I'm currently working on a Blogger template that is AdSense friendly. A lot of Blogger's are making use of AdSense these days, but after doing a quick search on the web, I couldn't find a Blogger template that made the most of the AdSense program.

The template I'm developing is based on one of Thur's layouts�(another good source for Blogger templates by the way). I'm adding other elements that I'd like in a template, and incorporating regions for AdSense ads to sit, based on the heatmap provided by Google. In theory the template should yield a higher click through rate than if I had just inserted the adsense code anywhere I could fit them in. It's a geek experiment basically!

If I can get a template finished that I think works reasonably well and looks good, then I may post it on here. Quite a few bugs to iron out yet though!

rate [5] 

The ghetto adventures of Carl Johnson (CJ) have come to an end. Order has been restored, and Grove Street is back on the map. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas was the most entertaining game I've played in a while. Entertaining, but time consuming!

Time can pass quickly when you in San Andreas, you'll tell yourself, just one more gang war, drive by or 'cup of coffee' with your 'ho, then before you know it, it's 12.30am and you have to be at work tomorrow busting your ass in the real world. There is enough in GTA:San Andreas to keep you engrossed for a very long time. Gameplay wise, the missions are not all that difficult, but there is a lot of them! You can pimp out CJ's look (my favourite blonde cornrows rate very highly with the ladies!), work out at the gym and go to flight school. The attention to detail is very impressive.

The games story is gangsta makes good. Setting wise, it reminds me of 'Boyz in da hood'. Music and sound is excellent. Graphics are top notch. It's hard to talk about San Andreas without giving away plot details (which are half the fun of the game), so I won't say much more.
A couple of tips. The first is with CJ's relationship with the ladies. Spending time wit da ho's is a great way to pick up extra items and bonuses (and I aint talking bout syphillus here fellas). For example, dating the police woman until you reach the 100% mark earns you the right to retain weapons whenever your arrested. Very handy.

Speaking of weapons, the good old AK47 takes a lot of beating in this game. It's reliable and lets you pick off opposition gang members before they make it close enough to you to open fire. This is really useful when your on enemy turf trying to take over someone elses hood.
Not for young children or those easily offended, but great fun!

There was a report on the Age website on Friday. The new laws are basically coming into effect to honour Australia's Free Trade Agreement with the US. From what I can gather, the new 'mod chip' legislation will bring Australian law in line with US in this area. One of the key points to come from the article was:

"Anyone found to have used technology to circumvent copy control TPMs will face fines of up to $6600, while those guilty of distributing enabling devices and services to others through a variety of means face imprisonment for up to five years and possible fines of $60,500."

For a full copy of the article click here.

Do you know what progesterone is for?

Going out on a Friday night is something I haven't done in a long long time. A few drinks, a few games of pool, two for one meals at the pub. Friday's are a beautiful thing. Unfortunately, Friday's don't last forever. Fortunately however, there is a McDonalds on the way home, because pool can really take a lot out of a guy. Any way, entering the 24hr McDonalds with my associate (known here as Mr K), I took care of my cheeseburger craving. Mr K on the other hand had an itch that none of the standard burgers on the standard menu could scratch.

Mr K speaks to the head chef. An arrangement is reached, "I want a Junior Burger, but with extra pickles, I mean a lot! I want a thick layer of pickles. Can you do that for me?" It would seem that this kind of order is not so unusual for 1.30am on a Saturday morning. The picture here gives you an indication of what the Pickle Burger looks like. If you ever want to order your own Pickle Burger early in the morning the two key points to remember are, 1. be polite (unless you want to get violated by a security guard, and 2. clearly specify that you are after a "thick layer" of pickles, emphasis on the "thick layer" here people.

iTunes 7 has made the news today on the Age website. I haven't downloaded version 7 yet myself, and after reading the Age article, and the problems reported by users,�I'm not in a great hurry to upgrade.

I came across this site just recently: http://www.undergroundfilm.org/

It features a whole heap of short underground films (it's all free so you don't have to be scared). There's some weird stuff, some very left of centre stuff, and some funny stuff. Definitely worth a look if your into short indy films.

Holy chandeliers Batman, check it out!

There is a nice article on the Age website today about horror/zombie games. Personally blasting zombies with a shotgun is one of my favourite pass times. Dead Rising in particular has caught my attention, and will no doubt be one of the first games I purchase when I eventually jump on the Xbox360 band wagon. Appears to be the closest thing to a Dawn of the Dead video game that I've seen.