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AT#697 - Travel to the Alsace Region of France

Hear about travel to the Alsace Region of France as the Amateur Traveler talks to Brighde Reed from worldvegantravel.com about this lovely wine region.




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Huge Group of California Churches Announces Plan To Defy Governor Newsom’s Order

An evangelical church network in California will ignore Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom’s executive prohibitions this month, opening sanctuary doors for communal worship despite the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. According to Fox News, California Church United, representing roughly 3,000 churches and 2.5 million congregants statewide, announced Thursday that it will return to conducting in-person services by Pentecost…

The post Huge Group of California Churches Announces Plan To Defy Governor Newsom’s Order appeared first on The Western Journal.




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After Treating Barely Any Patients for a Massive $7.5 Million Each, 16 Emergency COVID Hospitals Are Standing Down

At a cost of $7.5 million a patient, they were 16 very expensive field hospitals. Yet, according to NPR, those hospitals are now “stand[ing] down.” You probably remember them from headlines early in the pandemic: makeshift medical centers being assembled at breakneck speed by companies contracted by the Army Corps of Engineers in anticipation of…

The post After Treating Barely Any Patients for a Massive $7.5 Million Each, 16 Emergency COVID Hospitals Are Standing Down appeared first on The Western Journal.




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Scientist Behind Social Distancing Breaks Own Rules To Cheat with Married Woman, Resigns

The health expert who helped shaped Britain’s lockdown policies in response to the coronavirus has resigned after admitting he broke his own rules by having his married lover visit him at his home. Professor Neil Ferguson, 51, of Imperial College in London was a prominent member of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies. The Telegraph…

The post Scientist Behind Social Distancing Breaks Own Rules To Cheat with Married Woman, Resigns appeared first on The Western Journal.




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Facing Concerns of Meat Shortages, More Americans Turn to Hunting

Between having had more than enough of the not-so-great indoors and realizing that the grocery store might not always have meat, Americans are increasingly looking to feed themselves by hunting. “People are thinking about where they get their food and how they get their food,” Land Tawney, president of the advocacy group Backcountry Hunters and…

The post Facing Concerns of Meat Shortages, More Americans Turn to Hunting appeared first on The Western Journal.




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‘The Voice’ Contestant Alexa Cappelli Treats Neighbors to Weekly Performance in Her Cul-de-Sac

It’s not good for people to be alone. Quarantining has been difficult for many people who have gotten used to socializing daily, and because of that, some have found ways to follow the rules but feel a little less isolated. Some neighborhoods have decided to be social while maintaining the suggested distance apart, whether that’s…

The post ‘The Voice’ Contestant Alexa Cappelli Treats Neighbors to Weekly Performance in Her Cul-de-Sac appeared first on The Western Journal.




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‘The Squad’ Pushes for Huge Student Loan Cancellation in Next Relief Bill

Some House Democrats have decided that the COVID-19 pandemic is an appropriate time to implement a key plank of the campaign of former Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont. Reps. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts — who make up the…

The post ‘The Squad’ Pushes for Huge Student Loan Cancellation in Next Relief Bill appeared first on The Western Journal.




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Will Edge Computing Help the Server Market Bounce Back to Growth?




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Loosening restrictions could mean huge increase in Montreal COVID-19 deaths: report

By easing distancing measures, the Greater Montreal area could experience a substantial increase in the number of deaths per day due to the coronavirus, according to a new document published by the Institut national de santé publique du Québec (INSPQ) in collaboration with experts from Laval University.




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Stories of CERB: Canadians share how they're using the emergency benefit

CTVNews.ca asked Canadians to share how they were using their CERB payments and got a flood of responses. Most said they were covering the basics -- housing, groceries, transportation and medicine.




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Inheritance

The Lockerbie bombing left only fragments of David Dornstein's life behind, but their discovery gave his brother a new purpose -- to gather what went missing, preserve what was left, and work to make sense of it all. That story is told in this special interactive presentation.




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A Campaign of Disappearances in Syria Leaves Thousands Missing

At least 65,116 individuals have been "forcibly disappeared" by the Syrian government, according to a new report by Amnesty International.




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After Paris Attacks, CIA Head Reignites Surveillance Debate

Just days after the attack in Paris, America’s top intelligence official suggested that recent leaks about classified surveillance programs were partially responsible.




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Level up: The best laptops to boost your gaming experience

BEST DEALS ON GAMING LAPTOPS:


It's time to level up.

If you didn't already know, PC gamers take great pride in the way they play. These are the folks who delight in the fact that PC gaming is just so much better than playing on a console, and if this Reddit thread is any indication — this way of thinking isn't going away any time soon.

While it can take a year or two for gaming consoles to adapt to updated technology, PCs see that improvement hit almost instantly. New rigs and laptops hit the market faster, as opposed to consoles that make you wait for months until their release.  Read more...

More about Laptops, Pc Gaming, Gaming Laptops, Mashable Shopping, and Tech
IMAGE: Walmart

BEST CHOICE OVERALL

MSI GP63 Leopard

A dependable graphics card, excellent speeds, and a lightweight build make this the complete package.

  • Processor: Intel Core i7-8750
  • RAM: 16GB
  • Graphics Card: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 6GB
  • Storage: 1TB HDD + 256GB SSD
  • Weight: 4.8 lbs
$1 from Walmart

IMAGE: Walmart

BEST FOR VR AND VIDEO QUALITY

MSI GT75 Titan 4K-071

While it carries a hefty price tag, the MSI GT75 Titan is everything you could want out of a gaming laptop, down to VR and 4K.

  • Processor: Intel Core i9-8950HK
  • RAM: 32GB
  • Graphics Card: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 8GB
  • Storage: 1TB HDD + 1TB SDD
  • Weight: 10.05 lbs
$120.93 from Walmart

IMAGE: Amazon

BEST FOR GAMERS ON A BUDGET

Dell Gaming Laptop G5587

While you may not have $2000 to drop on some higher performance gaming laptop, you can still get reliable gaming performance with the Dell Gaming Laptop G5587.

  • Processor: Intel Core i5-8300
  • RAM: 8GB
  • Graphics Card: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060
  • Storage: 128GB SSD + 1TB HDD
  • Weight: 6.28 lbs
$1 from Amazon

IMAGE: Amazon

BEST FOR POWER IN A SLIM DESIGN

ASUS ROG Zephyrus M

ASUS offers the best of both worlds with a slim and light gaming laptop that doesn't skimp on the power under the hood.

  • Processor: Intel Core i7-8750H
  • RAM: 16GB
  • Graphics Card: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 8GB
  • Storage: 256GB SSD + 1TB HDD
  • Weight: 5.4 lbs
$1 from Amazon

IMAGE: Amazon

BEST FOR NEW GAMERS

Acer Nitro 5

If you're new to PC gaming, the Acer Nitro 5 delivers a reliable laptop at a reasonable price.

  • Processor: Intel Core i5-7300HQ
  • RAM: 8GB
  • Graphics Card: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti
  • Storage: 256GB SSD
  • Weight: 2.65 lbs
$749.99 from Amazon

IMAGE: Amazon

BEST FOR TRADITIONAL/HARDCORE GAMERS

Acer Predator Triton 700

Hardcore gamers expect power out of their platform of choice, and Acer delivers on that power with the Predator Triton 700 laptop.

  • Processor: Intel Core i7-7700HQ
  • RAM: 32GB
  • Graphics Card: GeForce GTX 1080
  • Storage: 512GB SSD
  • Weight: 5.4 lbs
$1 from Amazon

IMAGE: Amazon

BEST FOR BUDGET VR

Alienware 15

Alienware is one of the most recognized names in PC gaming, and the Alienware 15 lives up to that namesake, even delivering a reliable VR laptop.

  • Processor: Intel Core i7-7700HQ
  • RAM: 16GB
  • Graphics Card: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070
  • Storage: 256GB SSD + 1TB HDD
  • Weight: 8 lbs
$1 from Amazon

IMAGE: Amazon

BEST FOR PERFORMANCE

MSI GS65 Stealth THIN-051

This is one of the thinnest laptops built for intense gaming on-the-go.

  • Processor: Intel Core i7-8750H 6 Core
  • RAM: 16GB
  • Graphics Card: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060
  • Storage: 256GB
  • Weight: 4.14 lbs
$1,282 from Amazon

IMAGE: Amazon

BEST FOR SLEEK DESIGN

Razer Blade 15

Think of this as the Apple MacBook Pro of gaming laptops.

  • Processor: Intel Core i7-8750H 6 Core
  • RAM: 16GB
  • Graphics Card: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q
  • Storage: 512GB SSD
  • Weight: 4.56 lbs
$1 from Amazon




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DEF CON is actually, for real, not a joke canceled

All it took was a pandemic, but the long-running joke finally became a reality: DEF CON is canceled. 

The annual hacker conference in Las Vegas, Nevada, typically draws tens of thousands of attendees to talk shop, compare notes, and generally cause delightful mischief. One element of that mischief is the constant — and until now false — yearly claim that DEF CON is canceled. The coronavirus changed that, and the organization announced Friday that the in-person conference will not take place this year. 

"The #DEFCONiscanceled meme has crossed over into real life, courtesy of #COVID19," read the announcement. "In early March we had hopes that things would be stable by August. That is no longer realistic." Read more...

More about Def Con, Coronavirus, Tech, and Cybersecurity




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Cobie Smulders sings social distance 'Let's Go to the Mall' parody

The coronavirus pandemic has many of us nostalgic for a simpler time — maybe when we were teenagers and/or watching our favorite early oughts sitcoms. 

Actress Cobie Smulders seems to be feeling that itch, and sensed we are too. The former How I Met Your Mother actress decided to recreate her character Robin Scherbatsky's hit song from the series, "Let's Go to The Mall."

For those who need a refresher, "Let's Go to The Mall" was released during Robin's short career as a pop star (under the name Robin Sparkles) in her homeland of Canada. While it has all the flair of an '80s banger — jelly bracelets, worshipping the mall — it was released in the '90s because apparently that's when '80s culture reached CanadaRead more...

More about How I Met Your Mother, Cobie Smulders, Movies Tv Shows, Social Distancing, and Entertainment




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On Beat Fitness is a dance party disguised as a workout for any quarantine mood

Work(out) From Home is a weekly column where we review smart fitness machines and apps in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak. Thanks to technology, there are still plenty of ways to exercise if your gym is closed. Read more...

On Beat Fitness
$120 (annual)
The Good
Super fun workouts • Classes grouped by mood • Equipment-free workout options • Growing library of classes
The Bad
Lack of workout history • Expensive subscription • Inability to filter search
The Bottom Line
On Beat Fitness offers a variety of classes that cater to both your taste in music and your mood for the day. Not only are the workouts fun and effective, but exercising to the beat of the music makes it a lot easier to follow along.
⚡ Mashable Score 4.75
😎 Cool Factor 4.5
📘Learning Curve 5.0
💪Performance 5.0
💵Bang for the Buck 4.0
More about Apps, Fitness, Beauty, Fitness App, and Workout From Home




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Strong leaders forge an intersection of knowledge and experience

Rita J. King, co-director and EVP for business development at Science House, recently conducted a series of interviews with business leaders, exploring the challenges and hurdles companies face in evolving business landscapes. In this interview, King chats with Craig Lemasters, CEO of Global Executive Group, about what companies face when navigating the digital transformation. They […]



  • Future of the Firm
  • Big Systemic Thinking

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The unreasonable importance of data preparation

In a world focused on buzzword-driven models and algorithms, you’d be forgiven for forgetting about the unreasonable importance of data preparation and quality: your models are only as good as the data you feed them. This is the garbage in, garbage out principle: flawed data going in leads to flawed results, algorithms, and business decisions. […]




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Governance and Discovery

Data Governance sounds like a candidate for the most boring topic in technology: something dreamed up by middle-managers to add friction to data scientists’ lives. The funny thing about governance, though, is that it’s closely related to data discovery. And data discovery is neither dull nor additional friction; it’s an exciting process that enables great […]




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Weezer rocks The Simpsons theme song ahead of their appearance on the show

This Sunday, Weezer will cameo on The Simpsons and as a teaser, the band released their cover of "The Simpsons Theme" by Danny Elfman. From Rolling Stone:

In the new episode of The Simpsons, Weezer will play a cover band called Sailor’s Delight, which serves as the house act on a romantic cruise Homer and Marge are taking. Sailor’s Delight will “perform” a handful of tracks from Weezer’s 2019 self-titled record (also known as The Black Album) and their 2017 effort Pacific Daydream, while the episode will also boast the premiere of the band’s new song, “Blue Dream,” from their upcoming LP, Van Weezer.

Read the rest




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Pence aide tests positive for coronavirus

CNBC reports that an aide to Pence has tested positive for COVID-19. This follows yesterday's report that Trump's personal valet tested positive for the virus.

A spokeswoman for Pence did not immediately respond to CNBC’s request for comment.

Pence was scheduled to travel to Des Moines, Iowa, in the morning, but his departure from Andrews Air Force Base was delayed by nearly an hour as staff dealt with news of the diagnosis. Reporters traveling with Pence said several staffers disembarked from Air Force Two just before takeoff.

Photo of Pence: Know Your Meme Read the rest




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The surreal experience of flying during a pandemic

"[F]lying during a pandemic turned out to be more stressful—and surreal—than I’d planned for," writes McKay Copkins in The Atlantic. After two months of social distancing Copkins went on a reporting trip that required a plane flight. He was looking forward to the trip, but as soon as he got on the plane he realized that air travel is no fun during a pandemic.

I arrived at my assigned row, and found a stocky, gray-haired man in the seat next to mine. When I moved to sit down, he stopped me. “Sit there,” he said gruffly, pointing to the aisle behind us. “Social distance.”

Not eager for a confrontation, I decided to comply. Within seconds, though, a flight attendant materialized and ordered me back to my assigned seat. My recalcitrant would-be seatmate, vigorously objecting to this development, responded by blocking my entrance to the row with his leg.

Photo by Ethan McArthur on Unsplash Read the rest




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Silicone mini-pinch bowls have 101 uses

These little silicone rubber bowls come in handy in so many ways.

I use them with my digital scale to measure the bulk powder supplements I take. We use them at the dinner table to hold condiments. We use them while preparing meals to hold spices and minced herbs. I keep finding new ways to use them. For instance, when I fry or scramble eggs, I now crack the eggs over one of these bowls so I can pull out shell pieces and woogers (I wish I had a wooger snatcher but the bowl will have to do). Read the rest




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Webinars are a hugely successful marketing tool and this software can help you launch one

If you’re an entrepreneur or marketer who hasn’t embraced webinars yet, you probably need to rethink your strategies. Over 60 percent of marketers say they use webinars as a key part of their content marketing strategy — and over 70 percent say it’s the best way to generate high-quality business leads.

Thankfully, one of the silver linings to our new quarantine, work from home lifestyles lately is the explosion of conferencing software and Americans’ newfound enthusiasm for video group meetups. 

Vidthere is one of the services that has considered the needs of large and small groups trying to maintain connections over distance, offering a suite of web-based communication tools that centralizes everything in one easy-to-use place.

Vidthere is a live video platform for everyone, featuring loads of internal communications features as well as options to sell and market directly to customers.

With webinars emerging as a key means to engage customers and sell products, Vidthere gives you all the tools to do that from any location. Vidthere offers the opportunity to deliver live video webinars that are easy for both presenters and users. 

Vidthere is entirely web-based, so users never need to download any software to join a Vidthere session. As for sessions, they combine no-lag high-quality performance with the ability to scale to the size of an audience with no video loss. Plus, every Vidthere meeting or webinar has a powerful chat feature so users can engage easily.

As for presenters, Vidthere events support up to 30 meeting participants and an unlimited number of webinar viewers, with options to support screen sharing, video in video presentation, and a whiteboard mode, a full basket of tools to help contour any presentation just the way you want it. Read the rest




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Sport24.co.za | AC Milan announce no first team coronavirus cases

AC Milan have revealed that none of their first-team footballers or staff were positive for coronavirus.




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Article: Marketers Need Artificial Intelligence to Reach the Segment of One

Radoslaw Dobrolecki, US business development director at RTB House, discusses how artificial intelligence can help predict customer behavior at scale.




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Article: What's Behind the Rapid Progress of Advanced Audience Targets in Linear TV

Joshua Summers, CEO of linear television supply-side platform clypd, discusses the major advanced targeting trends expected to infiltrate traditional TV ad buying within the next year.




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Article: Mobile Apps, Influencer Marketing Top Fraud Targets for 2018

Michael Tiffany, co-founder and president of ad verification and fraud prevention firm White Ops, discusses the next evolution of fraudulent practices for 2018.




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Article: How Artificial Intelligence Can Transform the Digital Out-of-Home Marketplace

Omer Golan, founder and CEO of Outernets, discusses how artificial intelligence can improve the digital out-of-home industry.




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Newsroom: eMarketer: Americans’ TV Time Will Grow for First Time Since 2012

Pandemic gives TV viewership boost, but will be short-lived   April 28, 2020 (New York, NY) – As stay-at-home orders remain in effect due to COVID-19, TV viewership and time […]




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Newsroom: eMarketer and Business Insider Intelligence are now Insider Intelligence

May 6, 2020 (New York, NY) – “Insider Intelligence” is being announced today as the brand name of the newly-formed parent company of eMarketer and Business Insider Intelligence (BII), both […]




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6 Ultimate Inca Trail Highlights

One of the most popular hikes in South America, the Inca Trail is definitely the experience of a lifetime. A centuries-old trail, it begins in the ancient Incan capital of Cusco and winds some 88 kilometers to some of the world’s most iconic ruins: Machu Picchu. Of course, the entirety of Inca Trail is absolutely stunning, from stunning snowcapped Andean peaks to centuries-old ruins situated in bucolic river valleys. However, these 5 highlights are truly bound to make your jaw drop.

Wayllabamba. The endpoint of the first day’s trek along the Inca Trail, Wayllabamba, which means “grassy plain” in Quechua, is the perfect spot to watch the sunset behind the dramatic Andean peaks. This grassy plain overlooks a stunning spot of Andean scenery, with centuries-old Incan terraces winding through the surrounding mountainsides. There is even a village nearby where travelers can mingle with local villagers.

Image courtesy of flatfootedadventurer.com

The Valley of Llulluchapampa. Trekkers will start off the first portion of day two of the journey hiking through the picturesque Valley of Llulluchapampa. As you gradually ascend in altitude, you will even be afforded perfect views of stunning snowcapped cliffs.

Image courtesy of Panoramio.com

Runkuracay: This unique oval structure, sometimes colloquially know as the “Egg Hut,” is believed to have been a kind of rest stop for Incan travelers, called a tambo, providing them with a place to spend the night and rest their animals. It is the perfect place to enjoy a mid-hike break and marvel at the beauty of Incan architecture.

Image courtesy of lenstherapy.wordpress.com

Sayacmarca: First discovered by the famous Hiram Bingham when he wandered along a road extending from Machu Picchu, the dramatic Sayacmarca is situated at a fork in an old Incan road in a dense subtropical forest full of butterflies and hummingbirds. Quechua for “Dominant Town,” these unique ruins have an almost mystical air about them and are arguably the most impressive along the Inca Trail (except for Machu Picchu itself, of course!). It is believed that Sayacmarca was actually built by the Colla, a major enemy of the Incas, and that the Incas took over the site following their conquest of the group.

Image courtesy of 4feet2mouths.com

Phuyupatamarca: Dubbed “La Ciudad entre la Niebla” (“The City above the Clouds”), this major archeological site is situated a staggering 3,200 meters above sea level. Apropos to the nickname, Phuyupatamarca is very often surrounded by dense, white clouds. The ruins, dramatically constructed into a steep cliffside, contain five stone baths that fill up with freshwater during the rainy season. It is believed that these baths were used for religious ceremonies. Visitors can also check out the site’s elaborate hydraulic system, a true testament to impressive capabilities of Incan engineering. Of all of the Incan ruins in the region, Phuyupatamarca is arguably the most intact and therefore a truly spectacular site for trekkers passing through.

"Phuyupatamarca (cloud-level town)" by D. Gordon E. Robertson - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons.

Huiñay Huayna (Wiñay Wayna): Huiñay Huayna (traditionally spelled Wiñay Wayna in Quechua, the language of the Incas) was constructed into a steep hillside overlooking the Urubamba River. In addition to the site’s ancient houses and temples, it also boasts an incredibly complex system of Incan terraces, formerly used for agriculture. The name of the site roughly translates to “Forever Young,” and many trekkers report that these ruins are the most beautiful found along the trail.

Image courtesy of http://blog.teara.govt.nz

These are just some of what you will see along the Inca Trail: Learn more about popular Inca Trail itineraries here




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6 Tips and Tricks for Hiking the Inca Trail

My flight was booked! My dream of hiking the Inca Trail, and walking through the sun gate to Machu Picchu was finally becoming a reality. But then, the reality hit me. I have never done an overnight hike before! What do I pack? How do I get into shape? Is it safe? Do I go alone or with a group? As excited as I was, I realized I had a lot of planning ahead of me, but every moment of preparation (and sometimes extreme anxiety) was all worth it. Here are a few tips and tricks that helped me not only survive the Inca Trail, but have the trip of a lifetime!

  1. Find an Incredible Tour Group

Before booking my trip, I was not sure how I felt about going with a tour group. I was worried that traveling with a group of strangers would take away from the trip. However, after plenty of research, I decided to go with Active Adventures on the Ultimate Peru Adventure.

Our trip leader was not only full of helpful and interesting information, but became a friend who gave local tips, and made me feel comfortable and safe. I became close friends with my small tour group of 10 people, and still keep in touch with them. Picking a quality tour group like Active Adventures not only helped take the stress out of travelling logistics, but is truly what made my trip an enjoyable experience. (And for all the foodies out there, our Inca Trail chefs were incredible).

  1. Get Fit

On the Inca Trail we had people of all ages, sizes, and fitness levels. However, I highly recommend preparing your body a little, and familiarizing yourself with how your body reacts to high altitude. But, don’t worry, you don’t need to an extreme amount of training. To prepare, I went on one to two hikes a week, and did plenty of dog walking. My hikes on average ranged from 3 to 7 miles.

However, as fit as you are, everybody reacts differently to altitude. Try finding a hike in your area that has somewhat of a higher altitude. I only had the opportunity to do one higher altitude hike. It was not as high as the Inca Trail, but it still gave me an idea of how my body feels in high altitude. But don’t stress out too much! Your tour leader has helped many people hike the Inca Trail, and will be there to help you if you start to feel sick, or simply need a little extra motivation.

  1. Technology Tools

I am a firm believer in digital detoxing when traveling, but when hiking in the wilderness, it is comforting to know that I have helpful resources at my fingertips if I ever need it. When hiking or traveling, there are always a few resources and apps I like to have on my phone or iTouch to stay safe.

As a traveler, we are more vulnerable to security threats or identity theft on public computers and Wi-Fi. I choose to use a VPN when traveling for Wi-Fi security in hotels, to avoid computer viruses, and to gain access to content that is geo-blocked. For my Inca Trail trek I downloaded the MotionX GPS app. The app supports GPS navigation without the need for cell service. Thankfully our guides kept us on track, but it was comforting knowing that if anything happened, I could use my phone as a backup for navigation help.

  1. Make a Visit to Your Doctor

When traveling anywhere, it is important to check in with your doctor. Different regions of the world may require various vaccinations, or medication. Before visiting your doctor, it is also helpful to do a little bit of your own research as to what medications or vaccinations are needed for travel. Your doctor may be familiar with vaccinations needed for Peru, but you are the only person who knows what your trip will consist of. Be sure to mention to your doctor if you are going to the Peruvian Amazon, or high altitude.

For the Inca Trail I recommend packing the following medications:

-Altitude sickness medication (Acetazolamide)

                       -Imodium

                       -Antibiotics (Ciprofloxacin)

                       -Bug spray (not technically a medication, but important to bring as well)

                       -Ibuprofen (always good to have)

This list is most likely what your doctor will recommend as well, but be sure to do your own research as well. You may need malaria pills or certain vaccinations depending on where else your trip is going, or personal previous medical history.

  1. Pack Light

The hardest part of my trip (aside from trekking up the stairs of the Inca Trail) was packing! There are several limitations on how much you pack on the Inca Trail in order to maintain that porters are being treated fairly and respectfully. Each porter is limited to carrying 20kg. This includes all blankets, clothes, and the porter’s personal belongings. Talk to your Active Adventure tour guide before leaving on your trip to find out up to date information on how much you are able to pack, and information on sleeping bags and pads.

Aside from packing light, there are of course certain items you will want to pack, depending on the time of year your trek is. I used Her Packing List, along with the information provided by Active Adventures to help me in packing everything I need.

  1. Have the Time of Your Life

Last, but not least, be ready to have incredible experiences and memories that will last a life time. When I first booked my trip to Peru and the Inca Trail I had certain expectations and ideas of what the trip would be like. I was looking forward to seeing Machu Picchu, but what I found was that the most memorable and exciting parts of my trip were not necessarily seeing the big tourist spots like Machu Picchu, but the journey getting there, and the unexpected surprises that came along the way. Peru and its people exceeded all expectations, and opened my mind in ways I did not know were possible.

Hi, my name is Jess Signet. My parents were travelers since before I was born. Even in the womb, I was able to travel all over the place! Boy, did things NOT change as I grew older!
Knowing there’s more to the world than the bubble I live in made me want to travel even further. Traveling is my drug and I’m addicted. (Please, no intervention!)

 



  • Hiking and Trekking
  • Tips and Things To Know

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Working remotely builds organizational resiliency

For many, moving from everyone’s-working-from-the-office to everyone’s-working-at-home isn’t so much a transition as it is a scramble. A very how the fuck? moment. That’s natural. And people need time to figure it out. So if you’re in a leadership position, bake in time. You can’t expect people to hit the ground running when everything’s different.… keep reading




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Seamless branch deploys with Kubernetes

Basecamp’s newest product HEY has lived on Kubernetes since development first began. While our applications are majestic monoliths, a product like HEY has numerous supporting services that run along-side the main app like our mail pipeline (Postfix and friends), Resque (and Resque Scheduler), and nginx, making Kubernetes a great orchestration option for us. As you… keep reading




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Employee-surveillance software is not welcome to integrate with Basecamp

We’ve been teaching people how to do remote work well for the better part of two decades. We wrote a whole book about the topic in 2013, called REMOTE: Office Not Required. Basecamp has been a remote company since day one, and our software is sold as an all-in-one toolkit for remote work. Yeah, we’re… keep reading




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At a glance: Best picture films

Part of the Going for gold promo for the BBC UK Homepage




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Resolved: Stop Blaming the Pancake

In a classic bit from an early Seinfeld, Jerry and Elaine are at the airport, trying to pick up the rental car that Jerry had reserved. As usual, things go poorly and get awkward fast:

Seinfeld - "Reservations"

JERRY: I don't understand...I made a reservation. Do you have my reservation?
AGENT: Yes, we do. Unfortunately, we ran out of cars.
JERRY: But, the reservation keeps the car here. That's why you have the reservation.
AGENT: I know why we have reservations.
JERRY: I don't think you do. If you did, I'd have a car. See, you know how to take the reservation--you just don't know how to hold the reservation. And, that's really the most important part of the reservation...the holding. Anybody can just TAKE them. [grabs chaotically at air]

And, how weirdly similar is that to our conflicted relationship with New Year's resolutions?

In Seinfeldspeak?

See, you know how to make the resolution, you just don't know how to keep the resolution. And, that's really the most important part of the resolution...the keeping. Anybody can just MAKE them!

Oversimplified? Probably.

But, ask yourself. Why this? And, why now? Or, why again?

Welcome to Resolvers Anonymous: I'm 'Merlin M.'

A few years ago, I shared a handful of stories on the failures that have led to my own cynicism about the usefulness of life-inverting resolutions. Because, yeah, I've historically been a big resolver.

Here's what I said when I first suggested favoring "Fresh Starts and Modest Changes" over reinventions:

Download MP3 of "Fresh Starts & Modest Changes"

Five years on, I think I probably feel even more strongly about this.

Partly because I've watched and read and heard the cyclical lamentations of folks who decided to use superficial totems (like new calendars) as an ad hoc coach and prime mover. And, partly because, in my capacity as a makebelieve productivity expert, I continue to see how self-defeating it is to pretend that past can ever be less than prologue--that we can each ignore yesterday's weather if we really wish hard enough for a sun-drenched day at the beach.

It simply doesn't work.

Companies that think they'll be Google for buying bagels. Writers who think they'll get published if they order a new pen. Obese people who think they'll become marathon runners if they pick up some new running shoes. And, regular old people with good hearts who continue to confuse new lives with new clothes.

Has this worked before? Can you look back on a proud legacy of successful New Year's resolutions that would suggest you're making serious progress by repeatedly making a list about fundamental life changes while slamming prosecco and wearing a pointy paper hat?

My bet is that most people who are seeing the kind of change and growth and improvement that sticks tend to avoid these sorts of dramatic, geometric attempts to leap blindly toward the mountain of perfection.

I'll go further and say that the repeated compulsion to resolve and resolve and resolve is actually a terrific marker that you're not really ready to change anything in a grownup and sustainable way. You probably just want another magic wand.

Otherwise you'd already be doing the things you've resolved to do. You'd already be living those changes. And, you'd already be seeing actual improvements rather than repeatedly making lists of all the ways you hope your annual hajj to the self-improvement genie will fix you.

Then, of course, we make things way worse by blaming everything on our pancakes.

Regarding "The First Pancake Problem"

Anyone who's ever made America's favorite round and flat breakfast food is familiar with the phenomenon of The First Pancake.

No matter how good a cook you are, and no matter how hard you try, the first pancake of the batch always sucks.

It comes out burnt or undercooked or weirdly shaped or just oddly inedible and aesthetically displeasing. Just ask your kids.

At least compared to your normal pancake--and definitely compared to the far superior second and subsequent pancakes that make the cut and get promoted to the pile destined for the breakfast table--the first one's always a disaster.

I'll leave it to the physicists and foodies in the gallery to develop a unified field theory on exactly why our pancake problem crops up with such unerring dependability. But I will share an orthogonal theory: you will be a way happier and more successful cook if you just accept that your first pancake is and always will be a universally flukey mess.

But, that shouldn't mean you never make another pancake.

So Loud. Then, So Quiet.

I offer all of this because today is January 7th, gang. And, for the past week, all over the web, legions of well-intentioned and seemingly strong-willed humans have been declaring their resolved intention to make this a year of more and better metaphorical pancakes.

And, like clockwork--usually around today or maybe tomorrow--a huge cohort of those cooks will begin to abandon their resolve and go back to thinking all their pancakes have to suck. Just because that first one failed.

And, as is the case every year, online and off, there won't be nearly as many breathless updates to properly bookend how poorly our annual ritual of aspirational change has fared. Which is instructive.

Not because new year's resolutions are a universally bad idea. And, not because Change is Bad. And, not because we should be embarrassed about occasionally falling short of our own (frequently unreasonable) aspirations.

I suspect we tout the resolution, but whisper the failure because we blame the cook. Or, worse, fingers point toward the pancake. Instead of just admitting that the resolution itself was simply unrealistic or fundamentally foreign.

And, that's a shame.

Remember, there's no "I" in "unreasonable"

Granted, I'm merely re-repeating a point I've struggled to make (to both others and myself) for years now. But, it will bear repeating every January in perpetuity.

Resist the urge to pin the fate of things you really care about to anything that's not truly yourself. The "yourself" who has a real life with complicated demands. The "yourself" who's going to face a hard slog trying to fold a new life out of a fresh calendar.

Calendars are just paper and staples. They can't make you care. And they can't help you spin around like Diana Prince, and instantly turn into Wonder Woman. Especially, if you're not already a hot and magical Amazon princess.

First, be reasonable. Don't set yourself up for failure by demanding things that you've never come close to achieving before. I realize this is antithetical to most self-improvement bullshit, but that's exactly the point. If you were already a viking, you wouldn't need to build a big boat. Start with where you are right now. Not with where you wish you'd been.

Also, accept that the first pancake will always suck. Hell, if you've never picked up a spatula before, be cool with the fact that your first hundred pancakes might suck. This is, as I've said, huge. Failure is the sound of beginning to suck a little less.

And, finally, also be clear about the sanity of the motivations underlying your expectations--step back to observe what's truly broken, derive a picture of incremental success that seems do-able, and really resolve to do whatever you can realistically do to actually get better. Rather than "something something I suddenly become all different."

At this point, you have logistical options for both execution and troubleshooting:

  • Make a modest plan that you can envision actually doing without upending your real life;
  • Build more sturdy scaffolding for sticking with whatever plan you've chosen;
  • Make a practice of learning to not mind the duds--including those messed-up first pancakes;
  • Or--seriously?--just accept that you never really cared that much about making breakfast in the first place. Care is not optional.

Otherwise, really, you'd never need to resolve to do anything. You'd already just be cooking a lot. Instead of being all mad and depressed about not cooking.

But, please. All I really ask of you. Don't blame the pancake. It's not really the pancake's fault.

Like me, the pancake just wants you to be happy. This and every other new year.


Resolved: Stop Blaming the Pancake” was written by Merlin Mann for 43Folders.com and was originally posted on January 07, 2011. Except as noted, it's ©2010 Merlin Mann and licensed for reuse under CC BY-NC-ND 3.0. "Why a footer?"





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