EDITORIAL - NEWSFLASH UK ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ISSUE 9 ~~~~~~~ Hello and a cold welcome to Issue 9 of Newsflash, cold because of the lousy weather we've been having here in England, one moment its nice and warm and the next its freezing or hurricane conditions! What the hell is happening to this earth?? I wish someone would find out because something's not right somewhere... Anyway onto a lighter note, its nice to be working on yet another issue seemingly so soon after the last! Hopefully we can match the quantity and quality of Issue 8 which has been getting good reactions all over the place. On a personal note I've decided to conform to the rest of Europe's time, there's a big debate going on in the UK as whether the English should stop "British Summertime" (where we add an hour onto the time for half of the year), I couldn't give a monkeys so I've already stated - it has its pros and cons as I will now explain.. First of all and perhaps most important is that I get to sleep an hour longer - this is THE most important reason for me changing my system. I now eat around 1-1.30pm which has a curious side-effect in that I have started a disgusting habit.. watching Neighbours! Yes that addictive Australian rubbish has me boggled eyed whilst I eat my meal. The only reason I can think for watching it is that I would really like to explore Bronwyns anatomy a little more closely.. (grin). February was a little unlucky for myself providing one disaster after another, first there were my photos from my trip to Norway, only 3 had developed out of 72! Something tells me the strange noises my camera was making meant that all was not well.. ho hum.. Then there was the death of my hard drive containing lots of those files you always keep 'just in case', all my utilities and a massive collection of cli utils and bits.. I lost 80% of the contents (42meg HD) and the moral of the story is ALWAYS BACK YOUR HD UP WHEN YOU HAVE A CHANCE (I didn't) and furthermore if you have 3megs of ram and fancy using BAD (the disk optimizer) on your hard-drive then FORGET IT! If, like me you think all is well while the program is working - prepare for the ever worrying GURU that means its time to run around the room shouting things like "noooo nooooo it hasn't happened, it can't have, it couldn't have.. noooo help! ^&^% me it cannot have corrupted.. please!" then you spend 30 HOURS sifting through with disksalv in order to recover some precious files and utilities. After that was the master-stroke, setting fire to the kitchen which I still maintain was a complete freak accident, although I wasn't Mr popular in our house, the kitchen was just about gutted and 2 or 3 rooms need to be totally re-decorated. It just wasn't my month! Software houses are being very supportive nowadays and I'm starting to receive all sorts of press information and review copies which means we can keep everyone informed and up to date. In April there's a trade show which should mean I will get my hands on all the latest information and news for Newsflash 10, it will also be drinky time again and I only hope I don't get recognised after last years somewhat embarrassing show when I got a little drunk and showed a few people up but isn't that what shows are all about? Of course it is.. well I think so... I always seem to manage to do it... March the 8th apparently sees the release of "Player Manager" so forgive me if the answer-machine is on all the time or if there's not much material on written by me - I'm trying to get as much done as possible before it arrives... Hopefully a lot more people will know about the re-introduction of Newsflash in the UK this time around, its taken a while due to my departure at 17bit and adverts and things should have started to appear not to mention articles in magazines and suchlike. Reactions have certainly been good and we aim to continue providing a source of monthly entertainment for all Amiga owners. I must thank the number of 17bit (and now ex-17bit) members who have since contacted me to ask what the hell is/was going on and for all the good wishes, its nice to know you gave a damn,I did and that's why I left! Thanks to Steve Marshall for his kind words and his assembler work which should be included on this and future issues. For all those nutters who got in touch wanting more waffle and banter, you'll be pleased to know that as of each Newsflash from now on, the banter will be appearing in a small intro on the the support disk, or this disk if space is short. This time the music was supplied by my good mate Bjorn Lynne and is called MOVE. (Freak out to that one!) Thanks for all the feedback we received about Issue 8 it was nice to hear such positive things and hopefully we can continue to provide more of the same. Also let me apologise to Jan-Ivar Bruarøy about the cock up with the Intuitracker, I did write to you on the Crusaders BBS but it seems the message went when the Hard-Drive died (typical) anyway.. in Norwegian, "Vakke Mei!" hehe.. I'll also stuff in a nod and a wink as well as a cheeky grin for Maria who holds the most sensational parties in Wakefield, shall you say it or me luv? "Ya gorra have it orf, aint ya!" ;) Anyway I'm just about over my near death through alcohol poisoning - see banter later on,and I reccomend you don't try what I did - it'll end in tears as they say! Thats all for my bit, as usual there isn't that much about Amigas or even computers in my editorial but who gives a sod ? Tatty bye, tune in next month. Martyn 'Gobsmacked and panting', Newsflash UK.