Literature

Index:

>> iSat LTD.
>> iSat coordinator python program
>> tmjarman website development.
>> VWORKER and freelance experiance.
>> A burrow full of rabbits – a book written and drawn for kids is available on the Kindle.
>> Spawn, a Flash game developed whilst at university.
>> Freelance work at Kinetika.
>> Some early 3DSMax work.
>> Bogus Bunny; a game I developed was nominated for an ‘E4 Grand Master Flash’ Golden Joystick award at BAFTA.

Social Media Consultant at iSat Ltd in Farnborough.

Marketing & Sales department: Consulted & implemented online marketing strategy, website developer, designed written & artistic marketing material, prioritized workloads, managed confidential data/contacts, innovative problem solver, researcher, Web/social developer, Created schematics and assembly guides, generated leads, created merchandising & purchased office work.

*Additionally trained as a temporary accountant & covered for a colleague’s holiday time. (tracked purchase & sales orders in sage)
Examples of my work at iSat: http://www.isatnetworks.blogspot.co.uk/

Above: iSat satellite feed adjustment program GUI written with Python Tkinter.

iSat coordinator python program – © iSat LTD, created by David W. Beck

I’ve been enjoying learning Python, it’s a powerful language with a huge number of applications. One of the first full programs I wrote was the Logging program which tracks the position of satellites and records the data in an external file at the desired interval.

At the start of a new minute, the program records coordinates, prints and exports them into a new or existing CSV (Excel) file.

The second full program was iSat’s satellite feed adjustment program. I was part of a small team, and I focused mostly on UI development.

I enjoyed writing the program and came up with many innovative solutions to problems.

Read More about this Python project.

Developed www.tmjarman.com(now depreciated) and created a book cover for “The Algorithm”.

Designed the book cover for ‘The Algorithm’ by Tim Jarman.

Freelance virtual worker at vWorker, Blue Arrow, Powerstax & Self employed.

I undertook a series of freelance projects including: Flash based, Image creation, Video editing, Web Development, Game Development, Social Media, Copy, Marketing.

Writer and artist on ‘A Burrow Full Of Rabbits, Creative Bedtime Stories’ available on Amazon for digital download.

A Burrow Full of Rabbits is a creative bedtime story for children and adults alike. Written using the ancient mystical poetic form know as Haiku this short, well illustrated book tells the story of brother and sister rabbit who talk about what it would be like to be a cat. Also features a short introduction to Haiku for adults and all about rabbits for children.

Designer, developer and programmer on ‘Spawn; A ‘Ribbiting’ Adventure’ at London South Bank University 2010

Lead a small team of Game Culture and Sonic Media students to create Spawn. A fun, challenging Flash based platform game. Our hero, a young and daring frog named Spawn has to overcome five levels and a dangerous final boss to save his family from the slag mafia lead by the oversized slug King Plato. The game featured pre-rendered 3D effects, scenes, and background, a beautiful Soundscape that enhances the immersive environment. Spawn wasn’t just game; it was a state of mind and a calm place the player could visit whenever they wanted. A demo reel for Spawn can be seen here.

Developed 10 Flash games and apps as part of an ARG for Kinetika 2010.

As part of a small team I developed 10 Flash based games and applications for the ImagiNation ARG Project and took hundreds of photographs of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, as well as other content. Technology’s included XML integration in Flash and Facebook connectivity.

Projects sponsored by London 2012.

Valhalla: a 3D interpretation of the Norse Afterlife.

3D static and level design at London South Bank University 2007 – 2010.

3D static and level design at London South Bank University. (2007 – 2010)

Modeling: Created multiple low-poly characters from scratch; Later imported them into the Unreal engine.

3D Map/Game: Created a large 3D map in Unreal. A video created for the project can be seen here.

I created the music using Logic Pro.

3D films: Created in, then exported from 3DSMax. We Didn’t Start The Fire was a short film that can be viewed here.

Sole developer and programmer on ‘Bogus Bunny’.

Bogus Bunny was a finalist in the E4 Golden Joystick Awards (2009).

>> Back to top.

8th August 20188th August 2018

E4 BAFTA Golden Joystick Awards

Index:

Social Media Consultant at iSat Ltd in Farnborough.

iSat coordinator python program – © iSat LTD, created by David W. Beck

At the start of a new minute, the program records coordinates, prints and exports them into a new or existing CSV (Excel) file.

The second full program was iSat’s satellite feed adjustment program. I was part of a small team, and I focused mostly on UI development.

I enjoyed writing the program and came up with many innovative solutions to problems.

Read More about this Python project.

Developed www.tmjarman.com(now depreciated) and created a book cover for “The Algorithm”.

Designed the book cover for ‘The Algorithm’ by Tim Jarman.

Freelance virtual worker at vWorker, Blue Arrow, Powerstax & Self employed.

I undertook a series of freelance projects including: Flash based, Image creation, Video editing, Web Development, Game Development, Social Media, Copy, Marketing.

Writer and artist on ‘A Burrow Full Of Rabbits, Creative Bedtime Stories’ available on Amazon for digital download.

Designer, developer and programmer on ‘Spawn; A ‘Ribbiting’ Adventure’ at London South Bank University 2010

Developed 10 Flash games and apps as part of an ARG for Kinetika 2010.

Projects sponsored by London 2012.

Valhalla: a 3D interpretation of the Norse Afterlife.

3D static and level design at London South Bank University 2007 – 2010.

3D static and level design at London South Bank University. (2007 – 2010)

Modeling: Created multiple low-poly characters from scratch; Later imported them into the Unreal engine.

3D Map/Game: Created a large 3D map in Unreal. A video created for the project can be seen here.

I created the music using Logic Pro.

3D films: Created in, then exported from 3DSMax. We Didn’t Start The Fire was a short film that can be viewed here.

Sole developer and programmer on ‘Bogus Bunny’.

Bogus Bunny was a finalist in the E4 Golden Joystick Awards (2009).

>> Back to top.

8th August 20188th August 2018

London South Bank University

Index:

Social Media Consultant at iSat Ltd in Farnborough.

iSat coordinator python program – © iSat LTD, created by David W. Beck

At the start of a new minute, the program records coordinates, prints and exports them into a new or existing CSV (Excel) file.

The second full program was iSat’s satellite feed adjustment program. I was part of a small team, and I focused mostly on UI development.

I enjoyed writing the program and came up with many innovative solutions to problems.

Read More about this Python project.

Developed www.tmjarman.com(now depreciated) and created a book cover for “The Algorithm”.

Designed the book cover for ‘The Algorithm’ by Tim Jarman.

Freelance virtual worker at vWorker, Blue Arrow, Powerstax & Self employed.

I undertook a series of freelance projects including: Flash based, Image creation, Video editing, Web Development, Game Development, Social Media, Copy, Marketing.

Writer and artist on ‘A Burrow Full Of Rabbits, Creative Bedtime Stories’ available on Amazon for digital download.

Designer, developer and programmer on ‘Spawn; A ‘Ribbiting’ Adventure’ at London South Bank University 2010

Developed 10 Flash games and apps as part of an ARG for Kinetika 2010.

Projects sponsored by London 2012.

Valhalla: a 3D interpretation of the Norse Afterlife.

3D static and level design at London South Bank University 2007 – 2010.

3D static and level design at London South Bank University. (2007 – 2010)

Modeling: Created multiple low-poly characters from scratch; Later imported them into the Unreal engine.

3D Map/Game: Created a large 3D map in Unreal. A video created for the project can be seen here.

I created the music using Logic Pro.

3D films: Created in, then exported from 3DSMax. We Didn’t Start The Fire was a short film that can be viewed here.

Sole developer and programmer on ‘Bogus Bunny’.

Bogus Bunny was a finalist in the E4 Golden Joystick Awards (2009).

>> Back to top.

8th August 20188th August 2018

Microsoft

Index:

Social Media Consultant at iSat Ltd in Farnborough.

iSat coordinator python program – © iSat LTD, created by David W. Beck

At the start of a new minute, the program records coordinates, prints and exports them into a new or existing CSV (Excel) file.

The second full program was iSat’s satellite feed adjustment program. I was part of a small team, and I focused mostly on UI development.

I enjoyed writing the program and came up with many innovative solutions to problems.

Read More about this Python project.

Developed www.tmjarman.com(now depreciated) and created a book cover for “The Algorithm”.

Designed the book cover for ‘The Algorithm’ by Tim Jarman.

Freelance virtual worker at vWorker, Blue Arrow, Powerstax & Self employed.

I undertook a series of freelance projects including: Flash based, Image creation, Video editing, Web Development, Game Development, Social Media, Copy, Marketing.

Writer and artist on ‘A Burrow Full Of Rabbits, Creative Bedtime Stories’ available on Amazon for digital download.

Designer, developer and programmer on ‘Spawn; A ‘Ribbiting’ Adventure’ at London South Bank University 2010

Developed 10 Flash games and apps as part of an ARG for Kinetika 2010.

Projects sponsored by London 2012.

Valhalla: a 3D interpretation of the Norse Afterlife.

3D static and level design at London South Bank University 2007 – 2010.

3D static and level design at London South Bank University. (2007 – 2010)

Modeling: Created multiple low-poly characters from scratch; Later imported them into the Unreal engine.

3D Map/Game: Created a large 3D map in Unreal. A video created for the project can be seen here.

I created the music using Logic Pro.

3D films: Created in, then exported from 3DSMax. We Didn’t Start The Fire was a short film that can be viewed here.

Sole developer and programmer on ‘Bogus Bunny’.

Bogus Bunny was a finalist in the E4 Golden Joystick Awards (2009).

>> Back to top.

4th March 2018

Is Maslow’s hierarchy of needs comparable with Rimworld?

How randomness in Rimworld creates a fun and immersive story driven experience.

With almost a million owners, Rimworld could be said to be an indie game done right. The game is quickly approaching version 1.0 – having been in Beta since November 2017. The game is a top-down construction and management simulation set on another planet in a dystopian future. The game features AI storytellers that have variable difficulty levels, these include Cassandra Classic, Phoebe Chillax and Randy Random. The AI’s affect when random events should take place – the nature of these events and the severity, which increases over time. The difficulty also increases or decreases the base mood of the colonists.

After setting up the scenario, planet conditions, choosing your storyteller, difficulty, the colonists and the crash site, the player finds themselves with usually 3 or four colonists who have crash landed on the planet and must survive. The player must then priorities what the colonists should work on, with each colonist having different skills which affects their work skills – so for example a ‘pawn’ (a term used to describe a colonist) may be very good at building which both speeds up construction and reduces the chances construction will fail. Another pawn may be good at creating art, which can be useful in generating income in the later game through trading with other groups on the planet.

The Early Game – Shelter and temperature control

So the early game involves the player viewing the map to see what resources may be there, what land formations may be useful and any possible dangers. The player should find a location where a basic house, or room can be constructed which will give the pawns somewhere to sleep. Additionally on very cold or very warm maps the room can be equipped with heating or cooling (Or both). Both heating and cooling will generally require electricity, though passive coolers may be available if the player has chosen to start with less technology. In the early game the player generally has access to both solar panels and wind turbines which provide intermittent power. This power can be stored in a battery.

Farming

On crash landing the pawns will generally have about a weeks worth of food. The player would be wise to get this food and other materials into a room, or preferably a cold room for perishable food. A cold room can use cooling to lower the temperature to around freezing meaning the food will last forever. The player had two options depending on the map and conditions – they can either gather food from the local area which may be growing naturally, healing herbs and stimulants can also sometimes be gathered too. The second option is to farm. The game by default has a range of food, medical crops and trees which can be planted in a designated area.

Getting more pawns

Colonies can grow in a number of ways. One of these is capturing an enemy during a raid, locking them in a prison and convincing them to join you. Sometimes people also seek sanctuary from their enemies in your colony, but you may need to fight off their enemies. There are also other ways to grow the colony.

Health

The health of the pawns is another basic need. The pawn’s health will slowly deteriorate with age, however accidents like cave-ins or being attacked will also lower health. It is possible to replace organs if an organ is damaged – and if the pawn is addicted to a drug they can become free of the drug but will suffer withdraw. There is a drug called Luciferin which will significantly boost the pawns abilities, however the pawn will die unless a good supply of Luciferin can be maintained. There are methods, such as suspended animation pods, that can be used in the late game if the supply of Luciferin runs out.

Medium Game

This game roughly mirrors Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, which is a theory in psychology proposed by Abraham Maslow which basically relates to human motivation. The theory states the most basic needs must be taken care of first before the higher needs should be taken out. In Rimworld, for example, a colony that specializes in art and neglects food will be unlikely to survive very long.

The physical needs include bedrooms or bunkhouses, some food should be grown and cooked and frozen. This task is ongoing, but once a stable source of food is established other tasks can be undertaken.

Safely is next: So this includes creating weapons to fight off an attacking tribe: these can be in the form of swords, sticks, guns or even automated guns when the materials are available. Additionally building fortifications will give your pawns an advantage in battle.

Safely also includes protection from the elements, so this includes heating and cooling houses as well as making clothing, which also requires fur from animals or cloth from cotton plants. A pawn will require a tailor’s workbench to create clothes.

A player may also need to mine materials such as metals which are used in trade and construction. Silver is used as the game’s currency.

Social needs come next – once the basic colony is working a player should increase the time pawns spend sleeping. This seems to improve their mood and reduce the chance they will be afflicted by a mental breakdown. Leisure time can also be set where pawns will play games such as horseshoe pin, chess, Billiards Table and even TV’s in the later game. Communal areas should be established, such as a dining room. The pawns gain a lot of pleasure from ‘eating at table’.

Beer and ‘smokeleaf‘ production takes work and time – however it’s well worth it as these items can make a pawn happier as well as providing nutrition and mild pain relief in the case of smokeleaf.

Additionally some pawns may pair off and they will probably want to share a double bed. Also if one of the colonists is killed in a raid, for example, this will make the other pawns who knew them very sad. If a large number of colonists die the resulting unhappiness can create a despair spiral which can actually end a colony.

Esteem Needs come next – Once the colony has built up some silver reserves, it is possible to start to build strong trading relations with other tribes. Some traders will come to trade normally with you, but later on you can create trade groups yourself or pay other groups to send a trading party. This is a great way to secure materials such as components for construction or other materials, or animals, which can be bread and provide fur and meat and can be farmed.

Pawns can form a strong bond with an animal, which becomes their pet – pets will however need food. If the pet is a carnivore it may need to hunt for food, or will eat your colony’s food reserves if it is allowed to roam in that area.

So Esteem is primarily generated through letting the pawn work in the area they love. Some skills will generate happiness. The below image shows that for Doc Mining will generate a lot of happiness for this pawn. Doc will also learn mining more quickly. The success of a colony can depend on having pawns utilizing the skills they are best at, however once the colony is stable, allowing colonists to specialize at the tasks they enjoy will improve their overall happiness.

Self-actualization comes last.

Google defines self-actualisation as:

the realization or fulfillment of one’s talents and potentialities, especially considered as a drive or need present in everyone.

In RimWorld self-actualization comes from a pawns individual needs being fulfilled. It’s hard to generalize as every pawn will have different needs. The following pawn doesn’t look to be having a very good time. Things like building an impressive looking colony that contains valuable items made from fine materials like gold and jade, an impressive large bedroom, a job they enjoy, good relationships with the other colonists and good health all contribute to happiness. Each individual has a needs tab which lets the player know what the pawn wants to make them happy.

So having played the base game, as well as playing with many mods, RimWorld does leave you with with the story of life. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is just as true in RimWorld as it is in our own, though the pawns in this game and real people have a fundamental difference. Psychological research on happiness suggests our levels of happiness remain largely consistent over the long term. We have a tenancy to take things for granted. Perhaps on a happier note we should take away from this a happier message. A large source of happiness in RimWorld comes from doing a job you enjoy, family and community, Good food and beer! Perhaps we should try to appreciate everything we have and to count our blessings.

13th January 2017

Excerpts from Copper Blood, a book by David Beck.

Copper Blood is going well. I have written another 25000 words and I’m loving writing the story!

The books currently called Copper Blood, its set in a dystopian future and centers around a special 17-year-old called Sam who has spent his whole life in a self-contained boarding school called the Eden Academy. Sam has to sink or swim when he’s forced out of his school by a terrorist attack on the building. Sam explores this strange new world where the gap between the rich and the poor is huge; where global governance has broken down and where a secret war waged in the shadows. Sam also has a secret that could cost him his life.

I’m aiming for about 90,000 to 110,000 words, Here are some early excerpts:

“Sam wasn’t sure if he was dreaming… he didn’t even know if he was awake, but he did know something… or someone was at the door. His heart thumped in his chest and his body froze in terror. His eyes were eyes wide with fear as he stared at the door. Did he hear a knock or did he dream it? Images of the cyborgs were still running through his head. Sam remembered the subdued fear Mr Morris had tried to hide and that strange lady he had seen in the corridor, could it be her at the door? Another three loud knocks rang through the door. Sam knew for sure someone was there now.”

“Sam turned off the light and laid back on the bed. Sleep didn’t find him as quickly this time after his nightmare. He wondered who the lady in the corridor was who peeked through the crack in her door. He felt sure that she had turned her light off earlier when he and Morris were being escorted home by that androgynous cyborg. A terrifying revelation suddenly dawned on him that made the hairs on his neck stand on end, the light Sam had seen flicker off earlier was his light! He recounted the windows in his mind, his was the third window on the third floor… his room. Someone else; apart from Mr Morris must have a key. Sam wondered if he was safe; would this elusive person return when he was sleeping? He looked over at the steel table behind the door, it was laying on its side and had been bolted down; shotgun shells at its base. Was someone looking for the room’s former occupant?”.

It’s still early days, but I’m starting to care about what happens to these characters.

Thank you for reading. Do you have an idea or a comment? I would love to hear from you on the contact page.

5th January 2017

Latest News

The latest news from David.

1st June 2016

A Burrow Full Of Rabbits Book

Writer and artist on ‘A Burrow Full Of Rabbits, Creative Bedtime Stories’ available on Amazon for digital download.

A Burrow Full of Rabbits is a creative bedtime story for children and adults alike. Written using the ancient mystical poetic form know as Haiku this short, well-illustrated book tells the story of brother and sister rabbit who talk about what it would be like to be a cat. Also features a short introduction to Haiku for adults and all about rabbits for children.

1st June 20161st June 2016

Excerpts from Copper Blood

Copper Blood is going well. I have written another 15000 words and I love writing the story!

The books currently called Copper Blood, its set in a dystopian future and centres around a special 17-year-old called Sam who has spent his whole life in a self-contained boarding school called the Eden Academy. Sam has to sink or swim when he’s forced out of his school by a terrorist attack on the building. Sam explores this strange new world where the gap between the rich and the poor is huge; where global governance has broken down and where a secret war waged in the shadows. Sam also has a secret that could cost him his life.

I’m aiming for about 90,000 to 110,000 words, Here are some early excerpts:

It’s still early days, but I’m starting to care about what happens to these characters.

Thank you for reading. Do you have an idea or a comment? I would love to hear from you on the contact p
age.

1st June 2016

iSat coordinator python program

I’ve been enjoying learning Python, it’s a simple yet very powerful language. One of the first full programs I wrote in it can be found below, though I’ve redacted most of it.

At the start of a new minute the program records coordinates, prints and exports them into a new or existing CSV (Excel) file. I’m going to add a GUI as well as additional functionality.

I enjoyed writing the program and came up with many innovative solutions to problems.

1st June 20161st June 2016

Spawn; A ‘Ribbiting’ Adventure

I lead a small team of Game Culture and Sonic Media students to create Spawn. A fun, challenging Flash based platform game. Our hero, a young and daring frog named Spawn has to overcome five levels and a dangerous final boss to save his family from the slag mafia lead by the oversize slug King Plato. The game featured pre-rendered 3D effects, scenes and background, a beautiful Soundscape that enhances the immersive environment. Spawn wasn’t just game; it was a state of mind and a calm place the player could visit whenever they wanted.

1st June 2016

Camino de Santiago

Update

For the next month I’m away on holiday; but not just any holiday.

walkDavid

I’m going on walking holiday in Galicia where I will walk from Sarria to Santiago de compostela.

The plan is to record video’s on the way and we may also create a video medley of images and things we see and do along the way. I’m walking with a photographer and friend called Michael Wingrove. I’ve never been on a walking holiday and I expect this will be quite a difficult challenge for both of us; but also an amazing adventure.

See this space for additional details at a later date!

To learn more about this epic journey click here.

pilgrims_way-brian-mcgilloway-spain031-pano

Edit

1st June 20161st June 2016

3D static and level design at London South Bank University

3D static and level design at London South Bank University 2007 – 2010.

Valhalla: a 3D interpretation of the Norse Afterlife.

Modeling: Created multiple low-poly characters from scratch; Later imported them into the Unreal engine.

3D Map/Game: (pictured left) Created a very expansive map in Unreal. A video created for the project can be seen here.

View ‘Funkeysteam’ footage:

3D films: Created in, then exported from 3DSMax. We Didn’t Start The Fire was a short film that can be viewed here.

1st June 20161st June 2016

‘E4osaurus’ – E Stings Competition entry

My entry for the E4 E Stings Competition.

The clip above was created for the E Stings Competition using 3DSMAX.

30th March 2016

Thanks for posting!

Thank you very much for your contribution!

25th February 20161st June 2016

My seven day gym challenge!

As promised here are a few tips for starting at the gym!

The most difficult part of joining the gym is…. joining! I had been a bit worried about joining because of minor body issues related to my weight: However, I’ve never felt uncomfortable at the gym and wish I’d of joined one sooner
Getting clothing for the gym is simple. I normally wear a sports T-shirt and sports shorts which are very inexpensive from Sports Direct or other sports retailers. I’d go for something cheap, comfortable and stretchy.
Personally, I like wearing sandals in the gym but convention dictates trainers are most appropriate. Getting air to your feet helps you stay cool and stops bacteria multiplying as much. Cool feet are healthy feet

Remember everyone joins the gym for similar reasons: To get and maintain fitness levels, to lose or gain weight, to build muscle mass, to get healthier: No matter your weight, age, background, disability or anything else I’ve found the gym is a welcoming environment full of people trying to be their best!

Gym etiquette

I’d thought I’d throw in a few more tips: It is polite to use a small sweat towel in the gym just to wipe the equipment. You don’t normally need to use one but I feel happier when I have one. Even a small flannel is useful!
If you’d like to use some equipment and someone has been using it for a while you can politely ask how many reps they have left. This is a great way to let them know you’d like to use the equipment.
Don’t be afraid to say hi to people, I’ve found everyone has been friendly but some people using headphones may want to be left alone.

Getting a gym power boost!

Coffee, before you work out is a great metabolic boost!
Protein, like nuts, seeds, meat and dairy can help you form bigger muscles.
Even things like rice and beans forms compleat proteins! ~
Beans, lentils, and peanuts can be combined with wheat, rice, and corn to form a compleat protein!
Carbohydrates and fats are a great fuel and a few carbs help to keep those muscles going!
Chocolate milk is a surprisingly good post-workout drink! Avoid low fat options as fat is actually very healthy!
Another great source of cheap protein is low-fat mozzarella.

Lastly, Omega 3 found in oily fish, flax, some nuts like walnuts, eggs and Hemp seeds has been shown to boost heart, joint and brain function! Mackerel and Cod Liver Oil are great sources.

Losing weight

Losing weight isn’t always easy. My dad has been very successful following some simple ideas I wanted to share.

Cut out lunch. A fasting period is great for improved health and losing weight.
Have 2 eggs for breakfast and avoid toast/bread. The protein will keep you fuller for longer whereas carbohydrate based breakfasts like toast and cereal have a high GI – in short you’ll burn that energy off quickly and be hungry again. I like scrambled eggs!
Cut out all refined sugar like cakes and sweets and significantly reduce your carb intake (bread, potatoes, chips, rice, etc)
Instead, eat more fats and proteins and fresh fruit and veg. Though fruit has fructose sugars the GI is lower so they’ll keep you fuller for longer.
Replace chips and rice with salads and mixed veg. If you go out to a restaurant they are normally happy to change carb rich foods for lower carb ones.
Remember carbs raise your blood sugar, insulin is released to lower it, the insulin causes the sugars to be stored as fat and causes many nasty metabolic disorders. Fat does not cause insulin to be released, which is a good thing!

My dad, by reducing the carbs in his diet, fasting during the day and by going to the gym has lost a lot of weight. Hopefully this method will help you too though everyone is different.

Last Saturday I went to the gym with my dad and we’d both really enjoyed it. I have been going for a few month’s but it was all new for my dad. It was quite fun showing him how the machines worked and I even tried some Yoga and mussel stretches!

I get quite a big benefit from the gym when I go regularly and started to wonder what effect going for seven consecutive days would have.

The results are starting to come in and they’re looking great so far. I normally do around 1-2 and a half hours per session and really like to work intensively.

My skin feels nicer and tighter (maybe because of the sweating); I feel I’m losing weight; gaining muscle mass; I seem to be much busier in life generally and I also feel much better about myself. It could be my imagination but people seem to be reacting to me more positively. (It’s gotta be the mussels and good posture XD)

I think my diet’s also improved. I’m eating less; slightly more protein and I am focusing on foods low in carbs which deliver more energy over time as these are the best for a maintained workout.

After a workout, I’ve been drinking a glass of whole milk with a few spoonfuls of 50% protein hemp powder. The taste is great; Omega 3 and 6 are beautifully balanced and I found eating or drinking some protein after a workout boosted my recovery time and is well worth it personally.

I started on Saturday but I unfortunately missed Tuesday so I’ve added an extra day on; so there should be an update around Sunday.

Thanks

David.

5th February 20131st June 2016

My Skills

Skills

‣ Highly creative, adaptable and responsive to changing business demands.

‣ Able to learn quickly and prioritise conflicting demands.

‣ Robust problem-solving, written and artistic capabilities.

‣ Excellent communication and collaboration skills.

‣ Proven organizational and time-management skills.

‣ Familiarity with current Internet technologies and development environments.

‣ Strong analytical, conceptual and marketing skills.

Proficient in both Windows and Mac operating systems, as well as:

‣ Adobe: Flash, Flex, Illustrator, Premiere, Photoshop, In-Design, Dreamweaver.

‣ Game development: UDK/Unreal 3, Hammer, Game maker, Unity, mods/maps.

‣ Microsoft: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access, Publisher, Outlook.

‣ Web: Social Media, WordPress, Joomla, Webeden, Basic Facebook development.

‣ 3D: 3DSMAX, Maya, Sketchup, ZBrush 3, Second Life.

‣ HTML, CSS, XML, ActionScript 2 & 3, Basic C++, Basic Java Script.

‣ Sage Act, Logic Pro, online resources.

5th September 2012

Does Grass like to be mown?

its me

I first came across this question whilst walking down a lazy road on a warm sunny day. There were three people employed by the council to cut the grass using a variety of devices. I first wondered what each sliced blade cost the tax payer and wondered if this was a good use for the planets finite resources; a very human; if not British response; but I also wondered if the grass liked being cut. That chemical given off by the slashed blades is a distress signal; warning its fellow grass of what fate it has suffered. Does the recipient grass rush nutrients to the roots? Does the local fawner mourn the grass’s cuts? Is the grass crying biochemically from the pain: or laughing? Does it even feel pain or have a sense of humour?

Within the question lies much deeper significance; Mowing; the process of diving plant matter for increased aesthetic pleasure; is an attempt to perfect what we feel is imperfect. It stops the land changing; controlling the landscape and perpetuating a grass based environmental sheer: A physical reminder of man’s perceived power and mastery over nature. It’s also an act of desperation; using expensive manufactured tools to try and control the environment both in terms of time, energy and resources. Perhaps the grass be laughing at us when it spurts out its smell? It’s more ancient, adaptable, elegant and majestic than any torturous tool conceived of by its ape agitator.

Grass as a species will no doubt outlive our own. Could we write genetic messages into it; have we already? Mankind can use incredible amounts of energy, resources and time to temporarily transform a desert into grassland, but, like a candle it’s very rare that human behaviour can enhance systems partly and eternally beyond its comprehension and the pollution created in terraforming outweighs any positive to planet one hundred to one.

If left to its own devices, Grass will be replaced by other, more complex plants and animals. By cutting it; by forcing it to live by human rules, by enforcing perpetual infancy, we can perpetuate the grass’s existence; but to what end? if it’s long, it will be cut. If it’s dry, it will be watered, if it’s dead it will be replaced, if it’s got no nutrients, it will be neutered. The grass really has very little control over its own destiny: however under these human conditions it can thrive as a heterogeneous crop: But would the grass rather be under natures rules instead? Can, and does grass commit suicide? Grass is not meant to live forever; it’s part of a cycle of creation, renewal and replacement; it’s part of a bigger biosphere that uses grass for a base for other plants. Grass is a means to an end; not an end in its self.

We can keep the sickly little blades going for years. Does the grass like having other weeds out compete it? Well, in the long term yes: because its beneficial for the grass. Can you imagine a planet covered by nothing but grass? Would the grass not just suck up all it could from the planet’s soil and find its self in the long term lacking what it needs to survive? More complex plant systems and animals have the ability to spread nutrients and offer other advantages like deep earth nutrient extraction; the grass has a role to play: it does not fear change, or death: its ancestors will also be grass; dancing eternally around their bigger brother plants.

27th August 20121st June 2016

My Top Five Computer Games

Out of all the games I have played I have chosen five of my favorites. These have been judged retrospectively on enjoyment, longevity, impact and originality. why not tell me your top five through the contact page?

1. Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

Zelda 64 is my personal favourite in the Zelda franchise. It was genre-defining and was the first 3D game in the Zelda series. It combined artistic vision with brilliant game design and a catchy soundtrack and really showed what the N64 could do. The game was good on so many levels; the story was charming, unpredictable and immersive.

Features like the lock-on target system, multiple ways to use weapons, the Ocarina and intuitive controls gave the game such playability and the world the game created really felt as if it was alive. The puzzles sparked the synapses and the story and world grew successively as the player solved puzzles and advanced through the story. In terms of longevity, this game lasted ages; it did have an impact on me as I grew up. That’s why it’s number one on the list.

2. Call of Duty®: Modern Warfare® 4

The reasoning here is simple: This is a brilliant game which was well polished and I still love playing multiplayer online to this day! Watch out for the MOAB!

3. Sonic Adventure 2

A truly spectacular game which I first played while at school. There was potentially month’s of gameplay here for the completionist and still to this day the controls are some of the best in any Sonic game.

4. Halo combat evolved

I’ve enjoyed all the Halo games so had to include it here. I’ve been in quite a few tournaments over the years. Halo 3 was probably my favorite. Personally, building on Halo 3 I’d love to have seen more development of the AI so that they, and you would really need to use more long-term planning to win the day instead of just being a shooter.

5. Red Alert 3

This game was so finely balanced I felt it almost superseded chess. This, as well as Red Alert 2 are some of the finest real-time strategy games I’ve played.

Honorable mentions:

Deus Ex series
Civilisation 5
Sonic 2
Super Sash Bros series
Half-Life 2
Counter Strike
Fallout series
World of Warcraft
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Undertale

21st August 2012

Freelance

Hello. I would love to take on any freelance work you may require. Please see the rest of my portfolio for additional details and contact information.

Writer and artist on ‘A Burrow Full Of Rabbits, Creative Bedtime Stories’ available on Amazon for digital download.

Update

3D static and level design at London South Bank University 2007 – 2010.

Valhalla: a 3D interpretation of the Norse Afterlife.

Modeling: Created multiple low-poly characters from scratch; Later imported them into the Unreal engine.

3D Map/Game: (pictured left) Created a very expansive map in Unreal. A video created for the project can be seen here.

3D films: Created in, then exported from 3DSMax. We Didn’t Start The Fire was a short film that can be viewed here.

As promised here are a few tips for starting at the gym!

Gym etiquette

Getting a gym power boost!

Lastly, Omega 3 found in oily fish, flax, some nuts like walnuts, eggs and Hemp seeds has been shown to boost heart, joint and brain function! Mackerel and Cod Liver Oil are great sources.

Losing weight

My dad, by reducing the carbs in his diet, fasting during the day and by going to the gym has lost a lot of weight. Hopefully this method will help you too though everyone is different.

Last Saturday I went to the gym with my dad and we’d both really enjoyed it. I have been going for a few month’s but it was all new for my dad. It was quite fun showing him how the machines worked and I even tried some Yoga and mussel stretches!

1. Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

2. Call of Duty®: Modern Warfare® 4

3. Sonic Adventure 2

4. Halo combat evolved

5. Red Alert 3

Honorable mentions: