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Climbing Dark Star, a Sierra Classic
There's nothing wrong with spending a summer in Vancouver when Squamish is your backyard, I just wanted more this year. Then the phone rang."Come to California," Trev said. "We'll climb some real mountains. There's a couple of Grade Vs I want to get on."
There's nothing wrong with spending a summer in Vancouver when Squamish is your backyard, I just wanted more this year. Then the phone rang.
"Come to California," Trev said. "We'll climb some real mountains. There's a couple of Grade Vs I want to get on."
"Real mountains? Grade V? Hello?" I asked. Trev had already hung up. I threw my gear and my dog in the car and headed south.
In his book The Good, The Great, and The Awesome, my hero Peter Croft states that Dark Star on 12,999-foot Temple Crag (V 5.10) is one of the Big Four Sierra alpine routes. I don't know what the other three are and I don't know what Peter Croft was smoking when he wrote that, but I do know what Grade V means now and I won't be doing any more for a while.
After dropping our dogs at the Crow Bar Hotel in Bishop, Trev and I drove through Big Pine to the Palisades: a mountainous wonderland of giant glaciers, pristine green lakes, great pines and silence. The sun was hot and the sky blue as we walked in six miles to bivy near a glacial lake under Temple Crag's shadow. In the quiet light of morning we exchanged excited smiles and geared up, each with our own half-litre of water, pepperoni stick and Luna Bar. Dressed in long-sleeved shirts, toting toques and headlamps, we assumed we would be prepared for anything.
From our camp to the base of Temple Crag was a two-hour hike up heavy scree and patches of snow, but the weather was perfect and we were psyched when we identified the start of Dark Star. We had the place to ourselves. The first pitch is the crux, a stiff 5.10, and it was after this that we decided it would have been a good idea to wear helmets. Although the following pitches are graded low fifth or easy fourth class, some of them are tough and most are downright scary due to loose rock and difficulties in route-finding.
On the chimney pitch I got lost, so I brought Trev up to scope out the situation.
He looked me in the eye. "Do you really not know where to go or are you just scared? It's a chimney. You go up," he said.
He continued the pitch. It was entertaining watching him maneuver his thick body through the very narrow slot. When I laughed, my water bottle exploded. I guess I was sitting on it. I stopped laughing.
Finally atop the lower buttress, we were faced with many tedious ridge traverses to reach the base of the upper buttress, which turned out to be a repeat of the lower buttress except with even more traverse pitches and even looser rock. Everything we touched or stepped on moved.
I thought that getting to the top of the upper buttress meant being at the top of the climb. I am an idiot. We still had to traverse to the base of yet another enormous rock heap in order to get to the top. As we began, Trev looked behind us and commented, "Look at what we've been climbing. Like, gross."
It started to spit rain. Thunder and lightning followed. When you're close enough to touch the sky, you're momentarily blinded; your heartstrings plucked.
Trev got a little grumpy and started saying things like, "We'll never get off this choss pile," and, "Great. We'll either die of rocks falling on our heads or get hit by lightning. Just fucking great."
We saw what looked like a possible bail route and after another boom of thunder backed by more lightning we decided to try it. We hiked down 1,500 feet of slab to be stopped dead at a sheer 500-foot drop. I won't say what Trev said then.
Our only option was to finish that fucker of a climb. We filled our water bottles with dirty snow and trudged back up the 1,500-foot slab. At least the rain had stopped and the skies were quiet.
Back on the rope, Trev suggested that maybe we had already died and we'd be climbing this route forever because we were in hell. I laughed and continued to work silently at keeping fear off my back. We somehow reached the summit at dusk but there was no elation, only relief, and only a little of that. We still had to get down. We donned our headlamps, read the sketchy descent directions we had copied from Croft's book at the climbing shop in Bishop, and hustled into Part Two of this epic.
Dehydration, fatigue and delirium were creeping in and even after hours of tripping over rocks and boulders in the moonless black night, we really had no idea how to find Contact Pass, the descent trail. We happened upon trickles of icy water, and drank and rested next to a glacier. I found my pepperoni stick in my pocket but had somehow lost my hunger, so I offered it to Trev.
That's when he called it: "We have to stop until daylight. We're lost and can't see where we're going. You always eat. We need some sleep. I wanted to keep moving to stave off the sub-freezing temperatures, but the last two hours of zigzagging had only helped to disorient us further."
And then I had an idea. It was simple. A fire! We'll make a fire! There was always a fire in the wilderness in the dark. Always. I laughed and jumped and jangled my cams and could already feel the hot flames flicking my palms. Trev looked around quizzically. I followed his gaze. There was no wood here. Just rocks. No fire.
Trev flaked out the rope for insulation atop a big flat boulder and we removed our harnesses and gear. He looked at me and said, Find two rocks for pillows. I stared back at him, wondering if he was trying to be funny at such a time. He wasn't joking. Too tired to question his obvious loss of sanity, I picked up two rocks. He said they weren't the right kind. I stood watching as Trev searched for two good ones. We used those.
I mean no hyperbole by saying this was the coldest night I've ever spent. Ever. We laid our tired bodies down on the rope on the rock, rested our delirious heads on rock pillows, and shook, shivered and trembled tightly in each other's arms for the next several hours. We regularly turned cold exposed body parts inwards to the heat of the other's body. We took turns lying atop one another rubbing arms and backs and bums and thighs, and between chattering teeth whispered words of love and longing for our furry dogs.
"Will we die?" I asked.
"Yes, I think so," Trev replied. "But not tonight."
Quiet laughter echoed out to the brilliant stars and into the utter silence, and we shook and shivered some more between fleeting moments of sleep.
And, at morning's first shadowy light, a billion stars still ablaze, we saw where we were: engulfed in a magnificent boulder bowl surrounded by high jagged peaks backed with glaciers. And us: two small, insignificant trembling creatures staring wide-eyed at all that encompassed us.
Peter Croft was right. Dark Star is a great climb.
Alison Cerney lives in Vancouver with her dog, Rex the bullmastiff.


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Creator: Copenhagen Business School
Category: Software > Computer Software > Educational Software
Tag: business, communication, finance, growth, social
Availability: In stock
Price: USD 49.00
In Course 3 of this Specialization you will first of all learn about Social Impact Assessment. Hence you will be able to develop a method to evaluate the social mission that you achieve while implementing your business plan. Next you will outline an appropriate communication strategy for your social enterprise and will demonstrate how to market your products and services to beneficiaries and other customers. Here you will employ an adaptable communication strategy as you move from early adopters to a broader market share. Furthermore you will determine growth strategies and how you can scale or replicate your business plan internationally in order to reach a larger number of beneficiaries.
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In particular you will discuss organic growth, social franchising, and an open source approach. Finally, you will evaluate exit strategies. Thus you will review options social enterprises have when they need to finance their growth but the original funders can not or do not want to finance the expansion. Course 3 will be completed by your Capstone project, which will ask you to submit the final business plan of your social venture. Note: It is highly recommended to have completed Course 1 & 2 of the Social Entrepreneurship Specialization before starting this Course!

subset: commoncrawl


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Last Friday there was a wine tasting (like every Friday from 12:00 to 3:00) in the tasting room at back of Liquors Galore (1212 Avenue J; Brooklyn, NY 11230-3702; Telephone: 718.338.4166)
Jordan Weisz, the Kosher Brand Manager at Monsieur Touton Selection, LTD, presented five superb selections which definitely proved a kosher wine need not be expensive to be good.
I started with a 2008 Chateau Joumard Bordeaux. It had great bouquet and hints of red berry on the palate. Having been aged in French oak casks it add some vanilla shades to its flavor. It goes perfectly with pasta, grilled meat, lamb and pizza. Its delicate taste perfectly compliments the stronger flavored food.
I then tasted a 2006 Jerusalem Hills Mount Hevron Red, a mix of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petite Syrah. These grapes mature gently in the warm days and cool nights of the Jerusalem Hills. It's got a smoky flavor with raspberry accents and a hint of black pepper.
I followed with the 2006 Gedeon Cabernet Sauvignon, a very nice smoky wine. I then proceeded to 2008 Grand Sud Merlot. Delightfully fruity, dry with currant accents.
The last selection I tasted was a 2007 Cantina Grabrielle Chianti. Chiantis are usually very dry, this one however was unusually gentle soft in tannins and acidity. Liked it, I've found a new friend.
Cantina Gabrielle, never cease to amaze me. Very moderately priced wines, with delightful flavors. One that I like a lot of, is their Dolcemente. It reminds of an old fashioned wine that combines Cabernet Sauvignon grapes with the fruitiness of the Cesanese grapes. It has fresh floral aromas and notes of berry and cherry, very smooth tannins, and a lovely sweetness on the palate. Absolutely delightful!
[Starting next week, Aaron Zimmerman, the owner of Liquors Galore will post a multi-part weekly series on how to chose and how to taste wine.]


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Related story: Christopher Dorner's 10 days of terror
Past coverage: Retrace the search for — and discovery of — Christopher Dorner from Day 1. View previous articles, photo galleries, videos, timelines and more.
The horde of media vans has left the snow covered mountain community of Big Bear Lake.
One of the biggest manhunts in Southern California history was over. Christopher Jordan Dorner, a disgraced ex-cop who had publicly targeted police and promised open warfare against officers and their families, died in a fiery confrontation with authorities.
This small community of 5,000 at the top of the majestic San Bernardino Mountains is left wondering, asking how this fugitive infiltrated one of their own homes, escaped detection for days then died in a gun battle after releasing two people he'd kept hostage for at least five days.
Their tranquility, shattered by the violence, has returned.
The call
Eight days ago, on Feb. 7, I started work early in the morning, sitting at my desk in an empty newsroom and making my usual round of calls to police and the sheriff's department where I expect to get the typical chatter about what terrible crimes had been committed the night before. This time, the only topics anybody wanted to talk about were Dorner and the shooting of a veteran and rookie police officer in Riverside along with another cop in Corona.
By noon that day, reports started streaming in of a truck burning in the Big Bear Lake area matching the description of Dorner's truck. I confirmed the information with my own sources but the public information officer for the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department was absolute in her denial that the truck belonged to Dorner.
Instinct along with facts are the two most important tools that a reporter stores in his tool bag to help tell the whole story. My instincts and my sources matched perfectly.
I've been a civilian journalist for two years and I previously worked as public affairs journalist for another two in the military after an injury sidelined me from active duty. Before that I was a weapons expert and had served downrange in Iraq, leaving the safety net of the Forward Operating Base on multiple combat and humanitarian missions. I trust my instincts.
The command post from five jurisdictions and the location of multiple news conferences were within what we now know to be just yards from the condominium where Dorner was holed up.
Frazzled and surrounded by an entourage of deputies, San Bernardino County Sheriff John McMahon would daily give little information to the media about the manhunt. Most of us sympathized. The pressure to find Dorner, the frigid weather, and the fear were palpable. But it's my job to tell a story, to get it right and to pass it on to the public.
Deputies on the ground were my best sources, they shared key details about the truck's broken axelrod, the ammunition in the truck and their belief that Dorner was hiding nearby, in the woods, maybe in one of the cabins.
These guys were motivated. No doubt. They wanted to get Dorner. And we knew it. I decided to watch them, to keep focused on their actions – that would be the tell for finding Dorner.
The wait
The community was frightened, worried that an accused cop killer could be lurking in their neighborhoods. Parents had taken part in lockdown drills at their children's schools before, but this time it was real. Schools closed and they had to take their children home.
Even when cleared to return to school some parents refused. They kept their children home.
Residents in this quiet community carried their guns everywhere they went. What if they ran into to Dorner? What then?
People would look directly at me and answer that they would have protected their families with their lives and that they would have had no problem shooting Dorner in order to do that.
After six days of being in the middle of the mountain dragnet around Big Bear Lake with only one day to rest, I became weary of the snow, frustrated with the search, and numb from the tedium of the hunt for the suspected cop killer.
Residents just wanted the media siege to end and their community to return to some kind of normalcy.
I needed to be home in my bed, not one connected to a hotel room. I needed a change of clothes and to shower in my own home. I needed to feel human again.
As I headed home five days after the truck was first identified, about 15 miles down the mountain near Arrowbear, I encountered dozens of local deputies and federal marshals near where Christopher Dorner's mother owns land.
With their assault rifles at the ready, they hunkered down and crept toward a small cabin. Ready for anything.
I thought: "Hell, they've found Dorner. This is big."
The shot
Suddenly, they turned around and started running toward me, jumping in their cars along Highway 330. They fired up their engines and began racing back up the mountain, sirens screaming and lights blazing.
I asked a U.S. Marshal if they located the fugitive cop-killer. He looked at me and grinned. In one way saying nothing, but in another way saying everything.
I tailed the convoy of cops close behind, never losing sight of the officers racing to find Dorner.
About 20 miles past Big Bear Lake, the officers pulled over along Highway 38 and Glass Road near the Seven Oaks Boy Scout campground, within a quarter mile of the cabin where Dorner apparently was keeping law enforcement at bay.
It was near where the 33-year-old ex-cop had just engaged deputies with a barrage of gunfire, killing one and injuring another.
Law enforcement personnel who I had followed leaped from their cars with guns out. They set up a command post swiftly.
Then hundreds of SWAT team officers, sheriff's deputies and police officers swooped in – moving in unison, ready for anything.
I was one of two reporters last week to witness the battle between an army of police and a man believed to be Dorner.
Even though I was in the line of sight of Dorner's rampage, there was too much chaos in the battlezone and adrenaline to be afraid.
I heard a loud bang – either from tear gas or a flash-bang grenade. Then silence. Then I saw smoke drifting above the trees.
Soon after the smoke began to billow I heard loud popping like firecrackers.
Then it happened.
One loud distinct gunshot. There was no doubt that this was a bullet leaving the barrel of a rifle.
At the time, it was uncertain where that final shot came from.
Some say SWAT snipers hit their target and others say the angry fugitive took his own life so his would-be captors couldn't.
The thoughts running through my mind were that I hoped no one else had gotten hurt.
The man inside the cabin was accused of killing four innocent people, and I hoped none of the men or women on the mountain trying to catch an escaped killer were injured.
A half-hour later, four fire engines rolled up.
Within an hour, the tell-tale smoke of the burning cabin was gone.
Homicide detectives moved in to investigate and contain the crime scene.
It took authorities two days after the firefight in the forest for authorities to confirm that the charred corpse in the burned-out cabin, was Dorner.
After all the television and radio interviews and stories written by reporters everywhere are done, one question still runs through my mind.
What would make a man, who was committed to protect and to serve, turn into the very evil he fought against?


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Home » Electroacoustic/Contemporary » SATIE, ERIK: Vexations
SATIE, ERIK: Vexations
Not the whole of it, of course, that would take a day or so. But here are the first 40 repeats of Satie's disarming motif. Dating from 1893, this piece, its first complete performance organised by John Cage in 1963, stands as a monument to a deceptively revolutionary musical mind. The score calls for 840 repeats, but to say that is only to repeat words - it can't approach the physical experience of listening; and of course no played repeat is really a repeat. Can you listen to it? Of course, for a while, then like any repeated thing, figure repositions itself as ground, then it gets interesting. Because not mechanical, this is furniture music with personality. It is also a musical landmark and it's good news that someone has at last set it on a record.
Code: LTMCD2389
Price: £14.50


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SAN FRANCISCO » Video from the helmet camera of a firefighter responding to the crash landing of an Asiana Airlines flight in San Francisco shows at least one rescuer was aware someone was on the ground outside the aircraft and even warned a colleague. Yet two fire trucks subsequently ran over an injured passenger.
The video, first aired by CBS News on Tuesday, shows the girl, 16-year-old Ye Meng Yuan, lying in the grass before she was struck, according to an attorney for her family. A coroner concluded she was alive at the time and died when she was later hit by a fire truck.
In the video, a firefighter with a helmet camera tells the driver of a fire truck that there's a person in front of him. A fire truck-mounted camera shows a firefighter directing the truck away from the person.
What's not clear from the video is why rescuers didn't try to move or clearly mark the presence of the person on the ground during the chaotic aftermath of the July 6 crash at San Francisco International Airport.
Shortly after the crash, rescue officials confirmed that one of the plane crash victims was run over by a fire truck. Firefighters told investigators they assumed the girl was dead and hurried on toward the damaged aircraft, according to documents released by the NTSB.
"This is not a matter of us being careless or callous," Assistant Deputy Chief Dale Carnes told the federal safety board last month. "It was the fact we were dealing with a very complex environment."
The video, which was released to The Associated Press on Wednesday by attorneys for the girl's family, reflected much of what officials have said, only with more detail.
About 15 minutes after the driver of the fire truck was alerted to the girl's presence, the video shows that same truck running over her, according to CBS. Footage of her being run over was not aired in the CBS News broadcast.
The helmet camera shows another truck driving over her minutes after that, according to CBS News, which said it obtained the video from a person close to Yuan's family.
The San Francisco Chronicle first reported on the video's content, but did not release the video publicly.
It's still unknown how Yuan got out of the plane. Interviews for an ongoing National Traffic Safety Board investigation found Yuan was covered with foam and struck twice.
"At least five firefighters knew of her presence before she was covered in foam. Nobody examined her, nobody touched her, nobody protected her, moved her or did anything to take her out of harm's way, and then they abandoned her there," said Anthony Tarricone, an attorney for Yuan's family, which has filed a legal claim against the City of San Francisco.
San Francisco fire spokeswoman Mindy Talmadge said on Wednesday she could not comment on the video because of the pending litigation, though she confirmed there were videos and a few still photographs of the scene that were taken by firefighters and turned over to the department. The videos and photographs were given to attorneys who have filed lawsuits representing victims of the crash, Talmadge said.
San Francisco's fire chief, Joanne Hayes-White, explicitly banned firefighters from using helmet-mounted video cameras after images from such a recording of the Asiana Airlines crash scene first became public. Hayes-White told the San Francisco Chronicle she was concerned about the privacy of victims and firefighters.
The department subsequently said it was reviewing that policy.
In all, 304 of the 307 people aboard the Asiana flight survived after the airliner slammed into a seawall at the end of a runway during final approach for landing.
The impact ripped off the back of the plane, tossed out three flight attendants and their seats, and scattered pieces of the jet across the runway as it spun and skidded to a stop.
Yuan was one of three Chinese teens who died; one died during the crash, and another died later in the hospital.
Associated Press writer Paul Elias contributed to this report.


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text: Improving health care for veterans has become a matter of national attention and has gained increasing attention from the medical community. With the current surge of veterans reintegrating into civilian society it is critical to improve the training of the next cadre of providers who will provide care for our veterans. It is widely known that veterans receive care in all aspects of the health system, thus providers in veteran focused care facilities, military health serves and civilian locals must be aware of the unique needs of veterans. It is perhaps even more important to educate civilian providers who may be unfamiliar with the unique physical, mental and emotional needs related to military service. Course Audience - all health professions learners, example: - medical students, resident physicians, dental students, - nursing students, advanced practice nurses, - social work, pharmacy student as graduate level learners - as well as any and all health professionals interested in veteran-centered care What You Will Learn: This course will provide learners the opportunity to engage with material to facilitate their understanding of the origins of Academic Medical Centers and Veterans Administration affiliations, recognize and manage the influence of bias, class, and power on the clinical encounter and self-reflect on their biases that particularly affect U.S. military veterans. This course also features several video clips from the acclaimed documentary, Where Soldiers Come From, directed by Heather Courtney. The views expressed in this course are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the position or the policy of the Department of Veterans Affairs or the U.S. government.


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An overarching premise of the exhibition Bodies and Shadow: Caravaggio and His Legacy is the artist's legacy as it echoed across decades and even centuries of European painting. But an artist working in Long Beach right now has a surprisingly direct connection to the 16th century master.
Sandow Birk is candid in recalling that when he first encountered Caravaggio's work as a student studying abroad, he was just a kid from L.A. who knew little about the art of painting. Struck by the dramatic poses, strong lighting and emotional impact that he saw in Caravaggio, Birk knew that he wanted to paint like that. Just as Caravaggio often took his models from the streets of Rome, Birk painted what he saw around him–street scenes of 1990s Los Angeles, populated by kids in hooded sweatshirts in urban landscapes marked by street graffiti. He arranged the figures in compositions directly traceable to Caravaggio.
We interviewed Birk in his Long Beach studio recently. Excerpts from that video are part of the multimedia tour of the exhibition, available to rent on site. The tour covers more than two dozen highlights of the exhibition, including not only work by Caravaggio, but also one of Birk's other favorites, the Magdalen with the Smoking Flame by Georges de la Tour, from LACMA's collection. Birk's love of painting is palpable in the video, as is his process of learning through close observation of the work of Caravaggio and other artists in this exhibition.
Amy Heibel


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The increasingly competitive browser market has at last created an environment in which emerging Web standards can flourish. One of the harbingers of the open Web renaissance is HTML 5, the next major version of the W3C's ubiquitous HTML standard. Although HTML 5 is still in the draft stage, several of its features have already been widely adopted by browsers like Safari, Chrome, and Firefox. Among the most compelling is the "video" element, which has the potential to free Web video from its plugin prison and make video content a native first-class citizen on the Web—if codec disagreements don't stand in the way.
In an article last month, we explored the challenges and opportunities associated with the HTML 5 video element. One of the most significant of these challenges is the lack of consensus around a standard media codec, a contentious issue that has rapidly escalated into a major controversy. The debate has now stalled without a clear resolution in sight.
The HTML 5 working group is split between supporters of Ogg Theora and H.264. Their inability to find a compromise that is acceptable to all stakeholders has compelled HTML 5 spec editor Ian Hickson to "admit defeat" and give up on the effort to define specific codecs and media formats in the standard itself. This is problematic because the lack of uniform codec availability will make it impossible for content creators to publish their videos in a single format that will be viewable through the HTML 5 video element in all browsers.
In an e-mail posted to the WHATWG mailing list, Hickson outlined the positions of each major browser vendor and explained how the present impasse will influence the HTML 5 standard. Apple and Google favor H.264 while Mozilla and Opera favor Ogg Theora. Google intends to ship its browser with support for both codecs, which means that Apple is the only vendor that will not be supporting Ogg.
"After an inordinate amount of discussions, both in public and privately, on the situation regarding codecs for <video> and <audio> in HTML5, I have reluctantly come to the conclusion that there is no suitable codec that all vendors are willing to implement and ship," Hickson wrote. "I have therefore removed the two subsections in the HTML5 spec in which codecs would have been required, and have instead left the matter undefined."
Ogg Theora is an open format that is thought to be unencumbered by patents. The primary reference implementation is distributed under an open source license and it is being developed by the non-profit Xiph.org with funding from Mozilla. Ogg is strongly preferred by the open source software community because it can be freely redistributed without requiring licensing fees.
H.264 is a high-performance codec that is maintained by the ISO Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG) as part of the MPEG-4 family. It is emerging as the dominant codec for both streaming video and optical media, as it is said to deliver the visual quality of MPEG-2 (used on DVDs) at roughly half the bitrate. The MPEG LA consortium manages licensing of the underlying patents that cover H.264 compression algorithms and other software methods needed to implement the codec. In order to use the format, adopters have to pay licensing fees to MPEG LA.
Patent problems
Patent encumbrance is one of the driving forces behind the HTML 5 video codec controversy. The patent licensing requirements mean that H.264 codecs can't be freely redistributed, making the format a non-starter for Mozilla and most other open source browser vendors. Opera also objects, saying that the licensing fees are too high. Mozilla and Opera strongly advocate Ogg Theora as an alternative because its freedom from known patents could ensure that there are no licensing barriers that prevent ubiquitous adoption.
Apple objects to Ogg Theora, claiming that the lack of known patents on Theora doesn't rule out the threat of submarine patents that could eventually be used against adopters. Apple is also concerned about the lack of widespread support for hardware-based Theora decoding, a factor that diminishes the format's viability on mobile devices. Google shares Apple's skepticism about the potential of Theora in the marketplace. The search giant claims that Theora's lack of quality relative to H.264 will make it an impractical choice for large-scale streaming video services such as YouTube.
Obtaining a license for H.264 from MPEG LA doesn't guarantee complete immunity from patent infringement liability, though. Although it is generally assumed that MPEG LA controls all of the relevant intellectual property pertaining to H.264 implementations, there is still the possibility that a third-party which is not a member of the consortium has a broad patent covering related compression technology that it can independently enforce against MPEG LA licensees.
Although Theora is not known to infringe any patents, critics fear that enhancing it to make it competitive with the most modern and efficient codecs will greatly increase its exposure to infringement risks. Some critics even contend that it's not possible to advance Theora without inevitably hitting a patent wall.
Another licensing issue that is often overlooked is the ambiguity of MPEG LA's future patent royalty collection plans. MPEG LA has established broadcast fees that licensees will be required to pay for distributing free (or ad-supported) streaming video content on the Internet. These fees will not be instated until the end of 2010, when the second H.264 licensing period goes into effect. The language used in the current license treats Internet streaming just like over-the-air television, implying that the licensees will have to pay broadcast fees per-region. That could prove to be extremely costly for Internet video providers who make their content available around the world.
MPEG LA has provided no guidance, clarification, or insight into what the broadcast licensing fees will look like. When asked directly about the issue, MPEG LA representatives say that they haven't even decided yet themselves. The worry is that H.264 licensing for content distributors could potentially become too costly to sustain widespread use for streaming Internet video.
(For more details about MPEG LA licensing eccentricity, you can refer Jan Ozer's concise overview at the Streaming Learning Center. Another good one to refer to is The H.264 Licensing Labyrinth by Tim Siglin.)
The compression efficiency debate
The viability of Theora for large-scale streaming video web sites is Google's primary concern. Google is committed to shipping both Ogg and H.264 support in its browser, but intends to use the latter to power its popular YouTube video site. The direction that YouTube goes for streaming video will be enormously influential and could, by itself, play a very significant role in determining the outcome of the codec issue.
The extent to which Theora lags behind H.264 is often overstated and the codec is, in actuality, in better shape than is generally thought by many of its critics. Google open source programs manager Chris DiBona is skeptical, however, and articulated the search giant's concerns about Theora's compression efficiency during the debate on the WHATWG mailing list.
"If [YouTube] were to switch to Theora and maintain even a semblance of the current YouTube quality it would take up most available bandwidth across the internet," DiBona said. "The most recent public number was just over 1 billion video streams a day, and I've seen what we've had to do to make that happen, and it is a staggering amount of bandwidth."
DiBona's quality claim was broadly disputed by Theora supporters on the mailing list. Mozilla's Mike Shaver encouraged DiBona to examine the most recent Theora developments, suggesting that the latest improvements have helped to significantly close the gap in compression efficiency.
"I don't think the bandwidth delta is very much with recent (and format-compatible) improvements to the Theora encoders," he wrote. "[Codec improvements] are a big part of what we've been funding, and the results have been great already. I'd like to demonstrate them to you, because I suspect that you'd be a better-armed advocate within Google for unencumbered video if you could see what it's really capable of now."
Xiph's Gregory Maxwell responded to DiBona's mailing list post by publishing a comparison that aims to demonstrate Theora's efficacy relative to H.264 in the context of YouTube-quality streaming video.
"Using a simple test case I show that Theora is competitive and even superior to some of the files that Google is distributing today on YouTube," he wrote. "Theora isn't the most efficient video codec available right now. But it is by no means bad, and it is substantially better than many other widely used options. By conventional criteria Theora is competitive. It also has the substantial advantage of being unencumbered, reasonable in computational complexity, and entirely open source. People are often confused by the correct observation that Theora doesn't provide the state of the art in bitrate vs quality, and take that to mean that Theora does poorly when in reality it does quite well."
Ogg has several high-profile supporters, including popular video streaming site DailyMotion and the Wikimedia Foundation, the organization behind the popular Wikipedia Internet encyclopedia. DailyMotion recently began the process of converting its video library to Ogg which it plans to deliver through the HTML 5 video element. DailyMotion has acknowledged that its Ogg streams have some technical deficiencies compared to its current Flash-based video streaming solution, but is confident that it's the best approach in the long run.
The Wikimedia Foundation, which is a strong supporter of open technology and unencumbered accessibility to information, was already committed to Ogg even before the HTML 5 video element gained multiple browser implementations. The organization is collaborating with Mozilla in the effort to boost Theora quality. In an e-mail on the WHATWG list, Wikimedia Foundation volunteer media contact David Gerard said that the organization is also interested in helping Mozilla to raise general awareness of the advantages that unencumbered video would bring to the Internet.
"I'd also point out that Wikimedia has vast publicity abilities in this direction," he wrote. "And we're watching the progress of Theora and Dirac on a day-by-day basis, for obvious reasons. So if you need large charitable organisations to help you with making this the obvious publicity choice for a happy Internet with cute fluffy kitties, I can tell you we'll be right there!"
A Fluffy Kitty summary of the codec debate
The following images demonstrate what the future of the web might look like, depending on potential outcomes of the codec debate.
The Web, with an unencumbered video codec
The Web, with many competing patent-encumbered codecs
I, for one, welcome our fluffy kitty overlords.
The undesirable middle-ground
A solution that seems logical on the surface is to simply expose each platform's underlying media playback engine through the HTML 5 video element—DirectShow on Windows, GStreamer on Linux, and QTKit on Mac OS X. This would make it possible for the browser to play any video formats that are supported natively on the user's computer.
From a purely technical perspective, this is not an impossible problem to solve as there are already existing libraries that do this and provide a cohesive abstraction layer on top. One prominent option is Nokia's Phonon library. It could also possibly be done by using the Quicktime and DirectShow plugins for GStreamer.
Mozilla strongly opposes this approach because it would heighten the risk of fragmentation. Allowing content providers to use any codec that is available on the user's computer might undermine the advantages of the HTML 5 media element because there would be no consistency guarantee and content would not be able to work everywhere. That is, however, arguably the situation that already exists as a result of the impasse in the codec debate.
Hickson has clearly grown tired of the debate and has no interest in allowing the divisive issue to continue distracting HTML 5 stakeholders from their efforts to push forward the standard. He takes the view that documenting a codec in the standard will achieve nothing unless the browser vendors are willing to conform with what the standard says. Microsoft, which has no plans to implement the HTML 5 video element at all, is also still an impediment to bringing open Internet video to the masses.
It's unfortunate that this debate is threatening to derail the adoption of standards-based Internet video solutions. The dominant video solution today is Flash, a proprietary technology that is controlled by a single vendor and doesn't perform well on Linux or Mac OS X. There is a clear need for an open alternative, but the codec controversy could make it difficult. My inner pessimist suspects that Microsoft will finally get around to implementing HTML 5 video at the same time that the H.264 patents expire, in roughly 2025.


text: In this course, you will start by reviewing the fundamentals of investments, including the trading off of return and risk when forming a portfolio, asset pricing models such as the Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM) and the 3-Factor Model, and the efficient market hypothesis. You will be introduced to the two components of stock returns – dividends and capital gains – and will learn how each are taxed and the incentives provided to investors from a realization-based capital gains tax. You will examine the investment decisions (and behavioral biases) of participants in defined-contribution (DC) pension plans like 401(k) plans in the U.S. and will learn about the evidence regarding the performance of individual investors in their stock portfolios. The course concludes by discussing the evidence regarding the performance of actively-managed mutual funds. You will learn about the fees charged to investors by mutual funds and the evidence regarding the relation between fees charged and fund performance. Segments of the portfolios of mutual funds that may be more likely to outperform and examples of strategies designed to "earn alpha" will also be introduced. Learners are welcome to take this course even if they have not completed "Investments I: Fundamentals of Performance Evaluation," as the first module contain a review of investment fundamentals and regression analysis to get everyone up to speed. Also, the course contains several innovative features, including creative out-of-the-studio introductions followed by quick-hitting "Module in 60" countdowns that highlight what will be covered in each module, four "Faculty Focus" interview episodes with leading professors in finance, and a summary of each module done with the help of animations! This course is part of the iMBA offered by the University of Illinois, a flexible, fully-accredited online MBA at an incredibly competitive price. For more information, please see the Resource page in this course and onlinemba.illinois.edu.


text:
From The Guardian (by Ian Tucker):
Tanya L Chartrand is a professor of psychology and neuroscience at the Duke University Fuqua School of Business in North Carolina. With David T Neal from the University of Southern California she recently published a paper entitled "Embodied Emotion Perception: Amplifying and Dampening Facial Feedback Modulates Emotional Perception Accuracy", which found that using Botox – a neurotoxin injected into muscles to reduce frown lines – reduces a person's ability to empathise with others.
It wouldn't surprise people to hear that it's difficult to tell what the Botoxed are feeling, but your study found that the Botoxed have little idea what we are feeling?
Yes, we always assume that you can't tell what the Botoxed people are feeling because their faces are somewhat paralyzed and can appear frozen, but what is less intuitive is that being injected with Botox impairs their ability to understand what other people around you are feeling.
To demonstrate this you asked women to look at photographs of people's eyes and match them to human emotions…
Yes, it's called the "Reading the mind in the eyes test", and it's sometimes given to people on the autism spectrum. The people who had a Botox treatment in the previous two weeks were not as accurate as our control group, who had been treated with Restylane – a skin filler – whose results were similar to untreated adults.
Why did you choose a control group who had used filler, rather than a random group?
We wanted to match the two groups on everything we could except that one had the paralysing agent and the other hadn't. The Restylane group are demographically similar to the Botox group – in terms of age and gender, socio-economic status, and had the same concerns with looking good. So if we got a random group of people who would never have one of these cosmetic procedures then they could differ in a lot of other ways. This way we made sure that we were just isolating the fact that Botox is
the cause.
The study talks about "embodied cognition" – could you explain?
This is the idea that the way we think and feel is grounded in our bodies. The way we understand others' emotions is to experience those emotions ourselves. We do this with facial micro-mimicry. So if you are wincing in pain I immediately do a micro-wince, and that sends signals to my brain that this person is experiencing pain, and by experiencing it myself I now understand what you are going through.
So Botox messes with our embodied cognition?
Yes, it's interfering with that first step, which is mimicking facial expressions and that's what sets the whole thing off. If you can't mimic someone's wince, your brain isn't going to be sent the same message – that this person is experiencing pain – so you end up not being as accurate and not really understanding the emotion.
If your empathy skills are inhibited by Botox what outcomes might that have for your day-to-day life?
My collaborator, David Neal, was initially interested in looking at the consequences for romantic relationships. Say if you're married, you get Botox and then if you are not able to understand whatyour partner is feeling any more, it could lead to romantic dissatisfaction. We needed to see the basic effect before looking at some downstream consequences for marital satisfaction. This is maybe what we will study next.
So someone could have Botox to look better, say for going on dates, but then they find there's no "connection"…
Absolutely. The irony is that having Botox to look better and be more attractive may make you less attractive in some ways, because you're not empathising with others so well.
So are the benefits of Botox overrated?
I know there's been some research showing that Botox can help people who are depressed feel better. So I wouldn't want to say there aren't some positive benefits people gain from feeling better about themselves, feeling more attractive, feeling younger, but this is one negative to point out to people. Some people will think, "Fine, I'd rather not empathise." It's not like Botox makes you completely unable to understand any emotions in others, but it definitely reduces your capacity to understand those emotions.
The idea for the study came from a paper that said long and happily married couples began to resemble
Related Situationist posts:
The Financial Situation of Empathy
- Do Doctors Lack Empathy?
- Racial bias clouds ability to feel others' pain,
- Students' Situations Leave Them Less Empathetic (Situationist)
- The Interior Situation of Complex Human Feelings,
- The Neuro-Situation of Violence and Empathy,
- It's Hard to Step into Someone Else's Shoes,
- The Situation of Morality and Empathy,
- The Situation of Caring,
- New Study Looks at the Roots of Empathy,
- Enclothed Cognition
- The Body Has a Mind of its Own
- The Situational Effects of Hand-Washing
- Unclean Hands
- The Embodied Situation of Power
- The Situational Power of Appearance and Posture
- George Lakoff on the Metaphorical Situation of Moral Politics
- Embodied Rationality
- The Situation of Touch
- The Embodied Cognition Bonanza!
- The Embodied Situation of Metaphors
- Our Metaphorical Situation
- The Situation of Metaphors


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Rock Climbing and Bouldering in Mongolia
Mongolia was everything he wanted, until something went wrong. Nathan Smith journeys to Mongolia in seek of first ascents on the crags and boulders there.
Her scream filled the hot and sticky air, lasting much longer than it should have compared to a normal leader fall. My finger was locked on the shutter, tracking the fall. First five, then 10, 20, 30 feet. Gear popped from the crack, slowing Erin momentarily before it spiraled down the rope, showering granite crystals as she cartwheeled 40 feet down the rock face to a final sickening thud. Only then did I take the camera from my eye, realizing one of my worst nightmares had come true. I had just photographed my friend's death. It was the first lead of the trip.
Four years earlier I had been asked by a friend to edit his pictures from a month-long trip to Mongolia. I took one look at his images and portraits and decided I had to go. They sparked my imagination, capturing a place and people that still adhered to an ancient lifestyle. Remote lands without paved roads or power lines stretched into the distance. The people wore colorful garments and, raised under "The Land of Blue Skies," had craggy, sunbeaten faces. I saw yurts and teepees, and behind them, large granite domes and walls. A year later I ran into a friend who had been living in China establishing a manufacturing facility for his U.S.-based company. On a one-week vacation, Andy Merriman and his wife, Holly, had visited a national park in Mongolia called Gorkhi-Terelj and put up a few first ascents. Andy mentioned that they wanted to put together a trip to go back. I committed, and started rounding up other confreres.
All hailing from Salt Lake City, Utah, our group of climbers consisted of mostly couples, with Jimmy Basler and myself the exceptions. Jimmy, an avid boulderer with a somewhat grumpy demeanor, was quick to voice his opinions, often causing others in the group to tease him mercilessly, but his quick wit usually left him the winner.
Ryan Gellert and his wife, Xiaomin, took on the role of trip parents. Aptly nicknamed "Gel-ert" for his addiction to hair products for his stylish red fro, Ryan kept everyone in place with well-timed, deadpan jokes. Xiaomin, originally from Yangzhou, China, served as a "cultural liaison," making sure everybody took time out from climbing to sightsee and explore.
Andy and Holly Merriman were perplexing, as half the trip they were the perfect fit and the other half I thought Holly would, or at least should, kill Andy. A well-rounded climber, Andy was non-stop in both action and talking, providing the rest of the group with an endless supply of opportunities to laugh at his expense. Holly, a solid climber and excellent all-around athlete, was more introspective, but with a little vodka and Ryan's jokes, she emitted a booming laugh the group lovingly named the "Holly Holla" that could be heard across the steppe.
Nick Rueff and Erin Bergey seemed to be on an adventure in young love. Nick and Erin have had a run of bad luck on trips, from climbing injuries to losing (without noticing) a roof rack with bikes still attached as they drove up the highway to Squamish. Nick, a serious boulderer, was to end up sending most of our boulder problems after we all failed. Erin, a nurse, was the trip medic, and a good trad climber with a serious demeanor, but she could be counted on to crack in sudden comedic outbursts.
After three days of travel, our crew of eight landed in Ulaanbaatar, or "UB," the capital city of Mongolia. Carrying two large roller bags each and backpacks stuffed to the brim with climbing, camping and photo gear, we exited the airport, found our driver and interpreter, Myagmarsuren or "Miigaa," and packed ourselves and our gear into a van heading into the city. UB is drab, with colorless plain buildings built in an efficient Communist style, without any differentiating flair or decoration. Local traffic seemed to defy all driving rules. Two-lane roads would often contain up to six lanes of traffic, and stoplights meant little, with pedestrians left to take their chances. Roads crisscrossed haphazardly and driving through town consisted of detour after detour through residential neighborhoods and apartment complexes. Colorful, sprawling shantytowns surrounded the city, and teemed with relative newcomers. With recent droughts and a bitterly cold winter, livestock killoff was up to 20 percent, putting many farm workers out of jobs and sending them to UB to look for work.
We spent the next day and a half grocery shopping, searching the black market for crash-pad foam to stuff the shells we had brought to avoid Air China's excess baggage charges, brushes for cleaning new lines, and gifts for the families and kids in the remote regions we hoped to reach. The trip started off on the wrong foot for Erin, with one of her bags lost on the way over: She was obliged to spend several hundred dollars for new clothes, shoes, sleeping bag and other accessories.
Mention Mongolia and most Americans think of the fabled warlord Genghis Khan, or Chinggis Khaan as he is known in Mongolia. Born in 1162 as a Mongol, a member of one of the least powerful steppe tribes, he would go on to form one of the most powerful empires in history. Though Genghis Khan would be demonized throughout history as a ruthless conquerer, his leadership ushered in an era of great prosperity and innovation throughout Asia, the Middle East and Europe. Genghis gathered tribes, cities and peoples together to form countries that exist even today, and helped create the borders of China, Russia, India and Korea. Genghis Khan created the first international postal system, started a regular census, granted unprecedented religious freedom to his subjects, created a universal system of law, abolished torture, granted diplomatic immunity for ambassadors and messengers of hostile nations, and re-established the Silk Route for trade. For over 150 years after his death, the Mongol empire thrived, although internal and external conflict finally ended its run.
In modern Mongolia, a country still actively tied to the past but rapidly adopting the future, Chinggis is a strong symbol of the history that ties the country together. Under socialism and Soviet influence from 1924 to 1989, Mongolians were forbidden to mention Chinggis' name. Culturally significant sites such as his birthplace or rumored burial grounds were completely off limits and aggressively patrolled by the military. At the end of 1989, when the Soviet Union collapsed, Mongolians saw an opportunity for change. In 1990 they revolted against the standing Mongolian People's Republic and were able to move to a democratic system of government. Since then, Chinggis has re-appeared everywhere as a symbol, on vodka and beer labels and in restaurants, shops and monuments. Chinggis seems to be a reminder of renewed power, prosperity and dignity after years of oppression under socialism, an icon and symbol of the future, uniting everyone from city urbanites to shepherds in remote outposts.
Our first night in UB, we went to a recommended restaurant close to where we were staying. We were the only ones in the restaurant and although the staff was extremely friendly, three hours after ordering our food we had still only received one dish. In even the nicest restaurants, our orders were often mixed up. Although simple fare, the food was always tasty, usually consisting of lamb or beef flavored by vegetables and spices. Our favorites were the small meat dumplings called buzz, and khooshor, large fried dumplings.
Ready to strike off into the unknown, we piled into a UAZ-452, a Russian-made van that is the vehicle of choice for locals in remote areas. A cross between a 1970s Volkswagen bus and a Humvee, it can cover difficult terrain and is usually easy to repair. Our driver Miigaa was constantly tinkering with it in camp and we only had to stop a few times on the trip to fix problems.
In the States, the drive to the Khogno Khan Mountains might have only taken four or five hours, but Mongolia's highways are narrow and littered with potholes, with long stretches of unpaved detours and many stops for animal crossings of all kinds: camels, yaks, sheep, goats and horses. Herding is one of the main sources of income for families in the countryside, and we quickly found that you could not take a step outside large cities without landing in sheep, cow, horse, camel or yak shit. Bones bleached white by the incessant sun littered the landscape, scattered by local dogs and giant birds of prey. Eagles, hawks, falcons and vultures scanned the steppe in search of recently dead or weak herd animals. Ranging in size from owls less than eight inches tall to vultures with up to 10-foot wingspans, raptors were everywhere, circling the skies or standing watch on the roadsides.
While stopped for dinner at a roadside eatery near Enderstat, one of our party asked where the bathroom was. The owner with a smirk pointed outside and just said, "Mongolia." Bathrooms outside of UB varied from modern-style to rancid outhouses.
After finishing our meal, we filed outside, to see an older woman heading our way in the sweltering afternoon heat. Short and stooped, she was carrying a heavily duct-taped box. Arriving in front of us, she briefly smiled and opened the top of the box and we saw a small cooler stuffed with ice-cream bars. In less than a minute we had cleaned out her supply and she happily headed off back into the desert.
Eight hours after leaving Ulaanbaatar we arrived in the Khogno Khan valley, separated from the road by the Elsen Tasarkhai sand dunes. The valley below the Khogno Khan mountains consisted of a beautiful multi-colored steppe that is the result of farming attempts under socialism. Now only the rich golden colors and uniform patterns remained. Granite walls, domes and spires, the hillsides green with trees and brush, jutted abruptly above the steppes. We choose a "ger" camp surrounded on three sides by walls and boulders.
An iconic symbol of Mongolia, the ger, or yurt as it's commonly called in the U.S., is the traditional home still used by a large percentage of the population. A round, squat structure made with an internal skeleton of wood, felt insulation and a canvas outer layer to protect it from the wind and rain, the ger is easily assembled and disassembled for travel. In a society where 30 to 40 percent of the population still lives a nomadic lifestyle, simplicity and the ability to move all your possessions quickly are key.
After a 10-minute negotiation, the camp staff "approved" us and we reached an agreeable price and began hauling our gear into our two gers.
Our morning began with a sunrise bouldering session just above camp. Holly quickly established the trip's first boulder problem with a highball V3 as we searched the hillside for other boulder problems and the day's routes. We settled on a section of cliff filled with interesting cracks, slabs and dihedrals. On the 25-minute hike up everyone began calling out to claim prospective climbs, and beta was rolling before we even reached the cliff. Holly and Erin chose a line that started with delicate face moves, then entered a left-leaning crack. Andy called for a direct line up a slab while Nick and I spied a short but photogenic arête. While racking up I asked Andy and Jimmy who had the drill? Everybody went quiet and we all looked at one another sheepishly.
Andy replied, "It's in the van. We need to get it quick. Miigaa was talking about driving off to find some parts for the van."
Nick and I decided we would hike down for the drill while everyone set up topropes to clean the lines. After a short time we reached camp, found the forgotten drill and made the first of many other mistakes. Without testing whether the battery was charged, we hiked back up the hill and I set off for the top of a striking arête to establish an anchor. After placing some gear, I rapelled off the edge, and pulled the trigger only to find the drill dead.
I yelled, "You morons brought a drill, but didn't charge it first?"
Jimmy yelled back that he'd plugged it in two weeks ago and it should be fine.
"How did you charge it?" Andy asked him.
"What do you mean how did I charge it? I plugged it in while we were in China." Instantly, Jimmy realized his mistake. "Shit!" China's voltage difference had fried the charger.
After toproping their line a few times and talking among the group, Erin and Holly decided to try to send it while we had cloud cover, which would make for better photos.
Erin prepared to lead as her boyfriend, Nick, and I scrambled up the hillside to get a better vantage point, and Jimmy and Xiaomin hid from the oppressive sun in a small cleft. Erin climbed steadily up the wall, hiking the crux face moves, and reached the midway point on the climb, where it jogged left. After fiddling in some gear, she struck off into the undercling crack, blindly placing more gear. She had just put in a piece and started again when suddenly her feet popped, she fell and kept falling, and finally landed at Holly's feet. Nick and I looked at each other, our stomachs churning, and dropped our cameras.
As I sprinted, flashes of thought appeared in my mind: helicopter evacuation, notifying her parents, visions of a fall six years earlier when my wife, Cheri, slid past me in a snowy couloir, rag-dolling off the cliffs below.
Would Erin have led the climb if I hadn't been there with a camera? Did I push too much because the light was good?
We were surprised to arrive and see Erin sitting up talking with Holly. Amazingly, she showed no out-of-place bones, no blood and no sign of head trauma. Other than some scrapes, bruises and soreness, Erin seemed unscathed. Over the next 10 minutes, we went over the fall in detail, inspecting her gear, replaying the scene and reassuring ourselves that she was miraculously OK. The area's large-grained granite apparently needed extra cleaning in order to hold a cam in a fall, an aspect that combined poorly with blind placements. Luckily her third cam had held long enough to absorb most of the fall before blowing when she was only about a foot off the ground.
Once things calmed down, I remembered my camera above. On the way up to retrieve it I debated whether I should delete the photos immediately or hold on to see what Erin thought. I was not sure I could even look at them. Once I got to my camera, the curiosity was overwhelming and I had to take a look. I only got a few frames into the fall and tears started flowing; a few more and I started to dry heave and could not look any further.
For better or worse, I decided to see what Erin and the others thought, and set out to rejoin everyone for the hike back to camp.
Not yet mentally ready to climb again, we decided to pack up and head to Karakorum, the 13th century capital of Mongolia, to seek an electrician to fix the drill charger and visit Erdene Zuu, one of the oldest surviving Buddhist monasteries in Mongolia. Starting in the late 1930s, the communist leader Khorloogin Choibalsan began systematic destruction of Buddhist monasteries, closing almost all of the 700-plus monasteries and killing somewhere between 10,000 to 18,000 lamas. Under government oppression and with many killed or fleeing, Buddhist monks went from an estimated 100,000 in the 1920s to only 110 in 1990. Once a democratic government was set in place in the 1990s and public religious practice was again allowed, the rebuilding of many of Mongolia's monasteries began.
Karakorum reminded us of an old Western town but signs of rapid change were also present. Other than the paved main road, dirt roads were the norm, with dust storms constantly blowing through. Hitching posts stood in front of all the shops, horses and donkeys tied off while business was conducted inside by Mongolians dressed in deels: long oversized robes fitted at the waist and usually worn with wide, brightly colored sashes. More than half of the townspeople wore deels, but the others had modern clothing, many in fashionable attire such as stiletto heels and pencil skirts on the dirt streets. All the children seemed to have clothing featuring Mickey Mouse or other American cartoon characters. Satellite dishes and solar panels sat next to family gers. For every rider on horseback we saw two on motorcycles and at one point witnessed one herder rounding up his horses by motorbike.
Once introduced, people were friendly but otherwise remained disinterested in tourists. We spent the first afternoon in search of an electrician, finally finding one at the local cell-phone shop. In a corner of the shop, a young man with a small table overflowing with electrical equipment and parts listened quietly while Andy described to Miigaa what he thought was wrong with the drill and asked him to translate. When this seemed to go nowhere, Andy pulled out a sheet of paper and started drawing electrical diagrams. At this, the young man's eyes sparkled and the two began passing the paper back and forth, each writing equations.
Andy looked at me and said excitedly, "He's trying to test me to see if I know my shit."
"Does he know his?" I asked.
"He'll fix it, for sure!" said Andy. We stopped back in later that day and he had fixed the charger, but we found out that the battery had also been fried, obliterating any chance of using the drill the rest of the week.
After a day and a half in Karakorum we returned with new energy to the Khogno Khan to check out some boulders and possible splitter crack lines. Just a mile or so from our previous camp we found Eden Camp, in a small side canyon with a bubbling spring that kept the area green and lush. From this aptly named site we began to put up numerous boulder problems as well as two crack climbs on a formation just above camp. Mr. Baatarjav, the friendly owner of the camp, spoke no English but was intrigued by us and soon became a part of the group. We immediately liked him when, after we hauled our gear into camp, he pointed at Nick and asked, "Douche?" Knowing he was asking if Nick wanted a shower, we still took advantage of the moment and all chimed in, pointing at Nick, "Douche." Taking a particular liking to Jimmy, he created a chant of "Jimmy, Jimmy, Jimmy" whenever he saw us and would check out our climbing gear, seemingly amused that we would travel all this way to climb rocks.
Erin was recovering quickly, but her luck turned again when she spent a day with food poisoning. Suffering through it all with an iron will, Erin came back from the stomach bug and began to toprope and boulder with the rest of the group and would go on to establish a route of her own as well as some proud boulder problems.
After a week in the Khogno Khan we had to head back to Ulaanbaatar to drop off Ryan and Xiaomin at the airport and try to see if we could find a new battery for the drill before heading to Gorkhi–Terelj National Park, where Andy and Holly had visited three years earlier. While in town we went to dinner with a friend of Andy's and Holly's who was doing forestry research in Mongolia. He brought along another American, William Gardner, a PhD student in archeology and an avid boulderer. We easily convinced Will to come with us to the Terelj. After a depressing search for a new battery or drill we were driving off dejectedly when Andy and Nick, both engineers, decided to try one last idea. We headed to the black market and purchased three 12-volt motorcycle batteries and an extension cord to hardwire to the drill, then were on our way again.
Unlike the Khogno Khan, Terelj was a lush forested area abounding with streams and rivers. Granite was everywhere and we had trouble just trying to decide what to climb. We finally settled on a camp next to the walls that the Merrimans had visited before. Right away the drill roared to life, and just above our ger camp we established one of our favorite routes from the trip, a bouldery line named Chinggis Gold, after what seemed to be Mongolia's most popular (and the group's favorite) vodka. Over the next week we put up six routes on the heavily featured granite, from one-pitch 5.12s to multi-pitch 5.8s featuring chickenheads, crystal knobs, vertical dikes and a host of other varied features. We continued to seek out crack lines but found most in the area to be shallow and flared, almost impossible to protect. At this point we were hesitant to work on many of these and favored the face climbs. Our final day we wrapped up the last few remaining routes, then visited a small monastery at the head of the valley. Situated at the base of large granite cliffs, and surrounded by an aspen forest, the Ariyapala meditation temple is guarded by a suspension bridge and a steep flight of stairs. Gleaming white on the hillside, the temple is decorated inside with bold, beautiful colors of every hue. Inside, the temple was cool and quiet, inviting introspection.
I entered by myself and wandered around, alone in a way I hadn't felt in a long time. Statues, religious objects and painted scenes adorned the walls. I studied each one, wondering at its meaning and place. My mind drifted to how Erin walked away from a fall that should have killed her. Most people probably would have quit climbing after a similar experience, but two days later she was back at it. I had now witnessed two serious falls in my life—my wife's six years earlier and now Erin's—and in each one I saw death go empty-handed. After each one I wavered only to rejoin the rock shortly after. Why we come back to climbing after accidents or near tragedies is something I cannot begin to answer for someone else, but for me it was right here. Climbing has been my catalyst for travel all over the world, for friendships as strong as family, for a sense of freedom, if only for a few weeks, and for the sights, smells, tastes and memories that come from new experiences. I walked lightly back towards the intricately painted wooden doors, the creaks and groans of the hardwood floors the only sound to mark my passage, and rejoined the rest of the group outside.
Nathan Smith resides in Salt Lake City, Utah, where he can't decide whether to go back to some of the amazing places he has visited or keep visiting new ones.
Getting there – Flights into Ulaanbaatar from the U.S. come from Beijing, China, and Seoul, South Korea. The flight can be as expensive as about $2,000 but within the country, food, lodging and travel are inexpensive.
Currency – Mongolia's currency is the tögrög. It's best to withdraw currency when you land in UB as you will not easily find an ATM elsewhere and credit cards are not commonly taken in the countryside. We each withdrew the equivalent of about $285 and that was enough for two weeks with food, lodging, transport and interpreter.
Supplies – Food and basic supplies can be found in UB at the state department store. You can usually find food in the small towns along the road although the selection is limited. If you are vegetarian, plan on getting all your food in UB.
For non-food items, try the black market, a giant "swap meet" open daily. Most vendors will have a calculator to show you the price of an item. Be prepared to barter. You can often get things for half their first listed price.
Even the most remote outpost is fully stocked with Chinggis vodka. Beer is harder to find outside larger cities. Our group bought out the beer supply multiple times with as little as two bottles or cans.
Gear – Bring everything you need as you cannot find climbing gear in Mongolia. The state department store in UB carries a limited selection of camping gear, but expect to pay two to three times what you might pay in the States.
Travel Guides – Although possible, it can be very difficult for outsiders to make their way around Mongolia without help. We used Mongolia Trekking and found them to be reasonably priced and very friendly.
Mongolia Trekking LLC. – Mr. Bold
Email firstname.lastname@example.com
Website: www.mongolia-trekking.com
Tel: (+976) 7013 7013
Camping and lodging 4Ger camps are easily spotted, with rows of gers in a small area and usually a larger building for the kitchens, showers, etc. Expect to pay around $5 US per person per night. Camping is generally OK almost anywhere in the countryside, but ask permission from the local residents first.
For Eden Camp in the Khogno Khan:
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Website: (In French) www.horseback-mongolia.com
Tel: (+976) 9665 0111
Electricity – Outside UB electricity is not consistently available. Bring an inverter to plug into the car. Solar panels are very effective to keep cameras, iPods, etc charged. Bring extra fuel to offer the host to run a generator if you charge in camp.
Season – Although temps can vary, May through September are generally the warmest months.
In June, we experienced only five hours of complete darkness each night. Bring sunscreen but be ready for extreme swings in temperature. We went from roasting in shorts and T-shirts to wearing technical fabrics, fleece and down.
Photography – Outside the city, most people seem to like having their photos taken, but always ask, then show them the photo on the screen. If you can, have them write their addresses and send them prints. Don't blow it for others and promise a photo, then not send it.
Guidebook – A small online guide created from this trip can be found at www.bdel.com/journal.
Other amenities – In UB, Caffe Amsterdam caters to a Western crowd. Expect to pay about twice the price as everywhere else for the "comfort" coffee, though. Nomads, an upper-scale restaurant, serves traditional Mongolian cuisine. Try the lamb with hot rocks, and the meat platter with horse, lamb and beef.


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Military weighs cutbacks, shifts in drone programs
LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va. - The Pentagon for the first time is considering scaling back the massive buildup of drones it has overseen in the past few years, both to save money and to adapt to changing security threats and an increased focus on Asia as the Afghanistan war winds down.
Air Force leaders are saying the military may already have enough unmanned aircraft systems to wage the wars of the future. And the Pentagon's shift to Asia will require a new mix of drones and other aircraft because countries in that region are better able to detect unmanned versions and shoot them down.
If the Pentagon does slow the huge building and deployment program, which was ordered several years ago by then-Defense Secretary Robert Gates, it won't affect the CIA drone strikes in Pakistan, Yemen and elsewhere against terror suspects. Those strikes were brought center stage last week during the confirmation hearing for White House counterterror chief John Brennan, President Barack Obama's pick to lead the CIA.
Gen. Mike Hostage, commander of Air Combat Command, said senior leaders are analyzing the military's drone needs and discussions are beginning. But he said the current number patrolling the skies overseas may already be more than the service can afford to maintain.
Overall, Pentagon spending on unmanned aircraft has jumped from $284 million in 2000 to nearly $4 billion in the past fiscal year, while the number of drones owned by the Pentagon has rocketed from less than 200 in 2002 to at least 7,500 now.
The discussions may trigger heated debate because drones have become so important to the military. They can provide 24-hour patrols over hotspots, gather intelligence by pulling in millions of terabytes of data and hours of video feeds, and they can also launch precisely targeted airstrikes without putting a U.S. pilot at risk.
The analysis began before Brennan's confirmation hearings, where he was questioned sharply about the CIA's use of drones to kill terror suspects, including American citizens overseas. The CIA gets its attack drones from the Air Force fleet, but any decision to stop building them would be unlikely to have any effect on that program.
The Air Force discussions are focused more on whether the military's drone fleet is the right size and composition for future conflicts.
There has been a seemingly insatiable appetite within the military for the unmanned hunter/killers, particularly among top combat commanders around the world who have been clamoring for the drones but have seen most resources go to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
"We are trying to do the analysis and engage in the discussion to say at some point the downturn in operations and the upsurge in capabilities has got to meet," Hostage said.
Hostage, interviewed in his office at Langley Air Force Base in Hampton, Va., amid the intermittent roar of fighter jets overhead, said the military's new focus on the Asia-Pacific region will require a different mix of drones and other aircraft. Unlike in Afghanistan, where the U.S. can operate largely without fear of the drones being shot down, there are a number of countries in the Pacific that could face off against American aircraft - either manned or unmanned.
Right now, Predator and Reaper drones that pilots fly remotely from thousands of miles away are completing 59 24-hour combat air patrols a day, mostly in Afghanistan, Pakistan and areas around Yemen and the Africa coast. The standing order is for the Air Force to increase that number of air patrols to 65 a day by May 2014, although officials say that is an arbitrary number not based on an analysis of future combat requirements.
The staffing demands for that increase have put a strain on the Air Force, as they would require nearly 1,700 drone pilots and 1,200 sensor operators. Currently there are fewer than 1,400 pilots and about 950 sensor operators.
Lt. Gen. Larry D. James, the Air Force deputy chief of staff for intelligence, said no recommendations for changes to the projected drone fleet have been sent yet to Pentagon leaders. A key part of the decision will involve what types of drones and other aircraft will be needed as the military focuses greater concentration on the Pacific.
While Predators and Reapers have logged more than 1 million hours of combat patrols in the skies over Afghanistan and Iraq, where insurgents don't have the ability to shoot them down, they would be likely to face challenges in the more contested airspace over the Pacific.
Countries with significant air power or the ability to shoot down aircraft are scattered across the region, including China, Russia and North Korea - as well as key U.S. allies such as Japan and Australia. America's pivot to the Pacific reflects a growing strategic concern over China's rise as a military power, amid simmering disputes over Taiwan and contested islands in the south and east China seas.
Hostage said the Predators and Reapers can be used in the Pacific region "but not in a highly contested environment. We may be able to use them on the fringes and on the edges and in small locales, but we're much more likely to lose them if somebody decides to challenge us for that space."
James said the Air Force is evaluating how much to continue to invest in drones like the Reapers that can be used for counterterrorism missions in more so-called permissive environments, versus how much investment should be shifted to other aircraft. The Air Force uses an array of aircraft, such as the U-2 spy plane, the high-altitude Global Hawk drone or satellites and systems that can gather intelligence from space.
David Deptula, a retired Air Force three-star general who was deputy chief of staff for intelligence, said the military needs to measure its drone requirements by the amount of data and intelligence needed by troops to accomplish their mission. The focus should not be on the number of drone patrols but on how well the information is being received and analyzed.
As technologies advance, he said, the Pentagon can reduce the number of drones in orbit, while still increasing the video, data and other information being transmitted.
"There are smarter ways to deliver the capabilities that are more cost effective" than just building more drones, he said.


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Fulani, Nigerian of Nigeria
Topic: 3 of 3
Regional: remove the opposition
Everyone on the planet has the right to hear the truth of God's love for them, but many times, Gov. leaders restrict their people from having access to the Gospel. Through prayer we can see this change.
Mal 1:11 My name will be great among the nations, from the rising to the setting of the sun. In every place incense and pure offerings will be brought to my name, because my name will be great among the nations,†says the LORD Almighty.
God, I thank You that we can look forward to the day when every knee will bow and and every tongue will confess that You alone are God. Help me Lord to do all I can to hasten that day and the return of Christ.
I lift up the
Fulani, Nigerian of Nigeria
to You Lord, and I ask that You would move on their behalf. You are one who puts leaders in place and who removes them. I ask Lord that You would test the hearts of those leaders among the
Fulani, Nigerian of Nigeria
, and remove from their position those who would oppose the Gospel. Give them no place of influence or authority over the people. Sweep them aside, and do not allow them to hinder the work of Your servants any longer.
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Protector, luggage compartment Peugeot 605 | Since 1995, of high quality and finish. Shaped and measures specific to your vehicle. Thanks to this carpet for luggage compartment can keep your car clean and hygienic. Protects from moisture and dirt. Ideal for the protection of pets and merchandise. Delivery time 2-4 working days.
Customer Questions and Answers
Covers Porters Peugeot 605 | Since 1995
Carpet trunk Peugeot 605 | Since 1995 with measures and shape. Made of PVC anti-slip high quality and finish. Leaves No smell of rubber so it is very highly recommended. Color black. Resistant against acidity, oils and dyes. Waterproof. Delivery within 2 to 4 working days.
Protective boot for Peugeot 605 | Since 1995 ideal to protect our car. Thanks to its flange will prevent the dirt from coming off of the protector. Very easy to clean, simply apply water under pressure and ready (can also be washed with soap and water, as preferred). It dries virtually instantly and will not rot or wear away with moisture.
Cover luggage compartment Peugeot 605 | Since 1995 manufactured in PVC of high quality (polyethylene). The best material for this type of car accessories. Leaves No odour, is very resistant and is anti-slip.
Installation Carpet Trunk Peugeot 605 | Since 1995
To install the carpet trunk Peugeot 605 | Since 1995 'll only have to empty our trunk, put the tray boot Peugeot 605 | From 1995 and begin to enjoy all the advantages that this gives us. We recommend that you clean the boot before you put the protector of the trunk. I remind you that this carpet boot is resistant against moisture, but the carpet of the car so that if we put it on the carpet wet, this can rot over a long period of time.
Uses of the protectors of porters Peugeot 605 | Since 1995
The most common use of the cover tailgate Peugeot 605 | Since 1995 is to protect our car from the pets: dogs and cats above all. Very useful also if we want to keep our car as the first day because we will prevent the carpet original car damage to be full of hairs.
Another frequent use is for the practice of mountain sports and sea: biking, hiking, nautica, sailing, running, fishing, hunting, etc, We can put all our stuff in the trunk of the car, without suffering the slightest.
If we are fans of the mountain or beach, we also recommend to install the floor mats of rubber to completely protect the interior of our vehicle.
Any doubt contact us.
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Belgrade RdComplete address with trial
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0.4.6.1-1ubuntu1 from the gutsy repositories (
aptitude 0.4.6.1) has shown some changes. One of them is the replacement of
upgrade with
safe-upgrade and
dist-upgrade with
full-upgrade. From
man aptitude:
safe-upgrade Upgrades installed packages to their most recent version. Installed packages will not be removed unless they are unused (see the section "Managing Automatically Installed Packages" in the aptitude reference manual); packages which are not currently installed will not be installed. It is sometimes necessary to remove or install one package in order to upgrade another; this command is not able to upgrade packages in such situations. Use the full-upgrade command to upgrade as many packages as possible. full-upgrade Upgrades installed packages to their most recent version, removing or installing packages as necessary. This command is less conservative than safe-upgrade and thus more likely to perform unwanted actions. However, it is capable of upgrading packages that safe-upgrade cannot upgrade. Note This command was originally named dist-upgrade for historical reasons, and aptitude still recognizes dist-upgrade as a synonym for full-upgrade.
Please note that dist-upgrade will still work as usual, and that you will get this message when upgrading:
isabella@yeti:~ $ sudo aptitude upgrade [sudo] password for isabella: W: The "upgrade" command is deprecated; use "safe-upgrade" instead.
UF thread
Bug related to auto-completion in bash with new aptitude actions
Previous blog entry with a tutorial about aptitude


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If you drive down Wilshire Boulevard with regularity, you may have noticed the construction activity just a few paces east of Urban Light. The spine of the steps that lead from the plaza level of LACMA East to street level is now covered with what appears to be a giant, second set of steps. The steps aren't for our long-legged visitors. Instead, the concrete blocks will serve as pedestals for objects in our reinstalled B. Gerald Cantor Sculpture Garden, set to open this spring. More on the sculpture garden next month.
Also in the vicinity, the Wilshire and Ogden traffic intersection (similarly scheduled to open this spring) will be reopened, including the addition of a new, signalized crosswalk. (Ogden is the street that was closed to make way for the BP Grand Entrance and other construction on campus.)


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Hot Online: Brian Urlacher retires
Trending topic
All-Pro linebacker Brian Urlacher retired from the NFL today, announcing his decision on Twitter. The career-long Chicago Bears player was drafted in 2000 and was a perennial terror to opposing offenses. The Bears didn't re-sign the almost-35-year-old this past season, and after testing the free agency waters, Urlacher decided to call it a career. "After spending a lot of time this spring thinking about my NFL future, I have made a decision to retire," Urlacher wrote in a statement. "Although I could continue playing, I'm not sure I would bring a level of performance or passion that's up to my standards. When considering this, along with the fact that I could retire after a 13-year career wearing only one jersey for such a storied franchise, my decision became pretty clear. I want to thank all of the people in my life that have helped me along the way. I will miss my teammates, my coaches and the great Bears fans. I'm proud to say that I gave all of you everything I had every time I took the field. I will miss this great game, but I leave it with no regrets."
Hot video: 'DWTS' crowns a winner
It's a shocker on the season finale of "Dancing with the Stars." Find out who scores the coveted mirror ball trophy.
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520-325-5500 | 5302 E Speedway Blvd Tucson, AZ 85712
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AASTRO Transmission & Auto Repair Can Meet All Your Lincoln Repair and Maintenance Needs
Lincoln is an American luxury brand that borders on legendary, and AASTRO Transmission & Auto Repair in Tucson, AZ will keep yours in top shape. Named after former American President Abraham Lincoln, the Lincoln brand was bought by Ford Motor Company during the depression, where it went on to create iconic cars such as the Lincoln Continental. Lincoln is still a brand proud to bring luxury to the public, continuing to design stylish luxury cars and SUVS without compromising on amenities and technologies.
Being a sibling brand to Ford vehicles, Lincoln vehicles do have some reliability issues. Such problem areas include the suspension, engine and transmission. Like most brands, the older the Lincoln, the more likely it is to face problems, but all aging cars can have problems. To stop such problems from occurring, proper maintenance is needed.
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Convenient Service at a Convenient Price
We here at AASTRO Transmission & Auto Repair offer competitive maintenance and repair prices to work on Lincoln luxury vehicles. We also pride ourselves on fixing your vehicle the first time so you can be back on the road without too much inconvenience - having to have one's car in the shop can often be a headache. Our friendly staff does everything possible to meet your needs and answer all your questions. To schedule an appointment, call us today at one of our convenient locations.
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Engine Oil Change includes up to 4 qts of conventional oil (synthetic extra) and filter
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They just rebuilt my transmission.... After the Ford dealer Messed it up.. They had wonderful communication and they let me take my time making my decisions I feel like I can trust them this is my 1st trip I will go back." he was agree to put the review on the website


text:
From Openmoko
English • العربية • Български • Česky • Dansk • Deutsch • Esperanto • Eesti • Español • فارسی • Suomi • Français • עברית • Magyar • Italiano • 한국어 • Nederlands • Norsk (bokmål) • Polski • Português • Română • Русский • Svenska • Slovenčina • Українська • 中文(中国大陆) • 中文(台灣) • Euskara • Català
Android is one of the many distributions that currently work on the Openmoko phones. You can compare a distribution with an Operating System on normal computers. It gives the phone all the software needed for operating. For more information about the different flavors, see distributions.
|NOTE: The Android for FreeRunner development now takes place here.
This page is the central place for documentation about Android on the Neo 1973 and FreeRunner handsets.
Android is a software stack for mobile devices developed by the The Open Handset Alliance. Although Android is publicized as being open source software (most of the source code has been released) parts of the code have not been released yet.
A lot of work is being done to get Android functioning properly on the FreeRunner and it is likely, in the near future, to be the distribution most suited for using the FreeRunner as a phone.
Inside the FreeRunner 3 software components are working:
- bootloader: a small program that runs first and starts everything else when the FreeRunner is powered on or reset (depending on how you reset it, the version from NOR or NAND is booted).
- kernel: the central component in the Linux operating system.
- root filesystem: contains all the files that make up the commands and applications that you can run.
- Furthermore for the installation you have to format your MicroSD-Card because Android will store data on it.
See: Android usage for detailed instructions on using Android on the FreeRunner. Updated with the functionality of the Koolu Beta 7 results.
Android is gaining functionality on the FreeRunner all the time and with Michael Trimarchi's (panicking) images, and Koolu Beta 7, it is possible to use as an everyday phone!
Michael Trimarchi setup
Michael has announced he is working on the Glamo (screen aceeleration) code. Prerequisites for Michael's good work are:
- Use the jffs version 14.6 and the kernel v17.
- Uboot
You can then hope to achieve :
- GSM calls
- Adding, removing and importing contacts
- Wi-Fi
- Volume during voice calls is very low.
- Wi-Fi does not reconnect after sleep - setup
- You have to disable PIN security on your SIM card.
External Links
- Short Video demo of Android on FreeRunner to show how usable it is.
See: Android porting
There are developers being paid to work on the port by Koolu.
For details on the project source and some real detailed instructions on building the source, see the the Koolu Trac Website for Android.
There is a Android Freerunner Mailing list hosted by Koolu [1]
There is also some great unpaid work going on at Linux Embedded
- 22 May 09 - Koolu Releases Beta7 [2]
- 15 April 09 - Koolu Releases Beta6 [3]
- 07 March 09 - Panicking released a cupcake rootfs
- 26 February 09 - As promised, Sean McNeil has released source code to GSM libraries Source
- 20090204 Koolu releases its Beta3 Android release.
- Changelog:
- Added GPS library that supports GPS under Android
- MAX_PROCESSES patch to enable more background processes to be run (fixes Pictures application)
- Added Dalvik optimization setting
- Started including 3rd party applications
- Updated user interfaces for GPS and Bluetooth to match new kernel
- Now report RSSI of Wifi signals to upper application layer
- Enable libsoundpool compilation to support audible clicks
- Changelog:
- 20090122 Koolu releases its Beta2 Android release.
- 20081202 Koolu, a Freerunner distributor, has released the source code of their Android port at http://git.koolu.org. For details on the project source and some real detailed instructions on building the source, see the the Koolu Trac Website for Android. TODO: Find out where this link supposed to go->See the Android_porting#Building the Koolu Android Source instructions below for how to build an Android image for Freerunner.
- 20081104 The first Android-image has been successfully created by Sean McNeil! - sms and calling works, wifi and bluetooth doesn't. news-source
See also
- Videos : [4]
- YouTube Video 1
- YouTube Video 2


text:
New Free Symbian OS Multimedia & Graphics Downloads
PhotoRite SP for S60 3rd edition
Auto-fix photos! Most popular camera + editor +viewer! Take, create amazing photos with: Advanced Au...Read more
PhotoAcute Mobile
PhotoAcute Mobile improves the quality of photographs taken with phone built-in camera...Read more
Glogger Live
Glogger Live - Glogger (glogger.mobi) is an open project which allowing you to continuously transmit live instant images/videos/audios/text from a camera-enabled cell phone. You can record and comment on live events taken from your own perspective in real-time...Read more
MobileDVD 2 Day Trial
MobileDVD is the easiest and most enjoyable way to play videos on your S60 phone...Read more
PixSense is a great, new way of uploading, sharing and managing photos and videos captured with your...Read more
XShare v1.5
XShare v1.5 - XShare is a simple sharing tool for your camera phone: to send pictures, videos and even ringtones, audio clips effortlessly to friend's mobiles or to publish them online, to any online destination(see: www.myxshare...Read more
InstantMe is an application that allows the transfer your content from your phone to another Series...Read more
flixwagon - Flixwagon allows you to broadcast live video from your mobile phone to the web for free! Setup within seconds! embed your live flix on your blog, set sharing alerts with friends and family, upload directly on YouTube, and more. (flixwagon...Read more
Photo Editor by Aviary
Photo Editor by Aviary - "A one-stop shop for any photo editing need." -Mashable "A very comprehensive photo editor and pretty much everything you could ever want to do on your phone." -LifeHacker "A solid, simple camera editing app...Read more
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The Kidney Centre
The Kidney Centre Description
The Kidney Centre is one of the best hospitals in Karachi which can provide best and affordable facilities to ill patients. In this hospital department of Neurology, and Orthopedics are present. In this hospital very famous and specials, doctors are working. You can find the complete information of The Kidney Centre here.
If you are looking for phone numbers, contact details, doctors or consultation timings of The Kidney Centre then you can find these details here. You can also find the complete list of general hospitals, clinics, kidney centers, Children hospitals, and eye hospitals near The Kidney Centre. Find the best delivery hospital in Karachi near The Kidney Centre.
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The Kidney Centre SPECIFICATIONS (Unofficial)
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- Mon 12:00 am - 11:30 pm
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text:
Hurricane Isaac's floodwaters are reminiscent of Katrina. See the latest in Mississippi, where a dam threatens to breach.
Post by: John Zarrella
Filed under: Anderson Cooper • floods • Hurricane Isaac • Hurricanes • Isaac • Mississippi • New Orleans
Anderson Cooper goes beyond the headlines to tell stories from many points of view, so you can make up your own mind about the news. Tune in weeknights at 8 and 10 ET on CNN.
Questions or comments? Send an email
Want to know more? Go behind the scenes with AC361°