tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-178193802012-02-16T19:43:29.209ZWelcome to my blog! This is a personal blog by the author, and any content in it reflects the personal interests of the author. The author welcomes appropriate comments and feedback made. The author does not welcome spam posts.Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02720021949034017652noreply@blogger.comBlogger681100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17819380.post-4492666533796692762012-02-15T12:56:00.004Z2012-02-15T12:56:24.285Z

The great thing about digital photography is that you can edit your own photos. With editing software, you can refine any photo. Or alternatively, add additional photo effects. Here are a few guidelines for editing your digital photos. Read more: Guide to Editing Digital Photos.

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02720021949034017652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17819380.post-26814553413960596152012-02-15T12:49:00.004Z2012-02-15T12:54:01.083Z

If you have a new digital camera, then there are a few more essential accessories which will be required. Although, some additional accessories may come included with the digital camera package, it cannot be expected that a great range of accessories will be included. So, here are a few essential accessories to consider for your digital camera. Read more: Essential Accessories you need to buy

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02720021949034017652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17819380.post-19872765118246222522012-01-29T14:36:00.001Z2012-01-29T14:36:15.160Z

Below is a photograph I took of the Spinnaker Tower. This is a landscape shot which also captures the surrounding harbor. On the right side there is Gunwharf Quay and Gunwharf marina. On the left side of the tower there is the HMS Warrior in the background.

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02720021949034017652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17819380.post-54931967584834914592011-08-28T13:45:00.006+01:002011-08-28T13:55:57.642+01:00

In one of my earlier blog posts I included a cat photo. Here are a few more photos of that same cat. In this photo two photos have been combined into one thanks to my camera photo combination options. Click on the image for an enlargement. To view the other cat photo post just follow this link.

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02720021949034017652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17819380.post-178056043869150072011-08-24T11:03:00.011+01:002011-08-24T11:12:10.430+01:00

Are you looking to rent accommodation in Calgary for your next holiday? Or are you searching for some more permanent rental accommodation in Calgary? If so then you should consider visiting the RentCalgary.com website which has a variety of accommodation rentals in Calgary. The Rent Calgary website has rental accommodation across Calgary. From the homepage you can select from north-west, north

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02720021949034017652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17819380.post-6687518310268502812011-06-02T11:26:00.003+01:002011-06-02T11:30:12.334+01:00

Has your car broken down? This could be down to any variety of factors, and for vehicle repairs one of the first places to consider is that of RepairPal.com. RepairPal is a website that is dedicated to providing vehicle repair guidelines, with estimates and reviews included on the website. As such, they take the mystery out of vehicle repair!It’s easy to get an estimate on this website. Simply

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02720021949034017652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17819380.post-37021438989004312382010-08-06T15:28:00.012+01:002010-08-06T18:11:26.527+01:00

There is some variety of on-line casinos. As such, finding some of those on-line casinos with top bonuses is not always obvious. However, the Goodbonusguide.com website provides a good listing, along with trusted user reviews, of a variety of regulated on-line casinos. For example, let us consider you are searching for a Paypal casino that accepts Paypal. Not always easy to find, but

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02720021949034017652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17819380.post-13996422626988928702010-08-05T17:19:00.002+01:002010-08-05T17:22:52.229+01:00

Some may note the addition of the Bukisa side-bar on my blog. I have added this to link to some of my new articles on Bukisa. Bukisa is a site that provides a variety of options for articles, as well as some good formatting options. Click on the sidebar links to any article titles that are of interest. From here, you can browse my portfolio of articles on Bukisa.

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02720021949034017652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17819380.post-32101209297547004822009-09-11T20:51:00.002+01:002009-09-11T20:57:00.400+01:00

Greetings again. Below is another photo from my selection, of the St Georges flag.This has been edited, and cropped down. In addition, glowing has been added. Some may note that this is also used on my Helium bio. Use the Helium link for more, and my Helium bio.

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02720021949034017652noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17819380.post-78705426501988897932009-07-06T13:12:00.004+01:002009-07-06T13:50:29.245+01:00

Are you requiring something for the bathroom? Then you could consider Fairfield Bathroom Direct. Fairfield Bathrooms Direct stock a range of bathroom accessories and gear for bathrooms. For example, from showers, to baths, mirrors, radiators, taps, lighting, bathroom cabinets etc etc. Fairfield Bathrooms stocks much. At any rate, their site can be found via the links above and is worth noting

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02720021949034017652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17819380.post-62887163818242657962008-12-03T16:51:00.003Z2008-12-03T16:57:06.138Z

This photo, was taken of a church:The glow like effect, was created using image editing software. Aside, overall it captures the surrounding hedges and main subject well enough. Click the photo, for an enlargement.

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02720021949034017652noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17819380.post-7055290508790541502008-11-10T13:05:00.003Z2008-11-10T18:38:03.384Z

Are you looking for a particular gift? Then look no further than this site, which searches the web for products and presents them in directory format. For example, let us suppose you are seeking a wedding item. Simply enter the keyword wedding, in the search box, and you will be presented with relevant findings as a search engine would for web-sites. Further links to stores can then be accessed

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02720021949034017652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17819380.post-72090287695175997922008-10-26T13:16:00.002Z2008-10-26T13:18:48.467Z

Recently, this blog has been registered and accepted with blogsvertise. I await some tasks to assign to this blog.

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02720021949034017652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17819380.post-20729353753491085302008-07-05T19:16:00.004+01:002008-07-05T19:21:30.456+01:00

To add some more photography, this is a photo of Lord of the Rings framed poster on my wall - with a touch of editing:And yes, the bulge effect was created via image editing. Making for a more striking photo in some respects. Obviously, the image has been cropped to remove the outer details and ensure that only the framed photo is included. Admittedly, it may have been better to have my curtains

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02720021949034017652noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17819380.post-2092730154378870102008-06-20T15:33:00.008+01:002010-12-05T12:30:23.886Z

As those who frequent this blog might be aware, I submit articles to Helium. More recently, however, the discovery of Triond has enabled me to post articles there also. Triond, in comparison to Helium, lacks any competitions or market place. However, the formatting of articles, as well as the opportunity to post comments gives it some advantages. Please follow the link below, which

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02720021949034017652noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17819380.post-78803050377501785222008-06-11T16:08:00.004+01:002008-06-11T16:13:48.408+01:00

The American flag, undoubtedly one of the most recognisable in the world, often makes for a good photo subject. Below, I have captured the flag in flight: This photograph has been assisted with image editing. Some effects were added, and the flag straightened slightly. The cropping of the image is also evident. This was necessary to trim down the surrounding skyline enabling the flag to take up

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02720021949034017652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17819380.post-12565403694562057482008-06-02T16:16:00.003+01:002008-06-02T16:23:13.950+01:00

I have a number of new and recent additions to my Helium biography. These include:http://www.helium.com/items/1065598-looking-beckham-phenomenon-importanthttp://www.helium.com/items/1064629-premier-league-which-beganhttp://www.helium.com/items/1063529-english-football-truly-worldhttp://www.helium.com/items/1062354-rating-helium-articles-requireshttp://www.helium.com/items/1061169-

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02720021949034017652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17819380.post-40132104265723625632008-05-25T19:18:00.001+01:002008-05-25T19:18:49.393+01:00

Another photo taken at a garden centre:To take this, I moved the camera into a vertical position so as to fit a narrow pot of flowers into the picture. This is aided with orange and light blue background flowers, making for a sound composition.

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02720021949034017652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17819380.post-46678271748980829792008-05-18T14:37:00.005+01:002008-07-20T15:34:25.130+01:00

One of my more recent articles on Helium has been chosen for publication by Travel Planning Guide. This article, on Golf in Anna Maria Island, is my first Helium publication to date. You can view this article at:Anna Maria IslandPlease do use the link on the right to navigate to my other Helium articles. I will continue to provide blog updates in relation to Helium.

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02720021949034017652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17819380.post-25588426665570678362008-05-14T18:33:00.005+01:002008-05-14T18:58:40.979+01:00

Greetings again. Having crawled around the Ryde esplanade for the day, I have snapped up ;-) some more photography to post on this blog. Two of my best efforts, I consider, are alternative hovercraft photographs. These are small images, but can be made full size by clicking on them. I like the clarity in the first photo (on the left). Also, in addition, what is caught in the background skyline

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02720021949034017652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17819380.post-75328025367487594442008-05-10T19:05:00.003+01:002008-05-10T19:12:14.376+01:00

There have been two more recent articles submitted into my Helium biography. They can be found at:http://www.helium.com/items/1035357-arsenals-english-players-criticismand also:http://www.helium.com/items/1034108-world-number-causes-historiansCurrently, the first is ranked 5/47 while the second is ranked 10/25. You might wish to take a look.

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02720021949034017652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17819380.post-65513731488729113992008-05-06T20:09:00.006+01:002008-05-06T20:22:13.288+01:00

Moving away from flowers; this picture was taken outside a garden centre. The cat is perfectly poised for the photograph, so I just couldn't help myself!It was windy, and I needed to crop the photo to centre the cat. Likewise, the blurring effect round the edges was done with image editing tools. Still, the cat evidently wanted its picture taken. I duly took it, and here it is!

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02720021949034017652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17819380.post-83269670746629181632008-05-02T14:46:00.007+01:002008-05-02T20:16:07.636+01:00

Here is a collection of three flower pictures I have taken, moulded into one:The picture layout was done using my digital camera layout facility, which enables you to layout two or three photos into one. The rose picture has been posted before, but the purple and white flowers are new photos. My feelings are the white flowers lack somewhat in color but make for an interesting contrast to the red

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02720021949034017652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17819380.post-46506321078187539172008-04-25T17:03:00.004+01:002008-04-25T17:11:53.826+01:00

The latest pic from my harddrive. I know it looks pretty, you can add it to your desktop.This was taken at a garden centre with the camera. Using the zoom features I was able to focus up on the roses. It makes good wallpaper.

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02720021949034017652noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17819380.post-18062064708286382222008-04-21T19:05:00.003+01:002008-04-21T19:28:05.088+01:00

This blog has had a number of its previous entries copied and pasted into Helium articles for ranking against others on the same theme. And how have they fared? Well, pretty well overall. Some have done very well while a few maybe haven't fitted the article subject perfectly. Favorite websites: 11/30Causes for World War 1: 10/40A look at the video game console battle: 1/3History of World Cup: 3/

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02720021949034017652noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17819380.post-50256455010411548892008-04-19T20:48:00.005+01:002008-04-19T21:01:50.391+01:00

Another scoop from my hard drive. This picture was taken from a small pond display outside a garden center:My camera has a useful best shot facility, with an ideal flowing water option available to select. This I did, and took the shot you see above. As such, the water was captured well. Equally, the zoom compact allows for lens manipulation. Allowing me to zoom into the object more and remove

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02720021949034017652noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17819380.post-90719529324247961752008-04-17T17:01:00.005+01:002008-04-17T17:17:31.028+01:00

Recently, I have quite taken to digital photography. Using a zoom compact, 12.1 megapixel Exilim I have acquired some snaps on the hard drive. Rather than leave them there, I will post some of my favourites on this blog for you to view. Somewhat like a photo gallery. The first picture is of the HMS Warrior:I took this on a fairly dreary day, so lighting wasn't brilliant. But the composition

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02720021949034017652noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17819380.post-40601223227563948902008-04-16T14:29:00.007+01:002008-04-17T16:54:47.354+01:00

Well, you may note my recent posts on this blog and wonder why it was left. I can tell you, that largely this has a lot to do with a site called Helium. To view click the link: Helium enables the posting of articles on a much wider scale than blogs and guarantees an audience. As such, quite a few of my blogging entries have been moved from here and been posted for ranking there. So, I guess this

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02720021949034017652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17819380.post-9853714545828274382007-10-05T16:35:00.000+01:002007-10-05T16:39:24.989+01:00

I have an alternative blog on Golf by the name of 'Amateur Golfer' which has not attracted any comments to date. If you are keen on Golf, by all means drop by on it and make a post. You can find the latest entry at:http://amateurgolfer.blogspot.com/

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02720021949034017652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17819380.post-29639245935721819772007-06-15T19:13:00.001+01:002010-12-05T12:38:20.194Z

So, this blog might have foundered on inactivity. But that does not mean it is dead. I needed a valid e-mail address to switch to Google. Up and running once more, I will give you more treats in addition to the groovy wallpaper site. The Joy of Downloads.If you pay for software, you shouldn't. Naturally, you will need an OS but aside from that you can obtain a whole host of quality Freeware from

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02720021949034017652noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17819380.post-1175112022145624892007-03-28T21:58:00.000+01:002007-03-28T22:03:48.956+01:00

It has been a trifle difficult of late to get on to this blog for me. For some reason, I couldn't log on but now that seems to have passed.Still, for those of you who come to this blog often I have a gift. You can find some excellent desktop wallpaper at: http://www.groovythemes.com/I guarantee you will be using some of it on your desktop after viewing.

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02720021949034017652noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17819380.post-1171399901740840492007-02-13T20:42:00.000Z2007-02-18T19:50:21.733Z

Having returned to this blog, I have adopted a template change. I consider it an improvement on the previous, with the archives and profile being moved over to the right and the title centered at the top. For right handed users this will remove the need to scroll the mouse over to the left of the page.The improved interface is matched with a design that makes the text easier to read. Black on a

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02720021949034017652noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17819380.post-1171312012790781862007-02-12T20:02:00.001Z2010-12-05T12:35:49.707Z

I know I have not updated for some time. And, perhaps this blog might appear to be inactive. Well, that's because it is. But with time available now, I can continue. And the subject of the moment? Windows Vista.The key question for me is, do you really need to upgrade at all let alone immediately? Having read a magazine article on this, it revealed that it is more than possible to enhance Windows

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02720021949034017652noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17819380.post-1163341527069269952006-11-12T14:12:00.000Z2006-11-12T14:43:34.456Z

As you likely know, it's that weekend again whereby we recall a certain date in history. Namely, 11th November 1918 - the armistice date which ended World War 1.What can one say about this devastating conflict and the armistice that followed? From a strictly historical perspective, the armistice of 1918 did not bring about the lasting peace and stable world order that the 'peacemakers' and

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02720021949034017652noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17819380.post-1159366630914541832006-09-27T15:05:00.000+01:002006-09-27T15:26:51.856+01:00

The Ryder Cup proved to be a great advert for Golf last week. It was even better for the European game with a triumph over the USA that will have the Eurocrats in raptures. But the display of sportsmanship from both sides was universally acclaimed.In terms of popularity Golf is second to Football in terms of viewing figures. Although, it is difficult to see exactly why.My last entry pretty much

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02720021949034017652noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17819380.post-1154892447181823672006-08-06T20:06:00.000+01:002006-08-06T20:50:21.756+01:00

It is true that this blog has been going since October 2005, almost a year. But when I first started it, I was merely experimenting more than anything else. I wanted to try the blogging medium and so I began with this blog.Hence the reason I have kept it fairly diverse. Focusing not on any particular subject but merely keeping the blog going with enlightening entries on various subject matter. As

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02720021949034017652noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17819380.post-1153925834083508242006-07-26T15:40:00.000+01:002006-07-26T16:11:18.623+01:00

I have been writing this blog since October 2005 now. Since then, it has built up in content and now has a sizable archive of entries. So to save you a shuffle through the archives; I have decided to link you to what I feel are the best entries contained within this blog. They are:Remembrance Sunday An explanation on the causes & build up of World War 1.The Greatest Video Games ever!My personal

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02720021949034017652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17819380.post-1153663752994715292006-07-23T14:59:00.000+01:002006-07-23T15:09:13.156+01:00

Well readers, I haven't updated the blog recently due to being on holiday in Torquay. And of course, the holiday season has been accompanied by the usual Summer sunshine.To begin with, Torquay was a good place. Well located in Devonshire you can go up to Exeter, down to Paignton and Dartmouth or west towards Dartmoor and Plymouth.But alas, why would you wish to leave Torquay? Okay, with the

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02720021949034017652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17819380.post-1152716810770714442006-07-12T16:05:00.000+01:002006-07-12T19:32:25.213+01:00

As I'm sure you know, the World Cup is over and Sven is history. Not everybody has been pleased by England's performance in this World Cup, and he has had his critics. But really, just how good or bad an England manager has he been?Taking into account competitive games, there were only 3 defeats to Brazil, France and N Ireland. The other 6 were friendlies that were never taken too seriously.

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02720021949034017652noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17819380.post-1151505108601519192006-06-28T15:15:00.000+01:002006-06-28T15:33:12.590+01:00

Who is the man in the middle? Why, the referee of course! Indeed, love them or loathe them they are an important part of the game.Which is why it saddens me that they do not receive much credit. Indeed, if they make mistakes then those are well documented but if they don't -well nothing is heard of it.Okay, so the World Cup has had some poor refereeing moments. But in the France-Spain game the

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02720021949034017652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17819380.post-1150916890979562282006-06-21T19:51:00.000+01:002006-06-23T19:17:57.323+01:00

I don't usually use this blog for political discussion. HOWEVER, exceptions can always be made and a recent BBC article (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/5103764.stm) on Mr Brown's apparent support for renewing Britain's nuclear deterrent, The Trident class submarine, for the cost of a mere 10-25 billion does not please.25 billion, think of all the wonderful things you could do with that eh

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02720021949034017652noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17819380.post-1150732755497665752006-06-19T16:37:00.000+01:002006-06-19T17:00:56.196+01:00

Too much football on at the moment. Anyway, stumbled across Nintendo's latest console offering in a magazine recently. Curiously titled the Wii.The Wii, what an interesting name to give to Nintendo's supposedly revolutionary new console. I understand that this is not supposed to be an acronym of some kind or other but just pronounced "We."So the console is called 'We', or 'The We'. What a name eh

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02720021949034017652noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17819380.post-1149513279357801152006-06-05T14:05:00.000+01:002006-06-07T13:56:12.533+01:00

So, the Fifa World Cup is upon us once more. The 2006 World Cup, to be held in Germany, should provide us with a good tournament & a good run from the home team. For, despite the pessimism surrounding the current German team, a brief examination of the performances of previous World Cup hosts illustrates that playing at home usually pays dividends:Host Nation Performances2002 Korea -

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02720021949034017652noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17819380.post-1148049864967176302006-05-19T15:24:00.000+01:002006-05-19T15:49:42.470+01:00

What a shame, what a terrible terrible shame. Barcelona 2 - Arsenal 1 rang the full time score on an interesting final in Paris.A night to remember perhaps only for those of Barca origins. But somehow I don't believe the other half will be forgetting things in a hurry either.For, they started so brightly with some nice passing and movement & then a great early opportunity well saved. On the 17th

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02720021949034017652noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17819380.post-1147114517414824332006-05-08T19:51:00.002+01:002010-12-05T12:43:00.754Z

Yesterday saw the final match at Highbury (Arsenal's former home ground). An exciting 4-2 win over Wigan that assured Champions League football for them next season.Might I just briefly use this entry to salute what has been a great venue for English football. Hosting some memorable games, unique atmosphere and a fantastic playing surface. A great stadium.It will now soon be demolished to make

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02720021949034017652noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17819380.post-1146229549602502832006-04-28T13:53:00.000+01:002006-04-28T14:10:25.000+01:00

The Champions League final has been confirmed. Barca booked their place into the final with a 1-0 aggregate win over Milan while Arsenal did so in similarly (if not more so) unconvincing fashion against Villarreal (who?).Thank goodness for their goalkeeper, otherwise it might be quite a different story now. Villarreal, playing in a ground that would not have been out of place in the English first

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02720021949034017652noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17819380.post-1146056369120501902006-04-26T13:48:00.000+01:002006-04-26T14:05:36.326+01:00

This is a little late, as ANZAC day was yesterday. However, better late than never as they say.If you don't know, ANZAC stands for the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps and is held to remember the efforts of these soldiers during World War 1. And in particular, the Gallipoli campaign.The Gallipoli campaign proved to be a most unsuccessful military offensive which resulted in many casualties

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02720021949034017652noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17819380.post-1145041923850955592006-04-14T20:08:00.000+01:002006-04-14T20:12:03.870+01:00

Haven't been able to up-date the blog recently. In the meantime, I stumbled across this rather impressive little video of a fellow completing Mario 64 in 16 minutes. See for yourself at:http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=6493722340610946105&q=mario+timeHe does admittedly cheat a little (by making use of glitches) but all those moves he pulls off without error is still very impressive.

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02720021949034017652noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17819380.post-1143830111050387822006-03-31T19:29:00.000+01:002006-04-05T20:54:56.190+01:00

Readers may recall an entry I made on the greatest video games ever made. There, Mario 64 made more appearances in the compiled lists than any other. With a Nintendo 64 emulator installed on the PC, I felt it a great opportunity to sample it and see for myself.Firstly, the emulation was accurate. Save for a few pop-ups, it was just like Mario 64 running on the N64 (The screenshot below is taken

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02720021949034017652noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17819380.post-1143462370060724492006-03-27T13:17:00.000+01:002006-03-27T14:01:58.536+01:00

Well, for readers of this blog I have a little treat. I stumbled across this revamp of an old, but classic, DOS game (DOS version screenshot immediately below) available for download: Scorched 3D.It involves war-games between units, the firing of a large array of arsenal until one of the units loses all its energy and is thus destroyed. The game has been completely revamped with a new 3D graphics

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02720021949034017652noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17819380.post-1142950834410529212006-03-21T14:13:00.000Z2006-03-23T13:25:36.910Z

It has been said, by one of the posters here, that this blog needs more focus. And perhaps that analysis is not entirely faulty.The blog's title is, originally enough, my blog. Now, while that seemed okay to start with I feel it now needs a change. It will be changed to: Matthew on...Matthew on The Gameboy, Matthew on The Best of the Web, Matthew on The Champions League, Matthew on etc etc. Is

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02720021949034017652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17819380.post-1142690770078676972006-03-18T13:13:00.000Z2006-03-18T14:13:09.740Z

You may recall I wrote an entry, not too long ago, regarding the most notable console flops in game industry history. All failures for various reasons, but what is the most successful games console ever released?Take a wild guess. The NES perhaps? The Playstation maybe? How about the Atari 2600? These were all successful consoles. But none are THE most successful console ever released.No, if you

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02720021949034017652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17819380.post-1142172881585765012006-03-12T13:49:00.000Z2006-03-12T14:45:30.163Z

I have been using the web for about 7-8 years. Always, you are on the look out for good sites. But, which are the best?The Web is huge. Predominantly, it is made up of unofficial personal websites created by enthusiasts using some sort of web publishing software. These websites can be good (some are), but due to the fact that amateurs are largely behind them are often poorly designed,

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02720021949034017652noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17819380.post-1141911450936659582006-03-09T13:29:00.000Z2006-03-09T13:57:05.196Z

Well, time for some thought and reflection on the now completed 2nd round. And I have to say that I was right! My cynicism surrounding the first-leg results entirely justified as Chelsea, Liverpool and Rangers were all eliminated from the competition.Firstly, the defending champions Liverpool. The 1-0 away defeat proved immaterial as they also lost 2-0 at Anfield. 3-0 and the end of their Euro

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02720021949034017652noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17819380.post-1141580219297570472006-03-05T17:22:00.000Z2006-03-05T21:21:03.483Z

If you ever thought the video games industry was a force for good, providing quality entertainment to the masses, you may want to think again. Sure, we all know about the NES, Super NES, Gameboy, Playstation, N64 and Playstation 2. But, did you know that there is perhaps a much longer line of crummy consoles that never quite made the grade? You may have never heard of them, so I present to you

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02720021949034017652noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17819380.post-1141142149135034302006-02-28T15:46:00.000Z2006-02-28T15:58:15.583Z

Often forgotten is the fact that this is a Christian festival, celebrated the day before the 40-day lent period. The lent period, being the long fast before the easter season.But who cares about that? Yummy pancakes are usually the main attraction; and Shrove Tuesday (pancake day) gives Christians the opportunity to indulge themselves beforehand.Most commonly, they are lemon and sugar coated.

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02720021949034017652noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17819380.post-1140710946983690112006-02-23T15:53:00.000Z2006-03-06T14:01:43.653Z

An entertaining week of Champions League football has come to a close. And, let's cut a long story short - with one exception it has not been a great week for British clubs.Firstly, you've got Rangers being held at home 2-2 by Villarreal. And, it could have been worse had they not pulled of a late recovery to equalize in the last few minutes. Though they aren't quite out, the 2 away goals and

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02720021949034017652noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17819380.post-1140533483541717542006-02-21T13:56:00.000Z2006-02-21T20:13:14.406Z

I don't know, I think compiling my top 10 has rekindled my interest in video games. So much so that I actually went and pursued a snes emulator for the PC.Needless to say, ZSNES is the best snes emulator and once downloaded I had an endless library of old SNES games available to download in a matter of seconds. Starting with Chrono Trigger, Secret of Manor and then Final Fantasy 3. Within a

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02720021949034017652noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17819380.post-1140196572714495122006-02-17T16:51:00.000Z2006-02-17T20:17:19.293Z

Video games have often been criticised for various reasons. Most notably on content and value. But are they really that bad?Firstly, on the area of content. Games such as Mortal Combat and Doom have been slated for containing gore and encouraging violence. Inevitably as games have become increasingly realistic the games industry caved in and accepted the need for age ratings to give an indication

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02720021949034017652noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17819380.post-1139584290100283112006-02-10T13:40:00.001Z2006-02-10T17:27:07.736Z

This is a very subjective subject. Many attempts have been made to list the top 100 and best 10 video games of all time. But of course, when put to players it all comes down to personal preference. Fans of RPG's may put a large number of RPG's in their top 10's. Action game fans may do the same and so on. So I present to you the 10 best video games I have ever played, bearing in mind that I doubt

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02720021949034017652noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17819380.post-1138379404792762662006-01-27T16:16:00.000Z2006-01-27T16:36:43.030Z

Hot on the heels from my last piece, 'Eriksson in hot water again,' we have a further installment to the Eriksson saga. Or should I say, final instalment. For the FA have officially announced that he will leave the England job after the 2006 World Cup.Firstly, credit must go to the FA for resolving this. Had they not done so, then the media speculation surrounding his future would have inevitably

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02720021949034017652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17819380.post-1137618116466222642006-01-18T20:41:00.000Z2006-01-18T21:15:58.530Z

You have to hand it to him, Eriksson has a habit of undermining his England management career with events off the pitch. And true to form, 5 months ahead of the World Cup he has now leaked sensative opinions to an undercover reporter. But for those who follow the England team on a regular basis, this sort of uneasy build up to big tournaments is not something which is new.After all, in 1990

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02720021949034017652noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17819380.post-1134139153531909792005-12-09T14:38:00.000Z2006-01-18T21:30:57.570Z

Well, who would have guessed it. Manchester Utd out off the European Cup without playing a knock-out game. And with no UEFA-cup consolation to boot, Utd have had their European football cut short this season.Indeed, it has all gone rather pair shaped for Utd in Europe this season. But does this really merit the manager's dismissal? Rather than advocate a particular point of view, I write two

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02720021949034017652noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17819380.post-1131907815896868722005-11-13T18:49:00.000Z2005-11-13T21:24:07.400Z

So, Britain has been remembering this terrible conflict among all the others. But arguably, World War 1 stands out as being one of the worst. Yet, why did such a war happen?The unification of Germany in 1871 at the expense of France, who lost Alsace-Lorraine, inevitably changed the geo-political landscape in Europe. A new, powerful state had emerged in the centre of Europe that directly bordered

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02720021949034017652noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17819380.post-1130161799941863132005-10-24T22:35:00.000+01:002006-02-23T16:33:00.470Z

Sustainable development is a relatively new concept. Essentially, it is an all embracing term that refers to developing the social, economic and environmental aspects of communities within the UK in a manner that is sustainable in the long term.Within the UK, it is believed that many communities are unsustainable. This is no good as poverty is both morally indefensible and prevents people from

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02720021949034017652noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17819380.post-1129640553731583072005-10-18T22:00:00.000+01:002005-10-18T19:43:06.393+01:00

Well then, my blog appears to be filling up. Third article: Rise of Nations review.Okay, I'm not about to write an academic thesis here. Rise of Nations is the latest strategy video game from Microsoft and also with assistance from Sid Meirs (of Civilization fame) . With this in mind, it has been hailed as a cross between Age of Empires and Civilization. However, in reality it is much more alike

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02720021949034017652noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17819380.post-1129553629195293622005-10-17T21:57:00.000+01:002005-11-03T17:13:27.693Z

I hope you enjoyed reading my post on England's world cup chances. But, I am not just using this blog to write about football. No, my blog contains literature on any subject that happens to interest me. And Learndirect is one such thing.So, for those of you who have never heard of Learndirect. What is it? Well, Learndirect is an adult based learning scheme aimed at improving IT and basic skills

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02720021949034017652noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17819380.post-1129231990068293842005-10-13T20:18:00.000+01:002005-10-17T13:26:19.656+01:00

So, England have qualified for the 2006 World Cup. Although, the 1-0 win against Austria was hardly inspiring a more convincing 2-1 win over fellow qualifyers Poland has offered reason for optimisim. So, what are England's chances? Now, certainly I am no expert but I will add my thoughts here.As of yet, all the qualifying spots have yet to be decided. However, the usual footballing powers such

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02720021949034017652noreply@blogger.com1