So, my birthday is tommorow (or today, depending on when i finish this post) and im sort of looking forward to it. I've talked to my parents, and they're gonna give me £100 extra for me to take to Japan. And i've got a few cards and presents to open. I think this has been the first year i have actually had no idea what to ask for, the number of requests i have had for my presents has slowly declined as i grow older. So, i ended up asking for money. Which means i can dish out on some souvenirs and stuff on the trip. I think its a little bit of a shame theyll be no wrapping to tear open, but i'm gonna have to get used to it. It wont be long till my birthday presents consist of 2 books on DIY and a bottle of shower gel. But its not just the presents i miss, i miss the excitement, it was the same for christmas. Going to bed the night before and trying to get to sleep so the morning would come faster. Then waking up in the morning and getting the parents up so i can start opening the gifts. I didnt always get what i wanted, but it was always fun. It used to be a fantastic event, and while i still enjoy the time period, it just isnt the same. Its all part of growing up, you begin to take more responsibility. Even though i dont think people expect it of me, i try to buy a few gifts at christmas. I bought some for the nieces/nephews last christmas. And im hoping to buy a few things at japan for most of my friends and family. Its almost surreal, because when your young, you dont think you'll ever reach that stage, it always seems so far off. It will be my birthday in 5 minutes, so i'm off now!

Yet again i have forgotten my blog, so yet again im going to try and keep it going, especially since someone new has commented on my last blog post (Retro_Guru). So, since last time, i have finshed my A's, and am hoping to take four A2s, Maths, Chem, Phys, and Biology, but ill have to see my results. My exams went well, but im a bit worried about one or two units. I will however be suprised if i get below B in any of the subjects. But ill talk more about stuff like that in some other post. Last week i came back from a biology field trip to Wales. It has to have been the most exhausting holiday i have ever been to, working day was 9 am to 9pm, and we probably had about 2-3 hours free time a day. But it was enjoyable nonetheless, and interesting. We would go to beaches, shores, and forests etc and study various animals, plants and algae. It may not sound very interesting, but when your teachers are good, and you understand whats happening, its really is. I can now travel to places and instead of making assumptions, etc, i know whats happening. It's a bit hard to explain really, so just to imagine ive put it accross perfectly. The best part of now, is that schools out for the summer, so, no work (almost). Im gonna try and full it with stuff to do, im fed up of ending a 7 week holiday and wondeirng what the hell ive been doing. The biggest chunk is going to japan this sunday for 2 and a half weeks. I am so excited, if not a bit nervous. I know a bit of japanese, but not enough. But, theres plenty to look forward to, Mt fuji, tokyo, kyoto, hiroshima, studio ghibli's museum. I cant think of anything i wont enjoy. I wont be able to post much during that time, but i'll try and write a summary when i get back. Thats it really, i think, at least, in brief, oh, and its my birthday on friday, ill be 17, at last, im one of the youngest in my year. So, looking forward to then. Anyway, adfa, signing out!

Well, im sure lots of people in education do this, but i have had this rule since i went in to secondary school. Every friday when i get back, i go straight to the computer and relax. I wont work at all. Its my day off. I think its fair. I mean, if i work hard the rest of the week, i should be able to look forward to something. So, in the past few days i've been trying to arrange my japanese trip in the summer. I'm going with a good friend, and i hope ill enjoy myself. Most of my holidays tend to be either a short distance or a long way away. There is a huge void space that i havent visited yet, and it seems a shame. One place i want to go is india. My mum tries to convince me, but i just havent gotten round to it. But, i have a backup plan. At the end of my A-levels, i am definetely going to take a gap year. I have been in education for a long time, and i think it is about time to take a break. Many people dont like the idea, maybe because they want to get education over and done with, but it is a chance to experience something which you will probably not be able to do for a very long time. If you go to uni, there is a chance you will get in to a relationship, or go in to a job. Basically, you will usually end up with some sort of responsibility which will prevent you from taking a year off. Sure, you will get holidays, but it isnt the same. I plan to work for half the time to raise money. Then i will travel the world. Ill likely get a world ticket, and i hope to frequently change between working for charities and just taking in the sights and culture. I also hope to travel with friends, its a long time away, and i dont think i could stand meeting all these new people, etc, without someone around to support me. So, during this year, i hope to visit india and get to know my mums side of the culture. A side of culture which i havent really experieced so far...

Well, as you may have realised, i didnt write an article yet, and its been bugging me all day. So, to all my fans out there (i wish), my apoligies. The main reason i didnt write yesterday was because i recieved 'The Sims 2' in the post. So far, im addicted to it. I dont know whether i've changed, or whether it is the expansion, but the game seems much better then when i just got The Sims 2 by itself last spring. I hope im not alone in saying this, but the first thing i did was create myself. I guess it kind of encourages you to make sure this sim does well. It is nice to be able to create yourself and becoem successful in a game. The game is very well made, and seeing that the expansion comes out tommorow, im hoping that will be good as well. I guess thats one of the main attractions of online games, especially mmorpgs. You're behind a mask, nobody knows who you are. While you still give away some things, like age, and the country you live in, the actual person there is usually left unknown. I like being in clans for this reason. When i used to play Socom 2, i was in a clan for a long time,and i've stayed in contact with the other members. When you are online, you are yourself, but because it is only your voice or what you type, the person at the other end will fill out the blanks themselves, even if it is completely inaccurate. Though i think i can safely say, that strong traits, such as jealousy , can usually be picked up, so there is a certain amount of accuracy to the assumptions. I dont think i've talked about school at all, so, i think ill say a bit about it. I'm currently doing my A-levels in Maths, Chemistry, Biology, Physics and Accellerated Maths. I have to say, now that the classes are much smaller, i catch on to what i am being taight much quicker. I have started to enjoy, rather then just live with them. And i really like the fact that i feel trusted now, that the teacher is no longer an overbearing figure, but someone who wants to help you, and someone you can talk to... In the three days i have had 1 panic attacks, and 5 minor spurts of worry. So, all in all, thats pretty good going. I'll admit, i stress out a bit too much, and usually ill just keep it to myself, which probably makes it worse. I've already got a few grey hairs! Just a reminder that devstation is going on at the moment, so dont forget that some info might be released if we are lucky. Very lucky... For all the people in the US, dont forget the time difference...

I've always disagreed with capital punishment. I'm agnostic myself, but i find it confusing that a country can be base on christianity, which states one must forgive, and thou shalt not murder, yet revenge is taken and a person is affectively mudered by the state. I was watching an episode of Oprah Winfrey a few days ago, where a woman told her account of when she had been taken hostage in her own house by a serial killer. Some people may know the story, im not able to recall the name, but the emotions and reactions of the woman were what shocked me. I dont know this person very well, but ill tell you what i heard, and what i thought. 1)This woman kept repeating that she had only been thinking of her child, i'm not a parent, i cant directly relate to it, but it was bugging my mind that if she loved her child so much, why did she put her child in care? I cant help but wonder if she twisted the story to make herself look better. 2) This woman kept trying to make out she was religous, saying that her role in life was to help others, and yet, at other times, she continually expressed her disgust and contempt. 3) One more thing, when she was about to leave, he asked her if she would visit him in prison, she said yes. But on the chat show she said she wouldnt, saying that her part had been done. She may have done it at the time to save her life, but this man made a mistake, and she got him to surrender, saying it would be better for him. Whether this man had taken her hostage or not, if she believes her role is to do good to the world then she should have tried to uphold her promise, otherwise she would just be teaching this man that forgiveness is an illusion. There were many more reasons, but i cant actually remember them because it was quite a while ago. But i just remember thinking that this murderer didnt deserve to die no matter what, and that this woman had lost a lot of my respect. I felt she had commercialised her experience, and that she was half glad it happened... By the way, on a lighter note, thanks to 'worldofcheese' for telling the name of the film was 'mercury rising', ironically first named 'mercury falling'...

Well, hollywood is in crisis at the moment, people just arent going to the cinema any more and piracy is on the increase. So, hollywood is becoming desperate for franchises. Anything that does well the first time, will probably have a sequel. When i watch a film and i like it, i usually end up think that a sequel would be great. But it is a sad fact that most sequels are much worse than the original. Personally, i think it is sometimes due to over confidence, or suddenly centralising on only action. A tragic example was The Matrix, the first was a brilliant film, but action took priority in teh second and third, too much money went in, and the films took a massive decline in quality. It doesnt happen to every film, spiderman and xmen both had good sequels. But for the most part, this is unfortunately true. So when, recently, i watched the sequels to die hard, i was expecting them to have the same pattern. To me, i expected the action to just be more intense. So, i was suprised when Brucie managed to pull it off in both the sequels. While teh sequels arent as good as the original, the decline in quality was minimal, and the films still remained above average and quite an enjoyable experience. Although, i do remain sceptical about Die Hard 4.0... Ive just seen two other films. I saw Wallace and Gromit: The curse of the Were-rabbit. I think its a great film, and considering the quality and the amount of time it took to make, it definetely deserved to sell at the rate it did. Its very funny, but also the the animation is still really amazing to me, and its done really well. The attention to detail is magnificent, and if you pay close enough attention, you'll find a huge amount of jokes put in to the background which most people dont notice... I just saw The Green Mile as well. It was the first time i saw it and it also proved to be a spectacular film. It proves to be quite an emotional rollercoaster, some points its very sad, others its horrific, and now and again their is the odd chuckle. So, it is definetely a recommendation if your looking for a good film. By the way, im trying to remember the name of a film, so if anyone can help me out, taht would be good. It involves some young boy with autism cracking an NSA code. And so they kill his parents and then try and kill him, anyone know? Back to school tommorow, but suprisingly, im not having the usual panic attacks, im not saying im looking forward to it, but, im just gonna try and relax, at least there is a 3 day weekend for me at the end of this week...

Well, i got a reply from my seller saying: "95% of our parcels arrive at thier destination between around seven to ten days" Considering the fact that it said delivery in 5 days, im a tad annoyed, but oh well, it has to arrive next week, i hope..., Its a shame im gonna recieve this game in a holiday, and schools gonna get in the way. Im trying my best to work more than i have in the past. Yesterday i travelled in to the unknown. Previously i only used the gamespot forums to talk about games. But i discovered teh off topic forum, and i have to say, its great. It was a relief to not have to talk about games all the time. There are a surprising amount of intelligent debates and discussions, something i didnt expect. Among with other things, there were topics on whether same sex marriage is fine, whether george bush is evil, and the situation in iraq. I was simply astounded by the amount of people who were in agreement with me. But i was more astounded by some of the comments made. I would go as far as saying some of them were racist, or xenophobic, and it is these people who give americans such a bad name, a name which they doesnt really represent the majority. Its strange, im such a strong believer in free speech, and human rights, i dont like the idea of bush's phone tapping, or the ban of protest outside the palace of westminster, i think guantanamo bay should be shut immediately. But, there were points last night when i thought some of these people shouldnt say these things. Now i look back, i know they are allowed to say what they want and i realise its very important to think before you come to those sorts of conclusions, dont let emotions prevail over what you think is right...no?... Its like this recent news report about the guy who was jailed for denying the holocaust occured. I know its a horrible thing to say, but, it shouldnt be a crime to speak it. What if this guy genuinly believes what he says, is it right to jail someone for what they beileve?

Well, before i start, i'd just like to bring up the fact that gamespot gave BLACK a 7.3. This isnot the first time my monthly magazine, OPS2 (UK) has disagreed. OPS2 gave it 10. Other examples are when they gave 50 Cent 8/10. Im starting to lose faith in them. Im gonna continue with them but im gonna take everything with a pinch of salt, they are a good magazine, and they have special features and other stuff which is better than gamepots, but sometimes they are taken in by hype and there reviews reflect this. So, i am able of writing this because i am on half term holiday at the moment. So, being a friday, its the last working day of the week. And during these last five days i've had a great insight in to daytime TV. And boy, no wonder people get jobs, i'd get one just to get away from the tv. Its always the same, they are all chat shows, and they always depress you. Trisha Goddard, Oprah Winfrey, Jeremy Kyle, Ricki Lake, Montel Williams, Sally Jessy Raphael, Judge Judy and Jerry Springer (the UK version). And to make it worse, the adverts in between are all compensation, mortgage, consolidating your loan in to 12 easy payments. Oh, and if they're not chat shows, then its ; homes under the hammer, bargain hunt, cash in the attic. But, i have to admit there is a sort of guilty joy you get from watching these programs. With the chat shows, you sort of spend the program thinking how the situation could be improved, and how you would go about it. And with bargain hunt, and such, you sort of think, i could do better than that. On to other news, i bought 'The Sims 2' and the expansion pack 'Nightlife' on ebay on Monday, but i still havent got it yet, hopefully it will come soon. I decided to get it when i found my original sime the previous day. I enjoyed it greatly. But it isnt the first time ive had the game, i bought it when it was released, and sold it soon after, but i dont think i gave it a chance and i want to make sure i try tio enjoy it this time. When the ability to leave the house and travel in to town was introduces i really enjoyed it, and that is what nightlife lets you do, along with much else, like driving a car. And if i end up enjoying the game, then ill defininetely get 'open for business', so no more will i have to watch them leave in a rusty carm and now i can control them in work, so, depending on the post, hopefully ill get it tommorow...

http://www.devstation.scee.com/ The devstation conference is held in brick lane. A world famous street (with a world famous bagel shop). There's even a book about it. So, while its not as extravagant as buckingham palace, its an important part of the london culture, and is, in some ways, more true to the city. Im not sure whether this conference is gonna be good or not, id like to think that it is, because im starved of information. But soem things on the website caught my eye. Lets look at the topics that will be covered: Cell and the OS Audio Graphics Networking Third-party presentations (including Epic and a guest independent developer) Middleware (including Havok and Ageia) Performance analysis Art/content generation (including presentations from 3rd-party application vendors) Im particularly interested in the subject of an OS, many people had said there would be one, but im hoping they might decide and delve in to how it could be used. Im hoping for mac, as i know a windows OS is impossible, for obvious reasons. Im also interested in networking, i want to kow about their online plan, i want to see if they are gonna try and compete againt XBL, despite the fact that i though PS2 service was perfectly fine. If this also includes ps3 communication with the PSP then that will also be good. Third party presentations may introduce some new games, which i really think the ps3 could do with. The others, interesting news could be released, but its unlikely, it will probably be things that we've seen before. I guess its only a matter of time, march 1st, but if sony doesnt release info soon, they may start to get in trouble...

Thats right, its a place to write random things about my life (of which i think i have) and my thoughts (where they are im not quite sure...). So, who am i, im a london 16 year old gamer and i try to enjoy life. As far as games go,i guess im with sony, but i have nothing against the other companies. Im very interested in the revolution and at the moment im planning on getting it. But the PS3 does appeal to me the most, and as long as these recent stories and claims arent true, it still will. But, with games, i try to look for originality, such as katamari or shadow of the collosus as well as those which have really stood out from the crowd, such as GTA, halo, and The Sims. Im also a big fan of films, while i have no particular favourite there are so many i am fond of, shawshank redemption, teh matrix (only the original) and Spirited Away are all in the top list. In terms of music, i have to say, that, of all the things that i do, i find music is the only thing that relaxes me. Games, i enjoy, but they make me jumpy and alert, same for films, but most types of music help me relax, excl rap and r'n'b. I found gamespot quite a while ago, it was quite a bit after that, that forums started to attract me. I previously had used happypuppy.com, but it was when my friends around me set up a forum that i began to like the idea. Im usually on the system wars forum, trying to be unbiased, or the ps3 forum. I tend to keep in those. Ive probably been around here for about 3 years, which isnt reflected in my post count. This is really because i tend to think alot before a post and try to make an intelligent response, which is usually hard to do in SW, but i try. Most of the time i just loom over and watch. Anyway, thats enough about me for now, i think i could get used to this blog idea...