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Chicken Little in the Church
November 19, 2012 Leave a comment
Chicken Little likes to walk in the woods. He likes to look at the trees. He likes to smell the flowers. He likes to listen to the birds singing.
One day while he is walking an acorn falls from a tree, and hits the top of his little head.
– My, oh, my, the sky is falling. I must run and tell the lion about it, – says Chicken Little and begins to run.
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The O*NET Data Collection Program, which is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor, is seeking the input of expert Management Analysts. As the nation's most comprehensive source of occupational data, O*NET is a free resource for millions of job seekers, employers, veterans, educators, and students at www.onetonline.org.
Each December, the membership votes for a new cohort to serve a staggered four-year term of office in the Association's Policy Council. Previously, the membership elected seven new members while APPAM's Committee of Institutional Representatives elected three additional persons. As of this year, members will vote for three individuals to serve on the cohort, two academic members and one practitioner. The Committee of Institutional Representatives will vote for one institutional representative for the Policy Council at their meeting in November and one student member will be appointed to the Council.
In 2012, the membership voted for Lucie Schmidt, who serves until 2016 with the Policy Council cohort that includes Colleen Barry, David Johnson, Robert Kaestner, Mark Long, Laura Peck, and Jodi Sandfort.
Lucie Schmidt is an Associate Professor of Economics at Williams College. She is also Chair of the College's Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Program. She is an empirical microeconomist working on policy-related issues in labor economics and the economics of the family. She has written extensively on social insurance programs in the United States, with a particular focus on policies for the disabled. Schmidt's research also includes a number of papers on the economics of marriage and fertility decisions, as well as several research projects on economic issues facing the elderly.
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Member Forums with a particular theme, such as the upcoming forum on Mexico-U.S. Migration, seem particularly well-suited to bring together a diverse group of academics and policy-makers interested in the same policy issues.
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Carioca Rummy is usually considered as a variation of Contract Rummy. This variant is very popular in Latin American countries, particularly in Argentina and Chile. The game is so widely played that it has many variations of its own that have different set of rules and gameplay.
In this article, we will talk about the common rules and gameplay of Carioca's Rummy. The objective of the game is similar to 13 cards rummy. Just like the way you play Indian Rummy to finish the game with lowest points, you need to finish the game of Carioca Rummy with the least number of points.
Two standard decks of cards along with jokers are used in the game and the dealer changes in every deal. A total of 11 deals are played in Carioca Rummy and players need to form pre-decided hands during each deal. During the initial deals, eleven cards are dealt to every player, which gradually increase to 13 cards till the last deal.
The rest of the cards are placed to form the stock pile and a card is revealed to form the discard pile. The player who sits right to the dealer picks a card from the discard or stock pile. One of the interesting aspects of Carioca Rummy is that a player could 'steal' a card from the discard pile if all the players pass during their turn.
The players who have cards in their hands get points according to the points carried by the cards. The sole player with the least number of points at the end of all the deals wins the game. The other losing players' points are calculated based on the points carried by their cards. All the cards from 2 to 10 have points based on their numerical value; Jacks, Kings and Queens have 10 points while Aces and Jokers have high points of 15 points.
Learn more variations of rummy at JungleeRummy.com and play new card games with your friends. Visit the Rummy Variations section to learn new rummy variations every day!


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Property Location
When you stay at Holiday Inn Express & Suites, Caryville in Caryville, you'll be convenient to Cove Lake State Park. This hotel is within the region of Norris Dam State Park and Campbell County Historical Society.
Make yourself at home in one of the 78 guestrooms featuring refrigerators and microwaves. Computers with complimentary wired and wireless Internet access are provided to keep you connected, along with 40-inch flat-screen televisions for entertainment. Conveniences include desks and coffee/tea makers, and housekeeping is provided daily.
Rec, Spa, Premium Amenities
Be sure to enjoy recreational amenities including an outdoor pool and a fitness center.
Grab a bite from a grocery/convenience store serving guests of Holiday Inn Express & Suites, Caryville.
Business, Other Amenities
Featured amenities include a 24-hour business center, dry cleaning/laundry services, and multilingual staff. Planning an event in Caryville? This hotel has facilities measuring 1270 square feet (114 square meters), including meeting rooms.
Are you affiliated with Holiday Inn Express & Suites Caryville? Apply to the Hotel WiFi Connect program to take control of your account, improve your hotel's confidence score and ranking.
© 2013-2016 Hotel WiFi Test Inc.


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The typical American diet is full of cheeseburgers, pizza, soda, cookies and cake. Unfortunately, you'd be right, even if you wanted to be wrong. The latest research shows that we need to limit refined grains, saturated fat, added sugar and salt. And considering half of all adult Americans live with a preventable chronic condition in which diet plays a role, it's time for us to kick junk food to the curb and start eating foods that support a vibrant, healthy lifestyle. Don't know where to start? We asked nutrition experts to share 10 ways you can de-junk-ify your diet.
10 Ways to De-Junk Your Diet
DE-JUNK: Salad Dressing
Did you know that salad dressing is a significant source of sodium? It doesn't seem fair that in making an effort to eat more vegetables, people are actually piling on the salt. Too much sodium can raise your blood pressure, tax the kidneys and at the very least leave you feeling bloated and dehydrated. You need to eat salads, though, if you love a specific salad dressing, reducing sodium could be as simple as cutting back on how much you pour over your greens. The American Heart Association estimates that reducing sodium could save more than half a million lives over the next decade.
SMART SWAP: Salad Toppers
Try topping your next salad with something other than salad dressing. The fat in salad dressing helps the body absorb beneficial fat-soluble nutrients like vitamins A, D, E and K, so instead of dressing, try adding sliced almonds, avocados, salmon or hemp seeds. Salad dressing also helps bring all the various elements of a salad together, and you can add a splash or two of red wine vinegar for a similar effect. Finally, salad dressing often adds a zippy flavor to salads; an alternative is to include tart fruit -- yes, fruit -- to your bowl of vegetables. Rene Ficek, RD, lead nutrition expert at Seattle Sutton's Healthy Eating, recommends berries for their antioxidant power. She shares, "Anthocyanins are potent antioxidants responsible for the reddish pigment in foods like strawberries, cherries, blackberries and raspberries. These antioxidants scrub away harmful free radicals that can damage cells, cause inflammation and fuel chronic disease."
Listen now: How to Keep Your House Clean – Even When You're a Mess
DE-JUNK: Cheese
Cheese is delicious and can provide some positive nutrients like protein and potassium. However, regular cheese is also the number-one source of saturated fat and a major source of sodium in the diet, two nutrients Americans already overconsume and that carry with them negative health implications. While it has its place, cheese is a bit too ubiquitous. For example, it's nearly impossible to find a deli sandwich without cheese as a standard component (go ahead, give this a try next time you're at a sandwich shop). Bring cheese intake down and your heart will thank you for the break from the concentrated punch of saturated fat and sodium.
SMART SWAP: Cheese -- Savor or Swap Out?
Love cheese? Who can blame you? When you do partake, make it a treat that you truly savor. For example, enjoy an occasional cheese board with a variety of decadent cheeses sliced into small pieces alongside fresh fruit and unsalted nuts. For everyday meals, there's room to swap out cheese that's added (nearly automatically). In sandwiches, reach for flavorful condiments like mustard, which is low-calorie and contains some antioxidants, and for salads, swap in healthy fats to replace the cheese (see the slide on smarter salad toppers). You can also consider adding small portions of fermented vegetables to up the flavor impact (a little goes a long way). Rene Ficek, RD, says, "When foods are fermented, they create benefits like lactobacilli, which enhances the growth of beneficial bowel bacteria." Examples of fermented vegetables include sauerkraut, miso, tempeh and kimchi.
Read more: Sign Up to Receive the FREE LIVESTRONG.COM Weekly Health and Fitness Newsletter
DE-JUNK: Cookies and Cake
Grain-based dessert foods like cookies, cupcakes, brownies, doughnuts, piecrusts and pastries are a triple threat -- a top source of calories, added sugars and sodium in the American diet. A small amount of empty calories from these kinds of foods is OK if you love them, but most people eat far more than what is considered healthy. These are definitely special treat foods to spend your discretionary calories on, so if you look at your regular diet, and grain-based sweets are on the menu more than once or twice a week, it's definitely time to cut back. Tried-and-true methods include eating these foods less often or in smaller portions -- preferably both. Save on eating these empty-calorie foods and your heart and your waistline will thank you. For something naturally sweet and rich in nutrients, reach for whole fresh fruit instead.
Read more: 15 Reasons to Kick Sugar
SMART SWAP: Antioxidant-Rich Foods
Instead of empty calories, reach for foods that are naturally sweet and rich in antioxidant nutrients. Joy Bauer, M.S., RDN, founder of Nourish Snacks, says, "They help protect your cells from day-to-day wear and tear (i.e., sun, stress, toxins) and can help boost heart health and brainpower." Bauer shares her favorites, noting, "Some of the most powerful antioxidant foods are dark chocolate, cherries and berries." To make it easy, Bauer recommends keeping the freezer stocked with frozen berries. She says, "I use them for smoothies, microwave them for a warm compote, mix them in with healthy muffin batters, top a nonfat Greek yogurt and use them as pancake toppings." For dark chocolate, she recommends enjoying a small square after dinner, sipping a cup of hot cocoa, blending cocoa powder into your yogurt or making a homemade trail mix with cacao nibs, whole-grain cereal, nuts and dried berries like blueberries and cranberries.
Read more: Foods That Can Improve Your Mood
DE-JUNK: Pizza, Bread and Pasta
Pizza, which often includes cheese and meat, is the second-highest source of saturated fat in the American diet (regular cheese is the first). More often than not, pizza dough is made with refined white flour, another food component that health experts recommend Americans cut back on. For better pizza, make it at home with whole-grain dough, top it with plenty of vegetables and go light on the cheese. Many breads and pastas also pack plenty of refined grains and are major sources of hidden sodium in the diet. Go for whole-grain versions for better nutrition, and also consider cutting back on how much real estate bread and pasta own on your plate. Build meals around larger portions of vegetables instead.
Read more: Meet the Women Who Are Changing Health and Wellness
SMART SWAP: Vegetables
When asked what American diets could use more of, Kimberly Gomer, M.S., RD, LDN, director of nutrition at Pritikin Longevity Center and Spa, said, "That's an easy one -- definitely vegetables!" The typical American diet is heavy in refined grains and meats, but Gomer notes, "A plant-based diet, with veggies as the star, contributes vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients to our diets." She adds, "If all folks do is add five or more servings of vegetables per day to their diets, they will receive so many wonderful health benefits." Everyone knows they should be eating more vegetables, but if you need a little more motivation, Gomer reminds us: "Vegetables help with inflammation, which is a problem for our bodies; plus, the fiber we get from vegetables helps with blood sugar control, lowering cholesterol, preventing cancer and making weight management easier."
Read more: 20 Foods to Always Buy Organic
DE-JUNK: Sodas and Fruit Drinks
Combined, sugar-sweetened sodas and fruit drinks account for nearly half of all added sugar intake -- 46 percent. Added sugars are just empty calories, as opposed to naturally occurring sugars in healthful foods, such as fruit or low-fat yogurt. Sodas are number one in the added-sugar department and alone are one of the top-five sources of total calories in the American diet. The good news is that cutting soda out of the diet is one of the simplest ways to drop pounds, and most people know they should be cutting back anyway. In contrast, fruit drinks may confuse consumers into thinking they're healthy. After all, fruit is healthy. However, fruit drinks are mostly sugar and water and do not carry the same benefits as 100-percent juice or whole fruit. Look out for drinks that look like fruit juice, but are labeled with any of these terms: drink, beverage, punch, -ade, cocktail or delight. Water is always a solid choice for good hydration, and adding lemon, cucumber or melon to a glass of water adds an aromatic note without the empty calories.
Read more: 12 Refreshing Spa Water Recipes
SMART SWAP: Beets
Washington, D.C.-based dietitian Charmaine Jones, M.S., RDN, LDN, offers an offbeat alternative to sugar-sweetened fruit drinks: a naturally sweet beet-and-fruit smoothie. She says, "If you love smoothies, why not make them vibrant with beets?" She recommends simply slicing up a beet stalk and adding it to a smoothie for "an extra boost and sweetness without the added sugar." She says, "Beets are one food you should add to your diet. Beets are rich in antioxidants and have been shown to boost metabolism when you exercise by improving blood flow and helping to lower blood pressure." Jones explains that beets are rich in nitrates that ultimately get converted into nitric oxide, which relaxes and dilates the blood vessels so that blood flows more easily, lowering blood pressure. Additional smart alternatives to sugar-sweetened beverages include water, tea, whole fruit or 100 percent juice.
Read more: Charmaine Jones' Beet Smoothie Recipe
What Do You Think?
If you're like most Americans, your average week probably includes too much red meat, deli meat, refined grains, sodas and sweets and not enough vegetables, fruit, seafood or whole grains. There's room for improvement. Are you ready to de-junk-ify your diet? What will be hardest to eliminate? What will be easiest? (Hint: Easy changes are a great place to get started.) What foods are you excited to eat more of? Do you have a favorite fruit or vegetable, or do you have a favorite unsweetened iced tea that will now stand in for your daily soda habit? We'd love to hear how you'll be changing it up for better health. Let us know in the comments below.
Read more: 10 Surprising Flat-Belly Foods
Elimination Diet: How To and Is It Right for You?
The typical American diet is full of cheeseburgers, pizza, soda, cookies and cake. Unfortunately, you'd be right, even if you wanted to be wrong. The latest research shows that we need to limit refined grains, saturated fat, added sugar and salt. And considering half of all adult Americans live with a preventable chronic condition in which diet plays a role, it's time for us to kick junk food to the curb and start eating foods that support a vibrant, healthy lifestyle. Don't know where to start? We asked nutrition experts to share 10 ways you can de-junk-ify your diet.


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Christmas Candle (Done With You)
Image by Gretchen Gales
*Editor's Note: Previously published at Nowhere Poetry and Flash Fiction.
A Christmas candle caught my hair,
Rode a light-speed flash
Almost all the way.
In the bathroom,
As I washed out the black
Saw the remains in the sink
Smelled how my cells
Had been transformed into air
I remembered that
I can go anytime.
"We are pregnant"—it sounds stupid
But when the diagnosis came
He made it we from the beginning
Not with words
But with his way,
Doing all the research I
Couldn't bear to do,
Not blinking an eye
When I spent $100
On one pair of shoes.
We started doing it in the afternoon
Instead of night
And I stopped sleeping
In the other room.
Sooner or later
Cancer or theater
My old eyes will close
My old mouth sag open, a door
Left open
No more cat to worry about she is out
No more time with her kitten her mouse
Her spouse
Let the movies be true
Let there be a secret handshake between the nebula of me
And the nebula of you
Even outside time, between birth and death
There will be one pen left
In a kitchen drawer or your
Back pocket don't forget it
Scrawl an address on my hand because
I am not done with you


text:
I want to write a novel.
Not in a wistful, maybe one day, kind of way, but because there is a story rolling around my head that needs to be told. The basis of the first chapter was born in about 2005 as a short story, then in 2009 I realised there was more to it and the unravelling began, mostly in my head with some note-making at times. I was so excited and whilst I had no experience of writing, it really felt that writing this story would be good for me.
Yet, here I am, four years later, no progress made (on paper) and life doing what it does so well. I have thought about it a lot but been unable to get myself into the habit of writing on a regular basis. I even enrolled for an Open University course on writing fiction, only managing to complete the marked work (none of the exercises or group discussions) and doing quite well in it which surprised me, it pleased me too but not enough to get me going.
A couple of weeks ago I decided that I should give myself some space and accept that it would take about a year to write a draft and just start. It was true, I should just start but I was still dilly-dallying like a pro. Then came the gift of coincidence. In the window of my local Oxfam bookshop stood a copy of 'A Novel In A Year' by Louise Doughty. How could I resist? 52 chapters, a week at a time, this was definitely a sign. All I needed now was a way of sticking to the weekly exercises and hence the blog. Whether anyone chooses to read it cannot limit my effort and therefore, I commit to a weekly update on progress against the exercises.
I will take a deep breath and begin......


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Broad Peak
Xinjiang/Baltistan, China/Pakistan, Asia
Broad Peak
Xinjiang/Baltistan, China/Pakistan, Asia
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The Karakoram
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8000m Peaks
Broad Peak
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Climber's Log Entries (11)
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26401 ft / 8047 m
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Location and name
Broad Peak, the 12th highest mountain in the world at 8,047 meters, is located in the Karakoram Range in Northeastern Pakistan. The mountain is located along the western Baltoro glacier between K2 and Gasherbrum IV.
The first westerner who saw the peak was probably Lieutenant T.G. Montgomerie. He was surveying the mountains in the area and in 1856 he spotted some extraordinary peaks, which he gave temporary names. K for Karakoram + a number for the peak. K1, K2, K3 etc. Montgomerie later found out K1had a local name; Masherbrum. K2, still goes under that name, even if some have proposed to re-name it Qogori, a name used by some local people. K3, the third peak to be measured by Montgomerie didn't have a local name.
The summit ridge of the peak is almost 2 km long and therefore British explorer W.M. Conway thought Broad Peak was a suitable name.
Conway noted: "
a fine breadth of mountain splendour...a huge Breithorn, as it were, filing the space between K2 and the hidden Gasherbrum.
" The name won general acceptance, but some zealots on a mission to get rid of all western names wanted a local name on the peak. They did not find any credible name candidates, so they did what they considered second best: they simply translated Broad Peak into Balti, the local Tibetan dialect. The name - P'alchan Kangri/Ri. It became a bit bastardized over the years and is nowadays spelled and pronounced Falchen Kangri, which is completely off the mark as there are no "f-sounds" in Balti.
One or two 8000m peaks?
A sometimes raging debate about Broad Peak having one of two "real summits" has been going on for a long time. Most people agree on the fact the central peak is not a separate summit, but the advocates in favor of counting it as one points at the snow on the col in between this summit and the main summit.
the snow are melting due to global warming, Broad Peak central might qualify as the 15'th 8000m peak. Another issue connected to global warming is the fact that the snow on the true summit is melting and the fore summit may overtake it in height. This would be welcomed by climbers as the trickiest part of the whole climb would disappear.
First ascents of the main summits
Broad Peak has three seperate summits: main summit 8,047 meters, central summit 8,016 meters, and north summit 7,550 meters.
The first ascent of the main summit was made in 1957 by an Austrian expedition consisting of only four climbing members. Using many of the fixed lines set up by the failed German expedition of 1954, all four summited without using oxygen. Hermann Buhl, Fritz Wintersteller, Kurt Diemberger and Marcus Schmuck didn't have the help of any HAPs (high altitude porters) or guides and the climb was a remarkable success for alpine style climbing, as it occurred well before the time of small independent teams attempting the highest peaks on earth.
Clouds around Broad Peak early in the morning
Broad Peak Middle was climbed by five members of Polish expedition: Marek Kesicki, Bohdan Nowaczyk, Kazimierz Glazek, Janusz Kulis and Andrzej Sikorski. They summited on 28th of July 1975. Kesicki, Nowaczyk and Sikorski died during the descent.
The leader of this expedition was Janusz Ferenski.
helped out with info on this.
The north summit was finally acquired in 1983 by an Italian expedition led by Renato Casarotto.
Climbing Broad Peak
From the first ascent in 1957 to August 2003, Broad Peak was climbed 255 times and had 18 deaths. The fatality rate is therefore about 7%, which could be compared with for example Everest which has a death rate of 9%. It is one of the safer 8000m peaks, but the risk of avalanches should never be disregarded.
More about this.
Many teams today use the moderate climbing on Broad Peak to acclimitize for a rapid alpine style ascent of K2. The main route to the summit, via the west ridge, is moderately strenuous, but like other mountains in the Karakoram range, weather is often the determining factor.
Only 5 people have climbed twice and no-one more than that.
To the true summit or not?
Broad Peak is as Xixabangma and Cho Oyu a peak where a huge majority of "summiteers" don't reach the true summit. A lot stop at the fore-summit and claim to have climbed Broad Peak. In 1994 Hans Kammerlander was sick of this and left a piece of red and purple rope, attached to a ski pole on the summit and asked other climbers what they had seen up there.
Later Ascents
One astonishing ascent occured in July of by the amazing Polish climber Krzysztof Wielicki. He left base camp at 4,850 meters at midnight, reaching camp1 at 4am, camp2 at 8am, the col at 2pm, and the main summit by 4pm. His ascent of 3,150 meters in less than 14 hours was an incredible achievement for its time. He completed the round trip in just over 22 hours, all solo. This solo ascent of an 8,000 meter peak in a day was not repeated until 1986.
Even faster than Wielicki was Swede Göran Kropp when he soloed the peak in 18½h.
Jerzy Kukuczka and Wojciech Kurtyka read their climbing permit for K2 carefully. it said:
Acclimatization on lower peaks in the area allowed.
As Broad Peak is lower than K2, they came to the conclusion it may be allowed and went for the summit as a step in the acclimatization process. On the way up they met Messner, who asked them if they had summited. Kurtyka told messner: We were in the area. Messner smiled and said: Yes. Yes. Understood. He further promised not to tell anyone about the meeting. Messner kept quiet until he released his book "Three Times Eight".
Maciej Berbeka, Adam Bielecki, Tomas Kowalski and Artur Małek reached the summit of Broad Peak (8051m), making the first winter ascent of the Broad Peak. Unfortunately the success was soon over shadowed by the fact that Maciej Berbeka and Tomasz Kowalski got lost on the descent.
More about the first winter ascent here.
See the booklist for Kukuczka's and Messner's books about this incident and more interesting reading about their climbs of all the 14 8000'rs.
A list of all summiteers!
Scott adds:
Broad Peak has also been attempted in the winter. The rocky summit (lower part of main summit) (8,016 meters) was climbed in the winter by Maciej Berbeka of Zakopane, Poland in 1988. Maciej mistook this summit for the main summit in poor weather. In 2003, a Spanish team attempted a winter ascent, but were turned back by extreme wind and cold. Several camps were destroyed, but luckily no-one perished.
Getting There
High on the west ridge
Broad Peak is a long way from any arrival point in Pakistan. Sooner or later you have to pass Islamabad as this is the town where you get the permits for the peak. If an organizer have taken care of the arrangements for you, you can just relax and follow your guide through the country. If you want to arrange everything yourself, the following may be of help.
From Islamabad to The Northern Areas.
Local buses serve Islamabad with Skardu (the normal starting point for the trekking) well. Catch a bus from NATCO or Masherbrum Tours from Pirwadai i Rawalpindi (twin city of Islamabad, 15 km away). The cost for the 22-30h journey is about 12 US$. A taxi from central Islamabad will cost you 200-300 Rps. Some buses stop overnight in Besham, some go straight through to Skardu. If you have booked a ticket on a direct bus, don't be surprised if you have to wait in Besham for some time. Usually this wait is for other buses to gather and also for the police/military to ready a convoy. There are almost always some minor unrest in Indus Kohistan and to play it safe, the authorities arrange a convoy for the night traffic. It's nothing to worry about, it's standard procedure in this area.
From Skardu to Broad Peak.
There are two routes to the peak from Skardu - via Askole or via Gondogoro Pass. The former is to recommend if you're not acclimatized. Gondogoro Pass is a mighty 5600m, so most trekkers use this route for the way back.
A jeep ride takes 6-8h on partly miserable roads and the going price in the summer of 2005 was 3500-4000 Rps.
In Askole you can either camp out in the wild or use the one of the camping places, which will cost you 100 Rps. Facilities includes toilets, running water and a grassy, walled camping area.
The first camp site along the route is
. It takes anywhere between 4 and 8 hours to reach Jhula from Askole and the trek is very straight forward. Most of the time you walk on good paths along a river. An early start is recommended as it gets very hot in this area. Two bridges where you have to pay a small fee have to be crossed. Jhula has shower cabins, running water, toilets and camp platforms. 100 Rps./night.
Normally, there is not a problem to reach
the second day. The trek is harder as you sometimes walk in sand along the rivers and there are some ups and downs en route. Paiju has the same facilities as Jhula and the cost to camp there is also 100 Rps./night. The place can be very crowded in the high season and if you don't like that, just continue for another 20 minutes to the first stream or to where the glacier start, where a very good place to camp is situated. Fresh water available here.
The next camping place is
, which has very good views of the Trango group. The camp site is situated on a hillside with good camp spots. Facilities and price is the same as Jhula and Paiju. If you want to go further or a part of the way to Urdukas, remember you'll be camping on the actual glacier. Campspots can easily be found there as well, but in some parts there are half an hour in between good or/and safe ones.
From here on the lenght of a normal day trip varies a lot depending on how the persons in the group feel. There are some camps along the way, but they are all very basic, consisting of shelters built of rocks. Most groups stop at
Goro II
, some stop an hour before this camp, Goro I and some go all the way to Concordia.
, which could be one of the most beautiful places on earth is sadly full of garbage and human waste. To the left you can see Broad Peak and K2. Ahead you Gasherbrum IV is looming and to your right is the impressive Mitre. No fees and no facilities in Concordia.
The rest of the way to Broad Peak BC is an easy 3-hour walk on upper Baltoro glacier. The way out of Concordia can be a bit confusing. Ask a local if uncertain.
Walking out via Gondogoro Pass
View from camp 3
Gondogoro Pass
(or La as it is in the local language) is sometimes stated to be the highest pass in the world and the altitude given on many maps are over 5900m. It's not that high, but at 5600m it's still a very impressive pass. Many teams choose to walk out this way because of the outstanding views from the pass summit. Masherbrum (7821m) is very close and to your NW you see the whole Gasherbrum group, Chogolisa (7665m), Baltoro Kangri (7800m) and a lot of other high beautiful peaks. To the north K2 and Broad Peak are visible. In the south the extraordinary Laila Peak can be seen.
From Concordia it's a long day's walk to
Ali Camp
. First you walk past Mitre Peak and head up the next valley/glacier on your right hand side. Watch out for rock falls when entering the valley and try to gain access to the icy part of the glacier as soon as possible. Better to walk up there then down in the scree. When approaching Ali Camp, watch out for crevasses. The "security team" of Ali Camp will scream at you, where and where not to walk.
Ali Camp has a 100 Rps./night fee. Ridiculous prices for "nature preservation" (there's loads of garbage all oer the place), "guiding services" (I never saw any guides when I walked over the pass) and "security" (some bad plastic ropes, attached in extremely bad way is to be seen close to the summit of Gondogoroa Pass) has to be paid. For 1-3 persons it's 2500 Rps. For 4-8 persons it's 4500 Rps. The pass is privately owned. That is probably why this scam can go on as it does. My advice is to bugger the "guides" staying in Ali Camp about the garbage and not trusting the ropes at all.
I was told the it would take 5-7 hours to reach the pass from Ali Camp. It took me 2.45. For an acclimatized mountaineer, this is probably normal. It can be very windy on top of the pass, as it is a lot of elevation drop on the SW side. Don't trust the ropes on this side either. It's quite steep on this side (40-45 degrees). Stay up high on the right hand side if no tracks. There are glaciers in the middle of the glacier further down. The path gets really good before the little camp site of
, where you also can get very basic meals.
The glacier gets more difficult to travel after the camp and when you have passed the first rocky part and entered the main valley, stay to the left all the time. Doing so makes you avoid all the large crevasses and the left hand side is also the side you leave the valley on. When at the bottom of the first valley, take a left and enter some very nice meadows with yaks. Excellent views of sharp peaks. Some tricky, slide sections have to be passed. The walk gets easier again when heading down the lower part of the Gondogoro glacier towards
. In this little settlement you can eat and pitch your tent under nice-smelling wild roses. 100 Rps./night per tent.
From here it's a very easy 3 hour walk to
The Hushe - Skardu road is of awful condition for the first couple of hours. In the summer of 2005 the road had been badly cut away by a big river and all travellers had to walk over a wild river on small logs. Other jeeps were waiting on the other side. Lots of apricot orchards followed. From close to
the road is asphalt all the way into Askole. Count on 5-8 hours from Hushe to Askole.
Routes Overview
Standard Route - West Ridge
1957 - Austrian. Wintersteller, Diemberger, Buhl and Schmuck.
Carsolio Route - West Ridge to South Face
1994 - Mexican. Carsolio.
The Long Summit Ridge Traverse
1984 - Polish. Kukuczka and Kurtyka.
South West Face
2005 - Russian/Italian. Urubko and
Red Tape
The false summit of Broad Peak
Visas are required by nationals from most European and English-speaking countries. Validity period and cost varies a lot depending on which passport you carry.
Some Pakistani Embassies around the world
Visa extensions are available in most major cities in Pakistan, but should be avoided in the really large cities as it can be a long and nerve-wrecking experience. For Broad Peak climbers, Skardu is a recommended place for extensions.
See also the Skardu section
Permits for Broad Peak
You need a permit to climb the peak, which you can get hold either via the Ministry of Tourism or via an expedition agent. The fees were dropped to half of the old price some years back and the going prices for 2005 are as follow:
K2's royalty fees: 6000 USD for a team of seven, 1000 USD each additional climber.
All other 8000ers, Gasherbrum I and II, Nanga Parbat, and
Broad Peak
: 4500 USD for a team of seven, 750 USD each additional climber.
7500 to 8000 meters: 2000 USD for a team of seven, 250 USD each additional climber.
7000 to 7500 meters: 1250 USD for a team of seven, 200 USD each additional climber.
6000 to 7000 meters: 700 USD for a team of seven, 100 USD for each additional climber.
A trekking fee is also appliciable in the Broad Peak area. It's US$50.
If you join a commercial expedition you don't have to think about the fees for the liaison officer (LO) which is a must in this area of Pakistan. If you walk in via Askole, you need a LO all the way from the military checkpoint some hours out of Askole. If you choose the Gondogoro Pass/Hushe option you can walk in without a LO. When you climb the Broad Peak, every group needs to have a LO attached.
If going independently, you're supposed to pay the salary for the LO.
Here's the full story,
which also give you info about the obligatory briefing and de-briefing.
An environmental fee of $200 also have to be taken into account. There's a refundable bond of $6000 which most expeditions have to pay. Count on it. I was probably just lucky no one asked me about it.
If you attempt a peak lower than 6500m in this restricted area, a Ministry of Tourism approved guide has to be in your company. It's is much cheaper and straigh forward than dealing with a LO.
Heading up
Karrar Haidri,
representing the the Executive Council Alpine Club of Pakistan forwarded me the following information.
Government of Pakistan vide Notification. 1(1)/2002-OP, dated 15th October 2008. In suppression of all previous notifications regarding announcement of concessions for Mountaineering, Ministry of Tourism, Government of Pakistan has decided to continue reduction in royalty fee during the calendar Year 2010 as per details given below:
1. Zero royalty fee for peaks up to 6500-M.
2. 10% royalty fee on mountains situated in Chitral, Gilgit and Ghizer except on Spantik/Golden Peak.
3. 05% royalty fee on all peaks during winter season (December- February).
4. 50% discount on royalty fee on all peaks except as mentioned in (1) and (2) above as per following break-up:
The prices after reduction:
K-2 8611m $6000 for 7 member for additional member $1000
8001-8500m $4500 for additional member $750
7501-8000m $2000 for additional member $250
7001-7500m $1250 for additional member $200
6501-7000m $750 for additional member $150
When To Climb
K2 seen from high on Broad Peak
June to September is the normal climbing season.
Broad Peak has also been attempted in the winter. The rocky summit (lower part of main summit) (8,016 meters) was climbed in the winter by Maciej Berbeka of Zakopane, Poland in 1988. Maciej mistook this summit for the main summit in poor weather. In 2003, a Spanish team attempted a winter ascent, but were turned back by extreme wind and cold. Several camps were destroyed, but luckily no-one perished.
Camp 3
It's allowed to camp anywhere along the route to Broad Peak. Most climbers who go to the area have bought a package deal from an organizer and therefore a high majority of campers stay in the official campsites along the way. Some of them are clean and well-equipped places, some looks more like garbage dumps (Ali Camp and Concordia) and some are only detectable by some spartan wind shelters built by piled up rocks.
Apart from the camps at Paiju, Jhula and Urdukas there is no reason to stay at the official places as they often are crowded and noisy places.
Pitch your tent anywhere, but be careful with the water conditions close to places where many people camp or have camped.
Photos from the camps up high
Recently some very good photos from the higher camps on the peak has been submitted. This section is dedicated to these images.
Camp 2
Camp 2
Camp 1
Mountain Conditions
Hermann Buhl during the first ascent
Broad Peak is located very close to Concordia, one of the biggest mountaineering camps in the area. During the whole climbing season there are lots of expeditions there. Many of them have satellite communication capability and many of them are also online on a daily basis, i.e. you can get plenty of info about the weather.
The K2 weather report also apply for Broad Peak
Main site of
Adventure Weather.com
The Pakistani army people on the Baltoro glacier keep a close check on the weather. Another good source of info.
The three summits of Broad Peak
Contrary to what some organizers are telling you, you can arrange the trek all by yourself.
The porter salary system was strict and worked fine until 2004, when massive amounts of climbers arrived for the K2 anniversary. A shortage of porters made some organizers desperate and they had to bid over the governmentally fixed prices. This created havoc and the whole porter salary system collapsed.
The cost for a porter is now down to your bargaining skills. Officially it should be roughly 3300Rps. to Broad Peak BC, but count on paying as much as 4500Rps.
Porters can be found in Askole, but if there are a lot of expeditions leaving when you get there, there's a high risk there is none available. Better book beforehand. The organizers are not very happy to help you out with this, as they want to include you in a group, but the small hotels in Skardu can usually help you. The price mentioned above is the full price, which include sunglasses, gloves etc. for the porter.
What is not included in the price are the below items and you have to supply the group of porters with the following:
A kerosene stove
A tarp or a sheet of thick plastic which serves as a tent/shelter.
All the above is best bought in Skardu.
Food/porter 1100-1300Rps.
The rest on the list 600Rps. (10 litres of kerosine).
You can choose to pay the food money directly to the porters, or you can walk around with them and buy the food. Discuss it with the porters and come to an agreement.
If you walk out via Gondogoro La/Pass try to find porters living in Hushe. The porters coming from the lower parts of the Baltoro glacier are much more prone to strike or turn around then the Hushe porters. The latter just want to have the job done/going home and are very seldom creating any trouble.
Hermann Buhl on the summit
Skardu is a little town where you'll spend a day or two and is the last outpost of "real civilisation". Some info that may be useful.
You can extend your visa here, regardless of what some organizers tells you. Go to the DP (Deputy Comissioner) Office. It takes an hour or two to get the one month extension. Prices depends on your nationality. The DP Office is to be found in the nothern end of town, close to the K2 Guest House.
There are plenty of hotels in Skardu. The top end places are K2 Guest House and Masherbrum Hotel. The former is known for it's cozy garden and the latter for over-priced food. Prices ranges in between 1500-2000 Rps./night. Cheaper alternatives are to be found along the main street. A good value hotel is Gasherbrum Hotel on the main street. 300 Rps./night for a large double is a good deal and the food in the hotel's restaurant is excellent and the portions are monstrous of size.
Camping and mountaineering shops sells everything you can find in their equivalents in the west. Prices varies. Gas canisters for example, are expensive, but down-suits can be bought for 200US$! Almost everything here is second hand.
Food shops. There are plenty of them along the main street. Don't expect to find much more than the staples. You can find all the necessary food here if you're not picky and can put up with pasta, soups, porridge etc. for the weeks at Broad Peak.
If you hire your own porters, you better buy the stuff they need in Skardu. Further up the valleys it'll be way more costly and it's not 100% you'll find what you look for. See the porter section for more details about this.
More Books & Links
Bill Buxton's article in The Canadian Alpine Journal.
A full account on the 1957 first ascent expedition to Broad Peak.
Hermann Buhl's Memorial site
you'll find a lot of books.
The official book about the first ascent of Broad Peak
Written by Marcus Schmuck. In German.
Gipfel und Gefährten
Includes the first ascent of Broad Peak, written by Kurt Diemberger. In German.
On top of the world
Written by Richard Sale and John Claere. The history about all the 14 8000'ers.
There's another book written by Richard Sale, called
Broad Peak
ISBN 0953863115 English.
Fritz Wintersteller
one of the four first summiteers of Broad Peak, reviews the book as follows:
Carreg 2004. This the first full account of the 1st ascent of Broad Peak in 1957 by Marcus Schmuck, Fritz Wintersteller, Hermann Buhl and Kurt Diemberger, drawing on the climbing diaries of Schmuck and Wintersteller and accounts written by Buhl. None of this material has ever been published before.
The account is supported by conversations with Kurt Diemberger and with Qader Saeed, who was the expedition's Pakistani liaison officer. The book includes an account of Buhl's last climb and death on Chogolisa, from the protocol written by the surviving team members on the day Diemberger returned to Base Camp after the accident. The book begins with a history of Broad Peak, including the first ever drawing of the mountain (from Martin Conway's expedition of 1892), the first ever photograph (from the Eckenstein expedition of 1902) and Vittorio Sella's panorama from the Duke of Abruzzi expedition of 1909.
There is also an account of the first attempt on the Peak by the Karl Herrligkoffer expedition of 1954. The book ends with an Appendix of all summit climbs from 1957-2004. The photos from the 1957 expedition are almost entirely from previously unpublished work of Schmuck and Wintersteller.
One of the most impressive Himalayan ascents of the last century was Austrian party of Marcus Schmuck, Fritz Wintersteller, Kurt Diemberger and Hermann Buhl's 1957 first ascent of Pakistan's 8,047 m Broad Peak.This was achieved by a small team without artificial oxygen who ferried all the loads to the high camps. The trip ended with the tragic death of top Austrian climber Hermann Buhl, who fell through a cornice duringa reconnaissance of Chogolisa.
Now, this book by Richard Sale, Broad Peak, discusses the dynamics between the climbers themselves and the effect of Buhl's death on the way the trip has been reported. In the past, the roles of the massively strong Wintersteller and the talented Schmuck have been downplayed, even though they performed brilliantly as a team and made the first ascent of the peak. Another little recognized aspect of such trips is the role played by liaison officers. On the 1957 expedition, a dashing young Pakistani infantry officer, Quader Saeed was the liaison officer.
Saeed emigrated to Toronto in 1971 and now runs a grocery store there. Saeed instantly liked the climbers, an impression made stronger when Buhl had a pair of boots flown to Rawalpindi from Austria because the expedition had none that fit him. Saeed saved the men from difficulties on several occasions. "I had to explain to them that we were five men and that there were forty porters and we were a long way from any help. They demanded sunglasses, and one of the climbers said,'be tough, tell them no.' Instead, I asked the porters why they needed these glasses now, when they had never needed them before, in all their travels in exactly the same areas. We had to pay them for the glasses, but avoided a conflict."
Saeed was devastated by the death of Buhl, and tears still come to his eyes when he describes Diemberger coming to the camp with the news. Saeed stays in touch with Schmuck and Wintersteller and visits their homes in Austria every few years. He has two photographsof himself and Schmuck climbing on Broad Peak on the wall of his store and follows the climbing news about Broad Peak. Saeed greeted Sales' book enthusiastically because,according to him, it is the first book to set the record straight about one of the most impressive ascents in Pakistan's history and one of hismost treasured memories.
I attended a lecture given by Diemberger a few months ago. He showed some films of the first ascent, and then more on Chogolisa when Buhl died, finally some taken by a Japanese expedition who found Buhl's diaries.
Anyway, I had my copy of Sale's book which I asked Kurt to sign, but he flatly refused. He is very angry with what Sale wrote. He asked if I had read it (which I haven't, even yet) and told me to start from the back, then I'd know why he was upset.
He will sign a Jim Curran K2 book with a disclaimer like "Please compare with the authentic account in The Endless Knot". I asked him about putting a disclaimer in Sale's book. He said at least Curran was trying to be fair and objective, but Sale was not.
Diemberger is currently working on a book with the translation of Buhl's diaries.
Fritz Wintersteller
Broad Peak 8047m - Review of the Literature.
In Memorial
Marcus Schmuck died in Aug. 2005.
A Guardian article about it.
Hermann Buhl's Memorial site.
Commercial Expeditions
Going to camp 1
There are a lot of companies which can offer you a package deal for Broad Peak. I choose to list the ones I personally have encountered on my journeys. Random order.
Local organizers
Hushe Treks & Tours
Local organizer which has been around for a long time.
Nazir Sabir Expeditions
Supposedly the best organizer, according to many Pakistanis. A bit more costly than the average organizer.
Karakurum Treks & Tours
Another company with lots of experience and good reputation.
Karakurum Magic Mountains
A quite new company with great services.
Karakorum Explorers
Small but experienced company.
Saltoro Summits
SP member Karrar's company.
Foreign organizers
Jagged Globe
Base: UK.
Base: UK.
Base: Italy.
Base: Germany.
Useful addresses and information.
North Pakistan tours
Ishaq Ali Geologist
Po Box 463
Alpine Club of Pakistan
Jinnah Stadium,
Pakistan Sports Complex,
Islamabad.PAKISTAN 44000
Tel: 92-51-9208963
Basic information about Pakistan
Sunlit summits
Money & Costs
Pakistani Rupee.
60 Rps = 1 US$ in mid 2005.
Relative costs:
Road side restaurants: US$ 0,5-1,5
Budget meal: US$2-3
Moderate restaurant meal: US$3-8
Top-end restaurant meal: US$5-10
Budget room: US$1,5-5
Moderate hotel: US$10-15
Top-end hotel: US$22 and up
By staying in hostels or dorms and eating like a local you can get by on as little as US$3-10 a day. If, however, you were looking for a moderate touch of luxury you could spend as much as $30-40 a day which could get you accommodation that included a satellite T.V., a desk, a balcony, and a spotlessly clean bathroom. As in any place you can spend as much as you like to live in the lap of luxury and stay in swanky hotels. It's worth noting that rooms and food are cheaper in the north than in the south.
Both travellers cheques and cash are easy to change throughout the country, but commissions on cheques can be high. Apart from top-end hotels most places won't accept credit cards as payment although you can often use them for cash advances at western banks. Facilities for validation seem better for Visa then Mastercard. Occasionally a tattered note will be firmly refused as legal tender, and often in the smaller towns the appearance of a 1000 or 500 rupee note will cause consternation and an inability to provide change so make sure you get some smaller notes when buying your rupees.
A reliable place for using Visa/Mastercards (ATM and cash withdrawals) is the Citibank in the Blue Area in central Islamabad.
Baksheesh isn't so much a bribe as a way of life in Pakistan. It can apply to any situation and is capable of opening all sorts of doors, both literal and metaphorical. Anything from a signature on a document to fixing a leaking tap can be acquired through the magic of baksheesh. Most top-end hotels will automatically add a 5-10% service charge to your bill so any extra tipping is entirely up to you. Taxi drivers routinely expect 10% of the fare, and railway porters charge an officially-set Rs 7. The only time that a gratuity might not be welcome is in the rural areas where it runs counter to Islamic obligation to be hospitable.
As everywhere else, make sure the tip is not over the top. It only makes it hard for both future travellers and the locals.
Be sure to read the situation right before using the baksheesh way. Some officials and army personal can be very touchy and it can really backfire offering the wrong person a baksheesh.
If baksheesh is a way of life, bargaining is a matter of style, particularly in the many Pakistani bazaars. Unlike the western hesitancy for bargaining, shopkeepers in Pakistani love to bargain as long as it's done with style and panache. Bargaining usually begins with an invitation to step inside for a cup of tea followed by a little bit of small talk, a casually expressed interest by yourself in a particular item, a way-too-high price mentioned by the seller, a way-too-low counter offer by yourself and eventually, after much comic rolling of eyes, a handshake and mutual satisfaction for both parties. Bargaining should always be accompanied by smiles, good humour and an ability not to get fixated on driving the price into the ground.
Climate in the different provinces
The best time for travelling to Pakistan depends on which part of the country you intend to visit. Generally speaking the southern parts of Pakistan including Sind, Baluchistan, Punjab and southern NWFP are best visited in the cooler months between November and April. After that it gets uncomfortably hot. The northern areas like Azad Jammu Kashmir, and northern NWFP are best seen during May to October before the area becomes snowbound. The weather may be a little stormy during this time but the mountain districts are usually still accessible.
Try and avoid Pakistan during Ramadan, the Muslim month of fasting which, usually occurs sometime during the months of December to early January. This is because a fasting Muslim is an understandably cranky Muslim, and you may find yourself involuntary joining in the fast because activity is kept to a minimum and food is hard to find during daylight hours. Pakistanis are usually very understanding when it comes to westerners who aren't muslims. Even if there are no tea or food served to muslims, these items are most of the time readily available for believers in other faiths.
The security situation in Pakistan deteriorated through 1997, with areas previously considered safe experiencing the same sort of violence and crime as in the long-troubled Sind region. As well as the danger of being caught up in sectarian skirmishes, travellers have been the specific target of violence in Karachi and Lahore.
Sind, the region in the south of Pakistan which includes Karachi, was known as the `Unhappy Valley' or the `Land of Uncertainties' by ancient travellers. Switch to the present day and news of curfews, foreign kidnappings and atrocities between the two main ethnic groups - Sindhis, the province's indigenous inhabitants, and the Mohajir, Muslim refugees from India - suggests its former name is still not out of place. With robbery, smuggling and gun-running amongst Sind's biggest
industries, the province remains a highly dangerous place to visit.
Travel to Sind as well as to the North-West Frontier Province, Punjab and Baluchistan should be undertaken with caution and only after consulting a national foreign affairs department prior to departure or a consulate in Karachi for current information.
Many low end hotels are infamous for theft from the rooms.
The Northern Areas are usually very safe and out of a climbers point of view this is the most important issue. The worst you probably encounter is snotty kids throwing a rock or two and a really annoying feature is the "one-pen-kids". Please
do not encourage this behaviour
by handing out gifts willy nilly. It only creates greed, beggary and a hell time for forthcoming travellers. If you want to give pens, hand it over to the local teacher/local.
Shots against dengue fever, hepatitis A, malaria and, in rural areas, Japanese encephalitis are recommended.
The tap water should be avoided all over Pakistan.
Giardia and amoebic dysentery is endemic all over the country and Flagyl (metronidazole) is one of the more essential drugs to bring.
Time: GMT/UTC plus five hours
Electricity: 220V, 50 Hz
Weights & measures: metric
Tourism: 424,000 visitors
For more information about Pakistan
One of Pakistan's biggest newspapers online
Pakistan's official site for tourism
External Links
Alpine Club of Saxony Broad Peak Expedition 1995
Viesturs and LaFaille reached the summit
Ed Viesturs and Jean Christophe LaFaille summited on July 15, 2003.
Baltoro trek trip report
The trip report is relevant to the Getting there section. It relates on what to expect on the Baltoro glacier.
Broad Peak 8047m Austrian OEAV Karakoram Expedition 1957
The First ascent of Broad Peak 8047m in 1957 by the Austrian OEAV Karakoram Expedition with Hermann Buhl, Kurt Diemberger, Marcus Schmuck and Fritz Wintersteller deserves a place in the history of mountaineering.
Askole Treks & Tours
Adventure Tour Operating Company in Pakistan. Specialized in Mountaineering Expeditions, Trekking Trips and Adventure Tours in Pakistan.
Jasmine Tours - Pakistan
Annual trips to all 8000m peak in Pakistan.
Saltoro Summits in Pakistan
We feel great pleasure to introduce Saltoro Summits as the Adventure Tour Operating Company in Pakistan.
Austrian First Ascent 1957
Urubko and Samoilov climbed a new route in 2005 - part 2.
Urubko and Samoilov climbed a new route in 2005 - part 1.
The Russian 2007 Expedition to Broad Peak and K2.
Sergei Baranov's excellent photos.
Martin Cash
was the former maintainer and some of his information is still used on this page.
View Broad Peak Image Gallery - 67 Images
Table of Contents
Later Ascents
Getting There
Walking out via Gondogoro Pass
Routes Overview
Red Tape
When To Climb
Photos from the camps up high
Mountain Conditions
More Books & Links
In Memorial
Commercial Expeditions
Basic information about Pakistan
External Links
Nearby Mountains & Rocks
Interactive Map
Mountains & Rocks in China, Pakistan
2 Trip Reports
Something steep this way comes
My First Expedition: Broad Peak
1 Articles
Hermann Buhl (1924-1957)
2 Albums
Broad Peak, Karakoram, Pakistan
Pakistan 2009
The Karakoram
Mountains & Rocks
Gasherbrum I
Broad Peak
Gasherbrum II
Gasherbrum III
Gasherbrum IV
Batura I
Kunyang Chhish East
Ultar II
Skil Brum
Mount Crown, (Huangguan)
Latok Peak
Makrong Chhish
Latok IV
Khani Basa Sar
Sonia Peak
Point 6315m
Shimshal Whitehorn
Trango Towers
Laila Peak
Faroling Chhish
Harjoldur Sar
Haigutum Middle
Igls Peak
Mitre Peak
Shaltar Peak
6 More
8000m Peaks
Mountains & Rocks
Cho Oyu
Nanga Parbat
Annapurna I
Gasherbrum I
Broad Peak
Gasherbrum II
Shisha Pangma
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Click here to go to the Building Permits Self-Service page.
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Instituted in 2007 as a program in the city of Boston, Welcoming Massachusetts helped pave the way for a united Greater Boston, bringing together communities of different backgrounds to be all united together as neighbors, friends, welcoming communities!
Welcoming MA gradually saw much success, growing and expanding in the Greater Boston area. At the campaigns completion in Boston, a new chapter began to be written in Framingham and surrounding cities and towns. Strong to this day, Welcoming Framingham is uniting and bringing immignrat and native communities closer and closer together.
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The closest thing to a working political antenna at the White House these days may be the one on Dan Bartlett's car radio. Congressional anger over President George W. Bush's decision to allow a Dubai-owned company to operate terminals at major U.S. ports had been at a low boil for days before the White House got its first inkling of the furor: Bartlett, the presidential counselor, happened to tune in to conservative talk-show host Michael Savage on the way home from work. By the time the President moved to quash it several days later with assurances that he wouldn't have allowed the...
The Breakaway Republicans
A White House misstep on port security has the G.O.P. running away from its President
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TV antenna installation, and configuration of streaming devices
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There is no longer any reason to be held hostage by your cable or satellite provider. Every TV channel they provide is available in other ways. The Cord Cutter can help you evaluate your options and take charge of your TV experience.
You've heard of Netflix, but there are many more
The Basic is $7.99 per month. The standard tier $10.99, which allows subscribers to watch on two screens at once. The premium tier $13.99, allows users to watch on up to four screens.
Limited Commercials plan at $5.99/month for the first year for a limited time, then $7.99 and No Commercials plan at $11.99/month.
Amazon's video streaming service lets you watch thousands of movies and TV shows, wherever and whenever you want. Included with Amazon Prime $99 per year
DirecTV without the satellite dish. Right now you get about 60 channels for $35 per month, or 80 channels for $50 per month at any time.
HBO without a cable connection. Available on Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, Microsoft Xbox, Roku, Samsung TVs, and PlayStation Vue. $15 per month.
With Dish's Sling TV you don't get individual shows. You get channels. Sling Orange costs $20 per month; Sling Blue costs $25 per month. A combined package costs $40 per month. Add-on packs cost $5. HBO costs $15 per month.
Provides full-length episodes of CBS programs, plus live programming streams of local CBS affiliates in 124 markets. CBS All Access also includes complete back catalogs of most of its current series. $6 per month with ads or $10 per month ad-free.
Sports fans looking for a streaming alternative. This sports-centric service offers a mix of live and on-demand channels. comes with a free cloud DVR that lets you store 30 hours of shows, movies, and games. $35 per month for about 50 channels.
Packages range from basic channels (the $40-per-month Access plan) to a comprehensive package of about 90 channels that includes some premium channels (the $75-per-month Ultra plan). You also get local channels in many major markets—on-demand in others—plus a cloud DVR for recording shows. $40 to $75 per month, depending on package.
Watch Showtime network without a cable connection. $11 per month, or $9 per month when purchased through certain services, such as Amazon Prime and Hulu.
Get Starz without a pay-TV subscription. Now available on DirecTV Now for $8 per month. Stand a lone service is $9 per month.
Offers access to live TV from up to 50 providers, including all the major networks. It also has a cloud DVR with unlimited storage. $35 per month
British TV programming. Series and classics going back to the mid 80's $5 per month or $50 per year.
View the biggest Collection of the Baddest Movies! Foxy Brown, Shaft, and more! $3.99 per month.
Live your life in a permanent state of shock, with as much horror – schlocky, classic, comic, international – as you can take. $4.99 per month
A small but growing site showcasing lesbian drama from around the world, with films available to rent or buy on the site, plus one original series (so far). Pay as You Watch
Dedicated to showcasing cinema and TV aimed at gay men, Dekkoo has also moved into original programming via the series Feral, which is set in the US bible belt. $11.99 per month
Head here for anime, manga and some (mostly Japanese) live-action films. It is also a community, with some lively forums. Some free content, premium subscriptions from $6.95 a month.
For all the Bollywood you can take, with thousands of hours of films in Hindi, Punjabi, Tamil and other regional languages. The Netflix-style site makes it easy to find films by category. (free with ads or $4.99 a month


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UFO Sighting Report - United Kingdom
October 6th 2007 : Cockermouth, Cumbria, England
UFOINFO Sighting Form Report
Location: cockermouth, cumbria, england
Date: 10/06/2007
Approach Direction: easterly
Departure Direction: nnw
Witness Direction: east
Description: at ten pm I was walking my dogs and seen six reddish orange lights stationary in the eastern sky, my first thoughts were, maybe these lights belong to helicopters but after two minutes of looking and listening I didn't detect any sound and thought that as the hills were in that direction perhaps the lights were being used by hill walkers navigating but as the hills were at least eight miles away it would have meant they were walking at least a mile apart and that wouldn't happen noramally, then one of the lights sped off towards the north and disapeared then all but one disapeared as thogh switched off! the last one stayed put for another couple of minutes then it too vanished , I was astounded and thought perhaps cloud had come in and blanked them out, but a jetplane was taking a route across the position of the last visible light and was trackable until over the horizon! I've never given a lot of credence to UFO sightings but this incedent has opened my eyes which is how I came to be on your website and I have found two other reports on a similar sighting for the same night.
Color/Shape: reddish/orange
Height & Speed: 2-3000 ft and hardly moving
TV/Radio/Press: not so far


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How to Find a Niche
Marketing is a rather difficult thing if you go about it in the wrong way. If done correctly, however, it can not only be easy but also bring you incredible results for your business. Marketing done incorrectly, on the other hand, like marketing too broadly, will waste time, money and quickly drive your business into


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Each year the Commonwealth adopts a theme; in 2018 the theme is 'Towards a Common Future'.
At the UN General Assembly in 2017, UK Prime Minister Theresa May, with Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat and Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland, announced the theme along with priorities for the 2018 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.
Taking place from 16-18 April in both London and Windsor, the 2018 Commonwealth heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) will divide the theme into four main areas of interest:
- Prosperity: boosting intra-Commonwealth trade and investment
- Security: increasing cooperation across security challenges including global terrorism, organised crime and cyber attacks
- Fairness: promoting democracy, fundamental freedoms and good governance across the Commonwealth
- Sustainability: building the resilience of small and vulnerable states to deal with the effects of climate change and other global crises
In advance of the announcement, Theresa May said:
"As the world changes, so must the Commonwealth if it is to rise to the new challenges that the 21st century presents. It is the responsibility of all members to ensure we are working together towards a common future that will meet the needs of all our peoples, particularly our youth. I look forward to this unique organisation coming together at next year's Heads of Government Meeting to pursue an ambitious agenda for a more prosperous, secure, fair and sustainable future for everyone."
In March, the Commonwealth Service, organised by the RCS and held in Westminster Abbey is based on the annual theme.
If you would like to help promote the 2018 Commonwealth theme please download the poster and see social media: Twitter @commonwealth18 and www.facebook.com/commonwealth2018


text: Madtown 10/09/2012 by Tomas Sanchez Sanchez 1 I love going to The Taste of Madison, it's a festival in Madison, Wisconsin. I was enjoying the different varieties of food and looking for the shot that will display the hustle and bustle of Downtown, somehow deep inside of me I wanted to take a few shots but I wanted the shots to be unique and I was really disappointed that I didn't accomplished that. As I was walking towards my car I crossed the street and I don't know why but I turned around and saw The Capitol, it was so impressive because there was a reflection off the building on the right side and I knelt down to take the shot and I looked at the LCD screen and was in awe of the beauty that was captured. Advertisements


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Welcome To Therapeutic Yoga
Therapeutic Yoga
Hello, I'm Cheri Clampett – Welcome to Therapeutic Yoga! Here I offer you tools to help you on your journey towards better health and wellness.
Therapeutic Yoga is a particularly effective practice for those recovering from, or living with, injury or illness. Therapeutic Yoga combines restorative yoga (supported postures), gentle yoga, breathwork, hands-on healing, and guided meditation techniques in such a way that it is an excellent choice for those who need something gentle yet effective for bringing the body into balance and reducing stress. Therapeutic Yoga is a deeply meditative experience – it provides the opportunity to step away from the busy-ness of the outside world and access the deeper wisdom that resides within us.
Yelapa Mexico Rejuvenating Yoga Retreat
Come join Cheri and Avahara for a wonderful week at the secluded ocean-front Hotel Lagunita. Come rejuvenate your mind, body, and soul while putting your toes in the sand and releasing the cares of the everyday world.
Read More >>
Therapeutic Yoga Trainings
Founded in 1998, the Therapeutic Yoga Training Program teaches yoga teachers, nurses, physical therapists and many others how to adapt yoga for those healing from or living with injury or illness.
Read More >>
The Therapeutic Yoga Kit
In The Therapeutic Yoga Kit, Cheri Clampett and Biff Mithoefer combine the gentle healing of Therapeutic Yoga and
Read More >>
The Sun & Moon Meditation
Experience the mysteries of your Inner Universe with these two powerful Guided Meditations:
- The Sun and Moon Meditation
- The Meridian Chakra Meditation
- The Sun and Moon Meditation Music
Read More >>
Yoga Anytime
Join me on Yoga Anytime and experience Therapeutic Yoga for yourself! From the privacy of your own home, or while you travel, access Therapeutic Yoga videos for healing, stress reduction, women's health, insomnia, adrenal fatigue, and more!
We have a special code for 30 days FREE for you to try (follow the link below to learn more).
Learn More >>


text:
Linked by Thom Holwerda on Mon 29th Apr 2013 21:14 UTC
"OS X 10.9, which is internally codenamed 'Cabernet', will focus on various 'power-user' enhancements and take core features from iOS, according to our sources. Unlike operating system updates such as OS X Leopard and OS X Lion, OS X 10.9 will likely not be an overhauled approach to how the operating system feels and functions." Features for power users and features from iOS? Seems like an oxymoron. Still, if they manage to finally fix the Finder and Spaces, I'll be happy.
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RE[6]: Comment
by lucas_maximus on Tue 30th Apr 2013 17:09 UTC in reply to "RE[5]: Comment"
The designers who have Adobe CS at home on Windows machines, say they prefer using a Mac version out of the two.
For me at the time there was a familiar shell, had support for Java and PHP and expose and space was miles ahead of anything on Windows XP or Vista (this is 2005) and I prefer spaces implementation of virtual desktops.
Since Windows Vista or 7 (can't remember which introduced it), the live preview on the alt-tab has been good enough and I can use dexpot for anything else.


text:
Sustainable Party makes a splash at Blip.tv summer throw-down!
Those blip.tv kids really know how to throw one. AND to take steps to reduce their waste impact!
Emily, founder of Sustainable Party, came over to help Dina, co-founder of Blip, take some steps to green their awesome summer party in their beautiful Soho offices. We put up signs in the bathrooms to conserve water and turn out the lights. We also set up a compost collection bin, next to Blip's already well-in-use recycling station, and we set up a "label-your-own-cup" station! The party was pretty bumpin' and with awesome people.


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9801 Washingtonian Boulevard
Suite 330
Gaithersburg, MD 20878
phone: 301-926-0300
fax: 301-926-0324
hours: M-F 9-5:30pm
Here you can find information for my Gaithersburg, MD office. You are welcome to phone or send a message to me through the U.S. Postal Service. Please note that postal mail is the slowest method for contacting me. All postal mail sent to my offices must be scanned for security purposes, which means it will take an additional two weeks for me to receive it. If you prefer, you may contact me by e-mail.


text:
IN THE LATE 1990s, many firms confidently predicted technology would revolutionize apartment marketing and operations. Four years later, most firms are still waiting to be dazzled.
The story of the pioneers is well known. Many systems took longer than expected to create. Then implementation turned out to be disruptive and costly, and extensive customization often was required. Frustrated, many firms simply retreated to safer ground and declared the revolution over. So, was the promised technology revolution just hype? If not, what do we need to do to jump-start real progress?
Technology can revolutionize our industry, but not until all the disparate systems being used by apartment firms can talk to each other. And that integration will not occur without a common data standard, or a shared platform, upon which all these software products can be based.
Why Develop Standards?
Early adopters of new technologies did achieve operational gains with most applications, but most were ultimately frustrated by their inability to integrate all their new products. For example, online leasing programs improved property marketing, but their impact was severely limited by their inability to pull information directly from, or add information directly to, property management systems. The same goes for accounting systems, Web-based maintenance products, online procurement and more.
Without this integration, apartment firms cannot obtain the technology revolution's "Holy Grail" — the ability to combine and then "mine" their system's rich performance, demographic and economic data to make better-informed investment and asset-management decisions. Apartment firms also will miss out on the chance to create a superior customer-service model that further establishes apartments as a lifestyle choice and not just as a housing option for those who cannot afford homes.
An Ambitious Undertaking
A common data standard could change all of this, however. Enter NMHC's new Multifamily Information and Transactions Standard (MITS) project. Launched as an exploratory initiative in March, the goal of MITS is to create a shared multifamily data dictionary and an extensible mark-up language (XML) protocol to facilitate systems integration and data mining. The long-range goal is to:
reduce the cost of developing new software and the cost of converting from older systems to new ones;
make it possible for medium- and small-sized firms to transition to the newer systems; and
enable apartment operators to interact electronically with related commercial real estate sectors, such as the capital markets, investors and credit repositories.
The MITS Working Group, comprised of more than 40 apartment and technology firms, is focusing first on terms used to define an apartment community and the additional attributes to market properties online. The group will then concentrate on property operations, supply chain management, asset management, back-office administrative integration and affordable housing.
As the dictionary and XML schema are completed, they will go through a public review/comment period. All industry firms, including non-NMHC members, are invited to participate in MITS. Voting membership is available for an initial minimum contribution of $3,000. The timetable for adopting the standards has yet to be determined, but NMHC will release components of the data dictionary and XML schema as they become available. The first set of elements related to resident screening and physical property are expected to be ready for review by Oct. 31.
The final data dictionary and XML schema will be registered with international and national standards organizations and will be maintained and updated by MITS.
Few doubt the need for MITS, but its ultimate success will be determined by the industry. Interested firms are encouraged to get involved today. For more about MITS, its governance rules or minutes of past meetings, log on to www.mitsproject.org.
David Cardwell is vice president of finance and technology for the Washington, D.C.-based National Multi Housing Council. He can be reached at [email protected].


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Former Sunderland record signing Trevor Ford died last night at the age of 79.
Ford, who cost the Wearsiders a British record £30,000 in 1950 when they were known as the Bank of England club, passed away in his home town of Swansea following a long illness.
One of the greatest players in Welsh history, Ford (pictured left) found fame in the latter years of the Second World War with Swansea, before a move to Villa in 1947.
He went on to become a firm favourite after moving from the Midlands to Roker Park, firing a hat-trick on his debut and going on to score 70 goals in 117 appearances over three years.
After his spell at Sunderland, Ford moved to Cardiff in 1953, and enjoyed a three-year stay before a further move to Holland with PSV Eindhoven.
This transfer was caused by a ban by the Football League following investigations into illegal payments that Ford brought to light in his book I Lead the Attack.
Eventually he fought and won his case for reinstatement and finished his league career with Newport County in 1960 before a short spell with Romford. An uncompromising striker, Ford scored 174 league goals in 349 appearances in Britain, as well as a record 41 goals for Swansea Town in the transitional 1945-46 season.
For Wales, he scored a then record of 23 goals in 38 internationals between 1946 and 1956.
After his playing career ended, Ford went in to the car trade and was involved in various garages in Cardiff, Swansea and Sunderland. He continued to play in many charity football matches through the 1960s and was a keen follower of all his former clubs.


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TOKYO, Feb 1 (Reuters) - Japan's Nikkei share average rose on Thursday morning, rebounding from a six-day losing streak and pushing most sectors into positive territory, as a weaker yen and corporate earnings helped drive the benchmark index higher.
The Nikkei gained 1.4 percent to 23,410.33 in midmorning trade, after declining for sixth straight sessions.
Fujifilm Holdings jumped more than 13 percent after the company said it will take over Xerox Corp in $6.1 billion deal, combining the U.S. company into their existing joint venture to gain scale and cut costs amid declining demand for office printing.
Nintendo Co soared as much as 3.8 pct to a one-week high after it reported its biggest third-quarter operating profit in eight years, driven by strong demand for its new Switch games console.
Hino Motors soared 8.3 percent after the truckmaker raised its full-year net profit outlook.
On the other hand, Fujitsu Ltd dived more than 12 percent after its operating profit dropped 29.3 percent for the April-December period, hit by factors such as non-performing businesses.
The broader Topix gained 1.4 percent to 1,861.82, with 31 of its 33 subsectors rising.
Editing by Sam Holmes


text:
City of Conyers, GAHome Menu
Active Shooter/Threats Preparedness Training
- Date: 11/28/2017 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM
- Location: City of Conyers Council Chambers
1194 Scott Street
Conyers, Georgia 30012
Conyers Police Department is offering active shooter/threats preparedness training to citizens interested in learning how to best react to such an incident. Unfortunately, the police are not the first responders to the scene, you are. The goal of this training is to educate you on where to go, what to do, and what you should be prepared to do should you find yourself in the area of an active shooter or other threat.
The session is scheduled for November 28th at 7 p.m. and will last approximately one hour and a half. The session will take place in the Conyers Police Department Training Room, the second floor of the Conyers Police Department, adjacent to Council Chambers, at 1194 Scott Street.Email Lieutenant Greg Carson, email@example.com for additional information. Please leave your name, phone number, and how many are attending. RSVP as soon as possible as space is limited.


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CertifHy - Designing the first EU-wide Green Hydrogen Guarantee of Origin for a new hydrogen market
Taking Europe-wide green and low carbon hydrogen Guarantees of Origin (GO) to the next level: from concept to implementation. This is the objective of the CertifHy project undertaken by a consortium led by HINICIO, composed of ECN, GREXEL, Ludwig Bölkow System Technik (LBST), and TÜV SÜD and financed by the FCH 2 JU.
Until now, the CertifHy project has brought together multiple stakeholders to develop a common European-wide definition of Green Hydrogen, develop a hydrogen GO scheme deployable across Europe and a roadmap for its implementation.
The project's aim is to create the path forward for a concrete and actionable Guarantee of Origin (GO) scheme with a pilot demonstration of the hydrogen GO scheme and the creation of a Stakeholder Platform to give the scheme its legitimacy. The project will define the scheme's governance, as well as its processes and procedures over the entire GO life cycle: from auditing hydrogen production plants, certification of Green or Low Carbon Hydrogen production batches, through issuing, trading to "usage" of GOs.
We would like to encourage our projects to join the platform and become users of the Guarantees of Origin that will be produced in the four pilot plants.
For a comprehensive presentation covering the scope of the CertifHy project, click here.
For more information about CertifHy and joining the Stakeholder platform contact email@example.com


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Giving a voice to those who need it most
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that nearly 20 percent of people in the U.S. have a disability. To celebrate National Disability Employment Awareness Month in October, we'll be sharing stories, videos, social and multimedia to recognize the important role disabilities play in the workforce. #InclusionWorks
More than a year ago, Danny Weissberg, co-founder and CEO of Talkitt, was approached by the creator of TinyTap, an edtech startup looking to integrate Talkitt's voice-to-voice speech technology into an educational game they wanted to develop for children. It wasn't until a few weeks later that a colleague sent Weissberg an article about the Verizon Powerful Answers Award program, and he realized that TinyTap was the prior year's $1M Verizon Powerful Answers Award winner in the 'education' category.
That was inspiration enough. In the months that followed, Weissberg entered his startup's application, Voiceitt, into the 2014 Verizon Powerful Answers Award – and ultimately won $250,000 in prize money in the 'healthcare' category to develop his company's life-changing technology.
Weissberg reveals that he and his team often get emails from potential users expressing their excitement for the app's release. He says there's simply nothing available like it today, and no other natural means of communicating with loved ones affected by speech or language disorders.
"For us, bringing Voiceitt to market is so important because of the impact it will have on people's ability to communicate freely with loved ones," said Weissberg. "You know when you see these people that it will change their life, and this award is enabling us to fulfill a commitment to the community."
Voiceitt is a voice-to-voice application that can translate distorted pronunciation to understandable speech, filling a gap for what Talkitt estimates as the 1.5 percent of the population affected by speech disabilities. It is the first app to be developed by Talkitt, but surely not the last. Weissberg has already started working on a voice-to-motion app based on the same technology concept to help people with cognitive and motor disabilities translate motion on a device screen.
The application can be used in a variety of settings, including in the workplace. Weissberg said that individuals that cannot speak clearly, whether it from a medical issue suffered or a degenerative disease, should not lose their work because of their disability. "Take the example of an attorney, a profession that requires speech in some form. If an attorney loses their ability to speak, the app is designed to be the voice for them," Weissberg said. "Workplaces need a better solution for people who to continue to work despite their disability. Voiceitt is the only solution offered to people who lost their ability to speak in the most natural form: speech."
He added, "For potential users and their families, our product is something that they've really been waiting for. Now with this award from Verizon, we have the resources to share our timeline and deliver the product."
This article originally appeared on the Verizon Wireless News Center.


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By Matt Smith and Elizabeth Landau, CNN
A NASA satellite blasted off on this rocket at Japan's Tanegashima Space Center at 3:37 a.m. Friday (1:37 p.m. Thursday ET).
(CNN) -- A Japanese rocket roared into orbit early Friday (Thursday afternoon ET) carrying what NASA calls its most precise instrument yet for measuring rain and snowfall.
The Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) satellite is the first of five earth science launches NASA has planned for 2014. The 4-ton spacecraft is the most sophisticated platform yet for measuring rainfall, capable of recording amounts as small as a hundredth of an inch an hour, said Gail Skofronick Jackson, GPM's deputy project scientist.
The $900 million satellite is a joint project with the Japanese space agency JAXA, and it lifted off from Tanegashima Space Center at 3:37 a.m. Friday (1:37 p.m. Thursday ET). In a little over a half hour, it had reached orbit, deployed its solar panels and began beaming signals back to its controllers, NASA said.
Also, once fully activated, GPM will use both radar and microwave instruments to detect falling snow for the first time. It will also combine data from other satellites with its own readings, beaming back a snapshot of worldwide precipitation every three hours, Jackson said.
"We can start using the data for all sorts of applications -- for floods, for landslide predictions, for tracking hurricanes so we know what part of the coastline to evacuate," Jackson said.
That data will boost not only immediate storm forecasts, but also aid climate scientists who have been working on long-term models of a changing world.
"We can start validating and verifying what the scientists are saying from the models that say we're going to have more extreme precipitation," she said. "Where there's heavy precipitation now, the climate models are saying there'll continue to be more intense precipitation there, and where there's droughts, they think the droughts will be more intense."
Source: CNN


text:
Accommodations in Witherbee, New York
Search 2 Accommodations in Witherbee
Save more with Secret Prices
Get instant savings with Secret Prices
Where to stay in Witherbee
Witherbee overviewIf you're looking for a new favorite getaway, look no further than Witherbee. Though there might not be many well-known attractions to visit in Witherbee, you don't need to go far to find places to visit like Chimney Point State Historic Site and Crown Point State Historic Site.
Where to stay in WitherbeeWhether traveling for business or leisure, Witherbee can accommodate all visitors. You can shop as many as 16 deals for Witherbee accommodations on Hotels.com, some with discounts of up to 55%. Our room prices start at 72 USD per night and here's a breakdown of hotels by star rating in Witherbee as well as in the surrounding area:
- • 6 4-star hotels from 159 USD per night
- • 20 3-star hotels from 85 USD per night
- • 2 2-star hotels from 72 USD per night
What to see around WitherbeeHere are some recommended places to see in the surrounding area:
- • Chimney Point State Historic Site (6.6 mi/10.6 km from the city center)
- • Crown Point State Historic Site (6.8 mi/11 km from the city center)
When to visit WitherbeeDo you want to know the ideal time of year to visit? Here are the seasonal norms to help with your planning:
Seasonal temperature averages
- • January-March: 51°F day, 10°F night
- • April-June: 83°F day, 27°F night
- • July-September: 84°F day, 43°F night
- • October-December: 66°F day, 13°F night
- • January-March: 6.57 inches
- • April-June: 10.79 inches
- • July-September: 12.32 inches
- • October-December: 10.31 inches


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Wakeboarding/Snowboarding? WTF?
Is the the lamest thing ever or just super funny? I cant really decide
My vote is that this video clip to totally freegan awesome, but only because he wore the vest & trunks and carried the handle with him. We have talked about doing this with the Roam for years, just never got around to it.
The true genius of this clip is that it satirizes the wake and snowboard industries' pompous obsession with being "progressive." Nowadays, everyone with a camera claims to be "pushing the sport." They often invent contrived novelties that are just as gimmicky as riding down the mountain on a wakeboard with a dangling handle and present them in trailers and films that are just as overdramatic as this one in their desperate bids for 15-second fame and sponsorship.
These guys get it.
I understand its a joke, but if I saw these guys at the mountain.. I'd think they were gay
and idiots because theres no way its warm enough for shorts and tees lol
Interesting how people use the word gay as a negative, hateful word. Check out this article written in the snowboard world....
it's interesting that in the article the author compares the culture of snowboarding and skating with the gay lifestyle. That they are similar because they are, or were once, looked at in a negative light. Homosexuality is a huge issue in our society for many reasons (religious, social stability, std's ...etc), snowboarding and skating share none of those concerns.
Back to the original thread.... I think the video is "having or showing a merry, lively mood". But it made me smile.
All of the pros are doing this. What a good way to progress the sports as one and finally come together.
so if the pros do it.. it must be cool
The really funny thing is if wakeboarders are actually trying to make fun of snowboarders. What kind of crazy universe would that be?
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