San Francisco is a beautiful, world class city. There are numerous museums, places of nature beautiful, great food, and well known tourist spots. You could easily spend several weeks exploring San Francisco and only scratch the surface. The SF City Pass can be a good … “San Francisco”
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Part of my visiting northern California series. I would recommend taking two days to explore the area around Monterey. If you had a lot of time you could make it a four day leg and continue down Route 1 to Hearst Castle / San Simeon, … “Monterey Penisula & Big Sur”
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The Monta Loma (MLN) neighborhood was constructed in the 1950s as affordable housing in a “California Modern” style by three different developers. It’s on the northern end of Mountain View, adjacent to Palo Alto, and Los Altos. The neighborhood is bordered by the roads San … “Monta Loma Neighborhood and the Mid-Penisula”
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Items that I removed from my personal gear list because we have them for the general family. This list is incomplete. I plan to make a complete list in 2020. Electronics Google WiFi Mesh network access points easily install and just work when you have an … “Family Gear 2019”
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Weight of Glory is a sermon delivered by C.S. Lewis in the Church of St Mary the Virgin, Oxford. The sermon was first published in THEOLOGY, November, 1941, and by the S.P.C.K, 1942. This and several other pieces by Lewis were combined in the book also called The … “Weight of Glory”
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The following are notes I am pulling together for myself which might be useful to others who are considering walking The Way of Saint James. I had hoped to walk the Camino de Santiago in 2020, but that didn’t happen for obvious reasons. I am … “Camino de Santiago”
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In 2001 I created a list I called “Books that Changed Me.” Alas, the title of that list should have been “Books I Recommend“. While I believe the books in that list are worth reading, I can’t honestly say most of them have changed me. I made … “Books that Really Changed Me”
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Not a week goes by when Jackie and I don’t have a serious argument…. and I am so thankful for this because our arguments grow our understanding and character. The root of our arguments is often that we see the world from different perspectives. As … “The Joy of a Good Argument”
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Every Saturday Jackie and I take at least a couple hours to walk in one of the parks in our area or we might be further afield at some state or national park. Within a few minutes of beginning our walk I can feel myself … “Get Outdoors”
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Today there is a wide range of ultralight shelters including traditionally designed tents using exotic materials to move them into the ultralight weight classification. Many of the ultralight shelter designs came from people’s experiences on long thru hikes combined with a desire to find the … “Tarp-tents and Other Ultralight Shelters”
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Originally Published in 1991Minor updates in 2000, 2017, and 2021 “How many IT staff does an organization need?” is a commonly asked and difficult to answer question. There is no magic ratio. There is no ideal staffing level. The appropriate number of a staff depends … “Estimating IT Staffing”
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I tend to prefer mildly spicy food with complex combinations of tastes. Southwest, Mexican, Indian, Thai, Fusion, Californian, and especially Pacific Rim. I can enjoy classic French and Vietnamese, but the subtlety is sometimes lost on me. Great meals involve more than food. It also … “Great Meals”
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Today I was deeply sadden by the news that Doug Goins had succumbed to his three year struggle with cancer. Like many people, and especially Candy, I will miss him, and look forward to seeing him in the next life. As I pedaled my way … “A Tribute to Doug”
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We live an an era which encourage us to consume ever more products, always looking for what would be better than what we have. I strive to be content with adequate shelter, clothing, and food and grateful for the material possessions which grace my life. One … “Retro on from my Shopping Diet”
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Over the last six years I have tried to answer the question “What is a Healthy Lifestyle?”. The following is a brief summary of what I have learned. By applying these principles I am in better condition in my late 50s than I was for … “Health and Fitness in One Page”
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Great Stuff for Me and Maybe You. The complete list of gear and clothing for my life in 2018. I have an updated this year’s gear. Minimalism led me to simplify my stuff, keeping just the items that are regularly used and give me joy. I considered … “Gear in 2018”
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Francis Schaeffer observed that we live in a world that worships “personal peace and affluence”. Our culture tells us that we should put comfort above all else which leads to a self centered life. Advertisers buy our attention to convince us more stuff will make … “Simplifying Stuff”
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I am not a sound engineer or music producer. I do consider myself am an audiophile because I really care about the sound qualty of the music I listen to, but unlike some audiophiles, the audio equipment is only a means to an end and … “Mark’s Audiophile Journey”
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