Whew, what a long trip. Got a ton of email done. One of the most productive flights I’ve ever had. Something about being stuck on a plane gets me totally in flow state. I started the trip with 550 unread emails and ended it with 43.
No distractions cause there ain’t no Internet connection and Maryam was watching movies.
Anyway, I’m jet lagged now. Looks like there’s lots of people who are excited about doing something on Friday afternoon (and a ton of parties we can crash too in the evening). We’ll figure that out.
This is a weird world. Not nearly as much wifi as back home and a LOT more people smoke here (one lady refused to put hers out on the train — in California she would have been arrested or beaten, or both). Oh, and what’s up with reading tabloids? It seemed the entire train was reading trashy tabloid newspapers.
I do love traveling for 16 hours and being able to jack into the Internet and everything works just like it did back at home.
Tomorrow Maryam wants to go see the Cardiff Castle. Sounds fun.
UPDATE: that plan got thrown out cause of family logistics. So, we’ll hang around Newport tomorrow. Just made plans to meet Robert Gale at Wetherspoons near Murengers in town. This is the best thing about blogging — I can go to any town in the world and most likely find someone interesting to have a beer with.
I’m surprised you weren’t beaten for asking her to put her cigarette out!
Welcome to the UK Scoble.
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Give me a shout if you want the guided trip around Windsor (the Queen lives here in Winsor castle!). Would be great to catch up and show you some of our latest projects π
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Give me a shout if you want the guided trip around Windsor (the Queen lives here in Winsor castle!). Would be great to catch up and show you some of our latest projects π
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I’m surprised you weren’t beaten for asking her to put her cigarette out!
Welcome to the UK Scoble.
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Wifi in the UK is WAY up over what it used to be, but still doesn’t hold a candle to the US. I remember in 2003 I was wardriving through London (Knightsbridge, Kennsington, Sloane Square) and had about 3 hits total, compared to about 3 hits per block in the US (sometimes higher) around the same time. Now I get quite a few more hits in the UK, but still not quite what we are used to.
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Wifi in the UK is WAY up over what it used to be, but still doesn’t hold a candle to the US. I remember in 2003 I was wardriving through London (Knightsbridge, Kennsington, Sloane Square) and had about 3 hits total, compared to about 3 hits per block in the US (sometimes higher) around the same time. Now I get quite a few more hits in the UK, but still not quite what we are used to.
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Paul: oh, I know better than to act like an ugly American. The CONDUCTOR asked her to put it out! She refused and he shrugged.
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Paul: oh, I know better than to act like an ugly American. The CONDUCTOR asked her to put it out! She refused and he shrugged.
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Tim: Maryam wants to do that!
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Tim: Maryam wants to do that!
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Actually, she’s talking about going and seeing Oxford.
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Actually, she’s talking about going and seeing Oxford.
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Come to Cambridge, as nice as Oxford, and the big geeks were here, like Newton, Darwin, Watson-Crick. π
Cheers, Attila.
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Arhh, welcome to Blighty, mate!
Nope, esp in Wales. In fact it’s not possible to get broadband in many places in Wales due to the distances from the phone exchanges, etc.
Yeah, well, that’s why I living in California now. I find it really awful to go to a pub for lunch and then feel the need to go home and change in the evening because my clothes stink of smoke.
The whole smoking on trains thing is funny, it’s now banned but you can still smoke on platforms (not London underground). People still feel it’s their right to smoke on trains, however.
Lol, yeah. It’s probably because they have topless women on page 3. You should check ’em out Robert.
Hope you enjoy your stay in UK – makes me feel a little home sick as I’m not going home for Christmas. Mind you I’m pleased not to be in Wales…
Ben
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Come to Cambridge, as nice as Oxford, and the big geeks were here, like Newton, Darwin, Watson-Crick. π
Cheers, Attila.
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Arhh, welcome to Blighty, mate!
Nope, esp in Wales. In fact it’s not possible to get broadband in many places in Wales due to the distances from the phone exchanges, etc.
Yeah, well, that’s why I living in California now. I find it really awful to go to a pub for lunch and then feel the need to go home and change in the evening because my clothes stink of smoke.
The whole smoking on trains thing is funny, it’s now banned but you can still smoke on platforms (not London underground). People still feel it’s their right to smoke on trains, however.
Lol, yeah. It’s probably because they have topless women on page 3. You should check ’em out Robert.
Hope you enjoy your stay in UK – makes me feel a little home sick as I’m not going home for Christmas. Mind you I’m pleased not to be in Wales…
Ben
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Ben: topless women you say? Heheh.
Attila: we were in Cambridge last time we came here. It was stunningly beautiful. Even got a video of us going under the Mathematical bridge: http://channel9.msdn.com/Showpost.aspx?postid=111253
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Ben: topless women you say? Heheh.
Attila: we were in Cambridge last time we came here. It was stunningly beautiful. Even got a video of us going under the Mathematical bridge: http://channel9.msdn.com/Showpost.aspx?postid=111253
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Ben: we’re getting together a Photowalking of the train museum in Sacramento during Christmas vacation (probably on December 27). You should come along, that’ll keep you from feeling too homesick.
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Ben: we’re getting together a Photowalking of the train museum in Sacramento during Christmas vacation (probably on December 27). You should come along, that’ll keep you from feeling too homesick.
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See if you can get Danny Sullivan from Search Engine Watch. And say hi for me.
Lately there are many “spicy” tabloid news on Royal family like Charles’s wife and Prince Williams. May be you can bring back some american versions of news that we didn’t get to read here. Bush can’t compete with British Royal for that kind of news.
Topless women? Almost all European magazines show some sort of topless women, even newspapers.
American. The sexiest things we have is Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show on TV channel. Models are decorated with feathers and trees.It is beautiful to watch. And it is so artistic and tasteful.
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See if you can get Danny Sullivan from Search Engine Watch. And say hi for me.
Lately there are many “spicy” tabloid news on Royal family like Charles’s wife and Prince Williams. May be you can bring back some american versions of news that we didn’t get to read here. Bush can’t compete with British Royal for that kind of news.
Topless women? Almost all European magazines show some sort of topless women, even newspapers.
American. The sexiest things we have is Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show on TV channel. Models are decorated with feathers and trees.It is beautiful to watch. And it is so artistic and tasteful.
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Welcome Robert! Cardiff is a top place – was there in 90-93 at Uni and it has transformed since – a load of investment! (If you want cheap beer – head to the student Union!) π
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Welcome Robert! Cardiff is a top place – was there in 90-93 at Uni and it has transformed since – a load of investment! (If you want cheap beer – head to the student Union!) π
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How did you ever get to check that much email on plane? What monster battery do you have in your laptop, Scoble? Pray tell, I have a trip to Frankfurt coming up & I would like to be able to have that kind of juice.
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How did you ever get to check that much email on plane? What monster battery do you have in your laptop, Scoble? Pray tell, I have a trip to Frankfurt coming up & I would like to be able to have that kind of juice.
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Sam: Intel loaned me a Sony Vaio. I just turned everything off. The battery stayed up for five hours and never died.
I type fast.
The bad thing about answering that much email? People answer it, so now I’m getting even more email.
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Sam: Intel loaned me a Sony Vaio. I just turned everything off. The battery stayed up for five hours and never died.
I type fast.
The bad thing about answering that much email? People answer it, so now I’m getting even more email.
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More acclimatisation…
The tabloids will be the free papers, aimed at commuters, like Metro – surviving on the print industry’s version of AdSense, all owned by the big news conglomerates and losing shedloads of cash.
From a yank in the UK since 1967 – where you meeting on Friday?
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More acclimatisation…
The tabloids will be the free papers, aimed at commuters, like Metro – surviving on the print industry’s version of AdSense, all owned by the big news conglomerates and losing shedloads of cash.
From a yank in the UK since 1967 – where you meeting on Friday?
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Jazz: how about we meet at the Serpentine Gallery in Hyde Park at 1 p.m.?
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Jazz: how about we meet at the Serpentine Gallery in Hyde Park at 1 p.m.?
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‘Oh, and whatβs up with reading tabloids? It seemed the entire train was reading trashy tabloid newspapers.’
You say this like it’s a bad thing. I would have thought that information ingestion, in whatever form, would have been right up your street Robert. Just because the paper is trashy it doesn’t mean the readers are.
Were you on the Paddington to Swansea service? I used to catch it every day and smokers were usually dealt with by the ‘regulars’ rather than the inspector. Sad but true. I once spent 5 hours on a train that came to a halt outside outside Didcot and the smokers nearly freaked out as it was one of the new trains without opening windows. Eventually one of the smokers said ‘b******s to this what’s the worst that can happen, are you going to get me off this God forsaken train?’ To be fair I couldn’t argue with that and got home past midnight smelling of smoke.
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‘Oh, and whatβs up with reading tabloids? It seemed the entire train was reading trashy tabloid newspapers.’
You say this like it’s a bad thing. I would have thought that information ingestion, in whatever form, would have been right up your street Robert. Just because the paper is trashy it doesn’t mean the readers are.
Were you on the Paddington to Swansea service? I used to catch it every day and smokers were usually dealt with by the ‘regulars’ rather than the inspector. Sad but true. I once spent 5 hours on a train that came to a halt outside outside Didcot and the smokers nearly freaked out as it was one of the new trains without opening windows. Eventually one of the smokers said ‘b******s to this what’s the worst that can happen, are you going to get me off this God forsaken train?’ To be fair I couldn’t argue with that and got home past midnight smelling of smoke.
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Welcome to Great Britain, I recommend Cardiff Bay over the castle anytime, here are my pics from last month if you don’t get a chance. Look forward to hooking up on Friday (fingers crossed)
http://flickr.com/photos/phillprice/sets/72157594363722606/detail/
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Welcome to Great Britain, I recommend Cardiff Bay over the castle anytime, here are my pics from last month if you don’t get a chance. Look forward to hooking up on Friday (fingers crossed)
http://flickr.com/photos/phillprice/sets/72157594363722606/detail/
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Chris: the tabloids I saw had very little information that would make anyone a better human being. Mostly salacious stuff.
Just like what happens when Americans eat junk food. They get fat and ill.
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Before taking a flight overseas, I would recommend seatguru.com because you can often find out if your seat has a power port. Some planes have them only in business, some have them spread out, and some seem to have them everywhere. You can check your airline and aircraft and then see if there are any powerports available.
I fly BA and they have power ports in economy plus through first. Never run out of power with that. I even charge my ipod while on the flight.
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Before taking a flight overseas, I would recommend seatguru.com because you can often find out if your seat has a power port. Some planes have them only in business, some have them spread out, and some seem to have them everywhere. You can check your airline and aircraft and then see if there are any powerports available.
I fly BA and they have power ports in economy plus through first. Never run out of power with that. I even charge my ipod while on the flight.
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Chris: the tabloids I saw had very little information that would make anyone a better human being. Mostly salacious stuff.
Just like what happens when Americans eat junk food. They get fat and ill.
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Andrew: good tips. BA’s Economy Plus cost $300 more per seat. I wasn’t willing to do that just to have a power outlet and a little nicer seat.
Turned out we had an entire row to ourselves anyway.
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Andrew: good tips. BA’s Economy Plus cost $300 more per seat. I wasn’t willing to do that just to have a power outlet and a little nicer seat.
Turned out we had an entire row to ourselves anyway.
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On the west coast of Wales we’re slightly more organised – a result of this is a map of wifi points available here in Aberystwyth.
http://www.remoteroot.net/wifi/
Don’t use the map for naughty things – it’s for informational purposes only.
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On the west coast of Wales we’re slightly more organised – a result of this is a map of wifi points available here in Aberystwyth.
http://www.remoteroot.net/wifi/
Don’t use the map for naughty things – it’s for informational purposes only.
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‘the tabloids I saw had very little information that would make anyone a better human being. Mostly salacious stuff.’
Hmmm… Well I think they’re in business to make money not make people beter humans. Still, I take your point and I agree. Though I do read the trash tabloids just to see what’s going on in the unreal world.
Have a great trip and try not to read too much trashy tabloid crap it will rot your mind.
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‘the tabloids I saw had very little information that would make anyone a better human being. Mostly salacious stuff.’
Hmmm… Well I think they’re in business to make money not make people beter humans. Still, I take your point and I agree. Though I do read the trash tabloids just to see what’s going on in the unreal world.
Have a great trip and try not to read too much trashy tabloid crap it will rot your mind.
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“I can go to any town in the world and most likely find someone interesting to have a beer with.”
That’s because they think you’re picking up the tab. π
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“I can go to any town in the world and most likely find someone interesting to have a beer with.”
That’s because they think you’re picking up the tab. π
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have a ball! In my email box are all read, but still over 300 are unhandled. One day!
My electricity went out Thanksgiving Day so I was forced to read…..a book!
The History of “Cod” and how it changed the world. The Welsh would love it.
Bon Voyage to you and Maryam
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have a ball! In my email box are all read, but still over 300 are unhandled. One day!
My electricity went out Thanksgiving Day so I was forced to read…..a book!
The History of “Cod” and how it changed the world. The Welsh would love it.
Bon Voyage to you and Maryam
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Hi Robert:
Hope you and Maryam are having a great time. While you’re there, you might look up Don McAllister of screencastsonline.com . He’s a great guy and is doing a bang up job with his video podcast.
Jan Kabili and Dave Van de Water (stuck back here in the States and very jealous).
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Hi Robert:
Hope you and Maryam are having a great time. While you’re there, you might look up Don McAllister of screencastsonline.com . He’s a great guy and is doing a bang up job with his video podcast.
Jan Kabili and Dave Van de Water (stuck back here in the States and very jealous).
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Say hello to Rob for me if it’s not too late! π
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Say hello to Rob for me if it’s not too late! π
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Darren: I’ll say hi for you! We’re going to leave to go to the city soon.
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Darren: I’ll say hi for you! We’re going to leave to go to the city soon.
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Thanks! π
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Thanks! π
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