Archive by Author
Community Radio – A Social Experiment
May 7th, 2012 by Henry, under Uncategorized. No Comments
When you put together the components of volunteerism, locality and public relations you get an surprising pudding: a local community radio!
Initiated in the mid 1990s, Heart FM community radio station still rolls on today in the middle of Tassie.
The programming schedule of “easy listening” runs vintage pop hits of the 1980s with syndicated newscast, local weather and some talk back shows.
One unique show is Mouldy Oldies by presenter Les McSweeney. Les has an extensive collection of 78 rpm vinyls dating back to the 1930s. it is quite a discovery to hear those voices from beyond the grave together with Les introductions.
The radio license limits drastically the geographical reach of the broadcast yet a poll reveals some 2500 faithful listeners tune-in to the station. The local population is mostly a farming community in this northern central area of Tasmania. They indeed like to sing along those old hits while riding their tractor all day across the farmland.
Fusion is a Christian organisation operating from the outpost of Poatina as a rehabilitation centre for people fleeing addictions and abuse. The radio broadcast originally located there has now a studio in local Longford – the nearest township, to muster local community involvement.
Sponsors are in scarce supply and are much needed to bring in the cashflow of a volunteer organisation.
Open air broadcast is a means to reach out and face up to the listeners. Events include the local hardware store official opening (a station sponsor) and celebrations such as Australia Day or the local agricultural show. These are run along the principle of open crowd festivals innovated by Fusion International. The concept is to organise games and activities to get a local community to interact with each other. Suddenly people get to meet their neighbours after living in the area for some time but lacking the opportunity to participate into anything together.
It looks like in our advanced 21st century world we have to be taught again how to interact with each other and be conscious that not everybody is a religious fanatic or a child molester.
The Tasmanian Midlands Community Radio mandate fits nicely with the Fusion agenda of social work. In fact some Poatina residents serve as volunteers at the radio station and run their own late night show – Captain Midnight.
More recently Heart FM indulged in an internet presence to offer Fusion supporters a taste of the programming by allowing the download of specific podcasts.
Caribbean Excursions: Basics Of Popular Caribbean Itineraries
May 7th, 2012 by Henry, under Best Caribbean Cruise. No Comments
Different people have different ideas on what the true holiday is for them, but a cruise – or two – a year is something that is definitely worth planning and budgeting for. Never been on a cruise? No problem. Just take some time to research and you will find the best deal on Caribbean excursions for you and / or your family.
Caribbean cruises are most commonly opted for by the first-time cruisers. The reason is obvious: Caribbean is one of top ten travel destinations in the world because of its palm beaches and turquoise sea, some of the calmest waters in the world – and they suit every budget.
When choosing a cruise, the first thing to consider is the itinerary. The most common Caribbean excursions itineraries are: Eastern, Western or Southern. Northern Caribbean cruises also exist, but with less interest.
Eastern Caribbean excursions
They mostly last for 7 days with Florida as the embarkation point. The islands are relatively close together, so there’s a lot of port activities, ideal route if shopping is one of your favorite things to do. Many islands are beautiful, they are mostly small and on almost all of them there are beautiful beaches and different natural attractions. The usual islands / ports of call: Nassau (Bahamas), St. Thomas, St. John, Puerto Rico, St. Maarten, Grand Turk, Turks and Caicos
Western Caribbean excursions
Ships for this route embark from Florida, New Orleans or Texas. The seas in the Western Caribbean are usually smoother and the ports of call are pretty diverse – since they are sometimes in the mainland and sometimes at larger islands – so it’s a great experience for first time cruisers. Most ports of call are further apart, so you can count on more sea days, and less days in ports or on the beaches. There’s a good chance that you’ll visit some Mayan ruins in Mexico, or hike the rain forests. The usual islands / ports of call: Cozumel, Costa Maya (Mexico), Grand Cayman, Key West (Florida), the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Belize or Costa Rica.
Southern Caribbean excursions
Ships for this route usually embark from San Juan (Puerto Rico), sometimes from Florida, and they are usually longer than traditional 7 days – most often, these cruises last for 9-11 days. Similar to the Eastern route, the islands are many and close together, so there’s a lot of ports. Since they offer more biodiversity and have less cruise traffic, they are ideal for snorkeling and diving. Some of the most beautiful island here are known as “ABC” islands – Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao, and at least one of them is usually included in the cruise route. Generally, this route offer more limited date and ship selection, and prices are usually higher than with an eastern or western route. The usual islands / ports of call: Aruba, Bonaire, Barbados, Curacao, Grenada, St. Lucia.
All this been said, just one more note for the first-timers: Caribbean excursions are really an exceptional experience, and you can’t go wrong with any choice you make.