I was watching Twitter today and I saw a conversation between Cali Lewis and Dave Curlee taking place. Cali expressed frustration with the iPhones built-in Notes application and asked for other suggestions from her followers. Dave mentioned that Cali should use Evernote, a program that I have been using for years. It was my note-taking tool while I finished my colloege degree over the last few years, and it has been very useful for podcasting and recording shownotes.

I am personally a big fan of Evenote for a number of reasons. First, and this is not nuthin’, it’s free. The free account does a bandwidth limitation, but I have never run up against it. Not even close. For power-users, you can buy a subscription to get more bandwidth.

Second, everything is searchable, even your pictures. Take a picture of a sign or the front cover of a book, and after it is indexed on the system, you can search for the words in the photo. I don’t care who you are, that is just freakin’ cool.

And third, the entire thing is synced to the ‘net. So I can use the program on my desktop computer, then pull up all of my notes on my iPhone. And if I’m at a computer other than my own, I can log into the web interface and get access to all of my notes, edit the existing ones, and create new notes.

Oh, and did I mention this is all free? Yeah.

Here’s the problem: it doesn’t handle to-do lists well. I am currently trying to implement David Allen‘s (not me, this guy) “Getting Things Done” methodology in my daily life. It’s a bit if a learning curve. The big deal with the GTD system is that you should always know everything that you have to do. You should, and believe it or not, you can, know every open loop that you have to deal with in your life.

This is done through writing everything down in a trusted system that is outside of your mind, freeing your mind to do the task you have at hand while not worrying if you should be spending that time doing something else. It is possible to have so much going on in your life that you can’t wrap your brain around it, have none of it on your mind right now, still get things done, and be at peace with yourself.

GTD does not spend a lot of energy telling people what technology they should use, only the system. So I have been on the lookout for a good list manager. I do like Microsoft Outlook for it’s ability to handle contexts. However, since I have transitioned to a Mac, I find that iCal does not support contexts. I am using Awesome Note on my iPhone, but I’d really like something that would work cross-platform the way that Evernote does. Sure, Evernote does to-do lists, but it does not do them well.

So here’s my question: What do you use for a list manager? What do you like about it? What don’t you like about it or would change if you could?

Please leave me a comment. I would love to hear your feedback on this subject.

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This is the final part in a three-part series on the wonderful little event Aquatica hosted on June 24th in Orlando, Florida. In my first two posts, here and here, I talked about the general park experience and then got into the nitty gritty: rides! In this post, I’ll be discussing my impressions of the Splash-Up event itself.

I heard about the Splash-Up through SeaWorld’s Twitter account. Frankly, I think I got lucky. The event was open to the first 75 people to respond, and I was number three. I just happened to be watching Twitter at the right time to snag my spot. Each attendee was allowed to bring one guest.

Now I love water parks, and I was super excited to coming to this event. I was not sure what SeaWorld expected from the attendees, but being the social media fanatic I am, I came ready for anything. I had my laptop, my USB microphone, my digital audio recorder (and a microphone to go with it), and a digital camera. I was ready to capture all of the digital content I could so that I would be ready to give the park the new media coverage it deserved.

Turns out, they just wanted us to have fun and then talk about it later. Eh, whatever. I came with the intention of crushing it.

My first impressions when I showed up were all positive. Parking was a snap. I drove up to the gate, told the attendant I was participating in the Splash-Up, and they checked my name off the list. Perfect. I mean, they had a list. And it was at the gate. And it was complete enough to have my name on it. That’s bloody huge. Note to companies: first impressions are lasting impressions.

I parked my car and made my way to the front entrance to find this:

This kind of stuff is awesome. Little touches like this make guests feel welcome, like they were worth the time and energy to make them feel welcome. So far, I’m impressed.

The check-in process was simple and painless, and it was staffed by energetic people who seemed to be as happy to be there as we were. This was also where we got our press kits. It appears that more and more companies are finding value in the distribution of press kits on USB flash drives. Check this out:

This is brilliant! There is huge value to little things like this. Here I am at SeaWorld’s waterpark, and they are 1) treating us like media with an actual press kit, and 2) giving it to us on a themed USB flash drive! Think it made me feel special? You bet it did. Nice work, Aquatica!

As soon as I was checked in, I was greeted by the spoonbill, Papa.

I was told that Papa likes to check things out, and that my Scheyden Sonoma RG sunglasses would probably make for an interesting texture for him.

When a small number of us had gathered, one of the staff took us through our own private security line to check our bags and guide us to the Banana Beach Cookout. As I mentioned in part one of this series, the food was splendid. There were already a number of participants eating, and more were constantly showing up afterI arrived, giving me the impression that a lot of thought went into the organization of this event.

We were then joined by Rick Beddow, the Vice President of Aquatica. He thanked us all for coming out to the event and talked about some of the special offerings available at Aquatica. Are you understanding this? The Vice President of the park came out to talk to us! Mr. Beddow and his team recognize the true, tangible value of New and Social Media. Fantastic.

Next we were joined by some animals, an anteater and a kookaburra. One of Aquatica’s mantras is that guests get to play side-by-side with the sea. It is my understanding that visitors to Aquatica will get the chance to see and interact with the various animals throughout their visit.

The kookaburra was awesome, especially when he decided to talk. There is no talking over the call of a kookaburra. Try it, I dare ya.

The anteater was one of the Tamandua species, much smaller than the giant anteater.

After I met the animals, I had a chance to talk to some of the staff behind the event. I met with Nick Gollatscheck in Marketing and Melissa Albers, the Manager of Digital Media Marketing for all of SeaWorld.

During our chat, I was able to learn more about SeaWorld’s approach to social media. They, like NASA, learned that people are interested in the “ordinary” day-to-day operations, especially when they come to conservation and animal rescue. They have had lots of positive feedback on the SeaWorld Parks Blog. The blog and Twitter accounts have both had information about turtle releases and manatee rescues. There’s more to SeaWorld than just theme parks.

The bottom line to all of this is SeaWorld is serious about connecting with people, with individuals. They understand that people like you and I, just regular folks that care about what is happening, have a voice. They to listen to what we have to say, interact with us personally, acknowledge great content, and embrace the opinions of the people.

Simply, they care, and they are willing to connect with us.

If there was anything at which I had to nitpick regarding the Splash-Up, I can think of only two things. First, I wasn’t really sure what to bring. I think perhaps I was a little spoiled by the amazing communications that came out of NASA during days leading up to the epic Tweet-Up in November of 2009. NASA’s staff sent several emails to my inbox detailing everything we could expect, and what was expected of us in return. I really would like to have had more information about what Aquatica expected of me when I arrived. I mean, I brought my laptop in case I needed to record some content. As it turns out, it was overkill. All I really needed was digital camera and some swim trunks.

Second, we only had a few hours at the park. Since the event started in the afternoon, I did not have time to experience everything Aquatica has to offer. I would like to have been able to check out the wave pool, the private cabanas, and the two rivers.

Again, I am nitpicking, and the entire event that Aquatica and SeaWorld put on was truly fantastic. I applaud SeaWorld for engaging the online audience and for really trying to connect with people. I cannot wait to see what they do next. So far, they have done a really bang-up job. Great work SeaWorld!

This is part 2 of my blog series on the “Splash-Up” hosted by Aquatica, SeaWorld’s waterpark in Orlando, Florida last week. In my first post, I talked about some of the unique things Aquatica has to offer guests, and then began sharing my impressions of the rides. In this post, I will pick up where I left off with the rides.

After I finished being funneled through the flumes of the Omaka Rocka, I decided it was time to check out what I call the “family slides.” Most of the rides at Aquatica are for a single rider or a pair of riders. Walhalla Wave & HooRoo Run, however, can take up to four riders at a time!

The Walhalla Wave is a twisting and turning flume ride that is sure to have you squeeling and laughing all the way through. As you take each new turn, the large raft washes up the side of the flume, increasing the thrill with each new “cut”. Then the raft enters a dark, enclosed tube with more twists and turns until it finally washes you and your riding companions into the landing pool. Since the raft is round and has no “front”, you can ride this slide over and over and it will never be the same ride twice.

HooRoo Run, which shares a lauch platform and landing pool with Walhalla Wave,  is a straight flume with no turns. During the wicked-fast ride, three steep drops, each longer the the one before, accelerate you to a water-skimming landing in the pool six full stories below. Awesome. Hooroo, which means “goodbye” in New Zealand, is the perfect name for this slide. Sit down, hold on, and let the rest happen. Yeah baby!

The final ride of the day for me was the Taumata Racer. Taumata places eight riders side-by-side on mats. When the ride attendant give you the go-ahead, you line up at your slide and assume the start position. Then, when you are given the “go” command, you launch yourself into the tube along with your seven competitors in a race to the bottom. The slide starts out as a tube with a full 360-degree turn to either the left or the right. After the turn, all eight slides come back together, the tubes open up, and there is a mind-numbingly steep hill to the finish line! Each rider is timed, and the results of the race are shown for everyone to see. This ride is simply a hoot!

That wraps up my experience with the rides at Aquatica. Unfortunately, I didn’t have enough time during my short visit to try out Tassie’s Twisters, Roa’s Rapids, Loggerhead Lane, or the twin wave pools of Cutback Cove & Big Surf Shores. I will be sure to hit those attractions during my next visit to Aquatica.

Aquatica is a fantastic park with lots to do. There is something for everyone in the family, and many things for the entire family to do together. While I did not try them out myself, I am certain that my kids would simply love playing on the two areas designed just for the little ones in your family. I highly recommend this park, especially as part of a vacation that includes SeaWorld. SeaWorld Orlando is, by the way, our family’s favorite theme park.

In my final Splash-Up blog post, I will talk about the Splash-Up event itself. You all know my passion for new media, and SeaWorld’s digital media and customer relations staff is doing a fantastic job. Stay tuned.

Last week I learned about a Tweet-up at Orlando’s newest theme park, Aquatica By SeaWorld. Actually, since Aquatica is a water park, the organizers of the event called it a “Splash-Up”. Clever.

Now, my family has annual passes to SeaWorld Orlando and Busch Gardens in Tampa Bay, but we have never been to Aquatica. So I was really excited to get the chance to experience the park for the first time. In this first blog post, I will be talking about the park itself and the experience I had while I was their guest.

Aquatica has some some special offerings that are not available at any other theme park in Central Florida. They feature the Banana Beach Cookout, an all-you-care-to-eat dining experience. Simply pay once in the morning. Then you don’t have to think about meals for the remainder of your visit. They offer buffet-style dining with a summer bar-b-que flair. I thoroughly enjoyed the food, and I’m looking forward to feasting there again.

Also, Aquatica has private cabanas available for rent. While I did not get the opportunity on this visit to check them out, I simply love the idea and I can imagine it would be a splendid way to spend the day.

On to the rides. The first slide I decided to try was Dolphin Plunge, Aquatica’s trademark slide featuring a short “swim” with the dolphins as the tube passes underwater through their habitat. Aquatica’s most popular slide, it is proudly shown in all of the TV commercials. While it is a cool concept, the idea that you are swimming with dolphins is lost as soon as you vanish into the completely dark tube. I did my best to assume the correct riding position. This, of course, helped me to go even faster, kicking water into my face, and assuring I was totally blind while I “swam” through the clear portion of the slide … only to be promptly dumped into the landing pool. Fun thrill ride? Most certainly! Playful swim with the dolphins? No so much.

It should be noted that there are two viewing areas from which I was able to see the dolphins. That, actually, was very enjoyable. There are several beautiful black-and-white Commerson’s Dolphins. I’ve never seen animals like this before, and they seemed like they were having as much fun swimming as I did watching them.

The next ride, Whanau Way, was easily the ride that had me laughing more than any other. There are four different slides to choose from at the top of the tower, each unique. Time only allowed for me to ride one of them. After twisting and turning through the tube, the two final drops accelerated me into the landing pool with so much energy that I was skimming across the water. It was totally nuts! I only wish I’d had the time ride test fly the other three flumes on the ride.

After I was able to stop laughing, I decided it was time to check out Aquatica’s newest ride, the Omaka Rocka. This single-rider flume starts off like any other. However, after a few seconds of twists and turns, it dumps you into a funnel. You wash up one side of the funnel, then the other, and finally are carried away into more flume, then another funnel, and another. After the first funnel, I entered the tube going backwards. I figured the second funnel would turn me around again. And I was wrong. With Omaka Rocka’s twin slides and six funnels, you are sure to never get the same ride twice.

In my next post, I’ll share my experience with the Walhalla Wave & HooRoo Run slides, and the thrilling Taumata Racer!

For the last two days, I have been volunteering at Missionary Flights International, an “airline for missions” in Haiti, the Dominican Republic, and the Bahamas. This operation has been operating Douglas DC-3‘s for many years. As a result of the recent earthquakes in Haiti, things have really stepped up around their facility.

MFI is located on the field at St. Lucie County International Airport (KFPR) on Florida’s Treasure Coast. Since the disaster, donations have been pouring into the place. As I watch the goings-0n, I will see a pickup truck towing a trailer filled with boxes of donations show up. Then someone will arrive in a compact car with a small box of canned goods. Later a 52-foot semi tractor trailer will arrive and drop off 12 pallets of food and supplies. All of it is going to Haiti.

Before it leaves, it all has to be opened, sorted, repackaged, weighed, logged, palletized, and wrapped before it can be loaded onto a cargo plane destined for Haiti. All of it. It’s a lot of work, and it comes in spurts. We never know when the next load is going to arrive. But it will arrive. Well, at least for now.

See, this catastrophic event will remain in the main stream media just until something bigger comes along. Don’t get me wrong, I am not saying the mainstream media is at fault, but many of us – MOST of us – will forget about Haiti when the next big news story takes over all of the networks. And without the constant reminders, we will tell ourselves – or worse, simply forget – that life is back to normal for the people of Haiti.

First, that’s simply not true, and second, “normal” isn’t good enough. If it were, then Missionary Flights International would not be in existance in the first place. The need in Haiti just to recover from this event is going to take at least many months, and more likely, many years.

So what can you do?

First, lets define “you”: the person reading this, or hearing this, or seeing this, or having this read to them, that is YOU. And YOU can help. ‘Nuff said.

So now that we know who you is, what can you do to help?

You can give. You can either give things, money, or time.

If you give things, here’s what is needed: Food, medical supplies, water. There will eventually be a need for other things, like clothes, bedding, towels, and the like, but right now the Haitian people need to eat, drink, and be treated for injuries.

If you give money, do it carefully, but generously. By carefully I mean please be diligent about researching the organization to which you are giving money. It sickens me that there are the kind of people that would use this situation for personal gain, but it happens. And please give generously. A few days ago, MFI rented a Lockheed C-130 Hercules to fly something on the order of 50,000 pounds of food and supplies to Haiti. That little trip cost about $65,000 and was paid for with donated money. It’s obvious that we need more of the green stuff rolling in.

If you give your time, then volunteer here on U.S. soil. Yes, there is a need in Haiti for people, but please do not forget that without support here, then the response teams in Haiti will not have the tools, food, or supplies they need to do their jobs.

We also have a need for some more specific things. I am currently looking for 6 laptop computers loaded with Microsoft Office. The logistical needs to make sure all of this “stuff” gets to where it needs to go, and gets there safely, are great. So we need things like computers, phones, copiers, printers, fax machines, etcetera to support this massive mission. Oh, and I need a couple of printers.

Bottom line: I’m calling you out. Please help in any way you can. Donate food and supplies. Volunteer. Help with logistical needs. If you have something that can be used, please contact someone in your area, and if you can’t, contact me.

If you can read this blog post on a computer screen, then you are far richer than most of the people living in Haiti. Please consider giving something back.

Hear ye! Hear ye! Today marks the spectacular galactic launch of the internet’s newest crazy-awesome website, DaveFlys.com!

[trumpets blaring]

Wow, it’s hard to follow such a spectacular introduction. The simple truth of the matter is that this site is still under heavy construction. I still have a very long way to go, but things are beginning to come together nicely. I do welcome any input, no matter how trivial or obvious. I there may be something I’ve missed (like when I wrote “Here ye! Here ye!” on this particular post without catching it myself), so please do not feel like you pestering me if you spot something.

Simply drop me a line at dave@daveflys.com.

Clear skies!