23/09/2009 by dave.

That’s right. I spotted a news article on the Telegraph website this morning about a snake with a foot that had been found in China and is now being examined by the Life Sciences Department at China’s West Normal University in
Nanchang. After reading through the short article i noticed an interesting link to another article on the side of the page titled only “The Roadkill Artist”.

Intrigued I clicked on the link and was taken to a single image and one sentence to copy about it. The image blurb mentioned the name of the artist to be Adam
Morrigan, a man who makes works of art out of dead animals he scoops off of the road. With no link to anything else related to the artist i Googled him and discovered his own portfolio site. 

All i can say is wow. Take a look at some of the pieces he has made so far. 

 Absolution and Redemption (Fox and the Hare)

 TV Dinner

 Mappe Mundi (2 Mallard Ducks)

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22/09/2009 by dave.

After my Winter sun post a couple of days ago, I thought i would delve a little deeper into the locations i highlighted as prime holiday spots.

Corfu is the most popular of the Greek Islands. It is a very green island that has seen a mixture of the civilizations over the many years it has been inhabited, giving today’s visitors a plethora of interesting and exciting ruins and architecture for us all to enjoy.
The town of Corfu (Kerkyra) impresses and charms the visitor with its two forts, narrow streets, tall houses, arcades, Venetian-built Town Hall, flower-filled gardens, and balconies with their superb wrought-iron fences.Corfu truly is a stunning place, with the whole island filled with promise and something present for everyone to enjoy.

Through the day Corfu is a peaceful, relaxing place with beautiful beaches and charming towns for you to visit and discover. When night falls the Island springs to life, with great night life including excellent restaurants, bars and clubs for a perfect mixture of entertainment.

There is a huge range of hotels in Corfu to fit any budget. A few notable selections are, Louisa Hotel Apartments, Vadius Apartments and the Christina Beach Hotel. All three of the aforementioned Hotels are very close to a number of top sandy beaches, with beautiful views of the coast or the island.

Although the island is only small compared to holidaying on the mainland, being able to get around the island is important if you want to make the most of your trip. There are a number of buses on the island, as well as your normal tours, but renting a car will give you the most freedom to do and go where you please. Shop around when choosing your car hire in Corfu as there are plenty of deals out there. Try a trusted car rental broker to try and find the best prices.

Flights to Corfu are short and reasonably cheap at the moment, but beware of extra charges from airlines when booking. Make sure you’re price has luggage included, as many smaller airlines will charge you more for if you do not state your requirements when booking.

The most important thing is to relax and enjoy your holiday.

Posted in Holiday, Cars, General | No Comments »

21/09/2009 by Dave G.

Modern Warfare 2 is the latest Call of Duty game set to be this years blockbuster.  Eager gamers are waiting until the release date in November and the game is expected to be a Christmas sellout similar to the massively hyped wii fit last year.

Already online communities are debating which platform to play Modern Warfare on - with die hard Xbox gamers pointing the finger at the recent scandle of the PS3 and its yellow light of death.

But even more vocal are those who are outraged at the price.  Modern Warfare 2 will be considerably more expensive than other games it is claimed.

We took a sample of top games retailers and checked there prices with various price comparison sites to see the extent of the discouts being offered online.

In defense it is noted that this isn’t an attempt by Activision to rip off consumers, it’s an attempt to rip off retailers, who’ll be so desperate to get market share on the title that it’s highly likely the price point on the high street / internet will be the same as if it had been a standard RRP.

It’s not unusual in DVD - blockbusters released with a RRP of £22.99 instead of the standard £19.99 as studios know they’ll end up on shelf at £12.99 anyway. It just means the studio get an extra couple of quid for every unit they ship, it makes little or no difference to the customer.

Our never far from wrong price checking found the ps3 games were on the whole priced exactly the same as the xbox 360 games - the only difference being the recent addition of collectors versions of the game.  Collectors editions of modern warfare 2 - which is still only availsble to pre-order

You would have thought that selling a million copies at £39.99 is infinitely preferable to selling 500,00 at £55, no? Especially when the country is in the middle of a recession?

A good point -  Can charge will charge.

Modern Warfare is one of the few titles this generation that held its price regardless of whether it was new or preowned.

It’s easy for us to say at the moment that ‘this is ridiculous’, ‘I’m not paying that’ etc. but the reality is at least a quarter of posters here will cave and buy it close to release. As commnetators have saidthere are so few sure things these days but Modern Warfare 2 is just that and, given the way MW1 held its price point, if you’re desperate for a new MW experience logic dictates you’ll have to wait a long time to get a bargain. Besides, given the amount of money we as a community spend on games, forgoing a couple of mediocre titles as the MW2 release approaches probably wouldn’t be too difficult. Unless you’re planning on getting the night vision set.

So… I guess the only people who are really hard done by in this situation are parents who’re pestered by their kids for the game. You can obviously say that Activision are money grabbing so and sos but they’re a big company with a product people want to buy: this is capitalism in full effect.

Maybe someone should start an on-line petition? I hear they really make a difference.

Posted in games | 1 Comment »

16/09/2009 by dave.

As the nights draw in and the days get colder we are all starting to think that a holiday away to a warmer climate would be nice. Even though we are currently in a ‘recession’ travel and car hire companies have seen one of the busiest summer periods for years, so are there still some bargains to be had for a autumn getaway?

Lisbon

Lisbon is a beautiful city located in southern Portugal on the North banks of the River Tagus. Lisbon features wonder cobble stoned pavements and narrow streets full of Art Nouveau cafés promises a lot to discover. Full of culture and stunning architecture a trip to Lisbon is a perfect getaway from your normal week.

Larnaca

Larnaca is a lovely coastal fishing city located in Cyprus. Larnaca enjoys a slow passed relaxed atmosphere that will help you chill out and escape from your fast paced life. Even though the city is very relaxed there is plenty to see and do, including diving and camel riding through the local dunes.

Ibiza

Well know for its party atmosphere Ibiza can also be a great place to relax and enjoy the sun.With beautiful views and plenty to do through out the day Ibiza is far more then a clubbing city and can be an ideal place to relax and catch some rays.

Crete

Crete is one of the Greek islands and is one of Europe’s most popular holiday destinations. Full of history and character Crete has plenty to discover if you wish to look around. The island has a 1,000 kilometer-long coastline dotted with numerous coves, bays and peninsulas, which afford a multitude of soft, sandy beaches along the beautifully blue Mediterranean Sea. With great weather and plenty of beaches you will have no problem fully relaxing on the island of Crete.

Corfu

Corfu is another amazing Greek island that features stunning history and amazing beaches along with wonderful weather most of the year around. Corfu is one of the bigger Greek island and therefore it is a little more built up then some of the small islands that you can visit. Corfu offers so much to do you will never be found wanting, but if you want to just relax it also has a number of great beaches to chill out on and enjoy the sun.

Rome

Rome is one of the most popular city destinations within Europe and for good reason. Rome has everything from ancient architecture to top designer shops. No matter what you enjoy you will be able to find it in this bustling city.

Posted in Holiday, General | 7 Comments »