Posts Tagged ‘ Blog

Blog Overhaul!

The Mandigo theme has lasted for almost two years now so it was high time to change themes. This theme, Monochrome, was one of the first of possible picks. There were no other themes like it. Some features that helped me picking this theme were:

  • Simplicity

I’ve always picked designs that were really heavy on graphics. It’s not that I don’t like simplicity, on the contrary, but I like shiny graphics too and those get my attention alot faster than the simple ones that usually don’t stand out in thumbnail previews. I specifically made sure that I was looking at the simple designs instead of the pretty graphical ones this time. Monochrome is black and white with minor graphical changes. Perfect.

  • Overview

No mess. One particular feature I liked was the date/category/tag/comments bar on the left side of each post. It gives a quick overview of what the post is about and when the post was posted.

Some problems might arise due to the layout change, such as large images that appear outside the right bar. Most of these are fixed, but you’re welcome to contact me if you find any others. Furthermore, the tags have been updated and will be more specific from now on.

I know that many others will use it (and I can’t blame them) but frankly, as long as it fits my blog I’m fine with it. I hope you like the new design; it has to last at least those two years the Mandigo theme lasted!

What Have I Been Up To?

It’s been a while since I wrote a blogpost and it’s partly because of the exams and deadline projects for school (the other part is me being too lazy to write, haha). Here’s an update of what I’ve been up to lately:

Watching Leverage

A friend of mine recommended me to watch TNT’s Leverage. The show’s about four (solo working) thieves who each have their own specialty and an ex-insurance investigator who knows how to combine each specialty into one team that gives ‘leverage’ for those that need it. Each character has a distinct and interesting personality which, combined with some witty humor and clever plots for each episode, makes the show worth the watch. I’ll definately be looking out for season 2, that is going to air this summer in USA.

leverage_wallpaper_cast_01_1600x1200

Enjoying with friends after our exam and before our practical test

Photos of that day can be found here: dukath.fab4.be/wendy. I haven’t selected any pictures yet to upload them on my own album. Basically, this day was planned because we had mad fun the first time we did it and it was meant for us to relax a bit after a busy period which actually wasn’t over yet due to the practical test that was planned for next week. It was a succes nevertheless. (Don’t mind me hula hooping on the Wii Fit…)

To the cinema with my sisters

In the same week before the practical test, my two big sisters came to visit us and decided we should do something nice. Apart from all the physical examinations I did to practice (thanks!), we also wanted to go to the cinema. It was “He’s Just Not That Into You” vs. “X-men Origins: Wolverine”. With my exceptional convincing power ( :whistle: ), I managed to drag my lil sis (my big sisters didn’t mind) to X-men Origins and eventually she actually wanted to watch more Hugh Jackman (X-Men Trilogy, Australia). I can’t blame her. :lol:

I had big hopes for X-men Origins (I get that feeling each time a (famous) superhero movie is being released, though). My hope started to sink a bit in the beginning because the story progressed very, very slow. Luckily after the break, the pace fastened and it ended up being a decent movie that was worth the money spent. Liev Schreiber as Victor Creed (Sabretooth) definately stood out while Taylor Kitsch’s role as Remy LeBeau (Gambit) was disappointing at best.

wp_wolverine_1680

Practical test

The practical test is where your med skills are tested through various (little) tests that are observed and graded. This is probably the stress moment of the year for most first year med students. Luckily, I had a few friends who were willing to undergo some horrid examinations (thanks :p ). Things I had to do were a neurologic examination, put a bandage on a hand (which didn’t really go to well xD ), heart examination, abdominal examination and venapunction. Just like most students, I was friggin’ nervous about the test but things went smoothly.

Two new X-box 360 games: Dead Space and Infinite Undiscovery

I’m still playing Resident Evil 5 but I managed to get two games that I really wanted for a while now. They were cheap too, Dead Space being a bestseller and Infinite Undiscovery doesn’t go for more than $10 in the US now. Dead Space is one of the scariest third person shooters I’ve ever played. After playing Dead Space, I might understand why people were a bit disappointed with the scareness level of Resident Evil 5 (Resident Evil being the mother of survival horror games). Resident Evil 5 pretty much wasn’t scary at all. Both games are awesome nevertheless and I definately do not regret buying Dead Space. I have mixed feelings about Infinite Undiscovery (something you wouldn’t expect from a Tri Ace and Square Enix game). The game looks great, has a very fun combat system but there are a few things that are really nagging me. First of all, lip syncing is totally off, the dialogues (sometimes) are SO cheesy and sometimes the voice overs are missing (only subtitles are being displayed)! And secondly, the game isn’t always as clear as you’d like when it comes to objectives; so unless you’re playing with a guide, you’ll be stuck running around hoping you’ll find the way. The combat system is Infinite Undiscovery’s best aspect and I’ll continue to play the game because of that.

wallpaper_isaac_1600x1200_download_090508

Playing as a photographer at a 25 year marriage party

I was invited to a party by a friend because his parents needed a photographer. I’m not (by a long shot) a professional photographer, but I do enjoy making photos and was very glad they asked me to do it (they didn’t necessarily wanted a professional photographer). I took the oppertunity to practice my skills and shot a bit less than 300 photos. That’s probably the biggest photoshoot I’ve done so far. Alas, bigger isn’t always better but the photos came out pretty nice and I hope they like them too (I’m still awaiting opinions as of now :p ).

Upcoming events

Right now, I have two more deadline projects to finish in the upcoming month and one more course to go before the summer break.

You might have noticed a “today’s events” and “upcoming events” header on the right side. That’s a new plugin called calendar in which I’ll put stuff that interest me (such as series/movies/games release dates and the like).

I’m anxiously waiting for:

Montyoum’s Dead Fantasy III and IV (May 20)
Resident Evil 5 Formula Setting Artbook (May 25)
Star Ocean 4 (May 28)
Terminator Salvation (June 3)
Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen (June 24)

Blog Gallery Removed; New Photo Gallery

Okay, things turned out a bit different than I thought. Uploading and posting pictures on my blog also didn’t work out as I had planned. I’ve decided to remove it all together and use something else. The new gallery is http://iLev.nl/phpgraphy. All photos will be posted there and a link will be added on iLev.nl shortly.

New Page: Gallery

A new page has been added: Gallery. Since Coppermine (PHP gallery) didn’t work how I wanted it to work, I decided I’d just post new photo albums on the blog on a new page. I just added one photo album, but more will follow. I’m still figuring out what would be the best way to organise it so it won’t become a mess.

Lev.

A New Category

With the Canon EOS 450D in my (partly… :mrgreen: ) possession, I’ve decided to make a new category for photos: Photography. All photos made by me will be posted in this category.

Lev.

Few Changes Lev’s World

I’ve made a few changes on Lev’s World.

  • Different layouts, each time the page refreshes, there is a chance you’ll get another layout. So if you don’t like the pink one (like I do), just refresh your page.
    Okay, I’ve removed this. I realised there were two very ugly layouts and it was a bit bothersome to keep refreshing until you get a new one. Instead, I’ve switched over to the green version and I’m keeping it for now.
  • There is now a quote feature available when commenting on any post. To use it, hover your mouse over any text until the background on that text turns yellow-ish. After that, click on it and it will be pasted on your comment form.
  • Sidebars will be visible when selecting a single post.
  • A black stripe has been added on the header navigation for better readability.
  • Comments made by the author of that post (which is probably only going to be me) are now highlighted. Comments are numbered now as well.
  • A contact and music page have been added on the header navigation.

Lev.

Ouxu’s Blog

A beautiful blogpost written by my big sis Ouxu. Here are 5 (out of 39) ways to live and not merely exist, as my sis would say. Go to 39 Ways to Live and Not Merely Exist for the rest of them.

1. Love. Perhaps the most important. Fall in love, if you aren’t already. If you have, fall in love with your partner all over again. Abandon caution and let your heart be broken. Or love family members, friends, anyone — it doesn’t have to be romantic love. Love all of humanity, one person at a time. 
2. Get outside. Don’t let yourself be shut indoors. Go out when it’s raining. Walk on the beach. Hike through the woods. Swim in a freezing lake. Bask in the sun. Play sports, or walk barefoot through grass. Pay close attention to nature. 
3. Savor food. Don’t just eat your food, but really enjoy it. Feel the texture, the bursts of flavors. Savor every bite. If you limit your intake of sweets, it will make the small treats you give yourself (berries or dark chocolate are my favorites) even more enjoyable. And when you do have them, really, really savor them. Slowly. 
4. Create a morning ritual. Wake early and greet the day. Watch the sun rise. Out loud, tell yourself that you will not waste this day, which is a gift. You will be compassionate to your fellow human beings, and live every moment to its fullest. Stretch or meditate or exercise as part of your ritual. Enjoy some coffee. 
5. Take chances. We often live our lives too cautiously, worried about what might go wrong. Be bold, risk it all. Quit your job and go to business for yourself (plan it out first!), or go up to that girl you’ve liked for a long time and ask her out. What do you have to lose?

Lev.

Update

I’ve updated the About section with the following pages: 

Name Origin: Find out why I chose Lev.
This Blog: Find out why I created this blog.
Myself: Some information on me.

Lev.

Messing around

Ahh, just installed WordPress. The blog definately still needs some editing to do. I’m working on it!

Lev.