What to Pack

Shirts. Bring up to five short-sleeved or long-sleeved shirts in a cotton/polyester blend. Arrange mix according to season.

Sweater or Lightweight Fleece. Warm and dark is best — for layering and dressing up. Dark colors don’t show wrinkles or stains.

Pants. Bring two pairs: one lightweight cotton and another super-lightweight for hot and muggy big cities and churches with modest dress codes. Jeans can be too hot for summer travel. Linen is great. Many like lightweight pants/shorts with zip-off legs. Button-down wallet pockets are safest (though still not as thief-proof as a money belt, described below).

Shorts. Take a pair with pockets — doubles as a swimsuit for men.

Swimsuit. Especially for women.

Underwear and socks. Bring five sets (lighter dries quicker).

One pair of shoes. Take a well-used, light, and cool pair, with Vibram-type soles and good traction. My wife and I like shoes by Ecco. Sturdy, low-profile tennis shoes with a good tread are fine, too. (Some people bring along an extra pair of sandals in case the shoes get wet.) For winter travel, bring heavy shoes (for warmth and to stay dry).

Jacket. Bring a light and water-resistant windbreaker that has a hood. Gore-Tex is good if you expect rain. For summer travel, I wing it without rain gear — but always pack for rain in Britain and Ireland.

Tie or scarf. For instant respectability, bring anything lightweight that can break the monotony and make you look snazzy.

Money belt. This hidden pouch — strapped around your waist and tucked under your clothes — is essential for the peace of mind it brings. You could lose everything except your money belt, and the trip could still go on. Lightweight and low-profile beige is best.

Money. Bring your preferred mix of a credit card, a debit card, and an emergency stash of hard cash. I rely on a debit card for ATM withdrawals, a credit card, and several hundred dollars in cash as a backup.

Documents and photocopies. Bring your passport, plane ticket (or e-ticket printout), railpass or car-rental voucher, driver’s license, student ID, hostel card, and so on. Photocopies and a couple of passport-type photos can help you get replacements more quickly if the originals are lost or stolen. Carry photocopies separately in your luggage and keep the originals in your money belt. In your luggage, you’ll also want to pack a careful record of all reservations (bring the hotels’ written confirmations), along with a trip calendar page to keep things up-to-date as your trip evolves.

Small daypack. This is great for carrying your sweater, camera, literature, and picnic goodies while you leave your large bag at the hotel or train station. Fanny packs (small bags with thief-friendly zippers on a belt) are a popular alternative, but are magnets for pickpockets and should never be used as money belts.

Camera. A digital camera and a high-capacity memory card mean no more bulky bags of film. A mini-tripod allows you to take crisp shots in low light with no flash.

Water bottle. The plastic half-liter mineral water bottles sold throughout Europe are reusable and work great. If you bring one from home, make sure it’s empty before you go through airport security.

Wristwatch. A built-in alarm is handy. Otherwise, pack a small travel alarm clock. Cheap-hotel wake-up calls are particularly unreliable.

Earplugs. If night noises bother you, you’ll love a good set of expandable foam plugs.

First-aid kit.

Medicine and vitamins. Keep medicine in original containers, if possible, with legible prescriptions.

Eyeglasses, contact lenses, and prescriptions. Contact solutions are widely available in Europe, but because of dust and smog, many travelers find their contacts aren’t as comfortable in Europe. I wear my glasses, and I don’t pack a spare pair, but I do bring a photocopy of my prescription just in case.

Sunscreen and sunglasses. Depending on the season and your destination.

Toiletries kit. Sinks in cheap hotels come with meager countertop space and anonymous hairs. If you have a nylon toiletries kit that can hang on a hook or a towel bar, this is no problem. Put all squeeze bottles in sealable plastic baggies, since pressure changes in flight can cause even good bottles to leak. (If you plan to carry on your bag, all liquids, gels, and aerosols must be in three-ounce or smaller containers, and all of these items must fit within a single, quart-size sealable plastic baggie.) Consider a vacation from cosmetics. Bring a little toilet paper or tissue packets (sold at all newsstands in Europe). Fingernail clippers and tweezers are also handy.

Sealable plastic baggies. Get a variety of sizes. In addition to holding your carry-on liquids, they’re ideal for packing leftover picnic food, containing wetness, and bagging potential leaks before they happen. The two-gallon jumbo size is handy for packing clothing. Bring extras for the flight home, as they can be hard to find in Europe.

Soap. Not all hotels provide soap. A plastic squeeze bottle of concentrated, multipurpose, biodegradable liquid soap is handy for laundry and more. In the interest of traveling friendlier to our environment, I never use the hotel bathroom “itsy-bitsies,” preferring my own bar of soap or bottle of shampoo.

Clothesline. Hang it up in your hotel room to dry your clothes. The handy twisted-rubber type needs no clothespins.

Small towel. You’ll find bath towels at all fancy and moderately priced hotels, and most cheap ones. Although $50-a-day travelers will often need to bring their own towel, $100-a-day folks won’t. I bring a thin hand towel for the occasional need. Washcloths are rare in Europe. While I don’t use them, many travelers recommend quick-drying synthetic towels.

Sewing kit. Clothes age rapidly while traveling. Take along a few safety pins and buttons.

Travel information. Rip out appropriate chapters from guidebooks and staple them together. When you’re done, give them away.

Map. Get a map best suited to your trip’s overall needs, then pick up maps for specific local areas as you go.

Address list. To keep in touch, many travelers write blogs or send mass emails as they travel. But if you prefer to mail postcards, consider printing your mail list onto a sheet of adhesive address labels before you leave. You’ll know exactly who you’ve written to, and the labels will be perfectly legible.

Postcards from home and photos of your family. A small collection of show-and-tell pictures is always a great conversation piece with Europeans you meet.

Small notepad and pen. A tiny notepad in your back pocket is a great organizer, reminder, and communication aid (for sale in European stationery stores).

Journal. An empty book to be filled with the experiences of your trip will be your most treasured souvenir. Attach a photocopied calendar page of your itinerary. Use a hardbound type designed to last a lifetime, rather than a spiral notebook. My custom-designed Rick Steves Travel Journals are rugged, simple blank books that come in two sizes. Another great brand, with an almost cult following among travel writers, is Moleskine (also available at my Travel Store).

Optional Bring-Alongs

Picnic supplies. Bring or buy a small tablecloth to give your meal some extra class (and to wipe the knife on), salt and pepper, a cup, a spoon, a washcloth (to dampen and store in a baggie for cleaning up), and a Swiss Army–type knife with a corkscrew and can opener (or buy the knife in Europe if you want to carry your luggage on the plane). A plastic plate is handy for picnic dinners in your hotel room.

Packing cubes. These see-through, zip-up mesh containers keep your clothes tightly packed and well-organized.

Clothes compressor. This handy invention — I like the one by Pack-Mate — allows you to pack bulky clothes (such as sweaters and jackets) without taking up too much space or creating wrinkles. Simply put the item in the bag, roll it up to force the air out through the one-way nozzles, and pack it away.

Shirt-folding board. Eagle Creek‘s Pack-It Folder is a lightweight mesh container that comes with a thin board specially designed to fold and carry shirts with minimal wrinkling.

Small packet of tissue. Stick one of these — sold at newsstands and pharmacies throughout Europe — in your daypack, in case you wind up at a bathroom with no toilet paper.

Nightshirt. Especially for women.

Light warm-up suit. Use for pajamas, evening lounge outfit, instant modest street wear, smuggling things, and “going” down the hall.

Spot remover. Bring Shout wipes or a dab of Goop grease remover in a small plastic container.

Sandals or flip-flops.

Slippers. On winter trips, I bring comfy slippers with leather bottoms — great for the flight and for getting cozy in my hotel room.

Inflatable pillow (or “neck rest”). For snoozing in planes, trains, and automobiles. Many travelers also swear by an eye mask for blocking out early-rising or late-setting sun.

Pillowcase. It’s cleaner and possibly more comfortable to stuff your own.

Hair drier. People with long or thick hair appreciate a travel hair drier in the off-season, when hair takes a long time to dry and it’s cold outside. These are generally provided in $100-plus hotel rooms.

Hostel sheet. Bring one along (choose silk or cotton), or rent a sheet at hostels for about $4 per stay. It doubles as a beach or picnic blanket, comes in handy on overnight train rides, shields you from dirty blankets in mountain huts, and will save you money in other dorm-type accommodations.

Tiny lock. Use it to lock your backpack zippers shut. Note that if you check your bag on a flight, the lock may be broken to allow the bag to be inspected. Improve the odds of your lock’s survival by buying one approved by the TSA (Transportation Security Administration, the agency responsible for airport security). While you’ll unlock the TSA-approved lock with a combination, security agents can open the lock without damaging it by using a special master key.

Small flashlight. Handy for reading under the sheets after “lights out” in the hostel, late-night trips down the hall, exploring castle dungeons, and hypnotizing street thieves. Tiny-but-powerful LED flashlights — about the size of your little finger — are extremely bright, compact, and lightweight.

MP3/video player, CD player, or radio. Partners can bring a Y-jack for two sets of earphones. Some travelers use digital recorders to capture pipe organs, tours, or journal entries. A small, portable radio adds a new dimension to your experience.

Adapters. Electrical plugs.

Stronger light bulbs. You can buy these in Europe to give your cheap hotel room more brightness than the 40-watt norm.

Office supplies. Bring paper, an envelope of envelopes, and some sticky notes (such as Post-Its) to keep your place in your guidebook.

Small roll of duct tape.

Mailing tube. Great for art lovers, this protects the posters and prints you buy along your trip. You can trim it to fit inside your backpack (though this obviously limits the dimensions of the posters you can carry).

A good paperback. There’s plenty of empty time on a trip to either be bored or enjoy some good reading. If you’re desperate, popular English-language paperbacks are often available in European airports and major train stations (usually for far more than their North American price).

Insect repellent. Especially for France and Italy.

Collapsible umbrella. I like one that’s small and compact, but still sturdy and well-constructed enough to withstand strong winds.

Poncho. Hard-core vagabonds use a poncho — more versatile than a tarp — as protection in a rainstorm, a ground cloth for sleeping, or a beach or picnic blanket.

Gifts. Local hosts appreciate small souvenirs from your hometown (gourmet candy or crafts). Local kids love T-shirts and small toys.

source

• Sunny office
• Windows that open
• Democratically controlled music system
• Two forms of internet access
• Beer on fridays
• EVDO cards
• Video game system
• Good coffee maker
• Proximity to public transportation
• Proximity to park
• Heating that goes all night
• Health care plans for everyone
• Mac laptops with second monitors
• Plants
• Lots of in-person interaction
• Gmail and Google docs
• Soft lighting

Things startups don’t need

• Fancy (Aeron) chairs
• Expensive art on the walls
• Vacation policy
• PR firm
• Dress code
• Private offices
• COO’s and GMs
• Business cards
• Microsoft products
• Dental plans
• Free lunches
• Central air conditioning
• Doorman
• Phone system
• Set time you need to arrive in morning
• Meetings
• Carpeting

Szerintem tényleg van benne valami, mondjuk ezek csak a díszletek, aki igazán jó, az akárhonnan elindulhat és sikeres lesz, de mindenesetre kellemes munkahelynek tűnik az első lista. Innen

innen

By far the dominant reason for not releasing sooner was a reluctance to trade the dream of success for the reality of feedback.

Eric Ries [update] is the latest product developer to promote “Minimum Viable Product” to describe a product created to elicit feedback. A recent mailing list question suggested to me that more explanation was necessary. Here are my thoughts on what an MVP is and how to approach it.

The purpose of the MVP is to answer your most pressing question, to validate your most pressing business assumption. To create an MVP work backwards from your question, not forwards from a feature list. Invest as little as possible to answer the question because after this there will be another question and another and you’ll need enough money to answer them all.

For Tattlebird [my new product], my first critical assumption was that stuff was happening in browsers that site developers would care about. Working backwards from that question, all my MVP needed to do was gather data in a browser, send it to a server, and show it, minimally, to a single user. That was the list of features for my MVP. An hour later there was a flood of exactly the kind of information I was hoping was out there.

Your networking platform [the original questioner was asking about the MVP for a professional networking platform] must have a twist, something no other professional networking platform currently does. If users don’t care about the twist you’ve found, your idea (this iteration of the idea, anyway) is invalid and you’re best off moving on.

Let’s say the twist is location–you have the professional network that shows where people are in real time (hey, not a bad idea!) If people don’t care about location, it’s time to move onto the next idea. How are you going to find out whether people care about location? Well, you have to have a system that two people can use, the system has to have some way to find out where they are, and the system needs some way to notify both people where the other one is. There’s the MVP–what’s the fastest/cheapest way to get that done and then ask users whether they care?

What’s Hard About That?
I don’t know about anyone else’s practice of MVP, but what makes it hard for me is completely irrational: I prefer dreams to answers. I’m not saying this is a good thing or useful or sensible, you understand. It’s just something that’s true of me that I’ve come to understand.

For example, after I validated potentially-fatal assumption #1 for Tattlebird (”interesting stuff happens in browsers”) I needed to validate potentially-fatal assumption #2, “Developers will find the information useful, not just interesting”. That is, I need a story where a developer says, “Tattlebird told me surprising fact X, so I did Y, and now I’m making $Z more.” I don’t know if such a story is possible. If I can elicit such a story I may have a business. If I can’t elicit such a story, I need to move on.

Here’s where the dreams/answers dilemma comes up. Since I got the answer the PFA #1 I’ve been walking around with dreams of financial security floating in my head. It feels good to think I could make my living programming again. I don’t want to give that up. If I want to actually achieve that dream, though, I have to let go enough to find out if PFA #2 is true or not.

I could have gotten PFA #2 validated the day after I got a thumbs-up on PFA #1. Instead I fiddled and fussed for a week, a week I could have been using to get answers to PFA #2 through N. Yesterday I finally expanded the MVP just enough to get my answer and contacted someone who might use it and experience “the story”.

Conclusion
When I look back at all my startup experiences (all of them eventually sunk on a PFA), every single one of them could have been shipped much sooner. Sometimes the barrier was intellectual: it’s just plain hard to see how to ship 1/10th of a new piece of hardware. (Hard but not impossible.) By far the dominant reason for not releasing sooner was a reluctance to trade the dream of success for the reality of feedback.

The problem with chasing the dream too long is that you end up without the resources to change direction when a PFA comes true. The MVP is intended to counter this tendency. The process of working backward from the assumption to the least possible investment to validate the assumption saves resources in the case of difficulties and keeps the business on the path of learning.

innen

Röviden: Hillary Clinton (mint külügyminiszter) önhatalmúlag elengedi pár New Yorki külképviselet ingatlanadó hátralékot (~ 50 millió USD).

“Adding insult to injury, a week before the June 23 policy change, the Hungarian government wrote the city to say it was planning to clear up its old tax debt, which totaled $32.5 million, for its East 52nd Street consulate.

“This offer is made taking into consideration the current economic crisis existing in Hungary and the City of New York,” the June 16 letter said.

The check was signed and ready to be delivered, according to the letter, written to the city’s Commission for the United Nations.

The Hungarians also pledged to pony up their current taxes on the July 1 due date.

But shortly after the State Department’s ruling, they notified the city they wouldn’t be paying a penny, a source said.”

mekkora

az egyik komment a cikk végén:

Dear New York City:

So sorry we are. We owe you guys property taxes? Not anymore we wouldn’t! Hillary Clinton, your best minister of state ever, says no, you don’t have to! We admire her more than even before when she was ducking from those bullets in Bosnia.

So we are giving you zero check.

Love,
Hungary

És kedves gyerekek, nem kell ám mindig új hidat építeni, csak karban kell tartani a meglévőket! Sajnos Manóváros vezetője, Sky manó ezzel nem foglalkozott, mert a szeme előtt csak aManóMetró lebegett, hogy megépítse bármi áron. Sky manó nem tudott úgy szólni a néphez, hogy ne említette volna meg, hogy Ő bármi áron, de akkor is meg fogja építeni a ManóMetrót, még ha a gonosz Zorb manó kereszetbe is tett neki. Sajnos soha, egyik manó sem kérdezte meg Sky manót, hogy a 19 évből csak 4 évig vezette Manóországot Zorb manó, hol van már a ManóMetró?

Sky manó minden évben megkapta a jelentést Jani’Tor manótól, hogy Manófőváros legforgalmasabb hídja életveszélyes, és meg vannak számlálva a napjai, de ez Sky manót nem nagyon izgatta, mivel Ő valami nagyot szeretett volna alkotni a manóinak.
No, de ahogy teltek-múltak az évek, és a rozsda falta a Manóhidat, Sky manó is belátta, hogy tovább nem tudja halogatni a felújítást. Ezért kivitte kis emelvényét a hídra, és bejelentette, hogy bizony fel fogják újítani a hidat … 50 aranyból. A sok manó hüledezett, hogy ez bizony nagyok sok pénz, a 23 manó, akitől minden hónapban az AdóManó elvette a fele aranyukat, pedig szinte agyvérzést kapott az idegtől.

Ismét eltelt pár év, mire célegyenesbe fordult a felújítás ügye, mivel Manófőváros malmai sajnos nagyon lassan őrölnek. Sky manó pedig közölte, hogy sajnos időközben megugrottak a költségek, és most már 100 aranyba fog kerülni a felújítás.
-100 aranyba?! Ennyi pénzért a GerManók új hidat építettek!!! - háborogtak a manók.
A felújításra Strabatka manó és csapata jelentkezett, akivel Sky manó szokta reptetni a  madarakat Nagyréten, miközben szedik a friss, vörös szekfűket … Strabatka manó és csapata mindig nagyon drágán dolgozik, de mivel nincs konkurencia, meg nagy haverok Sky manóval, megtehetik. A közmanóknak meg nincs beleszólásuk …

-Hogy menjünk át a másik oldalra egy évig, amíg le lesz zárva a híd? - háborogtak továbbra is a manók.
Sky manónak már nagyon tele volt a töke hócipője, hogy állandóan lázadoznak a manók, ahelyett, hogy hálásak lennének Neki, ezért megkérte a helyettesét, kerekfejú Gyogyó manót, aki éppen itthon volt két zarándoklat között, hogy találjon ki valamit.

Gyogyó manó elvonult 3 napig, és csak gondolkozott, csak gondolkozott … Majd kiállt a manók elé:
-Manók! Ne aggódjatok! Megvan a megoldás! Felépítünk egy ideiglenes hidat! Már beszéltem isSzekér manóval, a seregünk vezetőjével. Szorgos katonáink felépítik nekünk a hidat. És nem is fog többe kerülni … 25 aranynál.

A 23 dolgos-szorgos-adózó manó nem hitt a fülének. Az 50 aranyból 125 arany lett? És mindezt az ő adójukból?
A 23 dolgos-szorgos-adózó manó pedig mi mást tehetett volna, reggel felkelt, és elindult dolgozni, hogy jusson AdóManónak, Strabatka manónak,
Sky manónak meg Gyogyó manónak is …

innen: Az Apeh korán kezdi: színre lép az AdóManó