F1 New Years Resolutions
It’s the time of year when people begin to promise themselves mostly unreachable targets, because New Year is all about having a fresh start. Generally speaking I tend to shy away from resolutions for that very reason, but Mr C is with the spirit and therefore would like to share a few of his own, somewhat attainable targets for next year.
- Give the new regulations a chance. Then, when they don’t work, criticise them twice as much.
- Take stuff out of Beta. We are not Google.
- Stop moaning about the website hosting problems we regularly experience and actually do something about it.
- Give Heikki a second chance as a McLaren driver.
- Try much, much harder in the Fantasy Racers league.
This week, I have already been coerced into making predictions, even though I detest doing so. With that in mind, I shall agree to making some of my very own resolutions.
- Watch every single Free Practice session. I only missed a couple this year, but that’s two too many.
- Find merit in a driver’s abilities and performance instead of simply how good they look.
- Keep up to date with podcast transcripts.
- Bring back Sidepodcast Diaries.
- Make predictions… when asked.
That should keep us busy over the next 12 months, and rest assured we will look back and see how we did next December. Now we’d like to hear from you.
Are there any resolutions you think we should have made but aren’t listed above? Do you have your own list of promises you’ll try and keep next year? And what do you think those guys in the F1 paddock will be resolving to do better in 2009?
December 31st, 2008 at 07:34 #1 - Dan Brunell said:
First post!
December 31st, 2008 at 07:39 #2 - Alex Andronov said:
I would like us to resolve not to do “first posts”
December 31st, 2008 at 07:39 #3 - Jeremy said:
Try to resist posting ‘Go Lewis!’ as the first post
December 31st, 2008 at 07:44 #4 - Dan Brunell said:
Trust me, it didn’t feel good. I just wanted to beat someone to the punch for once.
I resolve not to do brackets this year.
Also, I resolve not to wake up my housemates and/or their girlfriends at 7:00 AM by screaming at the TV while watching F1.
December 31st, 2008 at 07:53 #5 - Jeremy said:
Be more decisive. Instead of just trying to resist things, actually do it.
Lurk less, post more.
December 31st, 2008 at 07:53 #6 - Alex Andronov said:
That one sounds hardest!
December 31st, 2008 at 07:54 #7 - Alex Andronov said:
Write more on my own blog. Hopefully not at the expense of here.
December 31st, 2008 at 08:00 #8 - Dan Brunell said:
Actually, speak of the devil. I started one last week. (plug: http://thegridwalk.typepad.com/the_grid_walk/)
December 31st, 2008 at 08:02 #9 - Alex Andronov said:
Cool! I went and left a comment. Can you guess what it was?
December 31st, 2008 at 08:04 #10 - Dan Brunell said:
Hahaaa. Ahhh. Good one.
December 31st, 2008 at 08:08 #11 - Alex Andronov said:
Okay I’ve left a real one now to the very interesting post on Force India.
December 31st, 2008 at 10:18 #12 - Le Wombat du BOL said:
I think the guy called Mr E could’ve come up with better calendar for 2009 because I reckon it’s the worst for decades with ridiculous breaks & stuff & the season opener starts only on the 27th of March? OK, he dropped a few races but it looks more like DTM calendar. Total utter disgrace. It’s making me feel sick!
December 31st, 2008 at 12:58 #13 - me said:
something to do with daylight savings in australia meaning the race starts later in europe.
you’re onto something here. abu dhabi may come to the rescue mind you… or not.
December 31st, 2008 at 13:23 #14 - smarterthanyouraverage.com » Blog Archive » Happy New Year said:
[...] have forgotten them by the end of January. However, I had already been talked into doing so over at Sidepodcast.com, so I thought I might as well share my three very simple resolutions for [...]
December 31st, 2008 at 14:02 #15 - Alenyaa said:
Woot woot!
Two of my own:
Post here more constantly, not at big intervals
Nag Mr Christine untill I get every change I want
December 31st, 2008 at 14:08 #16 - Steven Roy said:
Bernie will resolve to find a way to avoid divorce and buy back the rights to F1 while the market is down so that he can sell them at the next peak. Of course 2009’s lousy calendar may help convince CVC to sell.
Max will resolve to keep his hobbies out of the papers at least until he is re-elected.
di Montezemolo will resolve to lead FOTA at least until there is an advantage to Ferrari to act on its own then he will stab everyone in the back as he has always done.
December 31st, 2008 at 14:27 #17 - Le Wombat du BOL said:
I guess so, it’s always a struggle to wake up early, probably for Australian F1 fans the same applies to European races. I’m a big fan of night races now, Singapore was quite surreal & I quite enjoyed it.
December 31st, 2008 at 14:34 #18 - Alenyaa said:
Another resolution: check my posts for those pesky spelling errors!
December 31st, 2008 at 14:50 #19 - Steven Roy said:
If you do that it will just make mine look worse
December 31st, 2008 at 14:54 #20 - Dank said:
My new year’s resolution is 1024×768
December 31st, 2008 at 14:56 #21 - Dirty Scarab said:
Resolution for me: Try not to bitch and moan about the fact that there’s now only one race for me now (Brazil) aired at a sensible hour
EDIT: I’ve failed already.
December 31st, 2008 at 15:03 #22 - Alenyaa said:
Maybe we can take turns in making each other look better?
December 31st, 2008 at 15:03 #23 - Dirty Scarab said:
Wah Wah Wah Waaaaahhhhh.
(it’s really hard to spell in the style of a comedy trombone).
December 31st, 2008 at 15:15 #24 - me said:
December 31st, 2008 at 16:26 #25 - iceman said:
Hopefully 2009 be much better than 2008 . Especially when kimi will take the title after the 11th round.
Thanks for all the hard work christine – keep up the Great work .
December 31st, 2008 at 16:49 #26 - R.G (The evil one, think Bernie Ecclestone, but smaller) said:
One for the ever lovable R.G – In a future Sidepodpanel episode, refrain from ‘bigging’ up BMW Sauber and give other teams a chance to be ‘good’
December 31st, 2008 at 17:46 #27 - Journeyer said:
Fearless forecast time: Sidepodcast will go well and truly F1-mainstream in 2009, experiencing a surge similar to what Keith experienced at F1Fanatic this year (with Sky News and the 10000 Poles). The only question is on what scale that surge will be.
So my SPC resolution is to be nice to the newbies.
December 31st, 2008 at 17:58 #28 - Steven Roy said:
Jackie Stewart was knighted a few years ago. About 30 years too late
December 31st, 2008 at 18:06 #29 - Steven Roy said:
I managed to quote one thread and reply on another on the lclt. I don’t understand that. I was on the thread that I quoted. Then got told I was in moderation. Then the lclt switched to this thread. I am very confused. I think the lclt may be confused too.
December 31st, 2008 at 18:19 #30 - me said:
only thing we’ve changed is upgraded to wordpress 2.7. will look into it tho.
December 31st, 2008 at 20:03 #31 - Red Duffman said:
I resolve to actually post comments on Sidepodcast as opposed to lurking around like a lurking thing.
Happy New Year!
December 31st, 2008 at 20:03 #32 - Christine said:
An excellent resolution. Happy New Year to you
December 31st, 2008 at 20:09 #33 - Steven Roy said:
That could get an award for best new year’s resolution. I wonder if there are others who would like to challenge you for it.
December 31st, 2008 at 20:13 #34 - littlepurplegoth said:
Prehaps I should resolve to shush a bit….?
December 31st, 2008 at 20:14 #35 - Christine said:
No way!
December 31st, 2008 at 20:21 #36 - lou said:
I thought i’d already left a comment here, but realised i actually had forgotten to…
Two of my new years resolutions,
- Go to bed earlier (i swear ‘me’ is a bad influence
)
- Make time to write posts for f1break.
December 31st, 2008 at 20:23 #37 - R.G (The evil one, think Bernie Ecclestone, but smaller) said:
Everyone has a blog, I need to work out this WordPress and start one.
December 31st, 2008 at 20:24 #38 - me said:
yippee!
December 31st, 2008 at 20:25 #39 - me said:
yippee! (x2)
December 31st, 2008 at 20:28 #40 - Steven Roy said:
I would resolve to start a blog but given that in the whole of this year I amanged only 6 or 7 articles I don’t see a lot of point giving myself all that hassle for so little output.
December 31st, 2008 at 20:29 #41 - me said:
they were 6 or 7 good’uns though.
December 31st, 2008 at 20:33 #42 - Steven Roy said:
Even if they were fabulous they would not deserve their own site. I suppose I could resolve to write more but I am more of a counter-puncher. Arguing against something someone else has written comes much easier than finding original things to write about. Although I have a couple of things I want to write in the next couple of weeks so maybe that will get me started.
Look out (maybe) for the greatest driver who never raced anything.
December 31st, 2008 at 20:35 #43 - me said:
i shall do, don’t forget to plug it.
if you fancy writing something but have nowhere to put it, mail it to christine, she has a habit of turning contributions more than two paragraphs long into a guest post
December 31st, 2008 at 20:36 #44 - Steven Roy said:
I may just do that
December 31st, 2008 at 20:36 #45 - R.G (The evil one, think Bernie Ecclestone, but smaller) said:
Hasn’t that only happend once to yours truly?
December 31st, 2008 at 20:37 #46 - lou said:
i had/started a personal blog early last year, but i sort of ran out of time with it… however i’m going to make a huge effort with f1break this year, i need to stay organised with school work and everything, but i will stick to this resolution
December 31st, 2008 at 20:38 #47 - me said:
it happened to jeremy. he mailed her to give some background info on v8’s and lo, it was published and we were live commenting bathurst.
December 31st, 2008 at 20:48 #48 - R.G (The evil one, think Bernie Ecclestone, but smaller) said:
So what are the best blogging tools?
December 31st, 2008 at 20:55 #49 - me said:
if you have a pc:
http://windowslivewriter.spaces.live.com/
December 31st, 2008 at 21:03 #50 - R.G (The evil one, think Bernie Ecclestone, but smaller) said:
Oooh, nice. Cheers
December 31st, 2008 at 21:31 #51 - me said:
i have a new one. to never, ever buy another microsoft product again:
http://www.engadget.com/2008/12/31/30gb-zunes-mysteriously-begin-to-fail-at-12am-december-31st/
December 31st, 2008 at 21:38 #52 - Scott in Italy (just not now) said:
My resolution: not to get too angry when a neighbour starts their leaf blower thing at 7:30am on new years day…
happy new year from the future…so far it looks pretty much the same as the last year except Lewis has some honour from the queen.
and don’t celebrate too early
December 31st, 2008 at 21:39 #53 - lou said:
aww poor people without their music players, i couldn’t cope without my ipod for long at all.
December 31st, 2008 at 21:40 #54 - Scott in Italy (just not now) said:
was just reading about that one. you don’t have one do you?
December 31st, 2008 at 21:43 #55 - Christine said:
Are you kidding? Sidepodcast Towers is a shrine to all things Mac, no matter how much I protest.
December 31st, 2008 at 21:44 #56 - Christine said:
All things Apple, I mean.
December 31st, 2008 at 21:45 #57 - Andy Taylor said:
The closest thing I’d get to a Zune would be the Zune shaped iPod case I posted a link to a cople of weeks ago – it make thieves think you have a Zune and not an iPod, so they won’t nick it
December 31st, 2008 at 21:45 #58 - me said:
for a second i thought that was a link to a ferrari video
how will you be spending your free second?
December 31st, 2008 at 21:45 #59 - Andy Taylor said:
What is there to protest about?
December 31st, 2008 at 21:46 #60 - Andy Taylor said:
I had to check the link to make sure
December 31st, 2008 at 21:46 #61 - Scott in Italy (just not now) said:
keep protesting. these sorts of arguments keep the world going round
December 31st, 2008 at 21:47 #62 - Bassano Clapper said:
Here, here!
Well, there’s Boot Camp and a few other means of running M$ but in the end, can any of us really be bothered if we don’t have to
December 31st, 2008 at 21:48 #63 - Christine said:
There are a few things on the PC that I miss. I keep them to myself these days though.
December 31st, 2008 at 21:49 #64 - Scott in Italy (just not now) said:
not sure. you guys have it just before you start celebrating. but it will occur mid morning here so i suppose i will use my extra second to avoid making any predictions about the f1 season.
December 31st, 2008 at 21:49 #65 - Bassano Clapper said:
Tis probably the millennium bug, M$ are just a little behind the times
December 31st, 2008 at 21:50 #66 - Scott in Italy (just not now) said:
No. That way the appleatians have already won. Speak now or forever hold your pc.
December 31st, 2008 at 21:53 #67 - Andy Taylor said:
Please share – I may be able to offer an OS X based alternative
December 31st, 2008 at 21:54 #68 - me said:
windows live writer
December 31st, 2008 at 21:54 #69 - Andy Taylor said:
We’ve definitely won – you have Vista
December 31st, 2008 at 21:55 #70 - Bassano Clapper said:
December 31st, 2008 at 21:56 #71 - Christine said:
I really miss the preview window in Aero, where if you hover over something in the taskbar it allows you to see whatever’s happening in that program in real time.
December 31st, 2008 at 21:57 #72 - Bassano Clapper said:
Ecto?
http://illuminex.com/ecto/
December 31st, 2008 at 21:57 #73 - Scott in Italy (just not now) said:
never heard of it
or Windows ME…
December 31st, 2008 at 21:57 #74 - Christine said:
Also Excel is hideous on a Mac.
December 31st, 2008 at 21:58 #75 - Bassano Clapper said:
OpenOffice or NeoOffice
December 31st, 2008 at 21:58 #76 - Andy Taylor said:
Numbers?
Open Office?
December 31st, 2008 at 21:59 #77 - me said:
$17.95
live writer is free. and ecto is a mess of overlayed windows.
December 31st, 2008 at 21:59 #78 - Christine said:
Numbers is shocking and Open Office is bulky. Plus I use Excel all day at work and know it inside out.
December 31st, 2008 at 22:00 #79 - me said:
numbers is a nightmare to learn if you know ms office really well. openoffice is just hideous on a mac.
December 31st, 2008 at 22:00 #80 - me said:
we are in the same room. you just wouldn’t know it
December 31st, 2008 at 22:01 #81 - littlepurplegoth said:
Ah… you have to admit that Excel is pretty hideous on a PC as well…
(or am I the only person who would rather write a db to do thing – when I was in need of actually doing such things – to avoid using excel as more than the most basic of spreadsheets?)
December 31st, 2008 at 22:03 #82 - Andy Taylor said:
Numbers is great, but OK, you’ve got me at Excel. VMware?
Office 2008 I agree is not great, particularly because M$ killed the VB support (they are bringing it back in the next version though, I wonder why?)
December 31st, 2008 at 22:03 #83 - Andy Taylor said:
So are lpg and I
December 31st, 2008 at 22:03 #84 - Bassano Clapper said:
Blogo
MarsEdit 2
(ok, neither are free)
December 31st, 2008 at 22:04 #85 - Christine said:
Not to me.
December 31st, 2008 at 22:04 #86 - Alianora La Canta said:
My Microsoft-powered PDA is still functional. I am glad it did not mistake itself for a Zune…
My new year’s resolutions have been posted to NaNoWriMo’s site already, but for the sake of completeness, I will repost them here:
- Finish Keldostri Acaleros ((my NaNoNovel) before the end of May 2008 so that I can take advantage of the CreateSpace offer)
- Do NaNoWriMo 2009
- Get started on library Chartership
- Do ScriptFrenzy
- Get a distinction for Level 3 Text Processing
- Starting my own business
- Sort out my job
I prefer not to make resolutions with regard to my internet behaviour – it evolves so much in one year that it doesn’t need further “enouragement” to evolve faster…
December 31st, 2008 at 22:05 #87 - Steven Roy said:
I spent it reading this comment
December 31st, 2008 at 22:05 #88 - me said:
haven’t tried either. but mars looks nice. may download the trial. free is good though.
December 31st, 2008 at 22:05 #89 - me said:
damnit.
December 31st, 2008 at 22:05 #90 - Andy Taylor said:
You mean neither are paid for by the Microsoft Tax…
December 31st, 2008 at 22:06 #91 - me said:
also a good point.
December 31st, 2008 at 22:07 #92 - Bassano Clapper said:
Not that I would ever recommend such things but it can be free, if you want to look
December 31st, 2008 at 22:07 #93 - Steven Roy said:
I wonder if RG has any resolutions about film scripts?
December 31st, 2008 at 22:11 #94 - Bassano Clapper said:
Qumana (free, I think) – Mac or PC
http://www.qumana.com/download.htm
December 31st, 2008 at 22:13 #95 - me said:
ooh, that is interesting.
December 31st, 2008 at 22:14 #96 - littlepurplegoth said:
Oh gord…. does this mean I’m not the only person here mad enough to do this? I did 07 but 08 didn’t happen at all (non-fiction stuff being done instead
) I did the Script frenzy in 08 though…
now might *that* get RG working?
December 31st, 2008 at 22:14 #97 - Scott in Italy (just not now) said:
is that official? because that annoyed me a lot. if i had my own computer at work, i’d still be tempted to run office 95… i knew all the shortcuts and at each upgrade they just keep hiding things from me.
December 31st, 2008 at 22:19 #98 - Andy Taylor said:
Microsoft claimed that adding VBA support would add 2 years to the development of the product. As far as I know they will put it back in to whatever the next major release may be.
Looking around for info on this has answered a question for me though – SP1 for Office 2008 prevents it opening some older document files.
December 31st, 2008 at 22:23 #99 - Scott in Italy (just not now) said:
assuming anyone is still using it by then
December 31st, 2008 at 22:24 #100 - Andy Taylor said:
It is official – see Microsoft Press Release:
http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2008/may08/05-13MacBU2008PR.mspx
December 31st, 2008 at 22:25 #101 - Andy Taylor said:
Exactly – after Numbers, Excel looks so boring
December 31st, 2008 at 22:27 #102 - me said:
pie, anyone?
http://www.sidepodcast.com/2007/08/16/podcast-pie-charts/
December 31st, 2008 at 22:29 #103 - Bassano Clapper said:
Now don’t they look might tasty
December 31st, 2008 at 22:30 #104 - Bassano Clapper said:
Mighty! (tssk)
December 31st, 2008 at 22:31 #105 - Bassano Clapper said:
Doohickey needs an edit button when it goes to final release
December 31st, 2008 at 22:34 #106 - Andy Taylor said:
That’s a good point – shouldn’t the Doohickey page say:
Sidepodcast : Current Discussion (beta)
?
December 31st, 2008 at 22:34 #107 - Alex Andronov said:
Excel is one of the best applications there is. On the PC. End of.
December 31st, 2008 at 22:35 #108 - me said:
it’s worse than beta, that makes it alpha doesn’t it?
December 31st, 2008 at 22:38 #109 - me said:
sorry, should’ve said, the (alpha) is in the title bar. rather than the heading. same as lcl…t.
December 31st, 2008 at 22:39 #110 - me said:
better than VS?
December 31st, 2008 at 22:39 #111 - littlepurplegoth said:
Noooooooooooooo!
It is the *one* thing I do *not* miss about office based working….(OK, maybe its one of two things, having a works canteen that did toast whenever you wanted it and coffee on tap without charge was pretty good as well)
December 31st, 2008 at 22:41 #112 - Andy Taylor said:
1440×900 for me
December 31st, 2008 at 22:43 #113 - Alex Andronov said:
Tough call. As a consumer product… Excel still wins I guess.
December 31st, 2008 at 22:46 #114 - Scott in Italy (just not now) said:
thanks Andy, but that’s just for macs right? i better get VBA for the pc version or i’ll be forced to just write in R….
December 31st, 2008 at 22:51 #115 - Andy Taylor said:
That’s a press release from the Mac Business Unit of Microsoft, so I don’t think VBA will go from the Windows version just yet…
December 31st, 2008 at 22:57 #116 - Alianora La Canta said:
My New Year’s (screen) resolution is 800 x 600… …unless I’m playing Pinball Illusions, in which case it’s 480 x 320, or I’m playing Grand Prix 3 (640 x 480) or Sims 2 (1024 x 760).
I’m really indecisive…
December 31st, 2008 at 23:26 #117 - Scott in Italy (just not now) said:
another resolution…
to install real player on my work computer so i can save any flash video from a website (great for making a copy of those F1 videos i love on the f1.com website…not that i would ever do that of course).
does anyone know of any other ways to do save flash or streaming content?
December 31st, 2008 at 23:27 #118 - me said:
whatever it is, don’t install real player. tis v.evil.
December 31st, 2008 at 23:34 #119 - Scott in Italy (just not now) said:
that’s what i thought, but it’s my folk’s computer here and it’s the first time (saving flash videos) i have found a use for it. why is it evil?
December 31st, 2008 at 23:35 #120 - me said:
riddled with spyware ads things. installs stuff you don’t want, don’t need. fat, slow and useless.
December 31st, 2008 at 23:48 #121 - Scott in Italy (just not now) said:
it saves flash videos. but i will not disagree with you on the rest of the things.
December 31st, 2008 at 23:54 #122 - Andy Taylor said:
I had something to do this… looking now. Is a Mac program though
December 31st, 2008 at 23:56 #123 - Andy Taylor said:
Snapz Pro – http://www.ambrosiasw.com/utilities/snapzprox/
January 1st, 2009 at 00:22 #124 - R.G (The evil one, think Bernie Ecclestone, but smaller) said:
Shhhh
January 1st, 2009 at 08:55 #125 - Jeremy said:
That’s the funniest thing I’ve read in ages!
I choose to flex my e-peen and say 2560 x 1600 (30 inches of ACD goodness!)
January 1st, 2009 at 09:18 #126 - Jeremy said:
Isn’t it funny how MSFT just don’t put enough effort into their products that run on Mac OS X. They are finally promising video and audio in MSN Messenger for Mac real soon now!
I do delight in telling everyone that Excel was made for Mac OS well before it was made for Windows. But then I am one of those smug Mac users!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Excel
January 1st, 2009 at 09:20 #127 - Jeremy said:
Quicklook?
Expose?
January 1st, 2009 at 14:23 #128 - Alianora La Canta said:
does anyone know of any other ways to do save flash or streaming content? {Scott In Italy – 11 comments ago}
The DownloadHelper plugin for Firefox 3 saves Flash videos, as well as certain other types of multimedia content.
I still have RealPlayer though, largely because some of the programs I have whinge if it isn’t there. I just don’t allow it Internet access without my express permission.