As part of its strategy to face competition, Costa Rican Electricity Institute (ICE) is promoting an ambitious process and technological change to improve customer service.

The lifesaver would be a program called Plan of Development for Systems Supporting Business Operations (PESSO), whose implementation is in a race against time in Costa Rica.

PESSO includes seven projects that seek integrated solutions and represent an investment of $150 million.  The first phase should be ready in February.

“If we cannot complete this program, we will not exist.  That is how radical it is,” said Javier Leon, program director.

Leon explained that ICE currently has a potpourri of applications that reflects how the entity has been evolving with respect to technologies in Costa Rica.

Such applications were integrated with high difficulty.  However, they did not produce the expected results and they have huge support costs.

“This gives us an inadequate response for customers.  As we are now, if the competition offers the customer a product and ICE wants to react, it cannot do so in the time required.  Sometimes it can even take years to do so, so we need proper solutions,” he added.

ICE has lost more than ¢1,900 billion in the migration to SIMO and Gitel phone billing systems without positive results.  Among the problems in the current arrangement is that the platforms are proprietary or closed (dependent on a manufacturer to extend or renew).  This prevents the development of those applications in Costa Rica.

In addition, there is no data integrity.  This implies, for example, that if a customer purchases a service, it is recorded on one platform, but it is billed on another.  Ideally, everyone involved in providing the service should have a single view of the customer.

One of the main changes introduced by PESSO is that it is focused on the customer and not on the services.

PESSO projects include:  Customer Relationship Management (CRM), Planning and Network Design, Management Resources and Services, Income and Supply Chain Management, Vertical Billing and Business Applications.

The first and most urgent one is CRM, which focuses on the knowledge of the customers’ needs, service delivery and customer support.  Its implementation began in mid-2009 and it should end in February.

Meanwhile, Vertice, which includes the design and configuration of services, resource supplies, shipping and insurance, was launched this year and it will be finished by 2011 in Costa Rica.

Vertical Billing, which aims for an integrated billing solution for services, will be completed next year, while planning, network design and business applications projects are in the process of procurement and design.

According to Leon, this is not a software purchase, but complete business solutions.

With these projects, ICE is looking for a rapid introduction of new services and capabilities to respond effectively and flexibly to market, customer and competitive changes in Costa Rica.

Here is the debut of Lindsay Carl’s X-Files review on Heath’s World.  Lindsay is a Film List podcast listener who has sent me some great genre Top 10 lists.  AS we continued to talk, she has recently started to watch the X-Files.  Oh yes, for the first time!  To get a fresh perspective on the amazing TV series, I asked Lindsay to write her thoughts as she explores each season.  Lindsay will contribute to Heath’s World as she completes each viewing of an X-Files season. 

Remember, there are a lot of X-Files fans out there.  Especially the ones who watched the show from the beginning.  So for someone watching the show for the first time in 2009, it may not have the same effect.  Or will it?  So go easy.  But all is fair in love and the X-Files.  And remember, the truth is out there……

Lindsay is the first blogger I have brought on to the site.  So check out her debut below, X-Files Review : Fresh Eyes.

LINDSAY’S X-FILES SEASON 1 REVIEW :

I am thrilled that Heath asked me to contribute to his blog in
discussing my first viewing of The X-Files. So first things first:
Heath, thank you for the opportunity, and for suggesting this show to
me in the first place!

*Note: I apologize in advance for my love of commas, semicolons,
parenthesis, brutal honesty, and sarcasm =)

I began watching Season 1 this of The X-Files this October, not
knowing much about the show other than what the title suggests. In the
pilot episode, I got a better feel of what the premise would be: Agent
Fox Mulder (probably the coolest name ever, next to Wolfgang Puck) is
an FBI special agent who has been assigned a special set of
unexplained or mysterious cases called the X-Files. Agent Dana Scully
is assigned to work with him on these cases, but is a woman of
science, and completely opposes belief in the supernatural. This
premise alone struck interest in me.

The first unavoidable thing I noticed was how dated it was; in
quality, special effects, and the atrocious 90’s attire. But this is
entirely my fault for watching it a decade too late, I suppose. My
first reaction: Ahhh! Fox Mulder’s hair is SO 90’s that it hurts. And
don’t even get me started on Dana Scully’s dated, shoulder-padded
trench coat. But once I got past that, it got better.

A suggestion to any other new, first-time watchers, DO NOT base your
opinions on the Pilot; or the first several episodes for that matter.
Here are some episodes that really stood out to me (for better or
worse):

Deep Throat (Ep.2) – I wasn’t a big fan of the pilot, but this
episode was far more my style. I have a special place in my heart for
government conspiracies, and this one delves into the possibility that
the government is already WELL aware of UFOs, to the point where
similar vehicles are being tested at an air force base.

Conduit (Ep. 3) – Not much to say about this one. It was a little
TOO sci-fi for me; definitely straddled the line between sci-fi and
ridiculous. But seeing ‘Horace Goodspeed’ made me smile.

Ghost in the Machine (Ep. 7) – I watched this one twice. The first
time, it didn’t keep my attention at all. But I really liked it the
second time. It reminded me of ‘Wargames’, which is one of my favorite
movies of all time. I love the idea of computers becoming so highly
intelligent that they can outsmart humans. We can certainly see this
happening now: computers get smarter, and people get dumber =)

ICE (Ep. – This was by far my favorite of the entire season. I
liked that it had the sci-fi aspect, but the idea of a creepy
prehistoric parasitic outbreak really isn’t beyond the realm of
reality.

EVE (Ep. 11) – I wanted to like this episode. I really did. But it
was just way too unrealistic for me. And the acting of those little
girls just got under my skin.

Gender Bender (Ep. 14) – As much as I disliked EVE for being too
unrealistic, on the contrary, I loved this one. The creep-factor was
awesome! There is something extremely disturbing to me about a group
of people who live outside of society, but in a good way. This episode
really pulled it off.

Shapes (Ep. 19) – For what it’s worth, I really noticed a big shift
in acting abilities with the characters in this episode. They cast the
supporting actors very well, which is something I kind of had a
problem with in past episodes. I also had big laughs when Mulder and
Scully tried saying ‘Mr. Goodensnake’ with a completely serious face.
Also, when the famous LOST line, “DON’T TELL ME WHAT I CAN’T DO!!!”
made a cameo.

Darkness Falls (Ep. 20) – I loved this episode for the same reason I
loved ‘ICE’. The realism in the idea that insects could take over the
world. I am actually surprised they haven’t already! Very good concept
overall.

Tooms (Ep. 21) – At first, I felt cheated when I realized that this
was a ‘part 2’ of a previous episode. But I enjoyed this episode much
more than its previous counterpart. They go a little deeper into the
relationship between Mulder and Scully on a much more personal level.
Scully showed a lot more personality than in episodes passed. Also
Tooms licking his fingers after picking up that decomposing rat:
grossest thing EVER! It was awesome.

The Erlenmeyer Flask (Finale) – This episode certainly hooked me,
for sure. It ended with an excellent cliffhanger, and it left me
wanting to see more. And again, the government conspiracy plot was
really interesting to me. The ONLY part I disliked was seeing the
monkey in cages, which made me shed a tiny tear. I also noticed that
the intro was different. Usually, the words “The Truth is Out There”.
In this episode, it said “Trust No One”. If this was an attempt to
peak interest in the viewer, it certainly worked for me. It leaves me
wondering if maybe season 2 will have this ‘trust no one’ theme. But I
guess we will see!

There are some general qualms I had with the show. First, I do not
understand this desexualization of Scully. She is a gorgeous woman,
and it seems as though they completely disregard this. She is always
so serious, unfeminine, unemotional, and ‘all business, all the time’,
it’s sometimes hard to watch. But I did notice that she breaks out of
her ‘beige trenchcoat’ of a shell  a little more at the end, and I
really hope her character develops a little more going forward.

The constant ‘serious-face’ glances between Mulder and Scully in every
episode EVERY time someone else is talking is a bit much. I understand
they are trying to dramatize the situation, but it’s overkill at
times. The fact that I watched two or three episodes at time may
contribute to this, making it seem like it happens a lot more often
than it really does.

And as I had mentioned before, the acting was often pretty horrible.
Although I could tell that Duchovny and Anderson are getting a lot
more comfortable in their roles and with each other toward the
seasons’ end. However, the rest of the casting could still use a
little work. I am guessing that the funding for the show will increase
in seasons to come, and better actors can be afforded.

I know, I know. I have a lot of complaints. I guess this might come
from the fact that I have been exposed to LOST which is the best show
in the universe. Yes, the UNIVERSE (What’s that saying about filet
mignon and bologna?) BUT alas, I am very excited to get into season 2
and continue watching. It is overall a very interesting concept as a
whole, and extremely entertaining. And I am confident that some, if
not all of the issues I do have with the show will be eliminated as
the series progresses.

Thanks for reading!
~Lindsay (youllshootyoureyeout)

(italiatv.it)  Le relazioni fra le imprese e lo scambio di informazioni fra aziende anche di Paesi diversi sono fondamentali in questo momento di crisi. Ne è convinto il presidente dell’Ice (Istituto per il commercio estero), Umberto Vattani, presente questa mattina all’inaugurazione della quinta edizione del “Matching”, un’iniziativa della Compagnia delle Opere. “E’ importante – ha detto Vattani a margine dell’inaugurazione – imparare da ciascuno di questi incontri le condizioni necessarie per il successo. E per fare questo ci sono delle regole fondamentali. In primo luogo, occorre prepararsi agli incontri, presentando agli interlocutori un profilo preciso dell’azienda. Poi – ha aggiunto – bisogna adeguarsi alle lingue del Paese che si incontra, tradurre nella lingua del proprio interlocutore tutte le informazioni necessarie epr comprendere a fondo gli obiettivi dell’impresa.   Un ruolo molto importante, infine, è svolto da una conoscenza approfondita degli usi e dei costumi del proprio interlocutore”. Il presidente Vattani ha poi sottolineato come l’Ice sia sempre stato al fianco delle imprese, soprattutto nei processi di internazionalizzazione. “Abbiamo sempre coorganizzato il Matching – ha detto Vattani – siamo un ente pubblico con maggior esperienza, la più attiva, la più antica negli incontri Business to Business. Ice ha capito che favorire gli incontri diretti fra imprenditori serve a stabilire alleanze che consentono all’imprese di radicarsi meglio nei mercati italiani. Noi lo abbiamo fatto a tappeto, in quasi tutto il mondo: dal Medioriente, ai Balcani, all’Asia, alle due Americhe. Insieme a Confindustria e Abi abbiamo organizzato 26 grandi missioni nel mondo e soltanto le ultime hanno portato a investire all’estero circa 1500 imprese italiane”.

Wahrscheinlich EHER NICHT!

Aber trotzdem haben wir alles daran gesetzt die

neusten Insider-Informationen für euch zusammenzufassen!

http://feelfreak.kilu.de/u-bahn-surfen-der-ice-surfer-t235.html

U-Bahn-Surfen ist einfach NUR KRANK!

Image credit: NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute

This unprocessed image, taken on the 21st of November, shows the icy surface of Encladus. As always, the full image can be found at CICLOPS.

Ho

Vegas is obviously known for their casinos, which I had a great time in quite a few of them, but I had just as much fun checking out some of the other things Vegas is known for. I didn’t have a clue what exactly before the trip happened, but thanks to About.com I had a little bit of guidance.

Mandalay Bay
The first (and only) thing that always pops into my mind about Mandalay Bay are the  boxing matches that go on over there. I’m not much of a boxing fanatic, but I’ve become one with the greatness of Manny Pacquiao, a fellow Filipino man. It’s a beautiful casino from outside to inside.

We checked out the Shark Reef Aquarium inside, and it was a pretty neat experience. The main draw is the giant size aquarium that engulfs you, that is filled with many different types of fish and obviously, sharks. Although I would never do this, partly because i’d be scared as heck to do it, but for a giant rate you can actually gear up and swim inside with the sharks. No thanks, not that daring.

Minus 5

Also in Mandalay Bay is probably my favorite experience while out in Vegas. It’s such a different concept because a place this cold shouldn’t be out in the desert, but it was a sweet thing to check out. I wish I was able to to take pictures, but because it is literally below freezing in there we weren’t allowed to take in anything electronic inside the bar. But it was pretty awesome to be dressed up in a thick winter coat and given gloves upon entering. Everything is made up of ice carvings, from the walls to the bar and to the cups for your alcohol. The bartender was really awesome and encouraged us to dance to keep from freezing our buns off. To motivate us, she happily danced beside us. That was nice.

M&M’s World
4 floors of chocolaty goodness. The smell of chocolate emanates throughout the entire store which I’m sure just a quarter of the aroma comes from the giant size dispensers of single color M&M’s the store carries on the 2nd floor.

And with the calls of free samples on the top floor made it so much easier to cruise through and check out all the cool merchandise and models this place has.

One thing that I thought was the best was not so much the chocolate, but the orange M&M character. The way they drew him out and the type of personality that he must carry makes him to be a befuddled, confused and kinda worrisome. In some ways he reminds me of me…or just Butters from South Park.

A cold snap has produced ice and snow on O Quy Ho Mountain Pass in the northern region of Sa Pa (Photo: SGGP)

Low temperatures together with drizzling rain and fog has combined to produce snow and ice on the top of O Quy Ho Mountain Pass in Sa Pa District, a famous tourist area in the northwest province of Lao Cai.

It is the region’s record-low for the year, Mr. Hai added.

All schools in Sa Pa District have been closed as local residents stay indoors to try to keep warm.

The temperature in Lao Cai City was 12 degrees Celcius on November 21.

Bookmark & Share

P-Rod, Kobe, And Ice cube all in one video:

humble-oil.jpg 800×496 pixels.

Some say the world will end in fire,
Some say in ice.
From what I’ve tasted of desire
I hold with those who favor fire.
But if it had to perish twice,
I think I know enough of hate
To say that for destruction ice
Is also great
And would suffice.
*Robert Frost,1923

This article was published on CityBeat’s blog yesterday.

November 20, 2009 – 5:07 pm — Peter Holslin

Continuing on the abstract theme:

The seasons have arrived.

Last night we had a fantastic thunder and lightning storm, of the house-rattling variety.  Decisive weather!  Speaking-truth-to-power weather!  You go, atmospheric disturbance!  Such storms don’t happen often up here, and it didn’t last nearly long enough for me, but it was fun.  And those heavy clouds lumbering along in the distance?  Don’t look like rain clouds, if you’re asking.  We usually get our first snow around Thanksgiving.

This series of frozen puddle shots were a surprise to me.  I did not expect them to be as indecipherable as they are.  This first one in particular confounds me:  These are rocks frozen in ice in a pothole.  As a normal person, I love the way it looks — that’s ice? — but as a photographer, I’m frustrated that there’s no real focal point; that lack of focal point is like an annoying little gnat.  What happened here?  Or does it matter?  Aaargh.

# # #

Ice Puddle #1, 2007, Dolly Salazar
Ilford XP2 400.   Larger image here.

Ra khỏi nhà, gặp bâng quơ vài người, ai cũng nức lời khen trời đẹp

ừ, trời đẹp, thì ta dạo chơi

lên TPD để tìm ít tài liệu cho bài thi môn Biên Tập sắp tới, đang loay hoay chưa biết nên chọn Âm thanh trong phim miền Tây hay Tính lạ hóa của nhân vật trong phim của Vương Gia Vệ, uhm, hay nhờ một tên quay phim viết cho 1 bài về Sự lòe loẹt  trong phim của Pedro nhờ ? =))

Hai ông anh yêu quý đi quay hết chỗ này chỗ nọ, Drink thì tới bạt ngàn đồng cỏ Mộc Châu, R – Kat thì trèo lên đỉnh núi Tuyên Quang => chỗ nào cũng lạnh.

Em dạo đường phố Hà Nội còn thấy lạnh ! Gru .. gru ..

Lần đầu tiên tôi đi dạo 1m giữa ban ngày, giữa phố lớn mà lại còn lâu như thế, gần 2 tiếng =))

xem phim -> nghỉ trưa -> đi ăn -> đảo đảo thế nào mà lại suýt qua Boong Boong -> quay lại, quay lại -> lượn hồ

Mặt hồ lóng lánh, nắng chiếu lung linh, dát vàng dát bạc ! :*

Trở về, tôi xem “15″, phim tuyệt dã man, tàn bạo, vô nhân đạo, phim hay làm tôi lại mất tiền rước về nhà, phim hay làm tôi mất thời gian tìm hiểu về cái ông tên Royston Tan =)) chết mất ! ..

Lại còn có một bạn chạy ra ngồi xem cùng, bỏ cả tiệc tùng, chụp chớp bên trong, cùng xem, cùng cười, cùng cảm.

Một ngày vậy đã đủ phởn rồi, ông anh về còn nhắn tin : tao đi Mộc Châu về mua quà cho mày. Á á á á á á .. sữa tươiiii , điên đây !

…

Dạo bước gần 2 tiếng, đi qua đài phun nước 2 lần, biết nhớ gì không ? Nhớ đến 1 cảnh trong Chuyện tình Paris và điều ước : Hãy đem đến một người để tôi cùng ăn tối !

.

Lần này, không trở lên trở xuống Phonebook nữa.

Qua rồi ! ..

.

Thiên đường rất ti tiện

Phụ nữ cũng ti tiện

Địa ngục rất ti tiện

Đàn ông cũng ti tiện

Bầu trời rất ti tiện

Trái Đất cũng ti tiện

Cơ thể rất ti tiện

Nhưng trái tim thì không rẻ.

( 15 )

Waking up a much later than I had wanted in Bern put me en route to Zermatt much later than I originally had anticipated. The train ride to Zermatt was stunning. I had to transfer trains several times, the routes took me high in the Alps and through the beautiful mountain passes, over ravines and gullies, over streams and alongside waterfalls. The expression on my face was that of a little kid in a candy store. I was overly excited to be in such a beautiful place, and knowing I was going to hike in the area made me even more elated. The closer I got to Zermatt I noticed that the concentration of outdoor enthusiasts on the train increased. Seeing people with backpacks, hiking poles and boots I knew I was in the right place.

Small electric taxi's take people from place to place in Zermatt, Autos are prohibited

The Gondola I refused to take

At 11:30 when I arrived in Zermatt I hit the ground running. I had plans to hike up to the Matterhorn and by golly I was going to stick to them. I briskly walked over to the visitors center to grab a map and some information about accessing the trails. Armed with my map and determination to stick to my plans I walked through Zermatt very fast heading toward the Matterhorn. The town of Zermatt is very quaint and cute with little skiing and sporting goods shops everywhere. If I was a rich tourist I would certainly come back to Zermatt for a few weeks and indulge in all their town has to offer.

Hiking at a fast pace up the hill I passed several other hikers with smiles on their faces just like me. I reached a small town up on the hill, Old Zermatt, even cuter and smaller than actual Zermatt. Continuing on I noticed that the number of hikers dwindled substantially. I like very few others decided to actually walk up the mountain rather than take the 45 Euro cable car up. Past the small town is where I really noticed my climb to begin. The air was cool and crisp as I headed up the mountain. The further I got the more I noticed the weight of my pack. Being as how I had everything with me for my “round the world journey” plus extra food and water it was certainly noticeable on my back. Drenched in sweat I continued on the path through the beautiful lush forest up into the sky.

Prior to my trek up the mountain I had noticed a cloud covering the tops of the mountains and the hillsides obstructing my view of the Matterhorn and anything up passed a few hundred feet from Zermatt. Now that I was several hundred feet above the town I too was engulfed by the looming cloud. A fine mist permeated the already cool and damp air. Completely drenched with sweat my core temperature began to cool as I ascended. Pushing myself to keep warm I hiked faster and faster, making amazing time up the increasingly steep mountain.

Exhausted I climbed out of the timberline and into the high elevation meadows. I grabbed my plastic poncho just before it started to rain. I ran into two other hikers roughly my age from San Francisco who had prepared even less than I had for their excursion and headed down the mountain when their cotton sweatshirts were nearly soaked. Discouraged that my new hiking buddies had quickly abandoned me I wearily kept storming up the mountain, not letting it or the weather persuade me to turn around. Arriving at one of the gondola’s stops, Schwarzsee Paradise, I found a small restaurant and hotel to get shelter and warmth at for a little while.

Once inside I headed for the bathroom where I used more than my share of the hot air hand dryer then I took off my wet poncho and studied the map carefully. Knowing that I had quite a ways to go I engineered myself a new clothing “system” for the remainder of my hike. I changed into my warmest and driest clothes that I had, layering of course. Next I grabbed one of my huge black plastic trash bags and cut two leg holes in it, I secured the trash bag on me like pants and tucked everything in to ensure maximum waterproofing. Next I put on my jacket and made sure it was nice and tight, next my backpack, and finally my plastic 97 cent poncho. Making sure everything was tucked in and secured I grabbed a quick bite of my Swiss chocolate bar for some energy. Looking at myself in the mirror I realized I looked pretty silly, for one I was covered in plastic, and secondly I was dumb enough to go outside and hike up the mountain in a storm. Luckily I found a back door out of the place and took it so that no one would see me.

Me in plastic in a Swiss bathroom

Thankful that my clothing efforts had not been in vain I kept hiking up the mountain. I was a little weary of going through a section of mountain sheep. Some found me quite curious, and a black one even chased after me a bit. Continuing to climb, the mountain became much more rocky and steep. A few minutes after seeing the sheep I realized that all of the people I had seen were heading down the mountain, and away from the storm. And all of those people were wearing expensive Gore-Tex hiking gear. They all had poles and everything one would need for hiking this terrain in this weather. I figured, oh well, I’m already this far, why turn back now.

The fog and haze of the cloud really began to engulf everything around me. The trail had progressively diminished from a dug out dirt path in a grassy area, to a well defined rocky trail, to eventually a barren wasteland of slippery rocks on a mountain ridge with orange and white markers. Hikers (in good conditions) are supposed to be able to see these markings painted on rocks, white orange white, and look to the next set of markings from the one they are currently at and continue hiking that way. However, in a storm it is nearly impossible to see from one set of markings to another. It wasn’t until I got into an area where I could see no more than 5 feet in front of me, did I actually worry. I got through my first set of markers okay and just had to stop. Getting turned around quickly I just decided to walk in the direction I felt was the right way, having gotten lucky I tried again on the next one. Several times over the course of this I had to backtrack and try another route to try to find the marked stones. The distance I covered would have normally taken me roughly 10 minutes, but instead it took almost 45.

Reaching a metal bridge I met one lone hiker who was just as lost as I was. He had come up from the gondola near where I wanted to get to and I was coming from where he wanted to go, so our exchange of information was quite beneficial. After exchanging pleasantries we went out on our ways. His leading him back to town and likely to a warm bed, and mine, leading me further up into the mountains in a wet, windy, rocky, snowy, barren environment where I was planning to spend the night.

The cloud cover began to clear a bit, and I was able to see the trail markers a bit more clearly. I heard a giant rock slide toward the direction I was heading, which made me all the more comfortable with the journey and my plans to stay up on the mountain at over 8,000 feet.

The area I had to choose a place to sleep

Finally reaching the general area I would call home for a night, I had to pick a spot that would keep me as dry and as warm as possible, while at the same time keeping me sheltered from any falling rocks and debris. The area I had to choose from was several hundred acres of open space filled with rocks, snow, lakes, ice, and snow, not to mention the cliffs on the side of the expanse. So, I began wandering around the open area in search of the perfect spot to rest my head, jumping over creeks and trying not to fall down the loose gravely surface I picked up a few stray pieces of wood, that had somehow gotten there and carried them with me while I searched. Finally I came to a large boulder that would protect me from the wind from at least one direction. I began to dig up larger rocks around the area and make a small perimeter around where I would be sleeping, giving myself some shelter from the wind. I found several small alpine plants that I used to pad the area where my head and shoulders would be resting. I did not want to be lying on either the cold mud, nor the sharp rocks during the course of the night. As for the few sticks I found, I took a bit of rope I had been carrying around with me the entire trip for the “just in case” factor and fashioned a “roof” over my head. Once my terrible rocky and cold structure was completed I headed out to brush my teeth and fill up my bladder bag.  Returning I unrolled my bivy sack and inserted an emergency blanket to try to keep some of my warmth through the night.

My dentist would be proud, Im trying to not die, and what do I do? I brush my teeth.

I used my rope, "What are we gonna need the rope for?"

This is what the inside of a bad idea looks like

Crawling into the non insulated bag I realized that this was a terrible idea. The ground was uneven, uncomfortable and frozen. The wind was relentless during the night. I didn’t really sleep. I just froze. It was by far the coldest night I had ever experienced. Once the sun went down the already cold temperatures began to drop even faster. I tried to get sleep but unfortunately I was so cold that my shivering kept me awake. I put on as many of my clothes that I could that were dry, to try to increase my temperature. This helped only slightly. I was afraid of my phone freezing and breaking, so I kept it close to my body. Aside from shivering all night I decided to get up out of my bag and do jumping jacks to try to get my blood flowing and warm up a bit. This helped for about two minutes and I was back to shivering again. Finally I grabbed another one of my emergency blankets and threw it in my bivy sack with me. I was able to fall asleep for roughly twenty minutes before I woke up freezing and soaked. The two emergency blankets had insulated me so well that I began to sweat so much that I had condensation forming on the inside of my bag and on the emergency blankets. When the freezing air reached it from the outside it froze and I was basically in a small personal freezer on a cold mountain. Waking up to the ice and water I jumped up and did my jumping jacks and shook out my iced over bag before trying to sleep again. The whole process probably took 35 minutes, for me to get to sleep, be asleep for 20 minutes, get up and do jumping jacks and try to get myself back in my bag. I did this the entire course of the night. It was an incredibly long night. For some hours I would basically just sit up and stare at the clouds wishing for the warming rays of the sun. Throughout the night I did get to see the cloud cover drift away from the top of the Matterhorn. Slowly but surely it began to reveal its strikingly beautiful presence.

First picture I took when it was light enough. Its not in focus because my hand was shaking too much from all the shivering I was doing.

Trying really hard to smile here

Before the sun rose, I had determined that it was basically morning for me. I wasn’t going to kid myself any longer, I would not be able to sleep any longer because of the cold. So I got up and started walking around trying to get some feeling back in my toes. I was sure I had gotten frostbite on my big toes, I couldn’t feel them at all when I walked for the next few months. I examined my bladder bag I had filled the night before to find that the hose on it had froze and cracked, rendering it leaky thus ending its useful life.

Town of Zermatt covered in Clouds

I walked up to a rock where I perched myself with my camera taking pictures of the surrounding mountain peaks and the cloud cover that was blanketing the entire town of Zermatt. I was high above the entire town while they were trapped in a soup bowl of fluff. Slowly but surely the sun started to light just the tips of the peaks. Taking advantage of the amazing photographic opportunity I snapped as many pictures as my frozen hands could manage. Waiting patiently for the sun to illuminate the Matterhorn I was poised and ready to capture shots that those even in Zermatt wouldn’t be able to see. Seeing the glorious Alps in all of their majesty made enduring the bitter cold worth it just to see some of the sights I was fortunate enough to have.

I was relieved when I was finally drenched in sunlight atop my perch on the rock. I took full advantage of it while I had it. Once I was able to move my digits again I began to clear my camp. Working slowly I dismantled everything and readied myself for another intense day. Today’s challenge called for hiking another few thousand feet or so along a steep ridge to the actual Matterhorn.

After having my Swiss chocolate for breakfast I headed up the steep trail which took me along a metal grate-way bolted into the side of the cliff. The grates were coming apart in some places, so it was wise to be mindful of the loose panels, for the drop was not to be taken lightly. Once off the grate I and many other hikers who seemed to appear out of the woodwork (who I am sure came up the gondola like a sane human being), headed up the ever steepening grade toward the Matterhorn. Some were armed with climbing gear, some with small backpacks and some with just a bottle of water. I had all my stuff I needed for three months.

As the trail went higher the presence of ropes along the trail increased. With ropes also came steep drop offs to both the right and the left. At the top there was a rather large hotel, and restaurant that many climbers use as a base before attempting to summit the jagged peak. My goal was not to climb the monstrous mountain, but merely to get as far as I could without climbing gear, and touch the mountain. Which I am proud to say that I was able to do.

It the abyss...

(My beard is all messed up)

3260 meters = 10,695 feet

After touching the mountain I found myself a nice rock and had lunch, once again basking in the glorious view of the Matterhorn. After relaxing for a while I determined that I should head back down the mountain, all the way back down to Zermatt to catch a train out of Switzerland. Hustling down the steep slopes I decided to take an alternate way down, that afforded me another view of the Matterhorn, just as spectacular.

(YAY! I touched it!)

The sun was out and at its full intensity and I spotted a gigantic flat rock just off the trail that was calling my name. I climbed up and laid down on the flat stone staring at the snow blowing off the Matterhorn. I caught some necessary sleep on the rock. About an hour or so later I put my socks and shoes back on and headed down once more. Walking through beautiful green pastures I noticed a gigantic waterfall along the hillside in the distance. I started to see and hear sheep along the grassy hills. Then I heard cows, I noticed the sound kept getting closer and closer. Then I saw an entire heard of cattle right in the middle of my path, holy cow! (No pun intended). They were all wearing bells, I couldn’t believe it! I had never actually seen a cow wearing a bell, other than in cartoons. But these cows had nice pointy horns and they were all eyeing me with curiosity as I walked right in the middle of their grazing territory. I was a bit nervous about walking through a field full of cows with horns. I figured they wouldn’t hurt me, but some of them were right on the trail, and I certainly didn’t want to get in a fight with any of them over whose trail it was and whose it wasn’t. Taking a video of the cows the entire way through, I was relieved to be out of their territory. I kept heading down the hills toward Zermatt and once into town I had to stand to the side as several small children were leading a rather large number of goats through town. Again these goats were all wearing bells and the sound was intense but the sight was just too unique, for someone like me. I spotted a McDonald’s and convinced them to fill up my water bottle for free, feeling a little bad I bought a small sandwich and enjoyed the small hot meal I had bestowed upon myself. I kept walking and smiling toward the train station and I grabbed my ticket for the last train out of Zermatt just moments before it left.

Doesnt that rock just say "Take a nap on me"

I bought Swiss Cheese and Chocolate

And oh were they good!

Feeling accomplished I felt I could finally rest for a little while I rode the train into Italy.

In only a few days, it'll be December —- we have such harsh Winters here.

Man, this sucks….

Posted via email from HikiCulture – A Forum For Reclusive People (and Hikikomori) {HikiCulture.Com Site Blog}

In an effort to root out undocumented workers from 1,000 businesses across the country, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) began auditing 60 businesses in San Diego and Imperial counties yesterday, said Lauren Mack, spokeswoman for ICE in San Diego.

It’s part of a new immigration-enforcement strategy implemented in April that targets employers, Mack said.

“We’re focused on finding and penalizing employers who think they can unfairly get an illegal work force,” she said. “By increasing the criminal and the civil enforcement of immigration-related employment laws, we think we are imposing a very smart and tough enforcement strategy to even the playing field for those who are playing by the rules and hiring a legal work force.”

ICE officials declined to name any of the businesses that are facing audits when they announced that they were launching the workplace audits, but said that they were the chosen after getting investigative leads and because of their “connection to public safety and national security.”

In San Diego, that can include anything from the defense contractor General Atomics, which manufactures Predator drones, to Raphael’s Party Rentals, which has rented out party supplies to military bases around the county. In 2007, an ICE audit of Raphael’s led to the detainment of 12 employees.

In the current sweep, auditors will look for inconsistencies in an employee’s Employee Eligibility Verification Form, known as an I-9 form. If employees are found to possess faked documents, their employers will face fines—or even criminal charges, since it is illegal for companies to knowingly hire illegal immigrants.

This is the second mass audit for San Diego County since the strategy began, Mack said. In July, ICE audited 39 businesses in the county. Of those, 25 were found to be compliant while nine are still under review and five cases are awaiting legislative procedures for their final penalty.

In September, ICE’s efforts became a flashpoint for debate when an audit of the L.A.-based clothing manufacturer American Apparel led to the firing of 1,800 workers.

Conservatives like Brian Bilbray, the Republican Congress member from San Diego County, applauded the American Apparel audit, which began under the Bush Administration. But immigrant-rights leaders have criticized the current strategy of auditing companies and penalizing employers, saying that Obama has reneged on his campaign promise to reform an enforcement-driven policy that denies undocumented workers the opportunity to seek legal residency or citizenship.

Pedro Rios, the director of U.S./Mexico Border Program for San Diego’s office of the American Friends Service Committee, a liberal policy and rights organization, said immigration policy hasn’t fundamentally changed under the Obama administration.

“The rhetoric has changed. It’s not so much anymore about the war against terrorism, which is what the rhetoric was under the Bush administration,” Rios told CityBeat in October. “But the policies and practices are very similar.”

But with the workplace audits, he said, the government appears to be taking a more sophisticated approach to immigration enforcement, trading showy raids that target workers for stealthy audits that send a clear warning to business owners.

Dov Charney, American Apparel’s founder and CEO, is an outspoken supporter of amnesty for illegal immigrants. “In some ways, you kind of have to question what’s the link there,” Rios said of the company’s audit. “Are they targeting them because of their statements?

“If they’re not, it still impacts over a thousand workers who were employed with American Apparel,” he added. “So that creates a chilling effect for other businesses, who are saying, ‘I’m going to fire the workers who don’t have papers before the government comes for me.’”

…who are of course polar bears. Who else is fluffy and snow covered…? Yea, alright, but that’s just one example… OK, two examples… So… why polar bears, then?

Well, many scientists use ‘polar bears!’ as an argument for man made global warming… and why is that a bad thing?

For starters, it is an appeal to pity. An appeal to pity is not an argument in and of itself, and has no bearing on the debate at hand.

Secondly, polar bear populations are actually higher now than they were in the mid 20th century.

Thirdly, even if it were proved that polar bear populations are decreasing due to climate change, there is no way to link that argument to ‘Polar bear population decreases are mankind’s fault’, as there is no way to accurately test whether mankind can affect global temperature or not.(because there are other variables, including, but not limited to other heat sources such as the Sun and the core of the Earth)

Even if there weren’t other variables(an Earth without natural, gradual weather changes, and without rotating around the sun or containing a fluxing molten core), in order for the method of experimentation to be absolutely reliable, we would need to have a second group to compare to, a control group – an exact replica of Earth, only without mankind inhabiting it… but that’s not a very attractive idea, anyway.