2004 – Page 15 – Hello Curns

The Florida Adventure Continues

This holiday just gets better and better. We’re at Universal Studios Florida right now.

Today is our last day in Florida. On Saturday PY and I left the villa for the Royal Pacific Resort at Universal Studios, Florida.

I thought Epcot and Busch were good but this has been fantastic. Jaws, Earthquake and Back to the Future at Universal Studios were fantastic (Terminator and Men In Black not so great). In particular I have to say how much I enjoyed the Jaws ride which is entirely made by the actors who are the guides on your boat tour and they really do make it fantastic.

Islands of Adventure has also been wonderful. Given my new found love of roller coasters I have ridden the Hulk and Dueling Dragons several times and I can heartedly recommend to them. The most amazing ride, however, isn’t an actual roller coaster. The spiderman ride mixes and indoor ride with projected 3D imagery to create the most superb ride I have been on while here in Florida. I am thankful that we were staying at a Universal hotel as the hotel keycard is good as a Fastpass as many times as you want so we’ve done Spiderman a number of times. If you go to Universal Islands of Adventure than don’t, under any circumstances, miss it.

And we managed to see the Black Eyed Peas at Universal Studios Mardi Gras on Saturday – which was a fun bonus to the whole adventure.

A Florida Friday

Ever since I was a child I’ve tended to avoid roller coasters because I was a little scared. Now I am addicted.

It’s Friday when I am writing this but I am not sure when I am going to get round to publishing these entries from Florida. I am on the verge of applying for a green card so that I can stay here in the sunshine and ride roller coasters all day.

Wednesday was Epcot day. It was the first Florida theme park that I have ever been to and it was amazing. Last Tuesday evening we went to eat in Downtown Disney. As we drove past the large Disney World signs PY was grinning uncontrollably. He has been here several times before and was excited to be back. After twelve years together I have to admit that I have never seen him like that – it was a fantastic experience. Oddly, by the time we drove under the same sign on Wednesday morning on our way to Epcot I was – similarly – grinning. We made our way to Test Track and got our Fastpass before seeing Ellen’s piece on energy (which is a little simplistic and to be seen in the context of being sponsored by an oil company). We then went round several of the other experiences which I won’t list here as there are many good guides to them.

Eventually it was our time for Test Track but it kept breaking down and we waited an hour to ride (the non-Fastpass queue was three hours by this point). This is where I admit I have never been any good at rides, roller coasters and fairgrounds. I get nervous so tend to stay away. Anyway, after all the wait I was very apprehensive about riding Test Track only to be a little disappointed. The screams that you hear as people hurtle around the side of the building do lead you to think you are going on the ultimate thrill but it’s really just an amusing diversion.

Then I went to ride Mission Space (which PY wouldn’t ride because it, apparently, spins you round to generate the weightless experience and he isn’t any good at those kind of rides). The built up to this ride is incredible (all the warnings about motions sickness managed to put two of our crew members off at the very last minute so there were only two of us in the pod). It was great but it wasn’t fantastic and it was over very quickly. And that’s when I realised where the fear comes from. It’s the clever build ups and staging. The rides themselves seem quite tame to me.

Now don’t get me wrong, the Epcot rides were great. World Showcase is fun; a lot of imagination has gone into the park and the fireworks impressive. It’s a great day out and it’s the place I overcame my fear of these rides.

So by yesterday when we went to Busch Gardens I was happier to ride the roller coasters. And I did – even the one where your feet hang down. And I would ride them again and again. I’ve discovered that I am thoroughly enjoying the rush of riding. It’s not something I had expected to get out of this trip but I have now uncovered a whole new world and I fear I’ll become addicted.

Go now and ride them all.

Florida, USA – First Impressions Count

My first impressions of Florida – warm and wet with long security queues, big cars and slower drivers that at home. And lots and lots of food.

Well, PY and I arrived in Florida yesterday afternoon. Security at Orlando International airport was quite strict: they re-scan your baggage on the way into the country and you must walk through the metal detectors again. I find this really odd (it happened to me in Raleigh last December) and it’s so time consuming. Don’t the American border guards trust the security measures at Gatwick? It took nearly two hours to get through the airport and I don’t want to mention the bizarre situation where you pick your bags up and then place them on another conveyor belt to appear elsewhere in the airport sometime later.

One of the things that had been concerning me was the drive. I have never driven in the US before and I have never driven an automatic car before. And with less than 24 hours since I picked up the car I am a convert to the automatic but not to this side of the road. Don’t you people know that the left is the only decent side to drive on? We didn’t pick up a fancy car (because I wanted something small but the Avis guy’s idea of small and mine are very different – this is a big car) but it seems to dive well (the ABS may be a little over the top) and I like this whole one-foot approach. We got a little lost (by which I know we took the wrong road but – somehow – that meant we missed the toll roads so it worked out well). But it poured down with rain. It was torrential. I was quite shocked by the power of the rain and it might have put me off the drive but it was OK because everybody drives so slowly here (even though they’re all breaking the speed limit). I have been quite amazed by that little fact. Six wide lanes and everybody popping along at sixty miles an hour. Of course I shouldn’t complain because it’s safer but what must American drivers think of the M6 (when it’s running)?

So far we’ve been pretty lazy: shopping, pool and eating. Tomorrow I visit my first US Disney theme park. We’re off to Epcot and I am quite excited. One thing has become very obvious though – Gym Buddy isn’t going to be happy with me. There’s so much cheap food here (a great deal of it fried) and I want to eat most of it. Oh dear.

My first impressions of Florida – warm and wet with long security queues, big cars and slower drivers that at home. And lots and lots of food.

Unexpected Saturday Racing

A party in a hotel in Wolverhampton that turned into a fun day at the races.

Sometimes, things you would least expect are the most interesting things to happen to you. Yesterday, my parents celebrated their wedding anniversary by holding a party at a hotel in Wolverhampton. They invited friends and family to the hotel and avoiding mentioning that it was actually at Wolverhampton Race Course where a day at the races was planned for all. I’ve been to the races a few times and can never remember what on earth I am to do when it comes to placing a small bet. There are so many variants that I need a course in how to do it. But it was a thoroughly entertaining day seeing family and friends that I haven’t seen for several years. I think I ended slightly up on the day (in monetary terms) but only just. I hadn’t expected to be so enthusiastic about watching my horses win and fail. Let’s say nothing about the recent controversy about the sport.

My Music and Radio Posts Connected

Two recent posts are connected but I only noted it by reading them back.

It’s obvious that my previous posts about music and radio are connected. Music is more than just a personal space definer. It is, of course, a great mood-changer.

I noted the two radio breakfast programmes that I want to listen to. Chris Moyles and Terry Wogan are both great radio presenters, different in style but no less entertaining. Having listened to Wogan for several years why did I switch? I think, ultimately, it came down to music choice. Wogan’s music has always been a little pedestrian and slow for my mornings. I don’t like it mad or frantic but I do like it upbeat. Now that there is an alternative breakfast presenter that I like, the choice has come down to the music. Chris Moyles plays upbeat music and I need that upbeat sound to get me going in the mornings. So my mornings are being re-defined for me.

Defining Your Own Space

There’s some interesting new research into music, spaces and those of us that walk around with headphones on the whole time.

The BBC is reporting on an interesting piece of research about the way people are using personal music players to claim back something personal from a world where we are surrounded by advertising messages:

Through interviews with Walkman owners and now iPod buyers, he found that listening to music acts as a shield, aura or cocoon … Using headphones helps to keep the world at bay and reclaim some space. [Source]

Yesterday I listened to my own choice of music in the gym rather than watching one of the televisions hanging from the ceilings. It was a very different experience and – to be honest – I almost caught myself singing along. I had purposely chosen a lot of upbeat pop/dance to keep me going and it worked. While my usual fare of Sky News and Chart Show TV are interesting, this time I knew my whole musical selection would be good and I would find the whole hour interesting and commercial free.

But what about the aspect of the walkman or iPod as a space definer? I think this is probably very obvious. I often ride the London Underground listening to music to cut me off from the rest of the people there. In a morning, it really does give you a sense of your own space when you are sardine-squashed into a carriage. In an evening it keeps you occupied – less likely to be engaged in a conversation with somebody who you might find threatening.

A few weeks ago, cityofsound pointed me to Traffic Island Disks – an interesting radio programme loooking at the music people are listening to as they wander around an area of London. It really is very interesting listening to how people define their own spaces through the music they are listening to (it’s also a pretty good idea for a radio show).

Defining Your Own Space

Through interviews with Walkman owners and now iPod buyers, he found that listening to music acts as a shield, aura or cocoon … Using headphones helps to keep the world at bay and reclaim some space.
BBC: More than just a pretty interface

But what about the aspect of the Walkman or iPod as a space definer? I think this is probably very obvious. I often ride the London Underground listening to music to cut me off from the rest of the people there. In the morning, it does give you a sense of your own space when you are sardine-squashed into a carriage. In the evening it keeps you occupied – less likely to be engaged in a conversation with somebody who you might find threatening.

A few weeks ago, cityofsound pointed me to Traffic Island Disks – an interesting radio programme looking at the music people are listening to as they wander around an area of London. It is very interesting listening to how people define their own spaces through the music they are listening to (it’s also a pretty good idea for a radio show).

Similarities At BBC Radio

Still passionate about radio, noting schedule shifts and age dynamics.

I don’t often talk about radio. It’s been one of my passions since I was a child, but there is not a great deal to say on a day-to-day basis. Yet, last week Lesley Douglas, the new controller of Radio 2, announced a few schedule changes that included Dermot O’Leary joining the network for a new music show.

I find this odd. For the last few years, I have been a Terry Wogan listener because I couldn’t stand most of the rest of the frantic morning shows, and he’s the best in the business. Last month, I switched back to Radio 1 where Chris Moyles surprised me and has been very, very entertaining. I do miss Wogan and I find it hard to make that choice in the morning.

Over the last few years, Radio 2 has been re-positioning itself to attract new younger listeners. This is good because it allows Radio 1 to be squarely aimed at the youth market. But where do the Radio 2 listeners go? The BBC doesn’t seem to be providing them with a choice – and isn’t that the BBC’s public service job? Radio 2 is becoming a thirtysomething station. The BBC introduced 6music which seems – to me – to be a thirtysomething station. Where do the fiftysomethings – who don’t want speech – go? The BBC is missing something here and while I, personally, like the changes to Radio 2 (and the imminent arrival of Mark Radcliffe to late nights – his true home – is to be celebrated by street parties in my opinion) where will I go when I start complaining about the loud music of today’s youngsters?

It Was 20 Years Ago

It’s more-or’ess twenty years insce the beginning of one of Britain’s most bitter industrial disputes.

While I am on the subject of anniversaries, Friday (5th March) was also the day in 1984 that it was announced Cortonwood pit near Barnsley was to close. The men walked out on strike – some would never go back and, those that did go back wouldn’t go back for a year. The miner’s strike was the moment when things changed for Britain’s workers.

My life in March 1984 was quite different. I would have been 13 years old and the pictures of striking miners, horses charging picket lines and Arthur Scargill’s statements seemed very far away. To a middle-class kid it was another world. Oddly, my granddad had worked for the collieries near Wigan but I have no recollection of his thoughts on the strike at all.

My own world was turned upside down that year. It was the year my father announced the family was all moving to the Midlands and for most of the year that was what pre-occupied me. The striking miners became just another news item.

Looking back, of course, it was much more than that. There were so many changes to the working lives of so many people. Our working lives in the UK today would be very different had the strike not happened.

Happy 10th Birthday Spam

Spam was ten year’s old yesterday and look how it’s grown.

If you’re into celebrations, you might be interested to know that yesterday was spam’s tenth birthday. Ten years ago a message was posted to Usenet and Usenet was never really the same again. I do remember a time when Usenet was rendered, almost, useless thanks to the spam but I am now finding some newsgroups useful – and much easier to manage than hundreds of emails.

The question right now revolves around the future of email. Will email go the way of Usenet? I suspect not. It’s too fixed in our social and working lives to be abolished. At one time, I thought Instant Messenger looked like it might become the de facto online communication method – but, with hindsight, I think that was wrong.

I am pleased to note that a number of my anti-spam measures have started to kick-in. Demon’s filtering seems to be pretty effective (100s of spam down to 10s). I note Phil Gyford is pleased with his Knowspam.net – I am not sure I want to go that far yet because I don’t think it would be widely accepted (although he is proving that theory wrong).

So, in a bizarre way, Happy Birthday Spam – you’re ten. It’s the next ten years – the teenage years – which are going to be your most difficult.

Formula 1 2004 Race Calendar For Outlook Import

Yet again I have created a csv file to import the new Formual One racing season calendar into yuor Outlook calendar so you need never miss a race (unless I got my timings wrong).

Michael Schumacher, driving his Ferrari, won the 2003 Formula One championship on the final race. This weekend it all starts again with the Australian Grand Prix. It’s about the only sport I follow with anything like an interest but I won’t be up at 2am for the start of ITV’s coverage. I may, however, be around at 1.30pm for the repeat showing.

And once again this year I have trawled the net looking for a list of the year’s races in a format easily importable into Outlook. And once again I have been frustrated because I couldn’t find it anywhere. Many years ago, before I went Corporate and joined the merry band of worldwide Outlook users, I used Time and Chaos – an excellent organiser. They have a transportable record set ready for the 2004 Formula One season. Yahoo enables you to import the race list into your Yahoo calendar (although the race order on the Yahoo site is different from the official list on the FIA site). None of which is really any use to me.

So, once again, I have created a basic .csv file containing the data which can easily be imported into Outlook. After last year’s rant I said I would learn the vCal format but I didn’t so it’s a plain-old .csv file for you. If you want to import F1 races into your Outlook calendar, please feel free to use the file.

Once again I took the race order and timings from the Official FIA site. This year, hover, I have modified the times so that they reflect British Summer Time (GMT+1) where required. I can, therefore, use it. I have noted the time zone in the ‘description’ field in Outlook so you can change it locally if you wish. I couldn’t find any time zone field in the .csv format.

If you check different sources of the race calendar there are some slight variations in the timings. Don’t blame me if you miss it and, in my best continuity announcer’s voice, check local listings.

Also this year I have added information about the distance and laps in the location field.

I have provided the file as a .zip so you must first extract the .csv from that. Then, in Outlook, you will need to go to the File menu and Import the data (import from another program or file) and place it in the calendar. The file is provided as is and you use it at your own risk. I don’t know anyway you can remove it without deleting each entry individually. This year I have included a category name ‘Formula One’ so you can easily find all the entries this file creates. It should be easier to find them in Outlook and remove them if you need to. If you already have a Formula One category in your Outlook calendar you may want to edit the file before importing so you can change the category name. The file is fairly simple and you should be able to read it in any spreadsheet program (and even some text file readers will read it).

As always, your comments are welcome as are suggestions where an official version of this file can be found.

Real Player For Palm Devices

Do you know how hard it is to find the link to the Real Player for Palm devices? It’s not very well-signposted. Perhaps, if I post a link here, search engines will improve its ranking! If you’re looking for the Real Player for Palm connected devices (Treo 600, Tungsten C, Tungsten T3, Tungsten T2, Tungsten T, Tungsten E or Zire 71) then you should visit the Real Networks page devoted to it!

Additional note: the user instructions for the Real Player for the Palm are also available.

Graffiti Shop

Wandsworth council clean up at a so-called graffiti shop in Clapham Junction.

My local council has just cleaned up what it calls a ‘graffiti shop’ at Clapham Junction. Without wanting to comment on the merit of graffiti as an art form or not, I think the shop covered in graffiti looks OK. Perhaps not the best thing ever but it’s not the worst. If you look closely you’ll see the nice neat edges to the graffiti so it doesn’t cross onto anybody else’s wall – which is a nice touch, don’t you think?

You Can’t Hear Yourself On The Tube

Plans are afoot to allow you to use your mobile underground. I hope it doesn’t happen.

Does the thought of being able to use your mobile ‘phone on the tube fill you with dread? Actually, that’s probably a little excessive but being underground has always been the one sanctuary from the calls (admittedly, you have to switch it on to be reached – which is something that I must learn). At least it’s only on the stations. The thought of people talking on a packed train in a morning really does fill me with horror. It’s bad enough on the overland trains.

Love Revolution

I wonder who does the Phixx marketing. A low budget way to get noticed?

this is the phixx car sticker - honestly — this is the phixx car sticker – honestly

So, the official Phixx web site alerted me to two interesting facts this week. Firstly, Andrew is giving away his car. Honestly. In one of the most bizarre (and possibly desperate) publicity stunts for a single, Phixx are giving away Andrew’s car. How do you win? I’ve no idea because they won’t tell you until the single is out. And then, today, I received an email with the subject ‘Phixx Window Sticker’. The clever marketing bods have ‘put an A4 poster together for you to download and place in the back window of your car’. I thought that it might be a nice idea to go and look at it – except anybody could have knocked this up. What a disappointment. That’s the picture. The pdf doesn’t render properly on my machine (but the World version does). All in all that’s brightened my afternoon. So, despite the simplicity, I may now be forced to buy the single – Love Revolution is out on Monday. You may have seen the car stickers!