My new Apple Airport Express arrived earlier this week. Within 45 minutes I had it connected to my wireless network here and streaming music to my home theatre sound system. About the size of a cigarette pack, it compacts a Airport Base Station in a portable device that adds ethernet and USB ports for expanding the network or adding wireless printing capability to existing networks.
Then I started playing. And soon I discovered the limitations of the Airport Express and WIFI in general. Don't get me wrong. I'm a huge WIFI fan and encourage everyone to untether themselves from ethernet cables and enjoy the freedom of wireless internet access.
Apple has a technology built into its "Extreme" WIFI products and included it with Airport Express. Called WDS (wireless distribution system) it allows you the ability to create a larger network by placing Airport Extreme or Express base stations in proximity to each other. So this is a simple approach to getting beyond the 50-100 foot reach of 802.11x (WIFI). One base station picks up the signal of another base station and then transmits it even further. Kind of like cell towers in cellular phone technology: when you move out of the range of one cell tower, the next tower picks your signal up without a blip -- well, almost.
When I first installed my wireless network Apple's Extreme products (802.11g) hadn't yet been released. But when I completed construction on my office/studio building in the backyard I bought an Airport Extreme base station. But this too was prior to the release of WDS. So I had to run a subterranean CAT-5 cable from my home (where the DSL Router resides) and my office. At this point I set up my wireless network to "ROAM". This means that like cell phones I can move with my laptop around my property and the strongest signal available will serve me my internet access wirelessly. The difference here is both base stations are connected to the router. Theoretically, with WDS I could have saved the hassle of burying the CAT-5 cable and making the physical connection.
So with two base stations on my property you'd figure I could get great wireless access anywhere in the property. Wrong! In my bedroom (ok, so I shouldn't be on the computer when in the bedroom, but that's another discussion) the signal is barely intelligible. And if I do get a connection it drops as bad as my old Verizon cell service did (I'm a t-mobile fan now).
So enter Airport Express. I figured that by installing a second Airport Express in my bedroom I would enable WDS and extend the range of my network and have a solid signal in my bedroom, plus I'd be able to stream any of my 14,000 songs and 20 some odd playlists to my bedroom speakers.
Great idea. But nah!
I've spent a couple days playing with WDS. First, I used my Extreme base station as the primary access point for both the Airport Express and the first generation Airport Base station in the house. While I was able to extend the network, the music streaming from my G4 Cube MP3 Music Server would hiccup constantly by playing about 10 seconds of music then dropping the connection for 2 seconds then picking it up again. Annoying. Then I tried it on my home theatre stereo with WDS. A bit better but it would still drop the music signal intermittently. Finally, I disabled the WDS, reconfigured the network for roaming, did not enable the Airport Expresses to "extend the range of my existing Airport Network. And even in the far reaches of my bedroom, I'm streaming my music without the hiccuping.
Though I seem to find periodically the music simply stops. I think this happens when, like any streaming audio or video application, it loses a connection and attempts to reconnect. By simply selecting the stream in iTunes to play through the server then back to the Airport Express it reconnects and plays. This IS annoying and I'm not sure if anyone else is experiencing this problem. I'm chalking it up to the dead zone that my bedroom resides in relation to the Airport network here.
While I have been using netTunes to control the music in the office/studio while in my home, I would love to control iTunes remotely without a computer. To be sure, I do have Salling Clicker enabled on mySony Ericsson P900smartphone. And with Bluetooth I'm able to control iTunes on my laptop - but not over netTunes. I could purchase a Bluetooth adapter for the Cube MP3 Music Server, but I'm not sure the range will extend beyond my office/studio. Now if there was a way to extend the range of Bluetooth????
Ahhh. The joys of early adoption and new technology. But aren't we having fun!!!
Newsweek may have spilled the beans. But details are scant. A great article on the rise of the iPod. My favorite line?
[...] Even though Macintosh sales have gone up recently, he knows that the odds are small of anyone's owning a Mac as opposed to the competition. He doesn't want that to happen with his company's music player. "There are lots of examples where not the best product wins," he says. "Windows would be one of those, but there are examples where the best product wins. And the iPod is a great example of that." As anyone can see from all those white cords dangling from people's ears [...]
An immutable law: the best product rarely wins. In this case, if Apple can deliver and continue to innovate the iPod, iTunes and its music store I'm confident the industry will follow. Afterall, follow the leader has always been a popular game!
Using netTunes, Airport Express and AirTunes. Isn't this what the Digital Hub was supposedly to be all about?
It was just about a year ago when I completed converting my more than 1,200 CDs into AAC/MP3 format where they now reside on a 2000 vintage G4 Cube. The Mac Cube is my Music Server. And since relegating this great piece of Apple technology for music, I've had big plans for music in my office and home.
Originally, I had planned to use the cube as a headless (no monitor/display attached) server connected to my primary stereo/home theatre system in my home. With the ability to share iTunes music libraries over computers on the same network, I had planned to simply connect speakers in my office (which resides in a small guest house in my back yard) and I would have access to my 15,000 songs using iTunes library sharing.
But this solution presented a couple unique challenges. First, my Cube isn't equipped with a Airport (WiFi/802.11) card. Not that this would be an insurmountable challenge, it was another expense. Secondly, space is a problem. The great thing about the Cube is that it doesn't have a fan and therefore is extremely quiet. It is also very small and given that I'd opt out of connecting a monitor to the Cube it would not require too much real estate among my other audio and video components. However, the power supply for the Cube is about 1/3 the size of the cube itself. Again these obstacles are not deal breakers, but they do increase the challenge and functionality of my planned solution. Finally, I do like to create and burn mix/collection CDs of music for my friends. And in 2000 CD burners were not standard equipment on Macintosh computers. So I've got an external CD burner that is connected via firewire to the cube. And even with the great library sharing capability of iTunes, it is not easily possible to burn CDs using shared music. So the CD burner would need to find a home in my audio/home theatre arsenal of equipment. Whew.
Perhaps my biggest headache involves accessing the "headless server" to operate iTunes, create playlists , burn CDs and simply to search and find the music I want to hear for the mood of the moment.
Of course, I had that figured out, too. I'd simply use either Timbuktu or Apple Remote Desktop. Both of these applications would allow me to use my PowerBook or other computer on the home network to connect to the Cube and control all operations of that computer. In other words, these programs would allow me to remotely administer and operate the Cube. Since I already own Timbuktu there would be no additionally cost. However, this technology while excellent does come with a bit of overhead and therefore operating a remote computer this way reduces performance and can create a sluggish and frustrating experience. But hey. It would work.
The result? I'd have a music juke box with 15,000 songs at my whim. Plus I could access this music in my office in the building next to my house. Wow!
But due to the issues and challenges mentioned I haven't moved on my ultimate plan since pulling it together a year ago.
Now comes the good part.
When Apple introduced the Airport Express about a month ago I immediately rushed to the Apple online store and ordered one. And I'll likely purchase one or two more. Why? Because With the introduction of this amazing technology I no longer need to move the Cube, the Cube's power supply and the CD burner to my audio/video component arsenal in the great room of my home. With the deck of cards sized Airport Express, I could simply connect a TOS-link optical cable from the Airport Express to my A/V Receiver and send the music from iTunes running on my Cube. And keep in mind, the Cube is still sitting in its very comfortable resting place among my home recording equipment in my office and studio in the guest house in my back yard. Which means that I still have access to another computer in my office which is great for clients and guests who visit and need to check email, burn CDs or do simply non-processor intensive tasks.
Even with all this exciting Airport Express technology and functionality, I'm still not out of the woods. The challenge of controlling iTunes and choosing songs to play in my house has not been alleviated. Whenever I want to change a playlist, choose a different song or field a request at a dinner party for new music I'd have to step outside my house, into my office/studio operate iTunes on the Cube and then come back into my home.
So you're thinking: "What's a little walk, Allan? Exercise is good!"
Sure. But remember I could solve this problem using the remote control capabilities of Timbuktu or Apple Remote Desktop. But again, these programs are overkill for simply running iTunes. Plus, the performance hit as a result of the overhead would create that frustrating experience. Not fun for just choosing or creating a new playlist.
But I was prepared to deal with this compromise just so I could access 15,000 songs and play them on my home stereo.
Then I found Dave Nanian, Shirt Pocket Software and netTunes -- undoubtedly the coolest and best new program for the Macintosh I've see this year. Sure, a bold statement but check it out.
netTunes is a client/server application that allows you to access and control iTunes running a remote computer on the same network. In other words, I can use my PowerBook anywhere in my house, office/studio, back yard, bedroom, bathroom, kitchen or neighbors pool to launch iTunes and create playlists, change the volume or simply search and play any of my 15,000 songs. Even better, netTunes simply launches the iTunes application Window on the client machine. That means it looks, feels and operates just as if you were running the iTunes program on your computer. But the songs and playlists are on a remote machine. And with Airport Express and its AirTunes technology I can use netTunes to send that music to any Airport Express equipped stereo or speakers on my home network.
For me the options are endless. I also have outdoor speakers so I can play music in my back yard. I like to work on my patio wirelessly with my PowerBook. So I can control music while relaxing in the summer sun. Or for those summer outdoor parties and bbq's, I can easily choose and play music to fit those summer moods. All using netTunes on my laptop.
Plus, netTunes places "transport" controls for iTunes in the menu bar on OS X. This means I can pause, choose the previous or next song without having the iTunes window open and active. For me, and anyone wishing to run an MP3 or music server netTunes is a must have. And at only $19.95 it's an incredible value. Dave offers a trial version that will let you run netTunes at full functionality for 30 minutes before it shuts down.
So you're thinking what are the cons here. With so much raving about netTunes, AirTunes and Airport Express there has to be a down side, right? Not really. While I haven't used Airport Express, I'm very curious to hear it -- audio quality and any degradation that might occur broadcasting high quality audio across 802.11(x). As for netTunes? Installation is easy and it runs great. I had a little difficulty licensing the server, but this proved to be user error. The cool thing about netTunes licensing is Dave (netTunes developer) has decided to require licensing only for the server. This means any client computer can have netTunes installed for free. These clients can control any licensed netTunes server. The only odd thing about netTunes is that the iTunes window from the remote/server computer is resizable non-proportionally. So you can get some stretched and distorted views of your iTunes windows. However, Dave indicated he may include a shift-lock for those who wish to retain the original iTunes window proportion.
So a year in planning and I'm almost there. Now if Apple would just ship my AirportExpress. Then the fun really starts to begin. Hey, when it does. Come on over for a wine tasting -- and a full demo of all of this wacky stuff! I'm loving it.
If you've purchased or sold anything on eBay more than a couple times you've probably run into eBay's rigorous security and SafeHarbor teams. Several months back I cleaned through my garage and found a bunch of old audio equipment I no longer used. Rather than toss into the dumpster, I took some digital photos, wrote some basic copy and posted a half dozen listing on eBay.
The bids started rolling in. While my vision of getting rich on eBay was far from reality, I was just happy to get rid of old junk -- and get paid. Questions from potential buyers started filling my eBay email box. And the bids kept inching upward.
Then it happened. eBay shut my account down. They sent a letter claiming they thought someone had hijacked my account. They cancelled my listings and left me hanging there. After finally using their online real-time person-to-person help system I got to "chat" with Cameron. Cameron explained that they have certain criteria that flags accounts when suspected abuses occur. They apologized and activated my account and agreed to send a letter to all the bidders on my items explaining the mistake. But the damage was done. I relisted my items and eventually sold. But the initial fervor and excitement of selling on eBay was a faded memory.
Until yesterday that is. I got an email from eBay stating that there was an error on my account:
For security reasons, your eBay account has been blocked due to several unsuccessful login attempts, made by you or someone else. As a result, your access to buy or sell on eBay has been restricted. According to our site policy, you will have to confirm that you are the real owner of the eBay account. To reactivate your account, please click the link below, fill the eBay verification form and then submit as we will verify your identity and reactivate your eBay account. Your account will be fully functional immediately if the submitted information will be successfully verified.
Per the User Agreement, Section 9, we may immediately issue a warning, temporarily suspend, indefinitely suspend or terminate your membership and refuse to provide our services to you if we believe that your actions may cause financial loss or legal liability for you, our users or us. We may also take these actions if we are unable to verify or authenticate any information you provide to us.
So like a good and obedient eBayer, I clicked the link and was brought to a landing page that stated:
We have been unable to verify your credit card. Please update your account information.
The page was formatted exactly like the "My eBay" page on the eBay site. So I started completing the form. But then something seemed funny to me. Something odd. Not right. The form asked for my ATM PIN number. Odd, I thought. Then further review and I discovered the address of this site was simply an IP address. While sometimes sites might point you to a page that lands you on an page absent of DNS and lands on the home of some IP address.
I immediately cleared the form and replied to the email explaining that I would not verify anything over email and requested anyone contact me via phone. I revealed the email header information of the original email and sent it along to the eBay reply to e-mail address.
This morning eBay replied to me:
Hello,
Thank you for contacting eBay's Trust and Safety Department about email solicitations that are falsely made to appear to have come from eBay. These e-mails, commonly referred to as "spoof" messages, are sent in an attempt to collect sensitive personal information from recipients who reply to the message or click on a link to a Web page requesting this information.
The email you reported did not originate from, nor is it endorsed by, eBay. We are very concerned about this problem and are working diligently to address the situation. We are currently investigating the source of this email to take further action. You may rest assured that your account standing has not changed and that your listings have not been affected.
We advise you to be very cautious of email messages that ask you to submit information such as your credit card number or your email password. eBay will never ask you for sensitive personal information such as passwords, bank account or credit card numbers, Personal Identification Numbers (PINs), or Social Security numbers in an email itself. If you ever need to provide information to eBay please open a new Web browser, type www.ebay.com, and click on the "site map" link located at the top of the page to access the eBay page you need.
If you have any doubt about whether an email message is from eBay, please forward it immediately to spoof@ebay.com and do not respond to it or click on any of the links in the email message. Please do not change the subject line or forward the email as an attachment.
If you entered personal information such as your password, social security number or credit card numbers into a Web site based on a request from a spoofed email, you need to take immediate action to protect your identity. We have developed an eBay Help page with valuable information regarding the steps you should take to protect yourself. [...] Once again, thank you for alerting us to the spoof email you received. Your vigilance helps us ensure that eBay remains a safe and vibrant online marketplace.
Regards, Ian eBay SafeHarbor Investigations Team ______________________________ eBay Your Personal Trading Community (tm) *******************************************
While eBay is after the demons of identity theft and spoofers, it appears that Tiffany is after a bit of eBay. It is suing eBay claiming that sellers are hawking Tiffany jewelry for much less than the true value of said jewelry, Tiffany claims that eBay isn't doing enough to verify fraudulent, pirated or otherwise "spoofed" brands, counterfeits that are merely bad copies. Though to me eBay is merely a digital classified ad much like your local paper or Pennysaver. The newspaper can't verify the origin of everything someone sells through their classified. This will be an interesting lawsuit to watch. It could change the way we do business online.
I noticed that AllMusic.com quietly updated their site and identity with a complete redesign. If you are a music fan and savour the history, discography, reviews, guest performers and nearly anything you could ever want to know about your favorite artists, then get over to AllMusic and see what you've been missing.
For me, the jury is out on the new site design. I loved the simplicity of the previous design. The user interface was clean and nearly all the most important information was available on the artists "home page". With the new design AllMusic has resorted to the ubiquitous tabbed interface. So more clicks are required to dig into the information you want to know.
Plus, now it appears that AllMusic is holding back specific content for "registered members." This bothers me a bit. But considering the content available at no charge registration is a small price.
For me, I love AllMusic because it quickly tells me who else has covered a particular band or songwriter's tunes. In addition, it gives a basic overview of who the band was influenced by and who was influenced by that band. There are access to reviews and like a great site you can quickly explore and branch out and discover new artists that you might never have heard before.
AllMusic is not a web newcomer. I was happy that The Mollusk turned me on to this site last summer. Since then it's my number one resource for music information. Everybody is listed here. Plus, if you are anal about keeping your iTunes Music Library clean and with album artwork, go no further than AllMusic to grab artwork and make sure you've got the correct information in your MP3 ID tags!
So the last time I checked in I was off to spend a long weekend in the sunny Southern California community of Santa Barbara. The draw? Good friends, good music and good wine. Left the laptop at home and headed up the coast.
Highlight of the amazing weekend was a benefit concert paying tribute to Gram Parsons, the legendary musician who wasted his life away at 26 years old in Joshua Tree over a heroin and tequila binge in the early 70's. He left behind not only his music legacy which attributes the blending of rock n' roll and country music -- some now like to call this genre "alt country" or even "Americana". He influenced The Rolling Stones and from his short career with The Byrds and The Flying Burrito Brothers he has inspired Emmylou Harris, Wilco, Beck, David Crosby, Steve Earle, Sheryl Crow, Lucinda Williams, Gillian Welch and many others.
The lineup Friday night was incredible: Keith Richards, Norah Jones, Lucinda Williams, Steve Earle, Jim Lauderdale, John Doe and many others. Richard's attributes Parsons' influence to Stones' albums Exile on Main Street and Sticky Fingers. To me, the most amazing influence of Parsons' is on "Dead Flowers" and certainly "Wild Horses."
[...] Richards has said that Parsons "probably did more than anyone to put a new face on country music. He brought it into the mainstream of music again. ... I think I learned more from Gram than anybody else. ... Gram changed the face of country music without anyone even knowing it. He was just a very special guy. He was my mate, and I wish he'd remained my mate for a lot longer."
Rather than bowl you over with details on Gram Parsons live (I urge you to check out the website about the concert which occurred on Friday night in Santa Barbara and Saturday in Los Angeles at the Universal Amphitheater). Instead I'd like to point out a few highlights of the show in Santa Barbara.
First, I was so impressed by the performance of Dwight Yoakam who belted out a high-energy version of "Sin City" that left me jaw-dropped and thinking that's Dwight Yoakam? And I thought I'd always prefer him as an actor (remember Sling Blade?)
Heartfelt performances by siren's Lucinda Williams and Norah Jones left me yearning for more. Each artist performed only two songs. Lucinda and Norah both brought musicians from their respective touring bands. But perhaps the biggest surprise of the evening was Keith Richards when he rolled on stage just after Norah finished her last song. Grabbing the sultry and sexy youngster he shuffles up to the microphone and mumbles in a slightly alcohol induced (this is Keith Richards after all) English cockney something about how he gets to perform with Norah. With a cigarette dangling between his fingers and a beaded headband keeping his hair out of his face he goes on to say "I've got say a couple things about G.P.". Then he launches into "Love Hurts" made popular by Nazareth in the 1970's, and song Parsons' didn't write but recorded for his Grievous Angel album. Soon Richards is calling to the rest of the band for help on the vocals. We now know without question why Mick sings Richards' tunes. He just cannot sing. It's pathetic.
Next he says "I haven't ever sang this song... and I'm not sure if I can remember it." The band jumps into Wild Horses and thank god after one verse Norah, Jim Lauderdale, Steve Earle and others help with the song. Not that I have anything against Keith Richards but he may have hit the nail on the head hear at a tribute concert of a true music legend who dies at 26 years old, "If only the good die young, where does that leave me?"
An amazing show. And if you've never been to the Santa Barbara Bowl, it's perhaps one of the nicest venues I've ever seen a concert in Southern California. Check it out.
[...] bloggers contacted for this story noted that their readers seem to look at their regular, consistent posting patterns as somewhat akin to a sign of physical health. And any break in that pattern is sometimes seen as a cause for alarm.
What's funny is the article starts with a anecdote about Bilmon who pens the Whiskey Bar blog. Funny in that Bilman refers to his blog as a virtual bar. Hmmm. In some way that's what the Digital Tavern is - you know - know strangers, only friends you haven't met.
I've never heard of nor visited the Whiskey Bar blog before today. But the article brought up many of the points I've discussed her in the tavern about the pressure to write and post regularly.
[...] bloggers feel that even if their readers aren't worrying about their health, they're still expected to be coming up with the next post with little or no delay.
Legendary blogger Jason Kottke chimes in on the story:
[...] Sometimes it gets harder to find interesting stuff to talk about. There are 3 million blogs, and everyone is talking about everything. It's tough to deal with that sometimes, and you don't want to just be another person talking about the same stuff that everybody else is talking about.
I can related. There have been several posts over the last several months as I've traveled, returned home, traveled, returned home and traveled again. I think it may be more of jet lag and catching up on lost sleep or simply chilling that has kept me away from the blogging keyboard. I try to post interesting information and would rather leave a blank day than simply pen something for the sake of keeping a "streak" going.
To be sure, I have yet to suffer or feel a case of burnout. Sure, I feel a bit of anxiety to bring you some decent material -- even better -- something fun to read. That is, anything but the usual fodder that clogs the blogs of the common blogger.
So I'm digging in and getting going.
That is until after this weekend. Off to Santa Barbara to see Keith Richards, Norah Jones, Steve Earle, Lucinda Williams, eastmountainsouth and many others perform at Return to Sin City: A Tribute to Gram Parsons. Live tonight at the Santa Barbara Bowl. Hell. Maybe I'll even blog about the show next week!
Catching up on my usual suspects of bloggers and their recent posts I noticed that Joiblogged the fact that Technoroti has tracked it's 3 millionth blog - of course when I read his post headline where he claimed that "Technorati Tracks 3M Blogs" I immediately thought of the once incredibly innovative Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company (3M) but soon realized he was using "M" as millions. Though in the advertising industry and direct marketing I always found that M was used to track thousands. Yet in tech "K" is for thousands. So much for standards. Good lord.
So Marynotes that a Blog really isn't abandoned unless you stumble upon a 404 error, stating simply that "I think the archives of blogs, and their linking histories are actually very interesting, so the fact that Technorati keeps them in the index to me is important and useful". While I don't disagree there is a difference between fresh and preserved. What would you rather devour? Fresh or preserved foods?
But what caught my eye in Mary's post was her observation that many bloggers she tracks are travelers:
[...] I know a number of bloggers who are only travel bloggers, so they post when traveling, say over three months through South America, and they email us when they start up. And then when they return home, the blogging stops for a while, until their next trip. Or the ones who do it for knowledge management, and so, blog over the school year, but take the winter break and summer off. Or for research projects of limited duration. Or the ones that blog for a specific event, leading up to it, through it and just after, and then not posting again for a while, until the next big event.
So while this quick paragraph reduced my blogging anxiety for a fleeting moment due to the fact that for the past few months the majority of my active posts have happened while I have frolicked somewhere around this grand planet, the fact is I feel that like a newspaper, magazine or newsletter the key word is "periodical". Now define this as you wish but for me a blog is a published piece. And as such it should be updated on a regular and recurring interval. Hence, the result of my anxiety when I have a lapse of week (let alone a day) or two where the pressure (on myself) to blog mounts until I finally grapple with some material I feel to be of value and interest to readers of the Digital Tavern.
The second anniversary of The Digital Tavern passed without me making any fuss in May of this year. This is back when Technoroti was barely a twinkle in the eye of David Sifry and the number of blogs were barely six figures. Today, we're in the millions. And I feel lucky and happy that the Digital Tavern has been alive for more the 2 years. And it will continue to live for years to come.
Even the driest of technical or trade publications aren't immune to the lure of hype that supermarket tabloids and Rupert Murdoch are famous for. In this article in the every exciting Enterprise Security Today, Esther points me to the article where the headline harps "iPods Pose Enterprise Security Threat".
Good god I feel like I'm revisiting the Apple-bashing by the media of days gone by in the mid to late 90's where you couldn't read an article about Apple without the ubiquitous modifiers of "beleaguered", "embattled" and "doomed" -- take a trip (back in time) and see how many times Apple is described with such words) But for 2004, this article takes the cake.
I'm not sure whether author Jason Lopez simple wishes he had his own iPod or would rather be writing for a mainstream tech publication that evaluates the not music toting devices. He even takes a shot at Apple by mentioning the new Sony MP3 player which can hold more songs than the iPod -- all under the guise of how portable storage devices are a threat to corporate enterprise security. Give me a break.
netTunes is a client/server application that allows you to access and control iTunes running a remote computer on the same network. In other words, I can use my PowerBook anywhere in my house, office/studio, back yard, bedroom, bathroom, kitchen or neighbors pool to launch iTunes and create playlists, change the volume or simply search and play any of my 15,000 songs. Even better, netTunes simply launches the iTunes application Window on the client machine. That means it looks, feels and operates just as if you were running the iTunes program on your computer. But the songs and playlists are on a remote machine. And with 
If you've purchased or sold anything on eBay more than a couple times you've probably run into eBay's rigorous security and SafeHarbor teams. Several months back I cleaned through my garage and found a bunch of old audio equipment I no longer used. Rather than toss into the dumpster, I took some digital photos, wrote some basic copy and posted a half dozen listing on eBay.
I noticed that 
So the last time I checked in I was off to spend a long weekend in the sunny Southern California community of Santa Barbara. The draw? Good friends, good music and good wine. Left the laptop at home and headed up the coast.
