13 Ekim 2012 Cumartesi
Video: A Super-Pod Of Dolphins Off South Africa
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I've said it before, and I'll know doubt say it again. Our world is a pretty amazing place. The most recent example that I've seen of that is the video below which was shot off South Africa by explorer Mike Horn and photographer Chase Jarvis. While sailing there they came across a "super-pod" of dolphins that swarmed around their ship. There are literally dozens of them and it is quite a beautiful site.
Himalaya Fall 2012 Update: More From Everest And Lhotse
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As the weekend draws near, more information is creeping out about the teams that remain on Everest and Lhotse who are hoping to make summit pushes sometimes in the next few days. We've known for awhile now that there is a Japanese climber (identified as Nobukazu Kuriki) and a Korean team on Everest and a Polish squad hoping to summit Lhotse, but beyond that details have been scare. Thanks to Explorers Web, we now have a clearer picture of these teams and their ultimate goals.
According to an update from ExWeb, the Korean team is the 2012 Everest Peace Expedition from the Gang-Won University Alpine Club. The group is led by Himalayan vet Sung-Wook Hong, and includes the following members: Bong-Ha Park, Young-Hoon Oh, Jin-Seok Kim, Joo-Hwan Ahn, Seok-Joo Woo Young-Rae Kim, Jin-Young Jeong, Keun-Young Choi, and Il-Jin Im. Updates from the team have been a bit sporadic, but a few days back they indicated that they were in Base Camp on the South Side of the mountain, waiting out the weather. Their forecasts indicate that a shift could come in the next four days, and they are preparing to make a summit bid when that happens.
The Polish Lhotse team is essentially in the same boat. It is a young squad led by Artur Hajzer who have also been hoping to wait out the weather. ExWeb quotes Hajzer as saying that his considerable experience in the Himalaya tells him the weather won't make a permanent change until late October or into November, and if they stay patient they'll get their opportunity. They're planning on starting for the summit of Lhotse this weekend with an eye on topping out in the Sunday or Monday timeframe. Since Everest and Lhotse share the same route up to Camp 4, they'll likely be climbing in tandem with the Korean team over the next few days.
As for Kuriki, he's making a solo, but supported, climb along the very dangerous and isolated West Ridge. As if that route wasn't challenging enough, he's also going up without oxygen. The latest news from his Facebook page indicates that he is still in Camp 2 today waiting for the weather window to open. He believes that will happen in the next day or two as well. His forecasts indicate the winds will drop on October 15 or 16, providing access to the summit for a short time. If thats true, he'll start to move up tomorrow and Sunday so that he'll be ready to take advantage of the calm (relatively speaking!) conditions.
Seems like it should be an exciting weekend on Everest and Lhotse. Wish these teams luck and lets hope the weather cooperates. In the meantime, check out the latest YouTube video from Kuriki which he posted this morning. It is some beautiful images from the Himalaya that are sure to inspire.
As the weekend draws near, more information is creeping out about the teams that remain on Everest and Lhotse who are hoping to make summit pushes sometimes in the next few days. We've known for awhile now that there is a Japanese climber (identified as Nobukazu Kuriki) and a Korean team on Everest and a Polish squad hoping to summit Lhotse, but beyond that details have been scare. Thanks to Explorers Web, we now have a clearer picture of these teams and their ultimate goals.According to an update from ExWeb, the Korean team is the 2012 Everest Peace Expedition from the Gang-Won University Alpine Club. The group is led by Himalayan vet Sung-Wook Hong, and includes the following members: Bong-Ha Park, Young-Hoon Oh, Jin-Seok Kim, Joo-Hwan Ahn, Seok-Joo Woo Young-Rae Kim, Jin-Young Jeong, Keun-Young Choi, and Il-Jin Im. Updates from the team have been a bit sporadic, but a few days back they indicated that they were in Base Camp on the South Side of the mountain, waiting out the weather. Their forecasts indicate that a shift could come in the next four days, and they are preparing to make a summit bid when that happens.
The Polish Lhotse team is essentially in the same boat. It is a young squad led by Artur Hajzer who have also been hoping to wait out the weather. ExWeb quotes Hajzer as saying that his considerable experience in the Himalaya tells him the weather won't make a permanent change until late October or into November, and if they stay patient they'll get their opportunity. They're planning on starting for the summit of Lhotse this weekend with an eye on topping out in the Sunday or Monday timeframe. Since Everest and Lhotse share the same route up to Camp 4, they'll likely be climbing in tandem with the Korean team over the next few days.
As for Kuriki, he's making a solo, but supported, climb along the very dangerous and isolated West Ridge. As if that route wasn't challenging enough, he's also going up without oxygen. The latest news from his Facebook page indicates that he is still in Camp 2 today waiting for the weather window to open. He believes that will happen in the next day or two as well. His forecasts indicate the winds will drop on October 15 or 16, providing access to the summit for a short time. If thats true, he'll start to move up tomorrow and Sunday so that he'll be ready to take advantage of the calm (relatively speaking!) conditions.
Seems like it should be an exciting weekend on Everest and Lhotse. Wish these teams luck and lets hope the weather cooperates. In the meantime, check out the latest YouTube video from Kuriki which he posted this morning. It is some beautiful images from the Himalaya that are sure to inspire.
REI Helps Us Survive The Zombie Apocalypse!
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I'm not a big fan of infographics. Sure, they're colorful and interesting, but sometimes they over simplify things and on top of that they run down the entire length of the blog page, making things look a bit awkward for readers. But this infographic was too much fun to pass up, especially since The Walking Dead returns this weekend.
REI has posted 13 Essential Tools for Surviving a Zombie Outbreak, with some tips on all the right gear, which they're happy to sell you, to have with you when the apocalypse begins. The infographic tells you how to neutralize a zombie using a cast-iron skillet, how to use a mirror to signal for rescue and much, much more. I've snipped the graphic down a bit to fit on this page, but click here to see it in all of its full-size glory.
Fun stuff for a Friday!
REI has posted 13 Essential Tools for Surviving a Zombie Outbreak, with some tips on all the right gear, which they're happy to sell you, to have with you when the apocalypse begins. The infographic tells you how to neutralize a zombie using a cast-iron skillet, how to use a mirror to signal for rescue and much, much more. I've snipped the graphic down a bit to fit on this page, but click here to see it in all of its full-size glory.
Fun stuff for a Friday!
i2P Gears Up For Expedition Africa
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Our friends over at impossible2Possible are getting ready to launch their next big youth ambassador adventure. The organization, which is dedicated to educating and inspiring students in classrooms across the globe through the use of adventure, routinely sends young people on an adventure of their own to spotlight a particular cause. This time that cause is raising awareness about the importance of fresh water in developing parts of the world and they'll spread the word on that topic by running across the Kalahari Desert in Botswana.
Dubbed Expedition Africa 2012, the journey is scheduled to get underway on October 29 and run through November 12. It will feature eight youth ambassadors between the ages of 17-21, who will be running through some of the more remote and beautiful areas in Botswana. While they are there, they'll be using satellite communication systems to reach out to classrooms to help educate them about the country and the importance of water there. Botswana is a landlocked country that is mostly covered by desert, although it is home to the Okavango Delta, one of the largest inland deltas in the world. That body of water creates an oasis that provides life to a dizzying array of animals, such as elephants, lions and hippos, that call the region home.
The official Expedition Africa 2012 website should be launching soon, providing more information about the adventure, the young people who will be taking part and the educational goals they hope to accomplish. As with all of the i2P projects, I'm sure this will be an amazing experience for all involved and quite interesting for those of us who follow along at home.
On a personal note, Botswana is on a short list of destinations for my next adventure as well, so I'll be following along with even more interest.
Our friends over at impossible2Possible are getting ready to launch their next big youth ambassador adventure. The organization, which is dedicated to educating and inspiring students in classrooms across the globe through the use of adventure, routinely sends young people on an adventure of their own to spotlight a particular cause. This time that cause is raising awareness about the importance of fresh water in developing parts of the world and they'll spread the word on that topic by running across the Kalahari Desert in Botswana.Dubbed Expedition Africa 2012, the journey is scheduled to get underway on October 29 and run through November 12. It will feature eight youth ambassadors between the ages of 17-21, who will be running through some of the more remote and beautiful areas in Botswana. While they are there, they'll be using satellite communication systems to reach out to classrooms to help educate them about the country and the importance of water there. Botswana is a landlocked country that is mostly covered by desert, although it is home to the Okavango Delta, one of the largest inland deltas in the world. That body of water creates an oasis that provides life to a dizzying array of animals, such as elephants, lions and hippos, that call the region home.
The official Expedition Africa 2012 website should be launching soon, providing more information about the adventure, the young people who will be taking part and the educational goals they hope to accomplish. As with all of the i2P projects, I'm sure this will be an amazing experience for all involved and quite interesting for those of us who follow along at home.
On a personal note, Botswana is on a short list of destinations for my next adventure as well, so I'll be following along with even more interest.
Video: Grand Canyon In Timelapse
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When you think of locations that would make for a great timelapse videos, the Grand Canyon would seem to be right at the top of the list. This video more than confirms that as it simply captures one of the most stunning landscapes on the planet in the best way possible. The video was made over seven weeks in April, May and June, when more than 80,000 photos were take throughout the Grand Canyon region. The filmmakers even managed to capture the solar eclipse that took place back in May and it all makes for a grand 5+ minute experience.
Grand Canyon : Blink of Time from GOTM Films on Vimeo.
12 Ekim 2012 Cuma
Don't Forget the Yardage Chart
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The yardage chart is one of the handiest things to have for a round. Yardage charts are those hole-by-hole sketches of golf courses, which include details of the relative hole yardages at various points on the hole. They can highlight yardages from various points off the green, not merely the tee to green yardage of the hole that's noted on the main scorecard anyway.
A lot of course scorecards include small course yardage charts on the back of them. Note that you can note down additional yardage points onto them with a ruler and calculator if they lack details. Multiply the yardage total by percentages, and then note their relative yardage position on the hole yardage chart. For example, the half yardage of the hole would be 0.5 x total yardage.
However, some golf clubs may also have larger, more detailed, mini-booklets which provide details for the hole yardages, and will also highlight the relative positions of the bunkers, ponds etc more closely. If so, add the mini-booklet to your bag. They can provide much more detail than what might be included on the back of a scorecard.
Either way, you should have some sort of yardage chart for the round. Especially if you are unfamiliar with the course and its layout.
A lot of course scorecards include small course yardage charts on the back of them. Note that you can note down additional yardage points onto them with a ruler and calculator if they lack details. Multiply the yardage total by percentages, and then note their relative yardage position on the hole yardage chart. For example, the half yardage of the hole would be 0.5 x total yardage.
However, some golf clubs may also have larger, more detailed, mini-booklets which provide details for the hole yardages, and will also highlight the relative positions of the bunkers, ponds etc more closely. If so, add the mini-booklet to your bag. They can provide much more detail than what might be included on the back of a scorecard.
Either way, you should have some sort of yardage chart for the round. Especially if you are unfamiliar with the course and its layout.
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| A more detailed hole yardage chart which highlights a variety of yardages. |
Red, White and Yellow Stakes
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If you've played a few courses, you'll probably have noticed a few multi-colored stakes on some of their holes. These are usually wooden stakes, usually located around lakes, near to fences or other parts of a hole some way to the left or the right of the fairway. This is what the stakes are highlighting.
Red Stakes
The red stakes will be located alongside lateral water, such as a meandering stream which may be running along the side of a hole. If your ball lands in one of these, then you've probably lost it if its full of water. If its dried out during the summer months, then you may still be able to find your ball play out. However, if not then you'll have to drop you ball within a couple of club lengths behind one of the red stakes nearest to the point where you ball fell in the water.
White Stakes
White stakes are something else, and highlight those points of a golf course which are out-of-bounds. If you find that your ball has landed beyond a series of white stakes, possibly 25 yards apart, then it's gone out of bounds. In which case you'll have to pick your ball up, if you can find it, and go back to the approximate spot where you made the previous out-of-bound shot to drop ball. As a tip, you might want to leave a tee-marker at the original spot before searching for the ball if it may have gone out-of-bounds. Add an extra number to your scorecard and proceed.
Yellow Stakes
Thirdly there are also yellow stakes which will most likely be located around golf course lakes, or smaller ponds. There pretty similar to the red stakes, except that the lake or pond is not lateral. As such, if your ball lands in the water here you'll just have to drop the ball a little behind one of the yellow stakes closest to where you ball landed in the water. And of course, add a penalty stroke as well.
So, when on the course you should drop replacement balls close to these stakes if your ball goes in the water. Drop the balls a little behind them, no nearer to the hole where the ball originally landed. Or alternatively, return to the point where you made the original shot if the ball is out-of-bounds.
Red Stakes
The red stakes will be located alongside lateral water, such as a meandering stream which may be running along the side of a hole. If your ball lands in one of these, then you've probably lost it if its full of water. If its dried out during the summer months, then you may still be able to find your ball play out. However, if not then you'll have to drop you ball within a couple of club lengths behind one of the red stakes nearest to the point where you ball fell in the water.
White Stakes
White stakes are something else, and highlight those points of a golf course which are out-of-bounds. If you find that your ball has landed beyond a series of white stakes, possibly 25 yards apart, then it's gone out of bounds. In which case you'll have to pick your ball up, if you can find it, and go back to the approximate spot where you made the previous out-of-bound shot to drop ball. As a tip, you might want to leave a tee-marker at the original spot before searching for the ball if it may have gone out-of-bounds. Add an extra number to your scorecard and proceed.
Yellow Stakes
Thirdly there are also yellow stakes which will most likely be located around golf course lakes, or smaller ponds. There pretty similar to the red stakes, except that the lake or pond is not lateral. As such, if your ball lands in the water here you'll just have to drop the ball a little behind one of the yellow stakes closest to where you ball landed in the water. And of course, add a penalty stroke as well.
So, when on the course you should drop replacement balls close to these stakes if your ball goes in the water. Drop the balls a little behind them, no nearer to the hole where the ball originally landed. Or alternatively, return to the point where you made the original shot if the ball is out-of-bounds.
Great Public Golf Courses
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You have to be a member to play at a private golf course. Such golf courses can have membership fees running into thousands of dollars, so for the casual golfer are not the best option. However, public golf courses do not require club membership to play on them, although they will likely still include membership packages. So, here are a few recommended public golf courses.
Pebble Beach Links
Pebble Beach Links is regarded as one of the best golf courses, and has hosted a number of top golf tournaments such as the US Open on five occasions. The best bit is that as a golf resort course it is open to the public, although admittedly has a high green fee approaching $300 dollars a round. Still, it is a great golf course that plays alongside the Pacific Ocean. Including some fantastic holes and setting, it can make for a great golfing vacation.
BethPage Statepark Black Course
Also featuring high on Golf Digest's top public golf courses is that of BethPage Black. This golf course played host to the 2009 US Open, and so is undoubtedly a tricky golf course. Although perhaps not ideal for beginner golfers, BethPage Black golf course is much more affordable than the likes of Pebble Beach with green fees ranging from $60 - $120.
The Ocean Course
The Ocean Course is the jewel in the crown of the Kiawah Island Golf resort. It is similar to Pebble Beach, in respect of its coastal setting, but is alongside the Atlantic shoreline. The course includes some great views of the Atlantic shoreline, although prevailing Atlantic winds can always impact a round at the Ocean Course. Notable golf tournaments such as the 1991 Ryder Cup have also been staged at the Ocean Course, as well as the World Cup of Golf.
Old Course at St Andrews
The Old Course of St Andrews is a great links course with a fine history. It is also a public venue for public golf, and so is recommended. The home of golf has played host to a number of UK Open tournaments, and has some great holes such as the road hole which is a long par 4, and the 11th par 3 hole. While the course is closed on Sundays, you can play it most other days providing there is no championships being played on it.
Kape Kidnappers
Kape Kidnapper's golf course in New Zealand is a golfing marvel. This golf course is a sea-side golf course, set alongside Hawke's Bay. Surrounding the golf course are 600ft cliffs that plunge into the sea, with some cliff-side greens for good measure. Course designer Tom Doak has said of Kape Kidnappers:
“Our goal in designing golf courses is to create interesting holes you wouldn't find anywhere else. That wasn't hard to do at Cape Kidnappers, because the site is not like anywhere else in golf.”
So overall, Kape Kidnappers is a spectacular public golf course and resort. The golf course has been ranked as one of the world's top golf courses by publications such as Golf Magazine. Admittedly, green fees are almost as steep as the cliffs at Kape Kidnappers, but it is a recommended public golf course.
So, these are five recommended public golf courses. The golf courses of Pebble Beach Links, Kape Kidnappers, St Andrews Old Course, BethPage Black, and the Ocean Course of Kiawah Island are all excellent public golf courses and resorts that have variable green fees.
Pebble Beach Links
Pebble Beach Links is regarded as one of the best golf courses, and has hosted a number of top golf tournaments such as the US Open on five occasions. The best bit is that as a golf resort course it is open to the public, although admittedly has a high green fee approaching $300 dollars a round. Still, it is a great golf course that plays alongside the Pacific Ocean. Including some fantastic holes and setting, it can make for a great golfing vacation.
BethPage Statepark Black Course
Also featuring high on Golf Digest's top public golf courses is that of BethPage Black. This golf course played host to the 2009 US Open, and so is undoubtedly a tricky golf course. Although perhaps not ideal for beginner golfers, BethPage Black golf course is much more affordable than the likes of Pebble Beach with green fees ranging from $60 - $120.
The Ocean Course
The Ocean Course is the jewel in the crown of the Kiawah Island Golf resort. It is similar to Pebble Beach, in respect of its coastal setting, but is alongside the Atlantic shoreline. The course includes some great views of the Atlantic shoreline, although prevailing Atlantic winds can always impact a round at the Ocean Course. Notable golf tournaments such as the 1991 Ryder Cup have also been staged at the Ocean Course, as well as the World Cup of Golf.
Old Course at St Andrews
The Old Course of St Andrews is a great links course with a fine history. It is also a public venue for public golf, and so is recommended. The home of golf has played host to a number of UK Open tournaments, and has some great holes such as the road hole which is a long par 4, and the 11th par 3 hole. While the course is closed on Sundays, you can play it most other days providing there is no championships being played on it.
Kape Kidnappers
Kape Kidnapper's golf course in New Zealand is a golfing marvel. This golf course is a sea-side golf course, set alongside Hawke's Bay. Surrounding the golf course are 600ft cliffs that plunge into the sea, with some cliff-side greens for good measure. Course designer Tom Doak has said of Kape Kidnappers:
“Our goal in designing golf courses is to create interesting holes you wouldn't find anywhere else. That wasn't hard to do at Cape Kidnappers, because the site is not like anywhere else in golf.”
So overall, Kape Kidnappers is a spectacular public golf course and resort. The golf course has been ranked as one of the world's top golf courses by publications such as Golf Magazine. Admittedly, green fees are almost as steep as the cliffs at Kape Kidnappers, but it is a recommended public golf course.
So, these are five recommended public golf courses. The golf courses of Pebble Beach Links, Kape Kidnappers, St Andrews Old Course, BethPage Black, and the Ocean Course of Kiawah Island are all excellent public golf courses and resorts that have variable green fees.
Needs Based Selling - Reading Your Customer's Mind
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... there is no subsitute for paying attention.
- Diane Sawyer
Trip
WALKING into the local grocery store the first week in January, I nearly tripped over a pallet of Slim Fast. I smiled at this excellent piece of "prophetic marketing" - knowing what the customer wants before she wants it.
The owner of this store knows that with each New Year nearly every American resolves to lose weight. The diet related products are in place on New Year's Eve. And he follows this marketing strategy all year long. In February, ice chests will line the high traffic areas within their stores. Outdoor accessories are on display weeks before spring arrives. School supplies are on the shelves by the end of June. This business owner anticipates each season months before its arrival.
How can you adapt prophetic marketing to your business? What seasons do your customers follow? Are they sports oriented? Do they own a boat? Do they follow the hunting seasons? Answering questions about your customers' seasonal inclinations will offer clues that enable you to anticipate their personal needs.
Another way to anticipate your customer's needs is to be sure you have everything required to use your product. For example, my wife went into a store to buy a mailbox. She picked out one made out of wood. An alert salesman pointed out that she would need to weatherproof the mailbox. He then proceeded to take her to each location for the other products she needed - sealant, sandpaper, brush, paint thinner.
Identifying what your customer wants before she wants it can place you in an invincible position. Any business can furnish customers what they want when they want it, but to give a customer what they want and how they want it before they actually want it, is Customer Service that knows no equal.
TURNAROUND TIP: This level of Customer Service is all about strategy. Below are three more ways you can learn to "read your customer's mind."
1.Help customers to identify their needs. Some people don't plan for their needs until they become urgent. Convince them of the value of pre-planning. Understand in detail your customer's business to see where your product fits in.
2.Make it a group effort. Get together with your colleagues and share information about customers and their product or service requirements. Cooperation is the key to making your business successful. Discuss ideas on problem prevention. Share current resources of information about each cust-omer.
3.Explore all of the capabilities of your products in relation to each customer. You may find that your service or product can help customers in ways they hadn't imagined. Be sure your clients fully understand all of the uses for your product or service.
By using these strategies, you will gain loyal customers, increased sales and less stress from unforeseen problems.
Needs Based Selling - Reading Your Customer's Mind
ike Dandridge md@theperformancepro.com Mike is the founder of High Voltage Performance, a consulting firm that specializes in designing customer experiences for the industrial marketplace. He is a keynote speaker and a seminar leader with 25 years experience in electrical wholesale distribution. Dandridge is author of, The One Year Business Turnaround, a book based on his years in wholesale, containing a year’s worth of ideas for improving your customer service. You may reach Mike at 254-624-6299. Visit his Website at http://www.highvoltageperformance.com. Subscribe to his blog at http://www.businessturnaround.blogs.com.
A Character Analysis of Hawthorne's Young Goodman Brown
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What created Goodman Brown? A man so tormented by what even he considered to be a dream that it changed his life in a profound negative way forever. Goodman Brown was man plagued by his own conscious; he was someone who believed himself to have committed grave sin by meeting with the devil and participating in a witches meeting in his dreams. This spoke of an era where people were overcome with religious guilt and superstition. As a result of Brown's dream he suspected everyone in the town of being cohorts with the devil, in addition his superstition and questioning of his own self overcame his ability to trust or believe in anyone else. He died a bitter, unhappy, miserable man.
In order to fully understand the character of Young Goodman Brown we must first understand the era he comes from. Although Hawthorne does not state directly whether or not the plot of this story takes place in Salem in the seventeenth century, his references to other characters clearly imply it does. His references to Martha Carrier, Martha Cory, and Sarah Cloyse, all women hanged as witches in 1692; as well as his reference to King William who ruled England from 1650-1702 tell of this horrid time where people killed, tortured, burned, executed and suspected that everyone from their sister to there neighbor might be in contact with the devil. As a result of this environment of suspicion and paranoia Goodman might have felt as though his dream was in reality a lack of faith on his part. He may have felt so guilty for experiencing this dream that he thought he, as well as the people in his life were guilty of coercing with the devil.
Journey
Goodman Brown might have been Hawthorne's expression of his own struggles with his faith in humanity and himself. Hawthorne was a guilt ridden person and I believe that he had many instances when his faith was tested. Brown is Hawthorne to a lesser extent. Goodman Brown starts out as a good, happy, decent man; he seems very content. All of this changes when he decides against the advice of his wife faith (the symbolism is obvious here) that he should go out on a journey into the woods to meet with the devil. I believe path in the woods to be his continued decent into metaphorical as well as literal darkness. As he continues down the woods he reaches the pinnacle of his journey when he comes upon the witches meeting. Once Brown reaches this point he loses his faith despite his last ditch effort to save his wife. He never knows if he was able to save her. This doubt is what destroyed him.
Brown's motivation for meeting with the devil is never made absolutely clear and can only be speculated by the devil's references to others that have come into his fold. He speaks of the King, Goodman's father and grandfather, the deacon, minister and mayor. The devil makes it appear that everyone with any power, success or for that matter anyone that means anything to Goodman is in fact allied with Satan. Although Goodman resists the devils temptations at first; as more and more people are brought to his attention as being followers of the dark one, the idea becomes more acceptable. I believe Brown's motivation to meet with the devil was power; he wanted an advantage over others to achieve his goals. This may have contributed to his last ditch effort to save faith when he shouted "Look up to Heaven, and resist the Wicked One". When he arrived at the witches meeting he discovered that everyone already had the advantage of being on the wicked side and had already sold there souls for money, power, or prestige. He was able to see that nothing would put him ahead of anyone else by following through with his original task. He had nothing to win and everything to lose by making an alliance with the devil. Unfortunately for Young Goodman Brown it was too late for his soul to be saved. He reached the point of no return and not only didn't he reap any benefit from his ordeal but lost every bit of happiness he previously possessed.
Goodman Brown was a man destroyed by his own obsession. He lived a miserable life as a result of the guilt he felt for embarking on a dark journey in his dreams; which resulted in his suspicion of everyone and a lack of trust for individuals in his community, himself and humanity. The only way Goodman Brown would have been able to save his faith would have been to never embark on the dark path.
by John Schlismann
A Character Analysis of Hawthorne's Young Goodman Brown
John Schlismann has an interest in American Literature.
To read Young Goodman Brown goto:
http://www.online-literature.com/short.php/158
11 Ekim 2012 Perşembe
Felix Baumgartner Will Attempt Record Setting Jump On Sunday
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Due to high winds earlier in the week, skydiver Felix Baumgartner was forced to postpone his record setting jump on both Monday and Tuesday. Yesterday his mission control were in standby while they evaluated the weather, but the winds were still a bit too dangerous for liftoff. While examining the forecast they came to the conclusion that the next few days would be a challenge so they have now tentatively scheduled the next attempt for Sunday, October 14.
Baumgartner is attempting to set a new record for the highest skydive in history. The plan is for him to use a small capsule attached to a helium balloon to carry him up to 120,000 feet (36,576 meters), where he'll pop open the door and leap out into the very thin atmosphere. At that altitude he'll be right on the edge of space and the thin air will provide very little resistance. It is believed that he'll quickly accelerate past 690 mph (1110 km/h), breaking the sound barrier in the process. After free falling for about five minutes, he'll then pull his ripcord, and in theory make a long slow descent back to Earth.
The reason the weather needs to be just perfect for this flight is that the helium balloon that carries him aloft is very delicate and can be easily damaged by winds. In order to ensure Baumgartner's safety on the way up, his support crew is not taking any chance. The balloon has preformed flawlessly in two test runs at lower, but still substantial, altitudes but now that it is time for the big event, they aren't going to rush into anything. Considering Felix has waited years for this jump, and survived all kinds of obstacles including legal challenges, I'm sure he can manage to wait a few more days.
The jump, when it does eventually happen, will be broadcast live on the Internet. Stay tuned for updates over the weekend on RedBullStratos.com for what should be a pretty spectacular event to witness. In the meantime, check out the video from one of his test jumps below.
Due to high winds earlier in the week, skydiver Felix Baumgartner was forced to postpone his record setting jump on both Monday and Tuesday. Yesterday his mission control were in standby while they evaluated the weather, but the winds were still a bit too dangerous for liftoff. While examining the forecast they came to the conclusion that the next few days would be a challenge so they have now tentatively scheduled the next attempt for Sunday, October 14.Baumgartner is attempting to set a new record for the highest skydive in history. The plan is for him to use a small capsule attached to a helium balloon to carry him up to 120,000 feet (36,576 meters), where he'll pop open the door and leap out into the very thin atmosphere. At that altitude he'll be right on the edge of space and the thin air will provide very little resistance. It is believed that he'll quickly accelerate past 690 mph (1110 km/h), breaking the sound barrier in the process. After free falling for about five minutes, he'll then pull his ripcord, and in theory make a long slow descent back to Earth.
The reason the weather needs to be just perfect for this flight is that the helium balloon that carries him aloft is very delicate and can be easily damaged by winds. In order to ensure Baumgartner's safety on the way up, his support crew is not taking any chance. The balloon has preformed flawlessly in two test runs at lower, but still substantial, altitudes but now that it is time for the big event, they aren't going to rush into anything. Considering Felix has waited years for this jump, and survived all kinds of obstacles including legal challenges, I'm sure he can manage to wait a few more days.
The jump, when it does eventually happen, will be broadcast live on the Internet. Stay tuned for updates over the weekend on RedBullStratos.com for what should be a pretty spectacular event to witness. In the meantime, check out the video from one of his test jumps below.
USADA Lays Out Case Against Lance Armstrong
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After months of speculation and waiting, the US Anti-Doping Agency released a 200+ page report outlining the case it has against Lance Armstrong yesterday. In the report, the USADA claims that not only did Armstrong use performance enhancing drugs while competing as a professional cyclist, but that he was also at the center of an extensive doping ring that permeated throughout the U.S. Postal squad and cycling in general. To back-up their claims, the report cites 26 witnesses, including 11 former Armstrong teammates.
The document released yesterday is just a synopsis of the vast amounts of evidence that the USADA claims to have on Armstrong. It references eye-witness reports, emails, lab tests and financial documents, and includes details a strict doping regimen that included PED's and blood transfusions, and even says that Armstrong's ex-wife Kristen would wrap cortisone pills in foil and hand them out to riders on his team. Travis Tygart, the head of the USADA, called it "the most sophisticated, professionalized and successful doping program that sport has ever seen."
Perhaps the most damning evidence of all comes from the list of cyclists who have testified against Armstrong, including several riders that were close friends. That list includes George Hincapie, one of the most respected riders in the sport, Levi Leipheimer, Christian Vande Velde, Dave Zabriskie, Tyler Hamilton and others. Each of them admitted to doping and implicated Armstrong in the process.
As if that wasn't enough, the report also claims that retroactive testing of Armstrong's blood samples taken in the 1999 Tour de France test positive for EPO. Not just one sample, but six. For years Armstrong has used the defense that he never tested positive for a banned substance during his career, but what he doesn't really mention is that a test for EPO didn't come along until a few years later. He would also often dismiss those who spoke out about potential doping by discrediting them in the media, often claiming they had some grudge or axe to grind. The list of people on this list will be much harder to dismiss so lightly.
So what happens next? The UCI now has three weeks to review the report and decide how to proceed. It is that body, along with the Tour de France, that can elect to strip Armstrong of his seven titles. Because he chose to not fight these charges, Lance already faces a lifetime ban from competition, it is just a matter of whether or not his wins will continue to be considered official.
For anyone who has followed the sport of cycling or the Lance Armstrong saga, these results probably aren't much of a surprise. Considering the era in which he competed, it seems virtually impossible that he could have won all those races while competing completely clean. It's a shame that Armstrong's reputation now seems destined to go down in flames, as he has done a lot of good things outside of the sport that made him famous. He is also a tremendous athlete whether he was doping or not, but his legacy will be forever tainted by this scandal.
After months of speculation and waiting, the US Anti-Doping Agency released a 200+ page report outlining the case it has against Lance Armstrong yesterday. In the report, the USADA claims that not only did Armstrong use performance enhancing drugs while competing as a professional cyclist, but that he was also at the center of an extensive doping ring that permeated throughout the U.S. Postal squad and cycling in general. To back-up their claims, the report cites 26 witnesses, including 11 former Armstrong teammates.The document released yesterday is just a synopsis of the vast amounts of evidence that the USADA claims to have on Armstrong. It references eye-witness reports, emails, lab tests and financial documents, and includes details a strict doping regimen that included PED's and blood transfusions, and even says that Armstrong's ex-wife Kristen would wrap cortisone pills in foil and hand them out to riders on his team. Travis Tygart, the head of the USADA, called it "the most sophisticated, professionalized and successful doping program that sport has ever seen."
Perhaps the most damning evidence of all comes from the list of cyclists who have testified against Armstrong, including several riders that were close friends. That list includes George Hincapie, one of the most respected riders in the sport, Levi Leipheimer, Christian Vande Velde, Dave Zabriskie, Tyler Hamilton and others. Each of them admitted to doping and implicated Armstrong in the process.
As if that wasn't enough, the report also claims that retroactive testing of Armstrong's blood samples taken in the 1999 Tour de France test positive for EPO. Not just one sample, but six. For years Armstrong has used the defense that he never tested positive for a banned substance during his career, but what he doesn't really mention is that a test for EPO didn't come along until a few years later. He would also often dismiss those who spoke out about potential doping by discrediting them in the media, often claiming they had some grudge or axe to grind. The list of people on this list will be much harder to dismiss so lightly.
So what happens next? The UCI now has three weeks to review the report and decide how to proceed. It is that body, along with the Tour de France, that can elect to strip Armstrong of his seven titles. Because he chose to not fight these charges, Lance already faces a lifetime ban from competition, it is just a matter of whether or not his wins will continue to be considered official.
For anyone who has followed the sport of cycling or the Lance Armstrong saga, these results probably aren't much of a surprise. Considering the era in which he competed, it seems virtually impossible that he could have won all those races while competing completely clean. It's a shame that Armstrong's reputation now seems destined to go down in flames, as he has done a lot of good things outside of the sport that made him famous. He is also a tremendous athlete whether he was doping or not, but his legacy will be forever tainted by this scandal.
Video: Climbing Patagonia In Winter
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Patagonia is one of the most beautiful places on Earth, bar none. Climbers Michi Lerjen and Jorge Ackermann traveled there recently to climb a new route on Fitz Roy, perhaps the most famous peak in an already famous region. Michi and Jorge share their adventure with us in this 20 minute short film that gives you a sense of that spectacular wilderness and the efforts they went through to climb there.
This is a fantastic little film about a big adventure. Enjoy.
Patagonia Winter from Royal Family Productions on Vimeo.
This is a fantastic little film about a big adventure. Enjoy.
Needs Based Selling - Reading Your Customer's Mind
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... there is no subsitute for paying attention.
- Diane Sawyer
Trip
WALKING into the local grocery store the first week in January, I nearly tripped over a pallet of Slim Fast. I smiled at this excellent piece of "prophetic marketing" - knowing what the customer wants before she wants it.
The owner of this store knows that with each New Year nearly every American resolves to lose weight. The diet related products are in place on New Year's Eve. And he follows this marketing strategy all year long. In February, ice chests will line the high traffic areas within their stores. Outdoor accessories are on display weeks before spring arrives. School supplies are on the shelves by the end of June. This business owner anticipates each season months before its arrival.
How can you adapt prophetic marketing to your business? What seasons do your customers follow? Are they sports oriented? Do they own a boat? Do they follow the hunting seasons? Answering questions about your customers' seasonal inclinations will offer clues that enable you to anticipate their personal needs.
Another way to anticipate your customer's needs is to be sure you have everything required to use your product. For example, my wife went into a store to buy a mailbox. She picked out one made out of wood. An alert salesman pointed out that she would need to weatherproof the mailbox. He then proceeded to take her to each location for the other products she needed - sealant, sandpaper, brush, paint thinner.
Identifying what your customer wants before she wants it can place you in an invincible position. Any business can furnish customers what they want when they want it, but to give a customer what they want and how they want it before they actually want it, is Customer Service that knows no equal.
TURNAROUND TIP: This level of Customer Service is all about strategy. Below are three more ways you can learn to "read your customer's mind."
1.Help customers to identify their needs. Some people don't plan for their needs until they become urgent. Convince them of the value of pre-planning. Understand in detail your customer's business to see where your product fits in.
2.Make it a group effort. Get together with your colleagues and share information about customers and their product or service requirements. Cooperation is the key to making your business successful. Discuss ideas on problem prevention. Share current resources of information about each cust-omer.
3.Explore all of the capabilities of your products in relation to each customer. You may find that your service or product can help customers in ways they hadn't imagined. Be sure your clients fully understand all of the uses for your product or service.
By using these strategies, you will gain loyal customers, increased sales and less stress from unforeseen problems.
Needs Based Selling - Reading Your Customer's Mind
ike Dandridge md@theperformancepro.com Mike is the founder of High Voltage Performance, a consulting firm that specializes in designing customer experiences for the industrial marketplace. He is a keynote speaker and a seminar leader with 25 years experience in electrical wholesale distribution. Dandridge is author of, The One Year Business Turnaround, a book based on his years in wholesale, containing a year’s worth of ideas for improving your customer service. You may reach Mike at 254-624-6299. Visit his Website at http://www.highvoltageperformance.com. Subscribe to his blog at http://www.businessturnaround.blogs.com.
A Character Analysis of Hawthorne's Young Goodman Brown
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What created Goodman Brown? A man so tormented by what even he considered to be a dream that it changed his life in a profound negative way forever. Goodman Brown was man plagued by his own conscious; he was someone who believed himself to have committed grave sin by meeting with the devil and participating in a witches meeting in his dreams. This spoke of an era where people were overcome with religious guilt and superstition. As a result of Brown's dream he suspected everyone in the town of being cohorts with the devil, in addition his superstition and questioning of his own self overcame his ability to trust or believe in anyone else. He died a bitter, unhappy, miserable man.
In order to fully understand the character of Young Goodman Brown we must first understand the era he comes from. Although Hawthorne does not state directly whether or not the plot of this story takes place in Salem in the seventeenth century, his references to other characters clearly imply it does. His references to Martha Carrier, Martha Cory, and Sarah Cloyse, all women hanged as witches in 1692; as well as his reference to King William who ruled England from 1650-1702 tell of this horrid time where people killed, tortured, burned, executed and suspected that everyone from their sister to there neighbor might be in contact with the devil. As a result of this environment of suspicion and paranoia Goodman might have felt as though his dream was in reality a lack of faith on his part. He may have felt so guilty for experiencing this dream that he thought he, as well as the people in his life were guilty of coercing with the devil.
Journey
Goodman Brown might have been Hawthorne's expression of his own struggles with his faith in humanity and himself. Hawthorne was a guilt ridden person and I believe that he had many instances when his faith was tested. Brown is Hawthorne to a lesser extent. Goodman Brown starts out as a good, happy, decent man; he seems very content. All of this changes when he decides against the advice of his wife faith (the symbolism is obvious here) that he should go out on a journey into the woods to meet with the devil. I believe path in the woods to be his continued decent into metaphorical as well as literal darkness. As he continues down the woods he reaches the pinnacle of his journey when he comes upon the witches meeting. Once Brown reaches this point he loses his faith despite his last ditch effort to save his wife. He never knows if he was able to save her. This doubt is what destroyed him.
Brown's motivation for meeting with the devil is never made absolutely clear and can only be speculated by the devil's references to others that have come into his fold. He speaks of the King, Goodman's father and grandfather, the deacon, minister and mayor. The devil makes it appear that everyone with any power, success or for that matter anyone that means anything to Goodman is in fact allied with Satan. Although Goodman resists the devils temptations at first; as more and more people are brought to his attention as being followers of the dark one, the idea becomes more acceptable. I believe Brown's motivation to meet with the devil was power; he wanted an advantage over others to achieve his goals. This may have contributed to his last ditch effort to save faith when he shouted "Look up to Heaven, and resist the Wicked One". When he arrived at the witches meeting he discovered that everyone already had the advantage of being on the wicked side and had already sold there souls for money, power, or prestige. He was able to see that nothing would put him ahead of anyone else by following through with his original task. He had nothing to win and everything to lose by making an alliance with the devil. Unfortunately for Young Goodman Brown it was too late for his soul to be saved. He reached the point of no return and not only didn't he reap any benefit from his ordeal but lost every bit of happiness he previously possessed.
Goodman Brown was a man destroyed by his own obsession. He lived a miserable life as a result of the guilt he felt for embarking on a dark journey in his dreams; which resulted in his suspicion of everyone and a lack of trust for individuals in his community, himself and humanity. The only way Goodman Brown would have been able to save his faith would have been to never embark on the dark path.
by John Schlismann
A Character Analysis of Hawthorne's Young Goodman Brown
John Schlismann has an interest in American Literature.
To read Young Goodman Brown goto:
http://www.online-literature.com/short.php/158
10 Ekim 2012 Çarşamba
Himalaya Fall 2012 Update: Search Ends On Annapurna
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Earlier this week the mountaineering world was rocked by another avalanche tragedy on a Himalayan peak. Just two weeks after a serac collapsed on Manaslu, killing more than a dozen people, we received word that a major snow slide had swept two Uzbek climbers off of Annapurna. Yesterday a search and rescue team combed the mountain looking for traces of the missing men, but found no trace. Late in the day it was announced that they were suspending the search and heading home.
The tragedy occurred on Monday when a team of three climbers from Uzbekistan were moving up Annapurna from Camp 1 to Camp 2. The avalanche caught them in the middle of that climb and quickly buried Iljas Tukhvatullin and Ivan Lobanov. A third member of their team managed to avoid being swept down the mountain and was able to descend to Camp 1 and call for help.
The only other team on Annapurna this fall was a squad of Russian climbers who were hoping to open a new route. As soon as they could, members of that team moved up the mountain to search for their fallen comrades. With the assistance of a helicopter, that search went on all day yesterday but the debris field is reportedly quite large with literally tons of snow covering the area. Russian Climb reports that the SAR team swept the slope as best the could and checked numerous crevasses, but found absolutely no trace of the missing men.
After a disappointing and sad day on the mountain, all of the climbers were planning on descending to Base Camp today and heading home. The weather has changed for the worse in the Himalaya and the loss of the two Uzbek climbers has cast a shadow over the season on Annapurna, a mountain that is always unyielding, even in the best of conditions.
My condolences to the friends an family of the fallen.
Earlier this week the mountaineering world was rocked by another avalanche tragedy on a Himalayan peak. Just two weeks after a serac collapsed on Manaslu, killing more than a dozen people, we received word that a major snow slide had swept two Uzbek climbers off of Annapurna. Yesterday a search and rescue team combed the mountain looking for traces of the missing men, but found no trace. Late in the day it was announced that they were suspending the search and heading home.The tragedy occurred on Monday when a team of three climbers from Uzbekistan were moving up Annapurna from Camp 1 to Camp 2. The avalanche caught them in the middle of that climb and quickly buried Iljas Tukhvatullin and Ivan Lobanov. A third member of their team managed to avoid being swept down the mountain and was able to descend to Camp 1 and call for help.
The only other team on Annapurna this fall was a squad of Russian climbers who were hoping to open a new route. As soon as they could, members of that team moved up the mountain to search for their fallen comrades. With the assistance of a helicopter, that search went on all day yesterday but the debris field is reportedly quite large with literally tons of snow covering the area. Russian Climb reports that the SAR team swept the slope as best the could and checked numerous crevasses, but found absolutely no trace of the missing men.
After a disappointing and sad day on the mountain, all of the climbers were planning on descending to Base Camp today and heading home. The weather has changed for the worse in the Himalaya and the loss of the two Uzbek climbers has cast a shadow over the season on Annapurna, a mountain that is always unyielding, even in the best of conditions.
My condolences to the friends an family of the fallen.
Will The 2013 Tour de France End On Alp d'Huez?
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Did you think this year's Tour de France was a bit boring? Was Bradley Wiggin's win lacking in drama? If you, like so many others, felt that way than hold on to your hats. If rumors are to be believed Tour organizers are about to shake things up.
According to Belgian newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws, they have received numerous anonymous reports from within the Amaury Sport Organization, which plans Le Tour each year, that course planners are actually considering ending the race on the slopes of Alp d'Huez, perhaps the most well-known and legendary of all the mountains in the race. If true, it would be the first time that the race didn't end on the streets of Paris, with the rider in the Yellow Jersey essentially taking a ceremonial lap along the Champs Elysees.
The 2013 edition of the race will mark the 100th running of the Tour, so of course fans of the race expect there to be some surprises to celebrate that milestone. The course itself will be revealed in full on October 24, although we already know that the first three stages will be held in Corsica, followed by a team time trial in Nice. What else is in store for the riders remains to be seen.
Alp d'Huez is known for punishing even the best climbers the sport of cycling has to offer. It features 21 switchbacks, spread out over 13.8 km (8.5 miles) with an average grade of 7.9%. Each of those hairpin turns has been named for the riders who win the stage over the years, which only adds to the legend hat the slope brings to the Tour when ever it is included on the course.
So, is there any chance that the race could end on this massive mountaintop? I'd say there is always a chance, but personally I'd be quite surprised. The Tour is steeped in tradition and one of the most well respected of those traditions is the final ride on the Champs Elysees on the final day. Pitting the riders against one another on a final grueling climb would certainly add a new element to the competition however, as even large time gaps can be eliminated on Alp d'Huez. It would make for a very different strategy to say the least. If I were a betting man, I'd say the ride still ends in Paris, but perhaps the Saturday before the finishing stage is held on Alp d'Huez. That would still be quite impactful on the race and introduce a new level of drama.
I guess we'll find out more on October 24.
Did you think this year's Tour de France was a bit boring? Was Bradley Wiggin's win lacking in drama? If you, like so many others, felt that way than hold on to your hats. If rumors are to be believed Tour organizers are about to shake things up.According to Belgian newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws, they have received numerous anonymous reports from within the Amaury Sport Organization, which plans Le Tour each year, that course planners are actually considering ending the race on the slopes of Alp d'Huez, perhaps the most well-known and legendary of all the mountains in the race. If true, it would be the first time that the race didn't end on the streets of Paris, with the rider in the Yellow Jersey essentially taking a ceremonial lap along the Champs Elysees.
The 2013 edition of the race will mark the 100th running of the Tour, so of course fans of the race expect there to be some surprises to celebrate that milestone. The course itself will be revealed in full on October 24, although we already know that the first three stages will be held in Corsica, followed by a team time trial in Nice. What else is in store for the riders remains to be seen.
Alp d'Huez is known for punishing even the best climbers the sport of cycling has to offer. It features 21 switchbacks, spread out over 13.8 km (8.5 miles) with an average grade of 7.9%. Each of those hairpin turns has been named for the riders who win the stage over the years, which only adds to the legend hat the slope brings to the Tour when ever it is included on the course.
So, is there any chance that the race could end on this massive mountaintop? I'd say there is always a chance, but personally I'd be quite surprised. The Tour is steeped in tradition and one of the most well respected of those traditions is the final ride on the Champs Elysees on the final day. Pitting the riders against one another on a final grueling climb would certainly add a new element to the competition however, as even large time gaps can be eliminated on Alp d'Huez. It would make for a very different strategy to say the least. If I were a betting man, I'd say the ride still ends in Paris, but perhaps the Saturday before the finishing stage is held on Alp d'Huez. That would still be quite impactful on the race and introduce a new level of drama.
I guess we'll find out more on October 24.
Video: Mountain Biking Madness At The Red Bull Rampage
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Virgin, Utah played host to this year's Red Bull Rampage freeride mountain bike competition, in which some of the most talented, and dare I say crazy, riders in the world went head-to-head. The video below features highlights from the event which included some of the biggest drops, flips and jumps that you could ever hope to see. This event is definitely not for the faint of heart, as you'll soon see. I think my stomach dropped a few times just from watching this. Wow!
MyGreatRides.com - The Online Motorcycle Community
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MyGreatRides.com - The Online Motorcycle Community
"The open road meets the Info Superhighway at MyGreatRides.com, a virtual community for people who have a passion for riding."
I am personally not a biker in any way, and this website is still in beta (you need to sign up for an invitation). However, I thought it was an interesting niche travel idea, and one that may catch on with that very devoted segment of the recreation travel and tourism market. I did a quick search and did not find anything quite like what this site may be -- though I can't really tell until it become public. The closest thing was Total Motorcycle.com, but that seemed a lot more Web 1.0.
ALSO CHECKOUT: BikersWorld.com
MyGreatRides.com - The Online Motorcycle Community
"The open road meets the Info Superhighway at MyGreatRides.com, a virtual community for people who have a passion for riding."
I am personally not a biker in any way, and this website is still in beta (you need to sign up for an invitation). However, I thought it was an interesting niche travel idea, and one that may catch on with that very devoted segment of the recreation travel and tourism market. I did a quick search and did not find anything quite like what this site may be -- though I can't really tell until it become public. The closest thing was Total Motorcycle.com, but that seemed a lot more Web 1.0.
ALSO CHECKOUT: BikersWorld.com
2007 Travvies Nominees for Best Travel Blogs
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Upgrade: Travel Better - 2007 Travvies: Meet the finalists, meet the judges, and vote!
The Upgrade: Travel Better blog is running a "Best Travel Blogs" contest. I just stumbled on this and thought it was a good idea -- at least a way of spreading the word about travel blogs.
I have only heard of a few of the blogs that made the final nominations, and the nomination process seemes a bit free-wheeling. But at least its a start. And I do hope to find some time to check out at least some of the nominees.
Voting ends on February 28th. So it you are the voting type, you need to head over their quickly.
Upgrade: Travel Better - 2007 Travvies: Meet the finalists, meet the judges, and vote!The Upgrade: Travel Better blog is running a "Best Travel Blogs" contest. I just stumbled on this and thought it was a good idea -- at least a way of spreading the word about travel blogs.
I have only heard of a few of the blogs that made the final nominations, and the nomination process seemes a bit free-wheeling. But at least its a start. And I do hope to find some time to check out at least some of the nominees.
Voting ends on February 28th. So it you are the voting type, you need to head over their quickly.
9 Ekim 2012 Salı
Step Up Travel - Sustainable Travel Does Web 2.0
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"We promote responsible travel which emphasizes the importance of personal exchanges, deeper cultural understanding, genuine benefit to local people and their communities, preservation of the environment, and ultimately a more peaceful and equitable world."
Step Up Travel claims to be the first application of Web 2.0 to Responsible Travel, and I think they may be right. There are older websites devoted to responsible travel, including both resources on responsible travel issues and listings of responsible tour products. Two that I am familiar with are Planeta.com and the Big Volcano Ecotourism Centre. But both of these are in need of a major Web 2.0 face lift. And there is the National Geographic Center for Sustainable Destinations, which is sometimes related to the more commercial National Geographic Traveler. As colorful and engaging as National Geographic is, however, it lacks a social interface and comes across as more institutional and less in touch with the "real" people in a destination.
So I think, yes, Step Up Travel is the first responsible travel site on the Web 2.0 era:
"We promote responsible travel which emphasizes the importance of personal exchanges, deeper cultural understanding, genuine benefit to local people and their communities, preservation of the environment, and ultimately a more peaceful and equitable world."
Step Up Travel claims to be the first application of Web 2.0 to Responsible Travel, and I think they may be right. There are older websites devoted to responsible travel, including both resources on responsible travel issues and listings of responsible tour products. Two that I am familiar with are Planeta.com and the Big Volcano Ecotourism Centre. But both of these are in need of a major Web 2.0 face lift. And there is the National Geographic Center for Sustainable Destinations, which is sometimes related to the more commercial National Geographic Traveler. As colorful and engaging as National Geographic is, however, it lacks a social interface and comes across as more institutional and less in touch with the "real" people in a destination.
So I think, yes, Step Up Travel is the first responsible travel site on the Web 2.0 era:
- It has an attractive and clean interface,
- it provides resources to help make travel more responsible,
- it appears to be making a concerted effort to market truly local products that support the destination, and
- it has a Travel Network for "Socially-minded Travelers to Connect with local people, Get off the beaten path, and Change the face of travel."
Ning - No More Excuses to Creating a Web 2.0 Travel Site
To contact us Click HERE
Ning.com is hottest new Web 2.0 tool to be announced this past week. Ning.com (now in version 2) allows anyone to easily create, through a drag and drop process, a Social Network on which members can post discussion items, blogs, photos and videos, and more. It is entirely free, with advertising, and $19/month without ads. Although it is in no way only for travel and tourism, there were close to 200 social networks that are tagged "travel" on the day that I wrote this.
I have created two social networks of my own at Ning.com. One is centered on my Travelography Travel News podcast (at http://travelnews.ning.com), and the other is on Responsible Travel and Sustainable Tourism (at http://responsibletravel.ning.com).
It was very easy to create these, though doing more customizing will probably take some time. In particular, I would like to add a Google Map mashup, which is found a quite a few of the social networks (such as the Travel Tips one, below). The networks with these maps appear to be from version 1 of Ning.com, and is not a standard tool built into version 2.0. In fact, if anyone has some tips on how to create a map mashup and add it to Ning.com, I would appreciate the help.
For a video introduction and tutorial to Ning.com, go to the Scoble Show blog. Also see Ning reviews on Tech Crunch and GigaOM.
--------------------
NEW (7 Sept 07): There are other web services similar to Ning that may meet your needs better. TechCrunch.com reviews nine of them here.
I have created two social networks of my own at Ning.com. One is centered on my Travelography Travel News podcast (at http://travelnews.ning.com), and the other is on Responsible Travel and Sustainable Tourism (at http://responsibletravel.ning.com).
It was very easy to create these, though doing more customizing will probably take some time. In particular, I would like to add a Google Map mashup, which is found a quite a few of the social networks (such as the Travel Tips one, below). The networks with these maps appear to be from version 1 of Ning.com, and is not a standard tool built into version 2.0. In fact, if anyone has some tips on how to create a map mashup and add it to Ning.com, I would appreciate the help.
For a video introduction and tutorial to Ning.com, go to the Scoble Show blog. Also see Ning reviews on Tech Crunch and GigaOM.
--------------------
NEW (7 Sept 07): There are other web services similar to Ning that may meet your needs better. TechCrunch.com reviews nine of them here.
Rrove - Save, Share & Discover Places
To contact us Click HERE
Rrove "Share Your Special Spots"
Rove is a point or pin map creation tool that mashes up with Google or Yahoo Map. The example above is one person's list and map of the top attractions in Rome. Many of the maps are tourism and travel related (as maps tend to be, in general), including the Best of New York, and World's Best Beaches. Other maps show the location of members of a group (such as VlogInternacional ). Two nice features are (1) Detailed information that can be included on each item posted on the map, including descriptive tags, and (2) A short bit of HTML code that can be easily copied into any web page that you may have.
In fact, I created my own Rrove map for my Responsible Travel Network at Ning.com (see image below). It was easy to insert the code and tweak the width and height to fit the Ning.com size restrictions. Now members (and anyone else who visits ResponsibleTravel.ning.com) will be able to post their locations and their favorite responsible travel destinations. (You can also keep your map closed so that only you can post to it.)
Rove also promotes itself as a website for discovering places in the world, based on the maps that users have created. There is a search function, but I found it woefully lacking in its ability to find place that I searched for -- even though I had seen them on existing maps. In addition, there does not seem to be a way to search for a map (which they call "sets"). There were only 97 maps/sets on the day that I created my own map (above). But even then, it was a hassle trying to re-find the maps that I mentioned above.
In sum, Rrove.com is a great tool for creating and embedding user maps on your own web pages. I recommend it.
Rrove "Share Your Special Spots"
Rove is a point or pin map creation tool that mashes up with Google or Yahoo Map. The example above is one person's list and map of the top attractions in Rome. Many of the maps are tourism and travel related (as maps tend to be, in general), including the Best of New York, and World's Best Beaches. Other maps show the location of members of a group (such as VlogInternacional ). Two nice features are (1) Detailed information that can be included on each item posted on the map, including descriptive tags, and (2) A short bit of HTML code that can be easily copied into any web page that you may have.
In fact, I created my own Rrove map for my Responsible Travel Network at Ning.com (see image below). It was easy to insert the code and tweak the width and height to fit the Ning.com size restrictions. Now members (and anyone else who visits ResponsibleTravel.ning.com) will be able to post their locations and their favorite responsible travel destinations. (You can also keep your map closed so that only you can post to it.)
Rove also promotes itself as a website for discovering places in the world, based on the maps that users have created. There is a search function, but I found it woefully lacking in its ability to find place that I searched for -- even though I had seen them on existing maps. In addition, there does not seem to be a way to search for a map (which they call "sets"). There were only 97 maps/sets on the day that I created my own map (above). But even then, it was a hassle trying to re-find the maps that I mentioned above.
In sum, Rrove.com is a great tool for creating and embedding user maps on your own web pages. I recommend it.
"Web 2.0 - Over and Out" - or - Moves In Next Door
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EarlyStageVC: Web 2.0 - Over and Out
Amid Peter Rip's (link above) dire predictions of the demise of Web 2.0, I think the emphasis should be on the mainstreaming of Web 2.0 (as evidenced by Time's Person of the Year award). And this should be good news for a travel industry that, to my mind, has a long ways to go to fully utilize the potential of the new social media.
See also the article on TechCrunch, where I first found the link above.
Amid Peter Rip's (link above) dire predictions of the demise of Web 2.0, I think the emphasis should be on the mainstreaming of Web 2.0 (as evidenced by Time's Person of the Year award). And this should be good news for a travel industry that, to my mind, has a long ways to go to fully utilize the potential of the new social media.
See also the article on TechCrunch, where I first found the link above.
Google Goes Back to Pre-Katrina Maps
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Google Goes Back to Pre-Katrina Maps - WashingtonPost.com
"NEW ORLEANS -- Google's popular map portal has replaced post-Hurricane Katrina satellite imagery with pictures taken before the storm, leaving locals feeling like they're in a time loop and even fueling suspicions of a conspiracy.
Scroll across the city and the Mississippi Gulf Coast, and everything is back to normal: Marinas are filled with boats, bridges are intact and parks are filled with healthy, full-bodied trees."
"NEW ORLEANS -- Google's popular map portal has replaced post-Hurricane Katrina satellite imagery with pictures taken before the storm, leaving locals feeling like they're in a time loop and even fueling suspicions of a conspiracy.
Scroll across the city and the Mississippi Gulf Coast, and everything is back to normal: Marinas are filled with boats, bridges are intact and parks are filled with healthy, full-bodied trees."
8 Ekim 2012 Pazartesi
Adventure Travel Opportunity: Mountain Biking Down Kilimanjaro
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For many adventure travelers climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania is one of the big items on their bucket list. After all, it isn't every day that you get to trek to the top of the highest peak in Africa. But next year a select group of travelers will not only get the opportunity to do just that, but they'll also get the chance to mountain bike back down the mountain, something that has never been done by commercial travelers before. Best of all, this unique opportunity will be used to raise funds for a very important cause.
In 2013, for the first time ever, adventure travel company Trek Travel will be offering their new WorldServe Kilimanjaro Bike Tour. The 12-day itinerary, which begins February 22, includes a visit to the Serengeti that includes a hot air balloon ride above the plains while the Great Migration plays out below. Travelers will also visit a traditional Maasi village and explore other cultural excursions throughout the area. But of course the real highlight will be a six-day climb of Kili that will culminate with a mountain bike descent. Prior to the climb, each participant will also be sent a brand new Trek mountain bike that they can use to train on before the climb begins. That same bike will then be shipped to Africa for the ride. After the climb is over, the bike is theirs to keep.
This special Kilimanjaro Bike Tour is limited to just 20 people and is designed to be used as a fundraiser to support several projects that will deliver clean drinking water to more than 150,000 people living in Tanzania. As such, the price tag for the trip is quite high, although 90% of the funds are going directly for the cause. Trek Travel is offering three tiered pricing of $25,000, $55,000 and $85,000. The main difference in those levels is simply how much cash goes to the water projects. Of course, the ideal way to go would be for an adventurous traveler to sign up for the tour and raise funds from sponsors to help cover the costs.
This sounds like a fantastic way to visit two of my favorite places on Earth in Kilimanjaro and the Serengeti. Tanzania is a great destination and this would be a way to experience some unique activities while also contributing greatly to improving the life of the people that live there.
KiliClimb Trek Bike Video from WorldServe International on Vimeo.
For many adventure travelers climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania is one of the big items on their bucket list. After all, it isn't every day that you get to trek to the top of the highest peak in Africa. But next year a select group of travelers will not only get the opportunity to do just that, but they'll also get the chance to mountain bike back down the mountain, something that has never been done by commercial travelers before. Best of all, this unique opportunity will be used to raise funds for a very important cause.In 2013, for the first time ever, adventure travel company Trek Travel will be offering their new WorldServe Kilimanjaro Bike Tour. The 12-day itinerary, which begins February 22, includes a visit to the Serengeti that includes a hot air balloon ride above the plains while the Great Migration plays out below. Travelers will also visit a traditional Maasi village and explore other cultural excursions throughout the area. But of course the real highlight will be a six-day climb of Kili that will culminate with a mountain bike descent. Prior to the climb, each participant will also be sent a brand new Trek mountain bike that they can use to train on before the climb begins. That same bike will then be shipped to Africa for the ride. After the climb is over, the bike is theirs to keep.
This special Kilimanjaro Bike Tour is limited to just 20 people and is designed to be used as a fundraiser to support several projects that will deliver clean drinking water to more than 150,000 people living in Tanzania. As such, the price tag for the trip is quite high, although 90% of the funds are going directly for the cause. Trek Travel is offering three tiered pricing of $25,000, $55,000 and $85,000. The main difference in those levels is simply how much cash goes to the water projects. Of course, the ideal way to go would be for an adventurous traveler to sign up for the tour and raise funds from sponsors to help cover the costs.
This sounds like a fantastic way to visit two of my favorite places on Earth in Kilimanjaro and the Serengeti. Tanzania is a great destination and this would be a way to experience some unique activities while also contributing greatly to improving the life of the people that live there.
Himalaya Fall 2012 Update: Over On Makalu,
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It looks like predictions of the end of the fall season in the Himalaya are proving to be true. This past weekend there were summit bids scheduled on several mountains across the area despite the fact that the jet stream had begun to settle in at the higher altitudes. But those summit attempts were stalled out, at least on Makalu, due to high winds.
One of the climbers who saw her climb brought to an abrupt end was Billi Bierling. She had been on Makalu for the past six week and expected to top out last week until her Sherpa team put Camp 4 in the wrong place. Billi and the rest of her squad had hoped to rest up and give it one more go this past weekend, setting out for the summit on Friday with the hopes of topping out today. Unfortunately they only made it as high as Camp 2 before returning to Base Camp due to the high winds on the upper slopes. The weather forecasts didn't look promising for the days ahead, so the expedition was cancelled and the climbers started for home. After 10+ hour trek to Yangle Kharka yesterday and a brief helicopter ride to this morning, Billi is already back in Kathmandu and promising more information on her experience soon.
Commercial guide service Alpenglow Expeditions posted a dispatch explaining the situation on Makalu as well. They note that they decided to pull the plug on their climb due to the dire forecasts which show no break in the winds for the next two weeks and beyond that it is impossible to tell. Sitting and waiting for two weeks without knowing what lies beyond simply wasn't an option, so they pulled up camp, collected their gear and hit the trail for home. The dispatch hints at more than a little frustration with the situation but such is the experience when climbing in the Himalaya, where the weather is always unpredictable and even more so at this time of the year.
There is also late season news from Manaslu, where EpicTV reports that amidst the tragedy of the avalanche, and the triumph of the summits that followed, one success story was over looked. Last week, German skier Benedikt Bohm became the first person to successfully climb and make a ski descent of the mountain without the use of supplemental oxygen. More impressively, he also made the climber from Base Camp to the summit and back in under 24 hours. Bohm is part of the Dynafit ski team, which also played an instrumental role in helping aid the survivors of the avalanche. Strong members of that team were amongst the first on site in Camp 3 when word of the accident reached the other teams. This is a tremendous achievement on the part of Benedikt and congratulations are certainly in order.
The other two mountains that were expecting summit attempts this past weekend were Everest and Lhotse. I haven't seen any updates on the progress of the teams on those two mountains yet, but it is likely that the jet stream may have prevented them from going up as well. We'll just have to wait for dispatches from Nepal to get word on their success.
It looks like predictions of the end of the fall season in the Himalaya are proving to be true. This past weekend there were summit bids scheduled on several mountains across the area despite the fact that the jet stream had begun to settle in at the higher altitudes. But those summit attempts were stalled out, at least on Makalu, due to high winds.One of the climbers who saw her climb brought to an abrupt end was Billi Bierling. She had been on Makalu for the past six week and expected to top out last week until her Sherpa team put Camp 4 in the wrong place. Billi and the rest of her squad had hoped to rest up and give it one more go this past weekend, setting out for the summit on Friday with the hopes of topping out today. Unfortunately they only made it as high as Camp 2 before returning to Base Camp due to the high winds on the upper slopes. The weather forecasts didn't look promising for the days ahead, so the expedition was cancelled and the climbers started for home. After 10+ hour trek to Yangle Kharka yesterday and a brief helicopter ride to this morning, Billi is already back in Kathmandu and promising more information on her experience soon.
Commercial guide service Alpenglow Expeditions posted a dispatch explaining the situation on Makalu as well. They note that they decided to pull the plug on their climb due to the dire forecasts which show no break in the winds for the next two weeks and beyond that it is impossible to tell. Sitting and waiting for two weeks without knowing what lies beyond simply wasn't an option, so they pulled up camp, collected their gear and hit the trail for home. The dispatch hints at more than a little frustration with the situation but such is the experience when climbing in the Himalaya, where the weather is always unpredictable and even more so at this time of the year.
There is also late season news from Manaslu, where EpicTV reports that amidst the tragedy of the avalanche, and the triumph of the summits that followed, one success story was over looked. Last week, German skier Benedikt Bohm became the first person to successfully climb and make a ski descent of the mountain without the use of supplemental oxygen. More impressively, he also made the climber from Base Camp to the summit and back in under 24 hours. Bohm is part of the Dynafit ski team, which also played an instrumental role in helping aid the survivors of the avalanche. Strong members of that team were amongst the first on site in Camp 3 when word of the accident reached the other teams. This is a tremendous achievement on the part of Benedikt and congratulations are certainly in order.
The other two mountains that were expecting summit attempts this past weekend were Everest and Lhotse. I haven't seen any updates on the progress of the teams on those two mountains yet, but it is likely that the jet stream may have prevented them from going up as well. We'll just have to wait for dispatches from Nepal to get word on their success.
Swim 1000 Update: Dave Is Done!!
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Over the past two months we've been following Dave Cornthwaite on the latest leg of his Expedition 1000 project which he dubbed Swim 1000. That journey began in Chamberlain, South Dakota in early August where Dave plunged into the Missouri River and proceeded to swim down stream. This past Saturday he reached the finish line in the shadow of the famous Gateway Arch of St. Louis
Dave wasn't alone on his fantastic aquatic adventure and he'll be the first to tell you it wouldn't have been possible with out the help of his friends and support crew who followed along in kayaks and on stand-up paddleboards. They made the entire 1000 mile journey as well, which is certainly not to be overlooked in the amazing accomplishment of Dave's swim. Congratulations o the whole team on a job well done.
When he pulled himself out of the water in St. Louis on Saturday, Dave's official mileage total stood at 1005. That's an incredible distance to swim in such a relatively short time span and in order to keep up the pace he was consuming as much as 6000 calories per day. He also had to deal with high winds, the occasional storms and increasingly cooler temperatures.
Of course, the project wasn't just about taking a long swim in a muddy river. Dave and his team were also raising funds and awareness for Coppafeel, an organization dedicated to improving awareness of the importance of early detection of breast cancer. Definitely an important and worthy cause.
Dave will now take the remainder of the year for a much deserved rest while he plans his next adventures for 2013. He is also booking speaking engagements throughout the U.S. and if you're interested in having him speak in your area you can find out how to contact him here.
Well done mate! Hope you've enjoyed a few pints since finishing up!
Over the past two months we've been following Dave Cornthwaite on the latest leg of his Expedition 1000 project which he dubbed Swim 1000. That journey began in Chamberlain, South Dakota in early August where Dave plunged into the Missouri River and proceeded to swim down stream. This past Saturday he reached the finish line in the shadow of the famous Gateway Arch of St. LouisDave wasn't alone on his fantastic aquatic adventure and he'll be the first to tell you it wouldn't have been possible with out the help of his friends and support crew who followed along in kayaks and on stand-up paddleboards. They made the entire 1000 mile journey as well, which is certainly not to be overlooked in the amazing accomplishment of Dave's swim. Congratulations o the whole team on a job well done.
When he pulled himself out of the water in St. Louis on Saturday, Dave's official mileage total stood at 1005. That's an incredible distance to swim in such a relatively short time span and in order to keep up the pace he was consuming as much as 6000 calories per day. He also had to deal with high winds, the occasional storms and increasingly cooler temperatures.
Of course, the project wasn't just about taking a long swim in a muddy river. Dave and his team were also raising funds and awareness for Coppafeel, an organization dedicated to improving awareness of the importance of early detection of breast cancer. Definitely an important and worthy cause.
Dave will now take the remainder of the year for a much deserved rest while he plans his next adventures for 2013. He is also booking speaking engagements throughout the U.S. and if you're interested in having him speak in your area you can find out how to contact him here.
Well done mate! Hope you've enjoyed a few pints since finishing up!
Registration Now Open For The 2013 Put Foot Rally
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The Put Foot Rally is now accepting registration for 2013. What's the Put Foot Rally you ask? Just an 8000km (4970 mile), 18-day road rally through Southern Africa that is equal parts competition and roving party. With it's "any car, any route" approach, the Put Foot is certainly flexible and approachable for road warriors, although competitors do have to pass through checkpoints in South Africa, Namibia, Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique. How they get to those checkpoints is totally up to them however.
The official website for the Rally began accepting applications this morning and if past history is any indication, it'll sell out quickly. Last year's event was booked solid in just 28 minutes. To find out more and to enter the race click here.
And want to know what to expect while you're participating in the Put Foot? Check out the amazing video below to get a taste of the Rally. It looks like an amazing experience.
Put Foot Rally 2012: Etosha to Vic Falls from Goosebump Productions on Vimeo.
The Put Foot Rally is now accepting registration for 2013. What's the Put Foot Rally you ask? Just an 8000km (4970 mile), 18-day road rally through Southern Africa that is equal parts competition and roving party. With it's "any car, any route" approach, the Put Foot is certainly flexible and approachable for road warriors, although competitors do have to pass through checkpoints in South Africa, Namibia, Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique. How they get to those checkpoints is totally up to them however.The official website for the Rally began accepting applications this morning and if past history is any indication, it'll sell out quickly. Last year's event was booked solid in just 28 minutes. To find out more and to enter the race click here.
And want to know what to expect while you're participating in the Put Foot? Check out the amazing video below to get a taste of the Rally. It looks like an amazing experience.
Himalaya Fall 2012 Update: Avalanche On Annapurna
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More sad news from the Himalaya this afternoon as Explorers Web is reporting that another avalanche has claimed lives in the region, this time on Annapurna.
Details on the accident are still a bit sketchy, but according to ExWeb there were two teams climbing the mountain's North Face this past weekend, one from Russia and another from Uzbekistan. Reportedly the Uzbeks, led by Iljas Tukhvatullin, were attempting the standard route while the Russians were hoping to open a new line to the summit.
Yesterday the Uzbek squad was moving up from Camp 1 to Camp 2 when they were hit by a massive slide of snow and ice at about 3:00 PM local time. Tukhvatullin and climbing partner Ivan Lobanov were both swept away, while a third member of the team managed to escape. After climbing up to C2, that unnamed climber then descended back to C1 to radio for help. Reportedly he has said that the avalanche was not the result of the collapse of serac but instead the entire side of the mountain began to shift and move. ExWeb speculates that an earthquake may have triggered the slide.
According to the article, another team was heading up from Base Camp today to search for survivors. We'll just have to wait and keep our fingers crossed that they could possibly find someone still alive, although that doesn't seem likely at this point.
The 8091 meter (26,545 ft) Annapurna is notorious for its avalanche danger and is considered one of the most dangerous mountains in the world in no small part because of how unstable it can be. I'm sure we'll hear more about this situation in the days ahead, but for now lets up the search and rescue team stays safe as well.
More sad news from the Himalaya this afternoon as Explorers Web is reporting that another avalanche has claimed lives in the region, this time on Annapurna.Details on the accident are still a bit sketchy, but according to ExWeb there were two teams climbing the mountain's North Face this past weekend, one from Russia and another from Uzbekistan. Reportedly the Uzbeks, led by Iljas Tukhvatullin, were attempting the standard route while the Russians were hoping to open a new line to the summit.
Yesterday the Uzbek squad was moving up from Camp 1 to Camp 2 when they were hit by a massive slide of snow and ice at about 3:00 PM local time. Tukhvatullin and climbing partner Ivan Lobanov were both swept away, while a third member of the team managed to escape. After climbing up to C2, that unnamed climber then descended back to C1 to radio for help. Reportedly he has said that the avalanche was not the result of the collapse of serac but instead the entire side of the mountain began to shift and move. ExWeb speculates that an earthquake may have triggered the slide.
According to the article, another team was heading up from Base Camp today to search for survivors. We'll just have to wait and keep our fingers crossed that they could possibly find someone still alive, although that doesn't seem likely at this point.
The 8091 meter (26,545 ft) Annapurna is notorious for its avalanche danger and is considered one of the most dangerous mountains in the world in no small part because of how unstable it can be. I'm sure we'll hear more about this situation in the days ahead, but for now lets up the search and rescue team stays safe as well.
7 Ekim 2012 Pazar
Virtual STA - Second Life Travel Agency
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STA Travel in Second Life
STA Travel is among the largest travel agencies in the world with a focus on student, mostly university, travel. This week, STA became one of the first travel agencies to set up business, or sorts, in Second Life. STA's island in second life will offer:
STA Travel in Second Life
STA Travel is among the largest travel agencies in the world with a focus on student, mostly university, travel. This week, STA became one of the first travel agencies to set up business, or sorts, in Second Life. STA's island in second life will offer:
- Dedicated Portal and Orientation Island where students can join Second Life and easily and quickly learn how to navigate the virtual world.
- Virtual Dorms that students can customize and use for private meetings and get-togethers.
- Virtual Travel Destinations where students can experience Mayan Ruins, an Asian Temple and a French Cafe.
- STA Travel Main Office where students can get travel and destination information.
- Live Weekly Events and Tours produced by STA Travel as well as numerous travel partners.
- Sandbox where students can practice building their own virtual environment.
VeniVidiWiki -- Wiki Map Travel Guide
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VeniVidiWiki: travel guide
VeniVidiWiki.eu is a Google map wiki mashup for attractions around the world. Anyone can add a POI (point of interest) to the map and provide as much as possible of the following information:
VeniVidiWiki: travel guide
VeniVidiWiki.eu is a Google map wiki mashup for attractions around the world. Anyone can add a POI (point of interest) to the map and provide as much as possible of the following information:
- Name of place/poi
- Category - those shown above are listed as POI with Video -- so they all have a video link; the full list of categories is listed on the left
- Description
- Website, and
- Photo and/or Video links
TalkShoe - Categories Listing - Travel
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TalkShoe - Categories Listing - Travel
TalkShoe has become the destination for podcasters and podcast listeners who want to record live, synchronous, call-in episodes. I usually listen to these after they have been recorded, but if I were more on the ball, I could partcipate in them by either voice or text message. For both podcasters and podcast listeners this service is free, and although the content is entirely user generated, looking at their website they really do resemble a more formal podcast network.
The reason I bring it up TalkShoe here is because they have a Travel category that contains some interesting programs. You can listen to their most recent episodes and see when their next episodes are scheduled.
Not everyone is organized enough to schedule episodes in advance (I could never do that with my podcasts!), but some are. At the time of this mini-review, the following podcasts had scheduled programs:
TalkShoe - Categories Listing - Travel
TalkShoe has become the destination for podcasters and podcast listeners who want to record live, synchronous, call-in episodes. I usually listen to these after they have been recorded, but if I were more on the ball, I could partcipate in them by either voice or text message. For both podcasters and podcast listeners this service is free, and although the content is entirely user generated, looking at their website they really do resemble a more formal podcast network.
The reason I bring it up TalkShoe here is because they have a Travel category that contains some interesting programs. You can listen to their most recent episodes and see when their next episodes are scheduled.
Not everyone is organized enough to schedule episodes in advance (I could never do that with my podcasts!), but some are. At the time of this mini-review, the following podcasts had scheduled programs:
- Florida Travel Deals -LorenGray 15 minutes (each week) of information regarding destinations in Florid... Next Episode Time: 06/07/07 02:30 PM EDT Talkcast ID: 27267
- PlanIt Podcast Live Call Ins - David Martin - Are you looking for the next great party or event location? Do you wa... Next Episode Time: 06/06/07 08:00 PM EDT Talkcast ID: 20394
- The TRAVELERS JOURNAL - David Bear - The TRAVELERS JOURNAL is a series of 2 minute audio postcards delivere... Next Episode Time: 06/04/07 09:00 AM EDT Talkcast ID: 14057
Blogging in the Tourism Academy
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I recently sent out a question to some 1000 or so tourism academics (professors, lecturers, graduate students, and other researchers) on email discussion lists, asking them "Do You Blog?" The purpose was to see how blogging is used by tourism academics. A summary of my findings can be found here:
http://tourismplace.blogspot.com/2007/05/why-dont-we-blog-university-faculty.html
The major categories or types of blogs that people told me about include:
http://tourismplace.blogspot.com/2007/05/why-dont-we-blog-university-faculty.html
The major categories or types of blogs that people told me about include:
- Blogging about Tourism
- Blogging for Classes and Students
- Research (and) Blogs
- Personal Travel Blogs
- Podcast Blogs
- Email Lists as Blogs
Travel Planning Your Way: TripBase.com & TripWiser.com
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Links to two new travel planning website arrived my inbox in the last couple of months that I thought were creative and useful. They both help you decide where to go and what to do when you get their.
TripBase.com has a nice ajaxy interface where you indicate your preferences and trip characteristics, and it gives you a list of suggested destinations, which you can then click on to get more information. You can also click to remove the most popular destinations, for those looking for alternatives to the beaten paths. Variables that you can adjust include Nightlife, Dining, Shopping, Nature, Attractions, Dates, Departure city, Budget, Type of trip (backpacker, middle, luxury), Desired temperature, and Continent.
The interface is clean and quick, with limited scrolling and new page openings. Resources include a list of starred must see attractions and links to online magazine articles and prominent webistes, such as Wikitravel.com. There are also links to air, hotel and car rental reservations, though these did not work for me in the alpha-released website. Which kind of make me wonder how they are making money.
TripWiser.com is somewhat similar to TripBase, but makes its recommendations from a database of trips that have been saved by users. It has a very nice and easy to use interface for building a day-by-day itinerary for a trip, which you can make public or private. You can access and add suggestions for each day, and you give your trip tags which other people can then use to search the public database.
If you are searching for experiences, you can enter a trip name (destination and type) and receive a list of suggestions from the database. You can adjust your preferences by sliding Families-Couples, Luxury-Budget, Adventure-Relaxations, and Nature-Culture. The results change instantly as you change your preferences.
Some of the suggestions did not seem very real -- like an itinerary that included the San Diego Zoo, SeaWorld, Balboa Park and Mission Beach all in one day! (That itinerary was listed as a "Top Family Trip" -- I think my kids would kill me if I tried to make them do all that in one day.) Others, however, are very realistic and provide some great suggestions.
Interestingly, both websites make use of sliders as a way of showing preference. One big difference is that TripWiser is (currently) only for the US, while TripBase is international (yay!).
TripBase.com has a nice ajaxy interface where you indicate your preferences and trip characteristics, and it gives you a list of suggested destinations, which you can then click on to get more information. You can also click to remove the most popular destinations, for those looking for alternatives to the beaten paths. Variables that you can adjust include Nightlife, Dining, Shopping, Nature, Attractions, Dates, Departure city, Budget, Type of trip (backpacker, middle, luxury), Desired temperature, and Continent.
The interface is clean and quick, with limited scrolling and new page openings. Resources include a list of starred must see attractions and links to online magazine articles and prominent webistes, such as Wikitravel.com. There are also links to air, hotel and car rental reservations, though these did not work for me in the alpha-released website. Which kind of make me wonder how they are making money.
TripWiser.com is somewhat similar to TripBase, but makes its recommendations from a database of trips that have been saved by users. It has a very nice and easy to use interface for building a day-by-day itinerary for a trip, which you can make public or private. You can access and add suggestions for each day, and you give your trip tags which other people can then use to search the public database.
If you are searching for experiences, you can enter a trip name (destination and type) and receive a list of suggestions from the database. You can adjust your preferences by sliding Families-Couples, Luxury-Budget, Adventure-Relaxations, and Nature-Culture. The results change instantly as you change your preferences.
Some of the suggestions did not seem very real -- like an itinerary that included the San Diego Zoo, SeaWorld, Balboa Park and Mission Beach all in one day! (That itinerary was listed as a "Top Family Trip" -- I think my kids would kill me if I tried to make them do all that in one day.) Others, however, are very realistic and provide some great suggestions.
Interestingly, both websites make use of sliders as a way of showing preference. One big difference is that TripWiser is (currently) only for the US, while TripBase is international (yay!).
6 Ekim 2012 Cumartesi
A Character Analysis of Hawthorne's Young Goodman Brown
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What created Goodman Brown? A man so tormented by what even he considered to be a dream that it changed his life in a profound negative way forever. Goodman Brown was man plagued by his own conscious; he was someone who believed himself to have committed grave sin by meeting with the devil and participating in a witches meeting in his dreams. This spoke of an era where people were overcome with religious guilt and superstition. As a result of Brown's dream he suspected everyone in the town of being cohorts with the devil, in addition his superstition and questioning of his own self overcame his ability to trust or believe in anyone else. He died a bitter, unhappy, miserable man.
In order to fully understand the character of Young Goodman Brown we must first understand the era he comes from. Although Hawthorne does not state directly whether or not the plot of this story takes place in Salem in the seventeenth century, his references to other characters clearly imply it does. His references to Martha Carrier, Martha Cory, and Sarah Cloyse, all women hanged as witches in 1692; as well as his reference to King William who ruled England from 1650-1702 tell of this horrid time where people killed, tortured, burned, executed and suspected that everyone from their sister to there neighbor might be in contact with the devil. As a result of this environment of suspicion and paranoia Goodman might have felt as though his dream was in reality a lack of faith on his part. He may have felt so guilty for experiencing this dream that he thought he, as well as the people in his life were guilty of coercing with the devil.
Journey
Goodman Brown might have been Hawthorne's expression of his own struggles with his faith in humanity and himself. Hawthorne was a guilt ridden person and I believe that he had many instances when his faith was tested. Brown is Hawthorne to a lesser extent. Goodman Brown starts out as a good, happy, decent man; he seems very content. All of this changes when he decides against the advice of his wife faith (the symbolism is obvious here) that he should go out on a journey into the woods to meet with the devil. I believe path in the woods to be his continued decent into metaphorical as well as literal darkness. As he continues down the woods he reaches the pinnacle of his journey when he comes upon the witches meeting. Once Brown reaches this point he loses his faith despite his last ditch effort to save his wife. He never knows if he was able to save her. This doubt is what destroyed him.
Brown's motivation for meeting with the devil is never made absolutely clear and can only be speculated by the devil's references to others that have come into his fold. He speaks of the King, Goodman's father and grandfather, the deacon, minister and mayor. The devil makes it appear that everyone with any power, success or for that matter anyone that means anything to Goodman is in fact allied with Satan. Although Goodman resists the devils temptations at first; as more and more people are brought to his attention as being followers of the dark one, the idea becomes more acceptable. I believe Brown's motivation to meet with the devil was power; he wanted an advantage over others to achieve his goals. This may have contributed to his last ditch effort to save faith when he shouted "Look up to Heaven, and resist the Wicked One". When he arrived at the witches meeting he discovered that everyone already had the advantage of being on the wicked side and had already sold there souls for money, power, or prestige. He was able to see that nothing would put him ahead of anyone else by following through with his original task. He had nothing to win and everything to lose by making an alliance with the devil. Unfortunately for Young Goodman Brown it was too late for his soul to be saved. He reached the point of no return and not only didn't he reap any benefit from his ordeal but lost every bit of happiness he previously possessed.
Goodman Brown was a man destroyed by his own obsession. He lived a miserable life as a result of the guilt he felt for embarking on a dark journey in his dreams; which resulted in his suspicion of everyone and a lack of trust for individuals in his community, himself and humanity. The only way Goodman Brown would have been able to save his faith would have been to never embark on the dark path.
by John Schlismann
A Character Analysis of Hawthorne's Young Goodman Brown
John Schlismann has an interest in American Literature.
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