How to choose the perfect web host for you site!

Choosing a good web host ain't easy nowadays, cos there are so many of them and most are totally new and untried and untested by the masses.

When choosing a host you must look for the following features.

1) Price. If you cannot afford it, whats the use?

2) Bandwidth and Disk Space allowed- most hosts even tho they say they give Unlimited bandwidth and space will always have a limit on the amount you can use. But for most users this won't be much an issue.

3) Speed. If your site loads slow it may not necessarily be a problem with your new host. Could be unoptimized code, code errors, lack of a CDN etc.

4) Extra features. If your host gives you a ton of useful extra features such as Adsense credit, Fcaebook credits etc, this could be very useful for getting your site off the ground.

So after tons of research on the web I wholeheartedly recommend iPage for for your hosting needs. They have super high speeds while having a lots of extra features, while being supremely affordable!

 

 

My Top Ten Movies of All Time- revised edition

I have watched so many movies recently, and realized how 99% of them are CGI-bloated CRAP. So I look back on my Top Ten that I wrote up back in 1998 and realize that the only movie that I probably ever felt like adding to this list from recent years, is The Fellowship of the Ring. SO Today I write up my new list. Enjoy!

1) Star Wars ep. IV- A New Hope

This was, is, and forever will be the greatest movie ever made in my opinion- despite the changes George Lucas made to it in recent years- the only one of which I cannot stand is Greedo shooting first. I do like the effects upgrades of the new versions- just hope someday Solo shoots first like how it was originally- perfect! Anyway despite all this- there is none other movie for me- Epic, incredible, amazing. Just thinking about it gives me chills down my spine.

2) Raiders of the Lost Ark-

George Lucas and Steven Spielberg at their best! This is good as movies get, every single frame of this movie is a masterpiece in cinema. Harrison Ford IS Indiana Jones, and the action, humor, adventure, stunts all come together to create a living breathing entity called The Perfect Movie! You must watch the new restored versions in the cinema- or the Blu Ray editions which is the second best thing! The Blu Ray restorations are the Best I have ever seen in any Blu Ray. The images look like a movie shot today!

3) Star Wars ep V- The Empire Strikes Back

Another perfect movie- almost as good as the original, maybe better, with amazing action set pieces, stunning space chases, and mind boggling revelations- and Yoda. No CGI-loaded crap. Just awesomeness from beginning to end.

4) Se7en

The greatest serial killer/ thriller ever made. Unlike any movie of the type I have ever seen. Atmospheric, tragic, with a monumental ending. Pitt and Freeman in their finest roles. This movie sucks you in, makes you part of its world and spits you out, completely, utterly wasted 2 hours later.

5) Jaws

The movie that started the summer blockbuster era. A young Spielberg trying to make the best out of a limited budget, limited technology and an unrelenting water shoot. Perfect casting, perfect build-up and an explosive climax. The shark effects are amazing even to this day, especially the final moment when the shark jump onto the Orca and carries away the man in his jaws. But what really sets this apart for me is the interaction and chemistry between the characters. Such as when they are comparing scars and sharing stories during a brief respite in the action. Utterly staggering movie.

6) Terminator 2 Judgement Day

This IMO is the greatest action movie ever made. Its got Arnold in prime form (The No.1 action star EVER), Jim Cameron at the helm (IMO the greatest action director), amazing stunts and chases, groundbreaking special effects, and with a great story to back things up. Hasta La Vista, baby!

7) Aliens

Another Jim Cameron Masterpiece. A sequel to Alien, Aliens firmly puts emphasis on the plural aspect of its title. The poster tagline says 'This time its War' and it sure is that. Weaver gives an Oscar worthy performance, and the final unexpected battle between Weaver in the Power loader and Stan Winston's Queen bitch is truly something that you don't see everyday, or any-day for that matter. Not all the CGI in the Galaxy can come close to that.

8) The Abyss

Another Jim Cameron movie. Not that widely known, but it had a massive impact on me first time I watched it, mainly due to the never before seen quality of the underwater effects, but also due to the amazing performances, especially from the two leads. The story is also out of this world, and the emotional roller-coaster ride is simply second to none. Its got stuff you never seen before- submersible chases, underwater aliens, water-breathing rats, and a cast that had to go to hell and back to get it done.

9) Beauty and the Beast

Walt Disney's greatest movie ever.The animations, settings, the colors, the music, the characters, all are simply perfect. No wonder this was the only animated production ever to be nominated for a Best Picture Oscar- it should've won too.

10) Fellowship of the Ring

I was never a Lord of the Rings fan. I only read the books after I saw this first movie. But this blew me totally out of the water. Adventure on a scale rarely seen before, and hardly ever done this good. First time I saw it I thought it was even better than Star Wars (eek)- it was that good. This has everything- epic feel, epic story, epic characters, and epic pacing and high adventure. The 2 other sequels felt like same-old same-old in comparison.

SO that's it- my top ten- only movie that has changed is the final entry- To see the original list in a more visceral presentation- CLICK HERE

How to Live a Long and Healthy Life!

1. Do not smoke or do drugs- Smoking will kill you.
2. Exercise regularly- preferably Resistance training (weightlifting) but also cardio- such as running, cycling etc.
3. Eat lots of Fruits and Vegetables- these have tons of ingredients that prevents everything from Cancers to Heart Diseases and much much more
4. Take lots of Vitamin C- at least 1000mg a day- Vit C helps to get rid of free radicals in your system preventing cancer, plus vit c helps body recover from exercise and keeps your joints healthy.
5. Take a daily multivitamin supplement if you feel like your not eating well and/or are doing strenuous exercise/weightlifting etc.
6. Avoid exposure to chemicals and gases as much as possible
7. Drink Green Tea- Green tea has shown to reduce the risk of Cancer, Heart Disease and numerous other diseases.

8. Drink Red Wine- Red Wine is a like a super-food- helps to prevent everything from cancers to heart disease, high blood pressure to even Radiation damage to cells!- BUT remember- Drink in moderation- two a glasses a day at most for men and one glass for women, or the benefits quickly reverse to become harmful drawbacks.

9. Drink at least 4 liters of Water everyday
10. Drink lots of Milk- preferably Non-fat. Milk has tons of calcium and protein and other vital vitamins and minerals.
11. Avoid living close to radiation sources such as High Tension wires and Power Plants, use of Microwave ovens, and avoid getting X-rays as much as possible.
12. Be happy- avoid stress as much as possible- stress can cause all kinds of health issues such as heart problems, high blood pressure etc.

How to avoid getting scammed and conned and survive oDesk!

Ok so there are many ways contractors can get scammed on oDesk or any other freelance site for that matter.

By following the rules below you can easily minimize the risk.

1) Avoid working for Jews. Jewish clients (from Israel) will pay pennies and will work you like slaves. This is true in real life as well as online. SO avoid Jews!

2) Avoid working for Indians, Pakistanis, Bangladeshis, Muslims, Chinese, Asians- basically all Muslims and yellow people. They not only ugly but ALL of them are looking for FREE work in my experience. Especially INDIANS- AVOID INDIANS AT ALL COSTS! Sometimes Indians come pretending to be from US or Europe but they still are Indians. If they have even remotely an Indian sounding name (such as RAMA, SING, SIKH etc) avoid them at ALL COSTS.

3) Apply for jobs from Mostly white regions like the US, Europe and Australia. Even in the US try to avoid clients from latin areas like Miami etc. And in Europe avoid eastern European countries for best effect.

4) Since oDesk has a double blind feedback system you never know what some unscrupulous client might leave you to force you to refund. So to avoid this ALWAYS leave 1 star feedback for new unknown clients. If by chance the client has left you 5 star feedback you can always contact customer support and quickly change the 1 star feedback you left for the client.

5)  When applying to jobs from new clients with no prior feedback, make sure their payment is verified, and NEVER start work without a verified payment method.

6) When apply for jobs from new clients- if its a fixed priced job ALWAYS make sure to get an advance- preferably 50%- before staring work, and always remember to get milestone payments as the work progresses. If client refuses to pay a milestone that you feel you deserve, STOP work immediately.

7)  When doing graphics design work on a fixed price job ALWAYS watermark the samples before sending to client- Only remove watermark and send when client has paid you in FULL.  Also make sure the samples are small low quality JPEGs, with a gradient background.

For hourly jobs this is not a concern as all payments are guaranteed.

8) When writing articles on a fixed priced job ALWAYS send the preview sample to client as an IMAGE FILE so that client can read what you wrote but cannot copy and paste without them paying you fully and getting the word document.

So that my sad friends is how to best avoid getting scammed on oDesk- the largest freelancing platform on the net. :(

The Art of Logo Design.

Logo design is an Art form unlike any other form of Graphics Design.
It is a pure creative form of expression, that can make or break a
company or site or anything that the logo is meant for.
A good classy logo will make the company stand out, be remembered
among the rest of the fish in the sea.
Designing the perfect logo requires, born talent of the designer,
loads of experince, mastery of the software tools, and quirky, think-
outside-the-box attitude for best results.
Of the designers I have come accross these guys are the best logos or
any types of graphics in general.