Moving to a Mac
Update: A Month with A Mac can be found here. Am I trendy or smart? Probably a bit of both but using Apple computers is not new to me. You see, I bought an Apple II in 1977 when I was a junior in College getting my EE Degree. As I was being was interviewed by my local newspaper, the Memphis Commercial Appeal, as an oddity for owning a computer; the reporter asked me all the normal questions but never really understood why I needed a “personal computer”. How times have changed! Upon taking a job with HP, I had no choice but to use Windows based PC for the next 30 years at work and thus it followed to use them at home as well. However with early retirement, never ending Window updates and crashes and impossible upgrades to the next version; it was time to come home. Last year I bought a MacBook to replace my Windows Notebook and the Apple Time Capsule with Apple TV combo to serve as a music server and wireless router. They have worked flawlessly. So after a never-ending series of blue screens on my 3 year-old Dell, the always running noisy fan on the 4 year-old HP and Microsoft’s byzantine upgrade process from XP to Windows 7 it was time to upgrade the PCs. I ordered a 21.5” and 27” iMac from the online store and they arrived a few days later. Each one was packed in a single box complete with a carrying handle. In less than 3 minutes they were unpacked, on the desk and the old PCs relegated to the basement for migration purposes. The Hardware Elegant, stunning, beautiful and it simply works. I have always admired excellent industrial design and these new iMacs are superior examples – full stop. No ugly grey bay on the floor, clumsy monitor stand and important to me – no tangle of wires. And it is eerily quiet. When I first saw the tiny keyboard, I thought that this would be a problem – no keypad, no dedicated hot keys for apps, etc. But as I type this post, it is a work of art. Simple, functional, stylish – just what I need nothing more, nothing less. And then the mouse. After years of several mice with multiple keys, wheels, shapes and sizes; the new “magic mouse” looked like a Miss Universe contestant after all the work – slick with just the right amount of curves. It moves easily, clicks soundly and has the gestures of a trackpad – another winner from Apple. Snow Leopard OS X Apple is known for outstanding software and this operating system meets that standard – stable, invisible and simply works. While I keep thinking I need to invoke cntrl-alt-del to look at some kind of system activity – I don’t. The Leopard found my other iMacs, PowerBook, iPhones, Apple TV, Time Capsule and even the Windows PCs. It took a tiny bit of direction but overall I had five computers, two iPhones, server and router all talking within a hour – something I never accomplished with Windows Home Networking. And it is now backing everything up hourly – invisible to me. What about the data? This was a huge concern for me. Hello, my name is Alan and I am a data pack rat. My Outlook file is 1.5GB ( yeah I keep everything) with thousands of emails and attachments. Over 30,000 digital pictures at 94GB, a few videos at 2GB and 3000 songs in lossless at 108GB. There is more but you get the idea. I bought a utility from Little Machines, O2M, for $10 that automatically converted all my Outlook messages, contacts and appointments Apple’s mbox format. Next, I copied them all to the new iMac via the network and well, mission accomplished. The data transfer was complete within the couple of hours it took to physically move the bits. Could not have been easier. And the Apps So far, this was too easy. And after 30 years in hi-tech I knew the bear was in the trees sizing me up. I had used iTunes for years so this was not a worry. I had become an Outlook expert over the years but of some concern were my apps to manage my pictures and website. You Have Mail So it was with a nervous twitch, I started Apple’s email program – “mail” (branding geniuses at Apple) and imported my decade of emails. They were all there, albeit not in the same hierarchical folder structure I had, but there nonetheless. Contacts and appointments moved to their new homes effortlessly. Connecting my POP mailboxes was drop-dead simple. I was back online just in time! Cue the Music iTunes was up next. I copied my iTunes folder from my MacBook to my new iMac – iTunes found it and I was in business. My iPhone didn’t like that I was on a new computer and required me to download my apps again from the iTunes store just to prove I was legal – how dare they? But that took a few minutes. I did lose my music on my iPhone and have to figure a way to down sample them from lossless to smaller file sizes to get most of my songs on my 14GB iPhone but this is a small concern as I already transferred my favorite playlist. My iPhone was ready to go. Lights, Action, Camera Next was iPhoto and the bear emerged. OK, so maybe this is a case of old dogs learning new tricks but I have been using Picasa for years to organize my photo collection. It imports from my digital cameras easily, has excellent basic editing capability,uploads to sharing sites and I understand how it organizes the image library – iPhoto did some of this. But most disturbing was that I was missing pictures during the import and iPhoto insisted on creating what it called “events” thus breaking up my albums.
ing Climbing Gear Online
Everybody wants a deal. Houses, cars, beer and of course, climbing gear. Thus an entire industry has emerged over the years to serve this “price sensitive” market online. After all why pay $500 for that down jacket you need – yes you need it – instead of say, $99? I know I most of my gear online these days. It is safe, easy and convenient. I have about 5o gear sites bookmarked and check them all when looking at a big . I have my favorites sites like Mountain Gear, Spadout and I have come to use Backcountry’s Steep and Cheap more often than I should – more on that later. Obviously the biggest benefit of shopping online is the ability to compare prices – if you know what you want. And the manufactures’ sites provide excellent descriptions so if you are looking to upgrade or replace an item, there is no need to actually visit the store – unless you are unsure about sizing; especially footwear. Most sites have excellent return policies to encourage us to press that ” now” button so the risk of being stuck is low. Let’s take a look at these online gear retailers and see if they really offer a good deal – for you. Full Line, Full Service, Full Prices The first tier are full service, full line sites that have real humans answering the phone, fair return polices, excellent product descriptions and the capability to compare multiple selections – all this is the bare minimum. Sites I would put here include: Altrec Backcountry Moosejaw Mountain Gear REI We Don’t Do That Then there are the more narrow sites specializing in a certain aspect of climbing: Mountain Tools – pro, tools, ropes, shoes, etc. Climbing Gear – pro, tools, ropes, shoes, etc. ProLite Gear – lightweight backpacking GoLite – Adventure racing, lightweight gear The Mother Ships Of course, there are the manufacturer’s sites. This is where it all begins and an excellent source of first hand product information including construction materials, country of origin and the full catalog. I have found that many of the general sites simply use the same product description from the manufacturers but here you can see their full line and are not limited to what the reselling site carries. Some of the favorites out there include: Arctryx Black Diamond Feather Friends First Ascent Marmot Mountain Hardwear Patagonia Outdoor Research The North Face Yea, But Where’s the Deal? Ah, the DISCOUNTERS! This is what you were waiting for, I know 🙂 All the other sites previously listed have plenty of s and some have dedicated outlets (REI, MooseJaw) and others have frequent holiday and weekend s (Mountain Gear). However, the selection is usually very narrow with limited sizes XXS and XXL in Neon Orange so getting what you want is rare. Finding the Deal These next sites have made discounting into an art form. Steep and Cheap, part of Backcountry.com, has a loyal following for good reasons: great prices and outstanding customer service but only offer a handful of items each day. I use their notification slider on my PC that shows new deals frequently throughout every day. If it interest you, simply click on the slider which takes you to their web-page with that product. But you have to act quickly since the section is often limited in styles and quantity. Two new discount sites launched this week both using an interesting approach of having to be invited to join before entering the site. But I requested an invite and quickly received them. The Clymb is using social networking on twitter and Facebook plus the limited access to build momentum. They launched with a of Ice Breaker wool tops and now are in the middle of a 3 day Sunoto watch . In addition to discounted prices, they have a green theme that encourage ers to reduce their carbon footprint. The other new entry, is from Backcountry.com and is called Department of Goods. Instead of a limited offering or a short time based of a single item, this site has a full line of products at good discounts -albeit without all sizes and styles available. They have a nice deal of comping your 10th ! Steep and Cheap The Clymb -invitation only Department of Goods – invitation only I Need a Sherpa! All this can be time consuming and very confusing so a few sites offer a shopping service. The one I have found is Spadout . They have a nice search engine, community and some reviews. If they have what you want, simply ask the site to show the prices from multiple sites and even to monitor it if the price drops. It is a great way of getting the deal you want without spending days switching between sites. Another version on this theme is from Gear Attack and Google’s Shopping or Ebay but they lack the sophistication of Spadout. A Test Drive So, let’s do some shopping. Here is my shopping basket with the list price from the manufacturer’s website: Mountain Hardwear Men’s Sub Zero SL Hooded Down $275 Mammut Infinity 9.5mm Single Rope $229 North Face Dark Star 0 degree sleeping bag $299 Black Diamond Bibler FitzRoy Tent $699 I won’t bore you with all the details but after getting calluses on my finger tips after searching all the sites mentioned in this post for my shopping list, I found that almost every site offered every item at list price – so where are the deals? By using Spadout, I found some sites I was not aware of such as Sunny Sports. While I did not actually order any item, I completed the checkout process to see if the final price was what was advertised and it was. But I have no idea of return policies, accuracy in shipping dates so it remains er beware for site new to you. Here are the results: Mammut Rope FitzRoy Tent North Face Bag MH Jacket Altrec
Random: NYC Marathon, Chinese Alz, Pumori
A wonderfully inspirational story- Meb Keflezighi wins the NY Marathon Tough season on Pumori-no summits from Peak Freak in spite of a leading great effort and the Hanesbrand test team . Success on Ama Dablam: IMG with no drama The Alzheimer’s Association site is now in Chinese, drugstore Korean and Vietnamese. Interesting analysis of Colorado’s recent huge snow storm, impact on climbing conditions in RMNP 6 Early avalanches in the Colorado high country Found in Antarctica: two cases MacKinlay’s Scotch Whisky from 1908 Ernest Shackleton’s South Pole team United Airline’s last 737 flight Diamox – The Altitude Wonder Drug? Maybe. Maybe not.
Why I Climb
Why do you climb? An age-old question first publicly asked in the 1920s of George Mallory during his attempts on Everest. His incredibly complex or dismissive answer was “Because it is there.” Similar to mine and no less understood by strangers, acquaintances, friends and some of my family. To see the sun rise before it does. To understand fellow climbers in an accelerated environment. An alternative to the day-to-day world. To see if you can do it. To spend time with yourself and see if you are really whom you think you are. To discover your limits. Climbing captures the allure and mystery of life for me. First there is the peacefulness of being high on a mountain as the sun peaks around the Earth. Then there is the camaraderie of friends being roped together as they work up a mountain not as individuals but as a team. Finally, there is the challenge of taking a step on a steep slope knowing that a mistake could be deadly but the next step will be rewarding. After six weeks of climbing up and down the Khumbu Icefall, Western Cwm and Lhotse Face, I leaned heavily on my right knee. My headlamp showed pure white snow at my foot – a sharp contrast to my bright yellow boots. I felt another wave coming over me. I gagged once again and struggled for breath. Even with my oxygen bottle turned on, I was having serious difficulties at 27,200′ on Mt. Everest. After a quiet discussion with myself, I turned around to return to the South Col and Camp 4. My 2002 summit of Everest would have to wait. A test of my body or of my mind? continue reading “Why I Climb”
Dear Santa
Dear Santa, I know these are tough economic times with unemployment nearing 10%, Wall Street bonuses less than $5 million (each) this Christmas – and – well, Santa, you know all this already. But I need, yes need, more climbing gear. I knew you would understand with all those chimneys out there. Santa, I am going back to the big mountains over the next couple of years and I gave away some of my old gear to the Sherpas on my last Everest trip so I need to replace them. I have tried to be good this year, except for watching too much cable news programs – never could figure out those guys so I switched to the real Housewives – they somehow seemed more in touch. Sorry Santa, I digress. I need some boots, a new sleeping bag and that new cool SPOT thing. Also some magazines would be nice. Anyway, if you could have one of your Elves click on this link, she will find my list. Thanks Santa and Sleigh on! Alan
Follow Your Dreams
Setting hard goals and working towards them often defines part of human existence. Two of my friends did just that this week. Jim Davidson summited Cho Oyu and John Little his first 14er. I am so proud of both of my friends. In Jim’s blog he wrote: “I began to wonder what climbing to such great heights would be like, how one got to go on such an adventure, and, dare I say it, if even I might be able to go someday. A dream was born.” I trained with Jim and saw his plan evolve, his desire grow and his resolve strengthen. And he stood on the summit of the 26,907 Tibetan peak, 6th highest on earth, on September 24th. I can’t wait to hear the stories. John Little set a goal few of his Houston friends understood – to stand on top of a Colorado 14er. John saw climbing as a way to improved health and worked hard to reach his dream. His first attempt was thwarted by a combination of factors including a deep and soft spring snow pack but also, his understanding of the challenge. Not one to surrender, he continued to train. He wrote on his Never Stop Climbing website: “You can learn a lot from falling face first in deep snow every 30 seconds for hours on end. So, the plan now is to take those lessons and return to Belford-Oxford in early October” I was honored to climb with John to the top of the 14,197′ Mt. Belford. He worked hard and pushed his ever expanding limits. He stood on the top. Sadly another story this week ended in triumph and tragedy. 71 year-old Clifton Maloney died after his summit of Cho Oyu. My condolences to his friends, family and guide. He was an avid climber who loved the challenge. Reportedly his last words were: “I am the happiest man in the world. I just climbed a beautiful mountain.” My experience has been there are three themes to accomplishing a big goal: 1. Make it bigger than you think you can do 2. Do the hard work of detailed preparation 3. Never abandon your dream My sincere congratulations to Jim, John and Clifton. You lived your dream. Climb On! Alan
Welcome to the new Blog
I have traditionally used this space for posting dispatches during my mountaineering expeditions and for updates on Alzheimer’s news and my fund raising activities. That will remain.
A Look Back at 2008 and Ahead
Happy New Year! With the holidays upon us, I wanted to send out a greeting along with an Alzheimer’s update and a look back at an exciting year in climbing. Alzheimer’s Disease – Progress but More Needed 2008 was the culmination for my Memories are Everything: The Road Back to Mount Everest project. This year long journey included 5 climbs ending with another attempt on Everest – all to raise awareness and funds for Alzheimer’s research. While I didn’t summit Everest, we did raise over $25, click 000 for the Cure Alzheimer’s Fund (CAF) – and that I am more proud of than an Everest summit. My Mom, who has Alzheimer’s, continues to decline. Just today I spoke with her and she didn’t remember my visit just a few weeks ago. She didn’t know that my Brother was there right now. She didn’t remember that her sister, Christine, had died of Alzheimer’s earlier this year. At one point in the conversation she asked, “How many people are in your family?” It is heartbreaking to watch her just slip away – not knowing what is happening to her – not knowing that she will probably die a horrible death when her brain ‘forgets’ how to swallow. I am very frustrated that I cannot help her. There is no cure for Alzheimer’s. There is no way to tell if you have it until it is too late. This is why the research is so critical. However, important progress was made this year. A CAF funded project identified four genes that may significantly increase the risk of the most common form of late-onset Alzheimer’s. But the epidemic continues to moves quickly – a new case is diagnosed every 71 seconds and with the baby-boomer generation aging, the number of victims will become staggering as will the costs. So I continue to speak to anyone who will listen to this story – schools, foundations, companies. I recently entered into a discussion with the Alzheimer’s Association, the largest non-profit for Alzheimer’s. In addition to funding research they also serve as an invaluable resource for families and caregivers on education and assistance to help deal with their Alzheimer’s challenges. Like the CAF, it is a wonderful organization that I hope to work closer with over the years. Climbing – Climb On! I had a great year in the mountains in 2008. In January, I climbed Aconcagua (Argentina) and Orizaba (Mexico) in preparation for my Everest expedition in April and May. As many of you know, I did not summit for the third time but found a sense of satisfaction (and disappointment) at 27,500′ (8200m) in that I did my absolute . As looked over the highest peaks of the world that night of May 21st, I knew the reason for my climb was not to stand on the summit but for a higher purpose – and I had achieved that goal. Once I returned home and rested up, I spent the rest of the summer climbing my Colorado 14ers with my friends and knocked off another eleven peaks making my total 40 of the 56. However to be honest, while I love my 14ers, I still hear the call of the big Hills 🙂 Tragedy on K2 Climbing is a complicated endeavor. When you summit, you think about the next peak. And if you don’t you sometimes think about retuning. And for some climbers, it seems this conundrum does not end until the mountain takes your life. I lost a good friend, Gerard McDonnell, to K2 in July. Along with 10 other climbers, he died on the second highest mountain. The details are still unfolding but it is known that Ger was killed by an avalanche after summitting. He was the first Irishman to summit K2. He spent his last breaths trying to help three Koreans tangled in the fixed lines at 8200 meters – a true hero. 2009 – Big Plans in the Making I have big plans for this next year. I am looking at another big project to raise money for Alzheimer’s. However the scale of this project is quite large and I need significant assistance to pull it off. So I will spend 2009 ing out researchers, foundations, companies and anyone who will be receptive to try to launch the project in 2010. I hope to announce more details in January or February along with an invitation for anyone to join me. If you are interested in an early preview or want to help, please contact me. OK, that’s about it. 2008 has been one for the record books in many ways – the economy, the election, research breakthroughs, my own climbs and more. Yes, not every goal was achieved but so such progress was made that 2008 has to be considered a successful year. And I am optimistic that 2009 will be even better. I will continue to keep this website current including my coverage of the 2009 Everest climbing season and send the occasional update throughout the year. And as always, send me note and let me know what you think or if you have any questions or comments. I enjoy hearing from everyone. Please don’t forget that you can always make a donation to Alzheimer’s research either to the Cure Alzheimer’s Fund or the Alzheimer’s Association. Any amount is sincerely appreciated. Please remember: Memories are Everything. Climb On! Alan
Climbing News plus New Climbing Picture Galleries
With summer winding down, shop I thought it was time for an update on the climbing season, my recent climbs and photography plus an exciting opportunity occurring this Sunday. Fall Himalaya Season September brings the Himalaya climbing season back into focus with expeditions to Cho Oyu, Shisha Pangma and more big Hills. But the red tape now required to climb in Tibet has caused many companies to stay in Nepal on mountains such as Manaslu and Ama Dablam. Teams have been surprised by new permit requirements, staffing requirements and travel restrictions to enter Tibet. All this resulted in just a few western teams on Cho Oyu and none on Shisha Pangma (yet) this year. Last year Cho saw over 20 expeditions and hundreds of climbers while I was over on a fairly crowded Shisha Pangma. Olympic Torch on Everest Revisited The Beijing Olympics came and went without any mention of the Olympic torch summit on Everest back in May. I found this surprising given all the problems it created for Everest climbers. It will be interesting to see how Everest shapes up next spring. Word has it the Chinese will close it completely or severely limit the number of north side climbers. They say it is being closed for ‘cleaning’. I am hosting a discussion of Everest 2009 on my Climbing Forum and will do my regular armchair coverage starting next year. Colorado 14ers Back here in Colorado, I have been climbing more of my 14ers. It has been a great summer of climbing with my regular partners Patrick and Robert. Thus far I have 11 new summits in 2008. I have now climbed 40 of the 54 official peaks. My favorites this year were the climbs of Crestone Needle and Wetterhorn Peak. All of the climbs have their own page with my trip report and pictures of the climb. New Climbing Galleries I have also been busy updating the pictures and videos on my website. Thus far there are new galleries for: Everest Cho Oyu Shisha Pangma Ama Dablam Longs Peak And a collection of my Favorite Shots The new presentations have a nice slide show feature plus more detailed captions and descriptions. You can access all of these from my homepage. National Alzheimer’s Day Finally I want to bring your attention to National Alzheimer’s Day this Sunday, September 21 sponsored by the Alzheimer’s Association. They will be matching all donations up to $250,000 on a dollar for dollar basis. This is a great opportunity to make your year-end donation. I am still climbing. In fact I will be doing some rock and snow/ice climbing over the next few days in Rocky Mountain National Park. Maybe we will get one more14er in before the heavy snows begin (we saw 2 feet one day in August in the Park!) and I still need to get my annual summit of Longs Peak completed. I hope your autumn goes well and are living each day to the fullest. Climb On! Alan
Invitation to the Everest Presentations
Hello, As I mentioned a few dispatches ago, I will be speaking in California and Colorado and hope that you can join me at one of these events. In particular, it would be great to see you at the luncheon on Tuesday, March 4. Regular readers already know that I am returning to Mt. Everest in April 2008 for a special cause that I am very passionate about. I will be attempting the north side with a small team. I have been training extensively for the past year with climbs on Denali, Shisha Pangma, Aconcagua and Orizaba. However, This is more than just about climbing mountains. The Road Back to Mt. Everest: Memories are Everything is my year long journey to raise awareness and $100,000 for Alzheimer’s research. My partner in this endeavor is the Cure Alzheimer’s Fund. Please see the invitation below with all the details. Here is a summary of these events: March 3rd 7:00PM – Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati (open to the public) March 4rd 12 Noon – Decathlon Club, Santa Clara CA (by this invitation only) March 4th 7:00PM – Decathlon Club, Santa Clara CA (open to the public) In addition to these events, I will be presenting with Ryan Waters of Mountain Professionals on March 13th 8:00M at Neptune Mountaineering in Boulder CO. This is open to the public. I understand that many of you do not live in California, Colorado or even the U.S. so please feel free to forward this on to someone you may know in those areas. Please RSVP to Katie Cutler. I hope you will come along on this journey. As usual I will be posting dispatches frequently during the Everest climb. You can sign up for notification on my dispatch page. Climb On! Alan Please Join Us for a Unique Luncheon Memories Are Everything Climbing Mt. Everest to Cure Alzheimer’s Disease Tuesday, March 4 at 12 Noon Decathlon Club 3250 Central Expressway, Santa Clara Tickets $60 (half of which will go to support Alzheimer’s research) RSVP to Katie: kcutler@curealzfund.org or 781-237-3800 We hope you can join us for an intimate gathering to learn about Alan Arnette’s incredible mountaineering experience. To learn more about Alan, visit his website: www.alanarnette.com. Please forward this information or let us know of other friends in the area who would be interested in learning about Memories are Everything or Cure Alzheimer’s Fund. If you cannot attend the luncheon, we will also be having two receptions open to the general public, March 3rd 7:00 PM Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati 950 Page Mill Road, Palo Alto, CA Phone 650-493-9300 March 4th 7:00 PM Decathlon Club 3250 Central Expressway Santa Clara, CA Phone 408-738-2582 Cure Alzheimer’s Fund is a 501c3 non-profit corporation with Federal Tax ID# 52-2396428. Wines from: Please RSVP to Katie Cutler.