Innovation & Insanity

New Video - First Impressions

2007-07-02T15:32:00.000+01:00

Trying out a new submission thing here... so if this doesnt work... shoot me

Bans, Floods and Bombs

2007-07-01T23:21:00.000+01:00

ok... guess I should touch on a few things here then...

Smoking Ban
Non-Smoker... works in a pub... and literally lives off the pub (family owned pub... so it pays for the business... and the seperate roof over our heads). We had a final smoke party last night... that went over really well. A surprisingly good night.

Day 1 - Not too bad.... no real difference in trade. I've always been cautiously optimistic regarding the ban, expecially with our pub. So I hope this is a trend which will continue.

Floods
Thankfully... I haven't been effected by flooding. Naturally my thoughts go to those who are, but I have to be honest... I'm a bit oblivious to bad news. I find it easier to get on with my life if I just put myself in a little box. I don't necessarily feel good about feeling that way, but with so much going on these days to give you little faith in humanity... its all I feel I can do.

Bombs
Same thing here really. Oblivious. It won't stop me from going about doing what I do. It's again, one of those things, that just gives you little faith in humanity. Not just by looking at the terrorists, but also those I'm surrounded by. Yes, it's ok to be scared... but I don't see why it's a reason to be racist, small minded, and frankly, bordering on fascism. Bloody people.

That's it from me for now.... ciao for now

Moving Home

2007-06-28T09:33:00.000+01:00

After a long debate with myself... I've decided to pack up shop and move to somewhere I'm more comfortable to post. Until now, my blog has been hosted at TrekUnited.com, which is a website I co-manage. While I don't have any problems with the site... I kinda feel sometimes like I'm holding back... like I'm not using the blog to its full use because I am who I am... and that is someone who feels like he's always being judged.
So the idea is to kinda seperate my personal self... even if its to only a small degree, from the site I work for/at/on.

I hope you enjoy, and find my writings interesting, for whatever bizarre reason that might be. If you become offended by anything... I apologise in advance... but people are far too easily offended these days, so if you are offended, grow up.

That's where I leave you for now, and I'll get back to you soon. Ciao

FedCon Update

2007-06-21T21:43:00.000+01:00

Update 030607

2007-06-03T21:42:00.000+01:00

New YouTube entry... getting annoyed with the lighting... Youtube just darkens everything on the upload...

And I hope to get back to y'all shortly

22 05 07 Update

2007-05-23T21:40:00.000+01:00

Video Update available with new camera

Slight editorial note though... lighting is a bitch... it looks fine in the original mov format... or even the camera itself... on YouTube it always looks dark... so I'll aim to overlight I guess in the future

Ciao for now

You Tube Entry - April 23rd

2007-05-09T21:39:00.000+01:00

A little late getting it here...

New You Tube Segment

2007-04-16T03:06:00.000+01:00

So one of the biggest problems I've had with my You Tube accoutn was finding material... well... thanks to a conversation I had earlier today... I have found it...

Here's the intro... not acutally made the first video yet

http://www.grangeonline.co.uk/britdictintro.wmv

Brit Dictionary For Beginners

Too many times have I sat in a conversation only to have someone say "huh?" at a word... so here is my attempt to explain some common British terms and thier usage. The segment will no doubt contain inappropriate language at times... but often that may be required (an appropriate warning will be displayed on offending videos)

Thats it for now... hope to bring you more cool stuff soon

All Quiet on the Western Front

2007-04-07T13:55:00.000+01:00

or is it? Well those of you, and I hate to draw attention to it, but those of you who read the forums... specifically the TrekUnited 07 Meet in Europe this year will know that Tim has done the un-imaginable... and broken a sacred silence...

QUOTE
And we will have some other interesting and very cool news coming within the next couple of weeks that I am sure you will all find pretty cool.. I know I do... I am really excited about it to be honest..

Swiftly followed by Bill

QUOTE
This is the stuff that gets you in trouble, Tim, do we have to gag you?

Well people... I am here to tell you... it is absolutly true.... Tim is opening up a used car dealership on the south of Florida, and hopes you'll buy his cars...

But seriously... it is far from quiet on the western front...

We're currently in the process of arranging our next members meeting, which unfortunatly is having to suffer from our own schedules. Specifically... mine It is important for us to hold a general staff meeting before we hold the next members meeting... but after the last one... and unfortuantly the times best for our members are while I work So it looks like we're shaping up for the 12th of May... though the other staff dont know that yet... cos I havent told them

Projects is slowly pulling together... not as fast as we'd like though... but this cannot be helped. For now we're going to focus on getting SE focused as best we can. People don't realise how difficult a task that is when everyone demands better ideas than letter writing... and when everyone demands that these ideas and everything else for the campaign comes from the staff of TrekUnited. This has never been the way the campaign has been run. Frankly, this upsets me... SaveEnterprise has always been a member driven initiative... Even the massive Fund the Future effort was member driven. All the ideas and plans and work came from the members. Yes you heard about it from the on high staff... but the members were the ones doing the work... and it saddens me when people forget this. [/frankness]

Sorry for the mini rant there

SciFiUnited front is coming along slowly... it's new site is almost finished... and we hope to bring that to you soon.

SciFiStudios - Not forgotten about I know... it's been a little slower than any of us wanted... the site doesn't completely work... and I can only apologise... over and over and over. It's a tough industry... but we continue to herald support from different sources, which is more than encouraging... the site is being worked on, and we hope to bring you a fully working site when it's done. We have a team of people working on it... as well as a team of people lined up to keep it active... which I think has been the problem with the current site... inactivity. The site is CSS and XHTML compliant too... which I can only presume is a good thing?

AND FINALLY... well... for TU updates anyway... What was Tim talking about? Let me assure you... it isn't SciFiStudios Take 2... and by that I mean a project that will take longer to get off the ground than anyone hoped... It's an exciting project... and something a little more immediate... some might say too immediate... and Tim says within the next couple of weeks... Personally... I would feel better if we had a "within a few days" projection... In fact... I'd feel even better if we had a "Keep an eye on us on Monday"... but I won't say anything... the boss said a couple of weeks... which is much safer than saying Monday... or within a few days... so couple of weeks it is.

AND NOW... REALLY FINALLY... I had a few people contact me recently and say "NOOOO... DONT STOP DOING THE VIDEOS"... I looked at them like they might have some kinda wierd fetish involving my videos... but regardless... I did assure them that I wouldn't be stopping them entirly... they just wont be arriving as fast as I'd necessarily like....

So that's it for now... I hope to bring you more updates as soon as I can.

Ciao for Now... and have a clucking good day (See what I did there )

Update

2007-03-27T03:33:00.000+01:00

So some of you may have noticed a slightly unpolished look to my recent changes to the site... well another issue recently arose which I've been forced to move my attention to. It's an important issue which needs to be resolved, and I am confident that the result we achieve will not only be done so quickly, but also in a fashion which benefits the TrekUnited membership. I look forward to being able to discuss more with you in the near future.

So lets see if I can't shed some light on some stuff being worked on...

We're looking long and hard for a European alternative to CafePress. We know y'all want it... and so do I so we're trying really hard to get it to you. Hopefully we'll have an update there soon.

hm... actually... thats all I've got on my list that's in any state worth talking about. there's ton's of other stuff... but it's at too early a stage to start spilling out. Last thing we need is for me to say we're working on this... only for it to fall through next week.

So personal stuff...

ok... My Video blog... I think I may have decided to basically stop before I've even started. It takes up to much of my time to prepare, record and edit... I will be investing in a new camera, which I hope to take to the many conventions I attend, to give you all a taste of what to expect from each con, and maybe a few treats along the way.

That's it for now... TTYL

Merging :D

2007-03-22T09:40:00.000Z

ok... so for those of you who don't know, I essentially have 3 blogs running right now. I have the one on my site, roostervision.co.uk, which is relativly new, I have this one, which is the easiest for me to update, and I have the new Video Log I'm attempting. So I'm now going to make an effort to better combine the three.

So to begin, I'll start here with my "Coming Soon" videos.

NOTE: While I make every effort to keep my videos... suitable for most ages.... I can't guarentee it. This is a personal blog, not a TU blog. Also... the first "Intro" video is a little dark. I'll fix that in later videos.

First Video

I'm working on merging the feeds... so bear with me.

TU Website Development - 18/03/07

2007-03-18T07:55:00.000Z

ok... so last time I said I'd be working on appearence tweaks. When typing that I didnt mean that you'd see any immediate results... but alas... my illness got the creative bug running, and on the site I began to work. So you may have noticed the site being down at intervals today... only ever for seconds at a time... so maybe you didn't notice... but the effects of that downtime are now visible.. if incomplete.

One of the biggest issues I've faced today is the server's inability to update the css as soon as I've uploaded it. For some bizarre and unknown reason, it just wont work... so the large majority of my css tweaks are now included in the basic skin template.... and the rest are sat in the CSS file... on the server... waiting for the server to finally wake up.

And how much of that went over your head?

Now something you can't see at the moment is a feature I'm calling "Pinned Articles". Basically, we're now able to pin article to the top of the front page, and keep them there for more screen time. The Pinned article is red, instead of blue, and I hope to soon include a pinned image on it... its the small details that make the difference. As there is no article we want to draw special attention to at the moment, you cannot see this "Pinned" feature. Speaking of small details... you'll also notice a nifty comments link in the top right corner of each article.... not as easy to put there as you might think.

So what's next.... well before I can do anything... the server needs to catch up with me and show me my CSS tweaks... once it has, you may have noticed the top left and right corners are missing from the article borders. Well I've still gotta put those in... again... not as easy as it might sound. After that, the site goes to one side, and I carry on with the forum tweaks. Forum changes won't be available for the public until they are actually complete... but I can go over some of the stuff we're working on.

We're going to basically rip apart the header of the forum (the site will be made to look the same) and almost start from scratch. As I said yesterday... we want it to feel like an evolution of the current skin... not a complete redesign.

So... first feature we're going to introduce is called "Most Recent". It's currently in a working state on the test forum, and here is what it currently looks like.

It's a block of code which enables us to display to you the 5 Most Recent items on the front page, forum and blogs. By hovering your mouse over "News", "Forum Posts" or "Blog Posts", you will change the list to display the appropriate items. The items will update on a page refresh. By clicking "News", "Forum Posts" or "Blog Posts" you will be taken to the main page of that area... so for example... clicking forum posts would take you to TrekUnited.com/community. And then obviously clicking on one of the listed items will take you to that item. Its a feature I've wanted to integrate into TU for a long time, and I'm glad we finally got it working.

Aside from numerous performance enhancements, this is the only new feature currently working on the updated skin. The next job is to play basically... design a header that not only works for the forum layout... but is also something that will work with the main site. It needs to be visually attractive, without being distracting, and it needs to be functional, without becoming a resource whore. It also needs to be easily adaptable... so we can apply it to our Blog, Video and Image Centers... or so when Invision release a large upgrade... we are able to smoothly transistion with minimal effort...

That's it for today. Send in your comments, and let me know your thoughts.

Made some Site Changes

2007-03-17T09:35:00.000Z

Howdy folks

Just wanted to take a brief moment of your time to update you on some of the changes we've made to the site. I dont want to really announce it in anyway because its mostly just small enhancements, and stuff we're working on.

Front Page Staff
Ok, so first and foremost... bravo to Captain_hair for putting in the time for keeping our front page active, and thank you to those who have been submitting news. We cant possibly keep the news up-to-date ourselves, as we have only a very small team working on the front page, so anything you can submit is greatly appreciated. We're also looking to expand this team, so if you keep your eye on the news a lot, and have the ability to find news, and write your own article based on it, then you could be perfect for the job. Drop me a PM.

Front Page Submissions
So on the topic of submitting news, we're looking to upgrade our submission system. Currently, you simply send us an email. While this method will remain... we want to open the door to a tool that will help to reduce our workload, and also reduce the length of time it takes for your submissions to reach the front page. And here is what it looks like...

Now we're still playing with it... so the appearence may change... but this is the nuts and bolts of it. Currently, this will only be available to registered members, but we're looking at various systems that will allow non-registered users to use it. We could just open it up to guests right now... but we would then leave our website open to a truck load of spam, which we're not about to invite in.

Front Page Comments
We've just upgraded our commenting system, and I am really excited by the new features. It also looks a lot better than the previous system. Please do comment on our articles, as it helps us to judge its usefulness. Again, this feature is currently only available to registered members.

I should also say here that some of you may have noticed the main site was down for a short while this evening. I could lie and say it was expected temporary downtime because of the changes being made, but the truth is I somehow managed to do something (I still don't know what or how) which killed the front end of the site. Nothing was lost... (the information was all there, it just wasnt loading) and I quickly fixed the problem... somehow. The ole saying behind the scenes here at TrekUnited is... if it doesnt work... whack it and see.

Fan Film NewsAnd Other Tweaks
We've now added a Fan Film News section to accomodate the ever growing amounts of news from that area. We've also made various other tweaks to the layout, hoping you will find it more user friendly. We've increased the number of visable articles on the front page, and moved from the table view to a blog view in the news categories. We also fixed a glitch in the poll which, for some users, displayed all of our previous polls, and in some cases it overlapped the main content.

And What Else Is On The Way?
I'm glad you asked. We're looking into a tool which will allow us to "pin" a single article to the top of the main page. The idea is that important articles get more screen time. Its a tool we've been looking for for a very long time, and I think we're close to settling on one that will do the necessary job.

We're also looking into an advanced, multiple banner system for the front page. Don't worry, it's not for advertisments. While it will help us to better manage our existing adverts, the main purpose of the tool will be to highlight, through banner type links, useful areas of the site. So for example we might choose to highlight the latest HFO edition, or an upcoming chat, or new features.

And finally... I believe that in order to to get the absolute best out of the resources you have, you should always review your current systems. I apply this same ideal to design also. With this in mind, I want to be able to start giving you progress updates on how we intend to physically alter the appearence of both the site and default forum skins, to better suit the changing needs of the site, and the changing demands of our users. While we have no intention of doing a complete redesign, we will be altering the look and layout of the site. It is what we are referring to as an evolution of the existing design. It will include visual enhancements, and technical enhancements, to make your time on the site smoother and more appealing. I hope to bring you more on this as it develops.

I think thats about it for now. Please comment and let me know your thoughts.

Take in the Vista?

2007-02-15T22:19:00.000Z

I've lost interest in Microsoft all of a sudden... therefore I;ve lost the interest to even point out flaws in thier products... so here is a mere summary of what I wanted to talk about...

One of the things I've grown to dislike about Microsoft is products outside of thier operating system. Other programs, like WMP and IE7, online services like MSN Search and Music Stores, and hardware, like the Zune and the XBox360, have all been... disappointing to me.

WMP has slowly become more and more bloated... and while I still use WMP on occasion... I use Media Player Classic more than I do WMP... I get so many problems with WMP... which... strangely enough... are avoided completely in MPC... and it... kinda winds me up. IE7 I have no problem with except that it is late... Other browsers have already been allowed to be better... and IE has officially lost it's strength and any little credibility it had. MSN Search... I'm surprised it's still around... because I havent used it in at least 8 years... so I cant comment on it much here.

I despise the XBox360... and what it seems like it has done to the PC games market. If I wanted a console to play my games... I wouldn't have forked out all that cash for my graphics card... but now the PC games market seems somewhat lacking because Microsoft has them all working on the XBox instead...

And then comes the latest monstrosity (not including Vista)... The Zune player... I mean... as if it wasnt bad enough that MS is no longer supporting the PlayForSure DRM they helped to setup... but it looks like they've screwed up in every concievable way... so much so I just don't know where to start... and the task of putting it down is so overwhelming that I'm just gonna say... Just look at it... which should be enough... and the advertisements have seemed somewhat... irrelevant...

Then there is thier latest marketing tactic... Make MSN your homepage and you could win a free Zune... um... yey?

Vista... I haven't had the opportunity to use it yet... though I'm most definately working on it... because regardless of how lacking it is... there is simply no way any other OS will take over anytime soon simply because of MS's current dominance... so in reality we gotta know how to use it...

Now I understand they have made vast improvments to the OS... and I commend them entriely for what I have seen... but here's my question... is it really enough?
In short... not even close...
Microsoft SHOULD be better than this... and I soooo desperatly want them to be better than this... and it really saddens me to see something begin on a slippery slope from market dominance... it'll take a while... but it is coming... and Vista was thier chance to change that... but I fear where Vista failed... and it failed with a capital F... it wont be able to recover from... sure I'm sure they will fix it... and I hear they're aiming for the next OS in a couple of years... but they've spent 5 years on this last one... and all I really see is a face lift... and more restrictions...

I'm gonna end this here because I really don't care anymore... MS has lost my interest

RIP buddy... you gave us a good run... but you let the competition be better...

Sneak Peak - Upcoming Charity Auction

2007-01-28T16:31:00.000Z

Just a sneak peak for you... next month we'll be bringing you a charity auction.

Original David Reddick Painting... Reserve bid is currently set to $50.

Keep your eyes open for details on how to get your hands on it. Every penny from the price you pay will go towards charity. This offer is open to absolutly anyone... provided tht you have an address that can be mailed to Specific charity is yet to be finalised.

What would you recommend?

2007-01-15T20:37:00.000Z

I think it's official... I've been converted. WARNING: The Following is FILLED with "..." :D Sorry :P

Yesterday... for the first time in the history of... um... me... I recommended (Fanboys beware)... an Apple Computer to someone. New territory for me... because I still don't know enough about Apple's technically to offer support. Generally if I make a recommendation... I like to know that... if they have a problem... I can dive in and help...

With Windows... my technical assistance is based on my own experience... trial and error... I spent the first year of owning Windows 95 screwing up (unintentionally)... which meant... either pay someone to come out and fix it... or figure it out yourself... and I've done this with every OS since... 95, 98, 98SE, ME, NT, 2000, XP Home and Pro...

Here's the problem I've had with the Mac... I've owned my MacMini on OS X Panther for just short of 2 years now... and I use it reasonably often. I try to use it more and more to get used to the system and how it runs. In those 2 years... I've yet to have a problem. My Xp machine which I'm on right now has had numerous issues in those 2 years. I know I've reinstalled Windows at least once... though I'm sure it's as many as 3 times... due to an error that I've been unable to recover from. My Mac... not a single problem... once... It just works... which is actually a bad thing for me... because it means I havent had to fix it... which means... I still don't know as much about the system as I do Windows.

Until now... I've always recommended Windows and the PC. There's never been another choice... realistically. Windows, in my opinion, has never been really suitable... It's usable... and nice... but it could always have been better. It has always felt like it was lacking... and when you look at it from a home user's POV... Windows hasn't really changed all that much in 11 years. It's become prettier... but beyond that... what real advancements have been made. Even Vista, the next Windows OS, is STILL just making it prettier. I was really excited for Vista and the changes to the OS as a whole in the beginning... but one by one each feature has disappeared into what is just a face lift. Vista, for me, is a big disappointment... and it's not even out yet.

Now for Apple... and the Mac OS...It's made some really nice advancements lately... and Leopard... wow... For me... it's never been good enough for something to just work. It should work well... and look great while doing it. It's a philosophy I live by. If it's a job worth doing... it's worth doing well. And some of the built-in features coming with Leopard... and even some of those in Tiger already... just made me want to druel... I think I did with the new iChat and Time Machine... And this is something Windows has failed to do... ever.

I've become tired of Microsoft... it's just so boring. I sit here now, with my Mac on behind me... and the screensaver is on. One of the originally packaged screensavers is running... and it's superior to anything Windows comes with. And this is the point. I'm tired of everyday living being the same every day... and Mac OS, and specifically Apple, Inc. as a whole... is relighting my hope for consumers. For so long we've taken things as they've been provided to us... and not questioned whether they could be better. Apple proves that it can be.

Don't get me wrong... I will never get rid of Windows... I need it for development... but if someone asks me to help them to decide which computer to buy... The Mac is at the top of my list at the moment.

I'll talk in the future about some of my disappointments in Windows, and Microsoft in general.

um... okaaaaaay

2006-12-09T01:22:00.000Z

So I come home from work... ready for bed... and I do a final check of my inbox, and what do I find.

I find an email from someone I haven't heard much from in at least 8 years, and someone I never really got on with as well as I could have. My Dad. To be honest... I don't know what to do now. On the one side... There's been a lot of hassle over these 8 years over stuff he hasn't done... and the rest of my family aren't willing to give him the time of day. On the other side... since he last heard from me... I;ve become a very forgiving person... living by the philosophy that we only have one life... why waste it disliking people and holding things against them.
So I have e-mailed him back... not quite sure where it will go from here... or where I want it to go from here... but definatly left me with a wierd feeling in my stomach.

Ciao

A New Dawn

2006-12-02T07:23:00.000Z

Its been well over a year since I last changed my avatar... and now... I change my well loved and established avatar...The Tux Penguin's.... You will be missed

Welcome.... The Rooster

Thanks David

Good to Know

2006-11-18T03:46:00.000Z

Just a personal entry here...

Isn't it good to know you have friends? I know I have friends... though I never previously felt I had...people I can trust and rely on... but today I had a conversation with a friend I've been out of touch with for a while...due to one reason or another.... It was nice to finally talk again... as each of our own busy lifes have progressed forward.

Friends are a funny thing... they come in all shapes an sizes. Casual Aquaintences... Mates... Friends... and the good friends... I can safely, and comfortably say, that I had no friends to speak of prior to TrekUnited. I had associates... and aquaintences... but no one I felt I could depend on... share with... that kind of stuff. I'm pleased to say that with TrekUnited I have that... and more and more people everyday I slowly climbing the ladder of friendship in my books. But I only really have one friend that I feel like I can share everything with... I know my other friends are trustworthy and reliable... but I'm sure you all know... there's only ever really one friend you can share your life stories with... be they proud ones or not. I feel... privelaged... to have a friend like that... even if it took me 19 years to find them.

Anyways... enough of that for now... more on that will no doubt appear in my annual Christmas e-mail (for all those unfortunate enough to be in my address book) Ciao for now

The Trip - Take 3

2006-11-07T21:17:00.000Z

So it's just about time for my third trip of the year. This time however, it's not to a Star Trek, or indeed even a SciFi, convention, for the first time. I will be attending the annual RingCon convention, this year being held in Fulda, Germany. This is another con run by Dirk, who owns Fedcon. Now, I'm not a fan of Lord of the Rings by any measure... in fact I've never seen the films or read the books... but I enjoyed Fedcon so much, and RingCon is supposed to be a lot more popular, so I'm gonna drag myself along, and observe. I enjoy watching conventions unfold, and as those who have seen me at a con will know, its generally all I ever do. I observe and note every detail about the production. Not so much about the guests themselves... because as we know... conventions generally dont control the content they provide, because it's the same thing they do at every convention. Instead, I enjoy looking, and indeed, learning.

I myself am in the leisure business, so I like to think I can take something away that will benefit me, and indeed this has proved useful for Starbase Indy, which TrekUnited has partnered with for 2006. I like to think that I've been able to offer a different perspective to the team of SBI, with my experience at conventions worldwide, as an attendee. However, I do have another motive for visiting RingCon. I will be assisting SBI with Master of Ceremony duties, while David Reddick does his thing, so while I am at RingCon, I will be watching Marc B Lee very closely. I've come to know Marc very well, and I know he is a great showman, perfect for the role. I myself am a showman, but on a much smaller scale, even compared to SBI, so I am hoping to pick up a few tips from Marc this time around. Previously I've had little time to do so, because every convention I've been to, I make the effort to spend a lot of time with TrekUnited members. I feel an obligation to do so, but it doesn't always allow me to be as anaylitcal as I would like. So I'm hoping I'll see plenty of Marc, and learn one or two things in the process.

Anyways, that is me done for the next week. I'll get back to you when I return. Ciao for now.

A week to reflect on

2006-11-01T13:27:00.000Z

Well... there's been a few people talk about it... and I'm not going to shy away

Its been a difficult week for me... where some of us have the luxury of just ignoring the bad stuff that happens on the boards... for me though... that luxury does not exist. And I see all sides of the coin... whats happened and whats going to be done about it. Let me tell you it's not easy. You don't want to upset anyone, let alone long time members, but you also have to consider the rules, which under ideal circumstances, shouldn't be bent for anyone. Fair and equal treatment for all. I think for some, it may feel like your being singled out, and that the rules are only being enforced on you and not others. There are two things I have to say to that. Number one, interpretation of the rules is important, make sure you get that right. Number two, if you feel someone has either not been moderated at all, or has not moderated appropriately, talk to Captain_Hair. He will listen, and he will look your concerns. We, at TrekUnited, have great faith in his ability to fulfill the requirements of his new role.
I think another thing that has been brought to our attention in this week has been peoples thoughts on the staff of TrekUnited. Mostly, what has been brought to our attention is peoples displeasure with the staff, and power struggles and favouritism and lack of communication. Let me first say that thier is no power struggle. A vast majority of the staff of TrekUnited have grown to become friends, which makes it easier for us to work together. We work well together, and for the most part communication is fine. The newsletter team is in constant communication with myself, and I give suggestions, and I take suggestions and I show my support for the team. The moderation team is in constant contact with Bill. Outside of these areas though, we know there is a problem with communication. Part of this problem lies in the international aspect. It is difficult for us to organise a meeting, where different people have different levels of access to the internet, and can only access the Internet at certain times of the day, due to work or this thing called sleep. However, we are constantly making an effort to improve this, and more so in the last 4 months, we have been looking at other ways to open these lines of communication. Technology helps with this, as new technologies become more familiar to people, such as VoIP. Its a long way from the organisation we had during the "Fund the Future" campaign, but believe it or not, that was a lot easier to manage.

If you feel you have been neglected in any way by the staff, please do let us know. We always listen to comments, complaints and suggestions, even if we don't necessarily reply immediatly. Remember that we were all members of the forum once too, so we want to see TrekUnited improve and develop and grow as much as you do. But we can't do that without your comments, be they good or bad.

Thank you for your time, and I hope to have more information regarding the SE Campaign for 2007 member meeting soon.

Staff Meeting - Reflection

2006-10-20T07:08:00.000+01:00

Very productive staff meetings over the last 2 weeks... hopefully over the coming week we'll have some news regarding the SaveEnterprise Campaign... I hope y'all get excited about that...

Also, looking forward to Starbase Indy. Lot of exciting things going on... really looking forward to seeing the guy who'll be helping David Reddick with MC duties... I've heard he's a blast and that TU folks should get on with him really well... say no more on that.
I've just finished making my arrangements for the dinner too... really looking forward to that one...

Nothing really substantial to say... just wanted to say that meeting was good... fingers crossed its gonna be a busy couple of months... should be interesting.
Ciao for now

Random Rant: Rockstar Games

2006-10-19T23:44:00.000+01:00

Now... Im a big fan of Rockstar games... and I think its great that they attempt the controversial... great publicity for them :p

So imagine my annoyance when I heard that two of the UK's largest electronics retailers, Currys and PC World, were banning the sale of this game. I tells you I was mortified. Ok... it's great that stores are thinking about a little more than sales... but c'mon... give me a break.
All the controversy over Grand Theft Auto... and I've never once mamed or killed an individual... let alone stolen a car and run over the neighbours dog.
I believe that computer games do not influence a persons frame of mind... especially if the people who are playing them are of the appropriate age (as determined by the... age... determining... people)

I just fail to see where the line is drawn. They are quite happy to release games which involve fighting the world terrorists... no doubt because it lines up with current political agendas.... and they are quite happy to turn a blind eye when 2 guys jump into a ring, wearing very little at all... as they attempt to beat the living spit out of each other.... (WWF reference.... and you'd think they'd ban that in case it promotes young men to wear tight fitting clothes in the presence of other young men... ) I just completely fail to see where the line is drawn....

Message for Rockstar - I hope it sells and sells well.... damn people trying to cut into my entertainment

Doing What We Can

2006-10-19T23:43:00.000+01:00

I've seen post after post, over the last year, of people complaining about lack of... well anything... from TrekUnited. And I'm going to be honest... you're right... there is a lack of anything... but still... we find that, over the last 6 months, our daily visits have been steadily increasing. We like to think we are making positive steps to ensure the future of TrekUnited. The website facelift, HFO's facelift, the forum facelift. These three steps have been fundamental in establishing a sound structure with which we can build upon. They may seem like unimportant things... but what is the first thing you do when you visit a website... you look... You see with your eyes and judge with your thoughts. If you come to an ugly, disorganised site, then your not likely to dig much further. This is why this has been a main aim of ours... to re-organise the site... and make it easier on the eye. I think we have achieved that, and I am pleased with the results.

TrekUnited is going to continue to move forwards. First and foremost, we aim to re-evaluate the SaveEnterprise campaign, with help and support from the members. We understand that many people are disappointed by the campaigns drive, and how support for it appears to be falling. However, we believe it just needs another push. By 2007 we hope to start regular "Town Hall" style meetings, which will give the members an opportunity to input ideas, not just for SaveEnterprise, but for every aspect of TrekUnited. We know you feel there is nowhere for you to give input... and while we believe this is not the case... we are willing to go one step further.
To close this entry, I'd like to say that we are always looking for volunteers to help with the running of TrekUnited. Mostly, we're looking for people with a flare for writing to help with content for our Front Page. Links can be found on the Front Page, under "Get Involved", and can also be found in the forums within the Executive Centre. Alternativly, you can contact me directly at richard@trekunited.com

The truth behind the Space Needle

2006-10-19T23:42:00.000+01:00

Well, as many of you know, a handful of TrekUnited peeps were down in Seattle for the 40th Anniversary of Star Trek, almost two weeks ago now. The Space Needle, in my opinion, being the highlight, and ultimatly, the only thing that the convention truly had to offer. Anyway, I'm not here to tell you about the convention. I'm here to tell you about the Space Needle, and it's rarely publicised history.

As many of you will be aware, Seattle, and indeed the Washington state, is surrounded by mountains. Mount Rainier being the name most will first think of. What many people don't know is that the city of Seattle is actually built on an inactive volcano, and indeed, those who built the city were unaware of this at it's founding.

In the early 1950's, seismic activity was becoming the big concern for the area, although only amongst scientists and politicians, as to not cause any kind of panic. By 1954, it was realised that a volcano actually lie underneath the city, and that until just recently, it had led dorment. By 1956 it was realised that the Civic Auditorium site north of Downtown Seattle at the foot of Queen Anne Hill was the place of most concern, as the main activity from "Wheedle", the name given to the volcano, seemed to originate from this point.

The solution? A hole, 10m deep and 40 m across, would be dug, and filled with concrete. The bottom of this pit would see a 10ft by 10ft room built, which would house a device which would, through some unknown method, control the volcano, and keep it dorment. However, it was decided in late 1956 that no one would ever fund the digging of a giant hole, and then filling it with concrete, without knowing why. The local government were not about to tell the world that a growing city in the western United States of America was on the verge of destruction by an unknown volcano. May 1957 saw the solution to this problem come to light.

A competition was held. Seattle City councilmen decided to hold the next World Fair in Seattle, as a partial cover for this ambitious attempt to hide the truth. The fair was looking for a place to settle, and Seattle seemed like the perfect location, after being compared to London’s highly successful Festival of Britain in 1951. The competition would see the design of a structure, which would sit on the site of the siesmic activity from Wheedle. In 1959, Brendan J. Cysewski sketched the original design for the Space Needle on a placemat. It eventually evolved into what we see today.

In order to keep the actual plan for the giant hole to be dug a secret, 467 cement trucks were used to fill the massive hole in one day. It was the largest concrete pour to ever take place in the western United States. The foundations for the tower weigh almost 6,000 tons, with 250 tons of reinforcing steel. Unintentionally, it turned out that the concrete base weighed the same as the final above ground structure would, causing the Needle's center of gravity to be just 1.5m above ground level. 72, 10m bolts were used to bolt the structure to the foundation. The finished tower took less than a year to complete, and the city was saved.

The volcano was later remembered in a childrens story. In 1974, author Stephen Cosgrove wrote a children's book, called Wheedle on the Needle. It was about a furry creature called a Wheedle who lived on top of the Space Needle and caused its light to flash.

Over the years, the location of the needle changed, and had moved 95m from its original location. Tectonic plates shifted, and the volcano's failed attempt to become active, meant that maps had to be redrawn in June 1987. Maps were redrawn using satellite images, so that the towers movement could be tracked for the future.