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11 | § ¶Mt. Moriah (4049ft) - New Hampshire White Mountains
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We finally enjoyed a really good backpack this year on August 23th. We went to Mt. Moriah ( 4,049ft.) in New Hampshire, just a few miles from the border with Maine. On this backpack we saw great views of the Northern Presidentials (Madison, Adams, Washington). We also snacked on the trailside blueberries almost all the way :) The backpack covered diverse micro climates (from pond to sub-artic) over its 13 miles, allowed us to bag a NH 4k peak, and enjoy a portion of the famous Appalachian Trail. A couple of friends and their dog joined us on this trip - their first backpack. Apparently they are beginning to share the same passion for the outdoors we have. |
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9 3 | § ¶Technical Support and Supporting Information
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Have you called the Technical Support Center for any of your favorite technology vendors?
Ussually you open a ticket and someone follows up with you afterwards.
Thats when the headache begins.
I am a Sales Engineer for a software vendor. My customers tell me about the experiences they have with Technical Support Centers of my companny, and others. I think a simple change in the way Technical Support Personel e-mail (follow up) on their customer's issues may go a long way on improving their satisfaction.
Read More 3 7 | § ¶Mt. Tammany - Delaware Water Gap
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Since we are talking about hiking trips, I also wanted to log the trip we did with some non-hiking friends to Mt. Tammany in the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area on the weekend of the 4th of July (July 6th, 2003). Mt. Tammany (1550ft) is a great place to admire the Delaware Water gap from high ground, and is very close to the I80 that goes right across the gap. Perfect if you are in the area doing other activities (like canoeing/kayaking, fishing, swiming) and want to do a quick and easy/moderate hike. That is what our friends had asked for. |
5 5 | § ¶MidState Trail - Douglas State Forest
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Yesterday (Sept 21, 2003) we enjoyed a long day of hiking (about 15mi) on the Douglas State Forest. It is a nice wooded area, with plenty of trails to walk and the best part: less than an hour from our home. It is located very close to the tri-state junction between Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and Conneticut. The woods are young, there are at least two lakes you can enjoy at the start and end of the trail, and a few odd items (like the uncovered well on the picture). We didn't found the crowds of people you may see on other parks, and the bugs at this time of the year wheren't as voraceous as I can imagine they will be in spring. |
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4 6 | § ¶The Interview Game
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Web Bloggers have been playing the Interview Game for quite some time now.
Eventually
I agreed to playing it. Initially it sounds like a
silly game... but it helps you reflect about topics you may not have
thought if it wasn't because a stranger asked. Plus... it helps
create some sense of unity among web bloggers.
The rules of the game go like this:
- Leave a comment saying you want to be interviewed.
- I'll reply and give you five questions to answer.
- You'll update your web-log with the five questions answered.
- You'll include this explanation in your log.
- When someone asks you to be interviewed, you ask them five questions.
- And it just keeps going, and going, and going.
Now the interview questions:
Read More 2 6 | § ¶Recycling Programs (Curbside) - Why they Fail
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Everyone likes the idea of recycling - it is good for the environment.
But unless it is easy, most people will not do it.
I do participate on the curbside recycling program my city offers. However, it has its flaws:
It costs more money to the city to run it, than to throw the trash away.
Why? Because they need more recyclables volume to be able to pay for the recyclables collection.
Why don't they get more recyclables?
I think it is because they
don't make it easy for people to recycle. Getting approved
recycling bins (containers) is a real hassle!
I wrote to my city
council. Your city may be suffering about the same issue.
You may want to write them and suggest ways they can use to make it
easy for you to participate on recycling programs.
Go on.. read the letter and tell me what do you think:
Read More 8 3 | § ¶Wines from Tapas Gathering
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One of the nice things about inviting people over to your house for a gathering is that they bring wine. You can taste many different wines you wouldn't normally buy, all on the same evening.
Yesterday we had a Tapas gathering. As I was cleaning my house this morning, I collected the bottles and made some notes the wines we tried yesterday.
Read More 4 5 | § ¶September 11, 2001
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I feel terrible every time I think about the events that occured on September 11, 2001.
I feel even worse when I think about what has happened after September 11, 2001.
"They that can give up liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." -Benjamin Franklin
Oppose meassures that attempt against our liberties - write to your congressmen.
I did. You can use the text on this log as a template.
Addresses: http://www.house.gov/writerep/ http://www.senate.gov/
6 2 | § ¶RIAA
-- Just boycott them!
Q. Should the RIAA prosecute 12 year old kids for downloading music?
A.
It is cruel, shameless, and an exageratted meassure, but they can, and
they should be allowed to do it. Illegaly sharing music hurts
people: Sony and Universal stockholders. Music
industry executives need to try every possible mean they have
against piracy, otherwise they will not be providing the value their
shareholders expect. It is kind of a natural reaction.
Snakes bite when they feel threatened.
Q. Does music piracy also hurts musicians and artists?
A.
Not that much. Royalties offered to artists are just a very small
portion of the cost of a music CD. The rest goes into marketting,
publishing, distributing, and... proffits. Artists and musicians
are just another instrument in this business. Artists make most
of their money on concerts, product sponsoring, and other "gigs".
Mainstream music CDs just provides them with marketting, and a
dream all of them have.
Q. So what should we do?
A. Be legal! Do as the RIAA wants. Don't download RIAA member's music.
There are plenty of artists and music bands out there who produce quality music. Some of them can be even better than the music you find on the shelves at your favorite music store. Most are just waiting to be found and heard - and if they are lucky, to be contracted to present on a local "gig". The majority of them offer free music (mp3) for you to enjoy. Others sell their professionally recorded songs for a small fraction of what a music CD store charges for mainstream CDs.
Do yourself a favor: Allow yourself to discover the music you really like. Free yourself from Sony and Universal: they are not the ones who should decide the music you want to listen to. Download music from independent artists (both, the free music, and the one you can purchase for a fair price). You will be avoiding legal prosecution from the RIAA, and at the same time, you will be helping new and talented artists achieve their dreams.
Mp3.com is a starting point, but you should not stop there: try google, musib blogs/weblogs, recomendations from friends, etc.
5 4 | § ¶Japan Trip
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We are back from our Japan Trip. In a week and a half we visited Tokyo, Miyajima, Hiroshima, Kyoto, Nara, Osaka, Kamakura, Hakone, and Nikko.
If you want, take a look at the photos: https://anes.homelinux.com/photoAlbum/200309-Japan/
We enjoyed it to its fullest. Was an unforgettable experience. If I find some time, I will tell about it with full details. But for now, I provide a few hightlights about our trip. (English and Spanish versions of the article provided)
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