXfE

I finished my first piece of video game art today. I'm treating this as a warm up to more technical portraits. (On average, I take around seven or eight hours to sketch something. This one took a couple at the most.)

Sonic was the first ever franchise that I got hooked on. Naturally, it makes sense to start here.

Firstly though, I want to share a funny, Itchy & Scratchy-esque drawing that I found last year. This piece goes back twelve years, to my mid teens.

This was mostly from my twisted imagination, but I remember using reference to capture a general likeness.

:lol:

Regaining my sanity…:) Here's the latest piece of proper Sonic fan art. Tails gets a lot of flack, but I think that he's a good sidekick:

The ol' creative itch has come back, as well as the need to scratch it.

Every now and then, I go through artistic cycles. I've been an artist since an early age, and it usually takes some effort to get 'into the zone.' Other times, there's a surge of inspiration, which can't be ignored. On this occasion, the latter takes precedence.

That can be a good or bad thing. When it comes to an idea, I don't like to set my mind on a particular theme. The second a decision is made, then the process is usually jinxed. (Why doth the Fates mock me so?) :D As long as I don't think too much about it though, then it turns out fine.

Currently, I'm toying with the idea of video game artwork. This is an area that I've never really splurged on, in roughly 12+ years of gaming. Weird huh? So, I'm hoping to change that with a mini project.

There was a recent article in the OPM3 magazine for Uncharted 2. I really enjoyed the first game, and its characters. Sketching people has always been my forte, so I might use Nathan Drake as a starting point.

At some stage, I hope to showcase the final pieces in a blog. Watch this space for new artistic content.

The past few days have been pretty interesting.

Firstly, my computer decided to go on the fritz. Thankfully, no catalyzers were harmed (that one's for the Firefly fans), ;) but it's forced me to fly under the radar for now.

Long story short, there's some spyware trickery trying to shove its nose into my desktop. It can't be uninstalled, or deleted, and claims the system is infected when it isn't. The only way around is a reset, which isn't as easy as it sounds. A lot of documents will need to be backed up, onto a portable hard drive, before anything else is tackled.

So yeah.. It's a bit weird not having regular net access.

On the other hand, it's allowed me to crack on with more practical, meaningful stuff. My room's undergoing much needed change, with a lot of stuff getting thrown out or rearranged, and the living room has a new sofa.

I'm still trying to streamline my belongings, which is pretty theraputic. There's been a lot of stuff that I've kept ahold of, and it feels good to ditch them.

MUSIC: I've been getting back into the R'N'B/dubstep/drum and bass scene. The latter has always been a long term favourite, so it feels like a homecoming. :) As mentioned in a previous blog, my musical tastes have been neglected, so I'm looking to explore those areas again.

In terms of games, it's allowed me to beat the titles I nearly gave up on.

Yesterday, I completed the last three percent of Uncharted. The final stage had been a thorn in my side for a little while, but I realised that it was nothing compared to the sensory overload of COD4. That game gave me the grit and determination to pull through anything.:)

I bought COD4 on Friday, and finished it the next day. Overall, it provided a few tough moments, but is nothing short of beautiful. The level of realism is amazing, whether it's the graphics or the wild track. The sound of barking dogs has never been so panic inducing! The shortness doesn't bother me much, as I'm still getting a lot of replay value out of the single player campaign. The arcade mode is especially cool.

I also purchased Condemned 2 for £7.98, which was a steal in my book. The game oozes so much atmosphere, and the action is gritty too.

I took some more photos of MGS4, and need to transfer them onto my GS profile at some point. The motorbike sequence is pretty fun in general, but even better with the digital camera. The term 'machine gun photography' has never been so relevant. :D

I've started following MLB. The current season is airing live on ESPN America, which might be my new favourite sports channel. (Move over Extreme.) I'm hoping that they'll cover the NFL season when it kicks in next month too,

Baseball has always been something I've had a mild interest in, but never had the chance to follow in this country. Those Hollywood movies from the late eighties and early nineties are probably to blame. :) I need to figure out which team to follow, but appreciate watching any at the moment.

It's been a while since I've sunk my teeth into a new tv show. The last one was Sons Of Anarchy, which wrapped up its first season last week.

In terms of sci-fi/fantasy, there's been a drought in my viewing habits lately. That doesn't mean I've given up on the genre. The prerequisite to be fussy is creepin' up in my old age though :D, as there isn't a whole lot to grab my attention.

The wave of current gen sci-fi is kicking about, but I haven't embraced the likes of Fringe, Heroes, or Sanctuary. (Although the latter is pretty cool from what I've seen.) Dollhouse is the only thing that I'm watching at the moment. The last few eps with Alan 'Alpha' Tudyk have been a breath of fresh air.

When there's a shortage, my tastes turn to crime or medical drama. House M.D has always been great, and the fifth season is ever strong. Grey's Anatomy wrapped up its fifth run weeks ago, leaving a bittersweet hole. However, both of these have become safe options in my schedule.

Overall, there's just a lack of quirky drama to quench my off beat thirst.

A lot of my long standing favourites are either finished or on hiatus. Galactica is frackin' over, and was thought provoking at times. It's become one of my top five most watched. Talking about brainy shows, the final season of Lost is coming soon, which is kinda scary. Either way, it needs to hurry up!

Anywho... I've gotten comfortable with the familiar, and rarely seek out fresh content. All the new things that I checked out were short lived. Wonderfalls came and went, and the same applied to Daybreak and Invasion. The resurrected Jericho went back to the tv graveyard. T:TSCC was good while it lasted, but there wasn't anything to make me truly excited.

I've been looking for more gritty stuff to get hooked on. The stuff that makes me smile at its irreverent, dark humour and adult premise. I like shows that aren't pc friendly; which slip the odd swear word in, and have true to life reactions.

Which leads me to True Blood; a quirky, vampire drama with an adult tone. On Friday, I tuned into the fourth episode, and might have found my next obsession This show makes me smile so much!

It's funny, cheesy in parts, yet crude and sexy. Jason's 'troubles' were especially sick and laugh out loud. I'm still trying to figure out if it doesn't-take-itself-too-seriously, but there are flashes of greatness. Like, the tru blood beverage, available in blood type flavours. Clever stuff! Not even Buffy or Angel carried that gimmick.

Also, it's cool to see Anna Paquin in a lead role. Equally weird but cool is seeing Vinnie from Home & Away. :) When it comes to characters, Sookie is really growing on me, as well as the bold natured Lafayette.

The fun is back in cult tv, and I'm looking forward to the next ep.

Every now and then, I streamline certain aspects of my life. Call it a life laundry, a spring clean or a relapse. :D Either way, it's therapeutic, and has become something of a ritual over the last eight years.

Currently, I'm at that stage again. Looking at where I am, and need to be. What I'm grateful for, and cutting loose from all the rotten stuff, which has outstayed its welcome. On the face of things, there's A LOT, which should have been thrust into the heart of a black hole, sooner rather than later. :D

The running theme is that I've lost my edge and need to get it back.

The main 'problem' was being around the wrong people for the last four years. I won't go off on a neurotic, 'woe is me' rant. However, I realised that certain long standing friends were emotional leeches. They were stuck, performing the same counter productive dance, designed to keep each other down.

I got tired of the apathy. Not that I'm an attention seeker, :D but despite my genuine efforts, the sentiments were rarely returned. Sometimes doing the right thing wasn't enough. Either way, it was a source of agitation and subjection, and I'm glad to be away from this particular dynamic.

Around four weeks ago I decided to move on. Overall, the right decision was made. Difficult for a spell, but the alternative is much healthier. I'm slowly enjoying myself again, getting life back on the upswing and revisiting old tastes. The scales have been tipped for too long, and it's good to regain the feeling of self worth.

This week, I'm starting a new phase. My surroundings are always the first port of call, and then it progresses to hobbies and gear. I've already bought a new tv cabinet, and want to purchase some book shelves. The aim is to purchase any sort of item to improve my current lifestyle, and build from there.

In terms of music, I want to revisit some old artists whose work I used to love. Musical tastes have also been neglected. Recently, it's been like putting all the pieces back in the puzzle. An aspect of my life that I've missed.

Ultimately, I'm blending the old with the new. Hitting the reset button to a degree, while embracing a slightly newer direction. Cutting out all the habits and routines that were unfulfilling, and focusing on what really matters most.

The balance is getting restored.