Riverford is a purveyor of excellent organic fruit and veg, delivered direct to your door and used as fuel to keep this particular TOTD contributor alive while surfing for exciting web sites. Perhaps they’ll soon be leaving a box outside the door of the International Space Station if their sponsorship of experiments to deliver farinaceous tubers into the stratosphere prove successful. We look forward to seeing the photos from SPUDNIK2.

http://www.spudnik1.co.uk/

[Thanks to CL for this suggestion]

Enough of the new blog ideas; that’s too complicated.  Instead, I decided to add a page to my existing blog where I will enter my favorite recipes.  Click on the “Let’s Cook!” tab above to get started.

Some of the recipes have been altered so I can call them my own.  Some have been adjusted for high altitude and will be noted as such.  So if you’re at a lower altitude, those recipes may not turn out quite as you would expect.  You could go to the Pillsbury site referenced on my “Let’s Cook!” page and reverse the recommendations if you really want to try them.  Since I live and cook at just over a mile high in Aurora, Colorado, I’m only publishing the actual recipes I use here.  Remember, not all need high-altitude adjustments.  There’s something for everyone!

“There is enough energy in high altitude winds to power civilization 100 times over; and sooner or later, we’re going to learn to tap into the power of winds and use it to run civilization.” Says Ken Caldeira, Professor of Global Ecology at the Carnegie Institution for Science. (Discovery Channel, Project Earth, Infinite Winds episode)

Magenn's Air Rotor System (M.A.R.S.)

Basically high altitude wind energy is provided by a wind turbine that is free to move to various heights. Filled with helium like a balloon, the the turbine is able to move to various heights by way of a tethered line to reach the optimal heights. The obvious advantage is that wind is more reliable at higher heights, and it’s adjustable to get the most amount of energy. The most advantageous thing is that this system can be implemented anywhere and it takes up very little are.

The main concern high altitude systems is that their turbines aren’t as efficient as the traditional wind turbine, much more wind and time is needed to achieve the same amounts of energy. Magenn Power Inc., who just has a prototype right now, plans to implement these in areas with limited to no energy infrastructure. Because it provides very little energy, areas with less dependency on power are prime targets for producers.

Magenn Energy Inc. says they are the first company so far to actually start marketing a high altitude energy system. You can check they’re website out here: http://www.magenn.com/

I went to the doctor today, it was my first visit solo.  All by my lonesome.  Uno.  Needless to say, I didn’t like it, but I made it through ok.  Other than tearing up when they weighed me, I did alright.  I met the third and final doctor in the practice, and I thought he was some weird sort of mix between the first two; he was about as nice as the first doctor, but he moved as fast as the second.  So now we have (in order of how much I like them) Doctor 1 (LOVE HIM!), Doctor 2 (this guy) and 3 (Dr. Farah- blaech! and Pffffft!).  Anyway, the point of this post is the conversation between me and “Number 2.”

#2: Well, how are ya?

Me: I’m feeling better than I have in a long time.  Even my pubic bone, which has given me a lot of trouble over the past month isn’t hurting as much.

#2:  That’s odd.  It usually gets progressively worse.

Me: I know! Which is why I am so RELIEVED!

(We talk a little about travel, particularly flying, and how far into my pregnancy I can fly, exercise,what heart rate is safe, my weight, etc.)

#2: So let’s lay you down on the table and check things out.

Me:  Where exactly are you putting that tape measure?

#2: From the pubic bone to the fundis.

Me: I didn’t know I had a FunDip.  FunDip?  Where’s my lickem’ aid?

#2:  Wow, you’re 23 weeks right?

Me: Yes, why?

#2: You’re measuring 25.  (yes, that’s right, TWENTY FIIIIIIVE peeps.)

Me: ?!  (hopeful voice) Could we be wrong on my conception and due dates???

#2: No.  You’re just big.  Some women are just born to birth babies and they do it quite easily.  Some smaller women have really easy pregnancies, some don’t.  There’s really no rhyme or reason to it, but it looks like you may have a big baby.  Were YOU a big baby?

Me: (stall…) er… heh heh… uh… I was ten pounds…

#2: TEN POUNDS?!  Wow!

Me: Yes.  But I live in Telluride, won’t my baby be smaller????  PLEASE????

#2: Well, generally high altitude babies are smaller, but we’ve had some ten pounders out of Telluride.

Me:  Oh $%^&.  Ten pounders… jeez I’ll just settle for a quarter pounder with some cheese and maybe fries.

Cycling around Phuket we (my friend Rolien who lives on Phuket and I) came across a set of houses referred to as Art Village. I was just about to start a fierce climb up to a view point but thought a cultural diversion would make a acceptable excuse to postpone the pain of the upcoming ascent on single speed.

Just when one of the village inhabitants approached us with a ’sawadeekhap!’, the Thai hello, I noticed two very strange looking bicycles leaning against the wall. The young man told us that he and a friend had cycled on these bikes, which they had made themselves, from Chiang Mai, in the north of Thailand.

It was not the first time I saw such a bicycle. I think it was two years ago in Laos that I met a guy travelling on one of those. A Lamplighter Bike, he explained then. A long time ago they were used by men with torches who lit the street lights in cities just before dark.

I was very anxious to try one of them but when I felt the brakes or rather the lack of them I backed down and thought it wise and enough for now to just take a picture from me on it while leaning against a wall. Rolien, who joined me on my training round today, on a motorbike, very wise, already put the camera on video mode to cover me bouncing down the hill shouting help and reaching for branches. I know, that would have been better but sorry.

Kitipong Ngowsiri from www.theloveartstudio.com

At high altitude as fog blows through and at seasons change, seemingly, before your eyes as the atmosphere explodes with the intensity of alchemic rejoinder.

© 2009 D L Ennis, All rights reserved.

NOTE: Permission for the use of my images is granted for personal websites and blogs but is to include a link back to this site and proper credit given to me, D L Ennis. Link to be used…(Visual Thoughts http://dlennis.wordpress.com/)

NOTE: Commercial use, and the creation of prints, must be purchased! For more information you can contact me here.

Bitforms Gallery is pleased to announce a third solo exhibition with German photographic artist Michael Najjar and the world premiere of his high altitude work series. In this body of work, Najjar continues to weld fact and fiction. Exploring vocabulary of the romantic sublime, including paintings by Caspar David Friedrich, and informed by the artist’s own climb up to the 22,800 foot summit of Mount Aconcagua in Argentina, high altitude features breathtaking panoramas. Picturing spaces in society driven by networked financial data, these virtual landscapes are a meditation on the global market structure, its sophistication, and vulnerability.

The spectacle of elemental forces at play in mountainous vistas has been an enduring source of fascination for people, and especially artists, across the ages. Relating a parable of risk and cataclysm, Michael Najjar’s nine large format photographs draw a visual comparison between the forces of nature and those in the modern economy driven by computer networks. Cliff and rock formations in these sweeping horizons portray development of the world’s leading stock exchange indices over the past 20 – 30 years. Like a graph or blueprint, Najjar suspends the performance charts of indices such as the Dow Jones, Hang Seng, Nikkei and Dax over the mountain peaks, and then alters the natural course of each mountain range. Pairing pure natural beauty with the development of the global financial system, a virtual value system is mapped.

“The current economic crisis has dramatically highlighted one thing in particular – that we now often deal not with real goods and commodities but with chains of signifiers” says Michael Najjar. The irrational – something which defies our powers of imagination – in turn shapes the reality of our daily lives. In this way a symbiosis is created between reality and virtuality. The expressive power of mountains and stock markets share certain aspects in common. Both have an emotional force; they can awaken feelings of happiness (reaching the summit, windfalls from speculation), yet they also carry components of risk within them (injuries, losses). Both have the power to destroy lives. This is most strikingly revealed in the work entitled lehman_92-08 which shows how the high degree of complexity in our present-day virtual world can lead to a total system crash. The shared course climbs and climbs, and ends abruptly – leaving only emptiness and the sloping mountain plateau behind.

Najjar’s works are also concerned with exploring the nature of the sublime, the ineffability of perception. According to Edmund Burke, sublimity is compounded delight and horror in equal measure. We may encounter feelings of the sublime in our everyday lives, in nature, or indeed in the financial world whenever the benchmarks by which we usually measure and gauge experience are invalidated or transcended. Such views and experience of sublimity are also reflected in the new works by Michael Najjar. The mountain has proven a consistent theme across the history of art, although not all artists have been interested in rendering an exact portrait. Caspar David Friedrich, for instance, painted the “Watzmann” peak without ever actually seeing it. His painting was not intended as a mere reproduction of nature but rather as a means of arousing feelings of awe and wonder “too deep for words”. It was scientific curiosity that drew Leonardo da Vinci to mountains, while Gerhard Richter painted them for the atmospheric conditions they offered, their unclear contours bathed in diffused light. The motifs chosen by Michael Najjar are mystically haunting moments with craggy cliff plateaus, fragile cloud formations, frozen snow-clad summits or crisp views of mountain ridges against an ice blue sky – yet always with the jagged lines of the mountain’s silhouette – a monument of stock market quotations, hewn in stone, rising majestically over the world.

The work series is based on the photographs Najjar shot during his three week expedition up Mount Aconcagua in the Argentinean Andes whose summit he reached in January 2009. At 22,800 feet, Aconcagua is the highest mountain in the world outside of the Himalayas. According to Najjar, “The reality of nature and the life rhythm of a mountain cannot be measured on any human scale and thus becomes a virtual experience. Such experience of virtuality can also be found on the international economic and financial markets where the staggeringly large sums of money circulating the globe in real time defy our powers of comprehension.”

images an text provided by Bitforms Gallery

Photos: John Berens

Pouring coffee, I

notice a dusting of snow

on the mountaintop.

Esteem News – How to give esteem to fire fighters

Special News – Living in high altitude is healthy

Innovative News - How to dispose grease and fat properly

Society of Esteem – Alternative money system: Transfinancial Economics

Building the Hogan – Rats with shovels and other pests

Telluride is a hidden vision within the different auspices of the Rocky Mountains. Located two and half hours from Grand Junction Airport, the essence of hidden away gives breathe to a plethora of festivals throughout the summer months.

The Telluride Arts Festival combining culinary and spirits into the soaring heights above Telluride in Mountain Village at nearly 9600 feet in elevation gives one the perspective of moderation but within enjoying high altitude living with all the perks of a sea level resort.

The breakdown of the festival is separated into seminars, luncheons and tastings all situated within an easy to walk township setting. For those coming up from Telluride itself, the free Gondola takes about 13 minutes from the base with some breathtaking views but likewise gradual sloping to keep the head level.

The first luncheon pairing was held at The Peaks Resort which also served as HQ of sorts from which everything could flow. The restaurant Appaloosa uses fresh organic ingredients mixed with regional flavor.

Entering in, to breeze the palette, a dark Black Butte porter out of Oregon flittered with hops. Water, in perspective, is necessity at these height levels for such a festival both to clean the taste buds but also to maintain solvency in terms of stamina. The appetizers used seafood as a base with certain spices to coax the flavor from the wine.

Served with a 2007 Carlson Vineyards Laughing Cat Riesling with a nice sweet bump to it, a scallop mixed with a simple cheese setting and local mushrooms offered a sense of contentment while a small piece of trout smoked with tomatoes was blessed with a heartier aftertaste.

In terms of a main progression, a tender carving of bison barbecued with a light sauce was paired with a 2007 Cline Cool Syrah whose tart pepper-like intonations balanced the almost over-salty tendencies of meat creating an effective balance.

As small side dishes, a light dollop of salmon salad was uplifting but the 2007 Reisling from Milbrandt Vineyards in Washington State missed the mark because of overemphasis on the sweetness while their merlot fared better with a slightly chewy venison marinated with a dark sauce and light grated cheese.

The seminar of the afternoon was entitled “Dirt To Delicious” highlighting a more basic progression of tastes but with far reaching intent. The first pairing which brought force was a beautiful sauvignon blanc from Grove Mill Vineyards in Marlborough, New Zealand served with a slightly dry chicken fricasee marinated in citrus and fresh herbs. By contrast, the Kenwood Pinot Noir from the Russian River Valley enraptured in the kiss of its pairing with a seductive coffee chocolate truffle.

Heading over with the structure of the low hanging afternoon, the Little Bar at The Lumiere hosted “High Altitude Cocktails” optimizing Van Gogh Vodka. While the Orange Cosmopolitan (tart but light) and the Pomegranate Cocktail (sweet and frisky) set the stage, it was the two latter concoctions that soothed the soul.

The Acai Lemonade used a blueberry infused form of the vodka mixed with cranberry and lemonade juice. Stepping behind the bar to shake the coldness free, the Milkshake Martini was loved by all, if not awakened by mixing Dutch Caramel and Double Expresso vodka with Coole Swan Irish Cream unlocking a sweetness that was not overwhelmed by the alcohol content.

As the rain teased, the crowd began gathering at the stage in anticipation. Bringing a decided soul to almost ambient jazz vibe in paradox to some of her more folk representations, Joan Osborne had the swaying crowd enveloped in her spell. Even as the water kissed the crowd, her gentle motions perfectly complimented the sometimes blues instrumentation. Her energy pierced the crowd with the knowing “Trying To Get It” before hitting the ironies with “I Can’t Stand The Rain”.

With the thunder rumbling as a faint glimpse of sun shined down in the valley below, Osborne moved into “(What If God Was) One Of Us” as the light began to escape. Heading towards the heart of the village, the echoes of “What Becomes Of The Brokenhearted” reverberated succinctly.

Hidden within Heritage Square, Capella opens like a snake revealing only those who wish to see it. As the black curtain swings back to reveal flutes of Taittinger champagne, waiters flutter around serving finger spoons of luscious shrimp and salmon serenaded in a creamy cyrill sauce.

Inside as a secluded corner was selected offering place between two barely separated generations of young women, the stage was set for diversity and thought, especially with wine at 9500 feet.

The first course jumped with effective taste topping a little too tender halibut with an absolutely gorgeous smoked bacon surrounded by wonderfully scented chanterelle mushrooms. The wine was a simple but very rich rose from Valley Of The Moon out of Sonoma, which didnt overcome the bacon’s rich texture.

The second course by comparison took on more experimental overtones blending the setting of a consomme but submerging a goat cheese ravioli beneath a small but hearty infusion of pork while slices of baby tomatoes and arugula blended in with the flavor. The wine (the Grove Hills New Zealand sauvignon blanc from earlier) complimented the lightness but did not make the meal its own.

The third course brought the thought home with a crispy but manageable duck confit resting on a bed of herby polenta, thick but not overwhelming. What really popped the taste though was a dance of blackberries around the dish which when mixed with a 2005 Chateauneuf-du-Pape from Rhone in France really envisioned and brought to mind a deepness of flavor.

As the Nivole Miscato champange from Piedmont, Italy closed out the evening with the sparkling laughter and devilish humor of the ladies present along with a brisk crème brulee, the night reveled in the smooth.

As the luncheon insinuated the brightness the following day, the art of pairing began again at Onyx at Capella. Sitting with a small family of well traveled and athletically induced people (including a young and vibrant swim coach, a Pinot Gris from Milbrandt Vineyards again failed to bring the energy from an apple and cucumber puree salad despite some vibrant poignant slices.

By comparison the chilled sweet potato soup in terms of presentation teased the taste buds with a small whip of chipotle oil mixed with a slight cheddar whiskey sauce. While the chardonnay didnt really enhance the course because of mild underpinings, the next wine did.

The petite pulled duck slider was simple but almost ultra modern in its vision as beneath its razor thin slices hid bullets of shitake mushrooms glazed with a tantalizing boursin cheese which when heightened with the Morgan Pinot Noir from the Santa Lucia Highlands, north of San Fransisco, brought the table to utter agreement.

Leading to the essence of the afternoon towards the Grand Tasting, a layer passion fruit parfait viscerally dissected with a coconut lime highlight gave a mild but satisfying conclusion with a Taittinger Brut Rose tickling with its bubbles.

Peaches swirled within the memory as Chef Hosea Rosenberg, influential as a Boulder restauranteur turned Top Chef contestant, as ginger and vanilla bean collided to make a panna cotta surrounded by a vision of soft fruit. Pre-enriched by the enhancement of peach wine from Carlson Vineyards, the cotta peppered with crunchy brown sugar glazed almond brittles gave a balance of sweet and sour as the mountain wind glided through the tent.

Cocktails always become the traveler. With a grand amount of artisan spirits intruding an already intense marketplace, differences of distilling make all the difference. The mixology of Colorado blends well simply because with high altitude distilling benefits from the need of a shorter barrel life. Montanya Distillers, highlighting an Platino and Oro, clear and dark in their demeanor, create a distinctive nature of taste buoyed by the aspect of intense muddling and fresh chunks of fruit that don’t overwhelm the cocktail. Two drinks, specifically the Thai Boxer and The Apollo (shown above), set the stage with the blueberry richness of the Boxer being the popular favorite because of its front end punch but the minituae of the peach bits within the Apollo provided a subtle genius.

As the Grand Tasting began, the entire main village square began to fill with various wisps of different possibilities looming. The essential bearing that both began and ended the night was the Powder Night Expresso Porter from the lauded and local favorite Smugglers Brewpub just steps away from the bottom of the gondola. Rich and steeped with flavor, the Powder started off the festivities.

Barely 10 feet away, the Chicken Noodle Cafe provided substance with a chicken breast wrap lightly topped in raspberry sauce along with a piping hot cut of soup and actual potato cut chips, which one can tell the ultimate difference upon tasting.

9545′s offering down the way was two pronged with a duck chili pastry covered in a green tangy mole verde sauce and enhanced with a jalapeno jack cheese filling which was accompanied by a franchaise of mahi mahi which was seared in butter with the visions of an optimum veal piccata. 

After intermingling to Heritage Square, Full Sail Brewery optimized a Session Dark Lager in a Red Stripe presentation by way of Bend Oregon. The line in front of the ultra trendy Onyx & Seude bistro/eateries inside Capella stretched extensively as Onyx served a brisket ultimately so scrumptious that its almost rivaled the short rib trevailed from Suede which added a salmon marinade on a crisp that brought visions of a beautiful tuna tartare with an extra zest.

Changing sights, the Tinto Rey vintage from Matchbook Vineyards, combined the spice of syrah with a tempranillo, which paradoxically paired quite well with the Telluride Pizza Kitchen who in its cuisine mixed distinctly South American flavors with Italian elements. The mix of parpadelle with pulled pork and mini taquitos jumped with the element of spice in the Tinto, an unexpected but welcome coincidence.

As the darkness commences and the red glow of the setting sun disappears, the gondola flies overhead as Excelsior Cafe serves its luscious ravioli topped with a dollop of mozzarella as a shrimp sauteed in aioli sauces becomes the smoothness. Before heading into the Center Stage for a heavenly ice cream treat enveloped in peach and caramel, the Ska Beer introduction of the hoppy IPAA “Hopus Hoparandi” swims through the mouth like the nectar.

As the late night proceeded, the Colorado Distillery booths became the point of meeting. After tasting the silkiness of the 1792 Kentucky Bourbon, the grail of bourbons was unveiled with its brooding aftertaste in the form of Blanton’s Single Barrel Bourbon replete with proper number and bottle date.

Watching the Tasting conclude with a bit of the popular Fish IPA (also from Smugglers Brewpub) which the girls and boys alike drank in droves in addition to personal favorite Powder Night, the party continued to the Capella Lounge.

Hanging with Smugglers’ brewmaster Chris Fish, who created a special brew for C’s chef Kenny Wright, a taste of the peppercorn fused Constellation in a tall glass (only available at Capella) kept the sight afloat as the distillers and patrons alike chilled into the night.

As the clear sky illuminates the 14,000 Wilson Peak which has become synonomous with the image of the Coors Brewing Company, the view from the terrace of the Legends Restaurant at The Peaks Resort captures this wonder as a Bloody Mary replete in Goat vodka, blue cheese stuffed olives and shrimp burns the lips with relish.

The Festival Brunch finalized the essence of the festival with tomato and cheese mixed scrambles, apple sausage and fresh strawberries and blackberries as a guitar duo strummed “Coming Home Again”.

As the sun reached its apex, Capella Executive Chef Kenny Wright showed the essence of the fungi with the beauty that is mushrooms. Having prepared the pairing lunch at Onyx and collaborated with Smuggler’s Brewpub, the chef has a wonderful sense of symbiosis which he says is essential in his kitchen in creating different styles for similar foods to create a fusion of sorts. His potato espuma (seen above) which was similar in essence to the soup we had the day before allowed for a thickness of taste with the heaviness of feeling as the chantelles mixed softly in while the bison frite lightened with a cactus alioli was rich with mushroom as a light sauteed brought forth the flavor.

The Peaks Resort, which served as the focal community point within the festival, was essential with its wonderful essence and vibe. The laid back cool style with beautiful views of the mountains enhanced the stay. The Golden Door Spa, whose basic amenities are included with the resort fee, allows access to the multi level pool area replete with whirpools, heated pool and a fun side bar. In the spa proper, a Mountain Relaxation massage takes into account the differences the altitude creates especially to the active but also specific tissue areas that need mending.

Sitting at the edge of the pool overlooking the Rockies with the summer sun ablaze, a Mountain Village punch and the requisite Coors make the comfort of stuffed mushrooms and a stacked reuben sandwich right. As the Rolling Stones pulsate, the bartender belies that the  mountains are the place to be.

Cultivated lavender

Essential oils for aromatherapy come from three different sources; wild, traditional cultivation or organic/bio. There is quite a debate going on about which oils are the best. At the end of the day, the growing format is only one of the things that ascertain how good the oil will be. As I said before, other factors such as harvesting, distillation, transportation and storage will play its role as well.

• Traditional cultivation: Most herbs are grown this way. Usually in aromatherapy there is a demand for natural fertilizers and a minimum of pesticides. This is possible when it comes to growing herbs, since they have a built-in repellent-system. (essential oils) The plants are normally all the same in chemical make-up sometimes even genetically so.
• Organic or bio cultivation: No pesticides are used and only natural fertilizers. Weeds are controlled manually. The yield can be slightly smaller so the price is often higher. Again, the plants are more or less identical in chemical make-up.
• Wild: The plants are not cultivated at all, they are harvested in the wild where they normally grow. The chemical differences between the plants can vary and the plants are not identical. They are much harder to harvest, since the harvester needs to move over a large area to collect them. The plants are smaller than their cultivated cousins.

Wild lavender

My absolute favorites are the oils from wild plants, they hold the very essence of their origins. They are organic from nature, they are not genetically identical and in some ways they have more of an intrinsic power. When I still lived in the forest I always preferred to harvest my herbs wild from the forest. The ones I couldn’t find wild, I cultivated as “wildly” as possible on my farm.

Garden lavender

Some years ago I went to France, Provence, to study herbs and distillation methods etc. One day was spent harvesting wild lavender. This is incredibly hard work; August in Provence means relentless hot sun and dry, dusty air. (the soil is so dry as to turn to dust) We were given huge sacks which was tied over the shoulders (it was bigger than me), and a moon-shaped small “scythe” or “lavender knife” (I don’t know what it is called, see picture below). The final goal for the day was to each harvest 25kg of lavender. (This is for beginners such as myself) Wearing sturdy shoes, even sturdier gloves and a hat we set off up the hillside. You always start cutting from below, as it is easier to harvest going uphill. Wild lavender grows in tufts here and there that are rather small and hard to cut. You grab a handful of lavender-stems and cut the top 1/3′rd of the plant, then throw it over your shoulder into the sack as you climb for the next bush. Hard work indeed, and 25 kg is an enormous amount. At the end of my kilos, both my hands were sore, my whole body was aching and my head was spinning as if I had downed a bottle of wine!

Lavender knife (if anybody knows what it is called, please tell me)

Dried lavender on market in Provence

Finally: The best lavender grows on high altitudes. Wild lavender is often called “Alpine lavender” since it grows higher up on the mountain; 8 000-15 000 meters above sea-level. The bushes are smaller and carries less flowers the higher up on the mountain you come, which makes harvesting a real chore.The nicest lavender I ever met is a high-altitude lavender, lavandula augustifolia. It has an energy so high and pure that its scent truly carries the song of the angels. This is the only lavender I ever used for my children. The high-altitude wild lavender oil will always be more expensive than other lavender oils, but remember;

“You get what you pay for”.

]]> http://goqav.wordpress.com/2009/07/21/runco-cinewall-cw-95dhd/ Wed, 22 Jul 2009 04:47:02 +0000 Quality Audio Video http://goqav.wordpress.com/2009/07/21/runco-cinewall-cw-95dhd/

You may think you’re just looking at another flat-panel, but look closer…this is Runco’s new Cinewall CW-95 which is actually an in-wall video system offering up true CineWide 2.35:1 anamorphic ratio and 1920 x 817 (1080p) resolution pumping from a SuperOnyx DMD chipset for the ultimate movie experience.

The CineWall system maintains its video contrast and brightness in high amounts of ambient light in large part thanks to Runco technology that incorporates frame-by-frame contrast correction to provide stellar black levels within high-contrast video content.   Other great features include ISFccc™ calibration system, WideVision™ aspect ratio conversion technology, CSMS™ contrast and brightness, and high-altitude operation (10,000 ft above sea level).  The system also reduces ambient light glare by 20 times and achieves a contrast ratio 300% greater than standard flat panels. The system’s passive cooling allows for virtually silent operation and requires a mere 20% of the power of flat panels in similar size.

The size of the 95″ display is quite impressive; especially considering it appears as a flat panel when professionally installed into the wall.  Compare the CW-95DHD ambient light output in a real world environment to a projector and you’ll find this Runco win hands down, day-after-day.  This is because the CineWall is a completely self contained system with a recessed depth measurement of only 33 inches.  The that doesn’t have to fight ambient light in the fashion a projector does.  So feel free to throw on Sunday football and open the windows to let a little sun in.

Runco CW-95DHD

Price: $50,000

www.GoQAV.com

]]> http://fromtheskies.wordpress.com/2009/06/26/volare-a-70-000-ft/ Fri, 26 Jun 2009 20:02:59 +0000 dececk http://fromtheskies.wordpress.com/2009/06/26/volare-a-70-000-ft/

.

Over the past month and a half our average sleeping altitude has been around 3500 metres. Our average daily maximum altitude has been just under 3900 metres. The highest pass we have cycled over was just short of 5000 metres.  On this journey we have climbed seventy-thousand metres, the equivalent of eight times Mount Everest. These figures are beginning to take their toll.

As is always the case cycling in big mountains we have lost weight, on this occasion it seems that we have managed to leave 10% of our body mass in the Andes. It is simply not possible to eat enough to power a bicycle through high mountains for a prolonged period of time.

For several weeks now David has been having a spot of bother with his legs, which as a cyclist is a nuisance. The up side is that they will power a bicycle all day, the bad news is that on bad days they really don’t want to do anything else, including bending or walking, without a lot of bother. We suspect that the problem arises from the saddle once  being put too high causing over stretching. A diet if diclofenac seems to be doing the trick. Sebastian’s legs have been fine (left knee excepted), but his chest has not. A stinging sensation in the lungs along with one or two symptoms better left un-printed have led to the diagnosis of a chest infection.

The trouble with altitude is that healing can be a problem as the body is already over stressed with the creation of extra red blood cells and trying to power a fifty kilogram  bicycle over high mountain passes whilst being starved of oxygen.

A good dose of sea level should soon put things right.

.

]]> http://nooboon.wordpress.com/2009/06/15/air-france-jet-broke-into-two-parts-before-it-hit-water-report/ Mon, 15 Jun 2009 18:28:07 +0000 nuubuun http://nooboon.wordpress.com/2009/06/15/air-france-jet-broke-into-two-parts-before-it-hit-water-report/

Reports say that the Air France Jet split in two at high altitude before it plunged into the Atlantic Ocean.

After the discovery of two trails of bodies which was found 80 km apart from each other, investigators have concluded that the plane split into two parts before plunged into the sea.

They also say it lost control in bad weather and turbulence during its flight from Rio de Janeiro to Paris on June 1.

According to a report in The Sunday Times, Examination of bodies discovered off the northeastern Brazilian coast indicated that they were dead by the time they hit the water.

They were stripped of clothes, apparently in the rush of air as they fell from as high as 35,000 ft. multiple fractures were most likely to have been caused by hitting the water at about 120mph.

Reports also say that, the absence of any traces of an explosion, such as burn marks or inhaled smoke, supports the view that the disaster was caused by a combination of factors, possibly beginning with the blockage of speed sensors. The sensors, called pitot tubes, are prone to get clogged with ice and insects.

It started out like any Maudlin adventure; something went wrong.  Priscilla gave me a call on Thursday at work and she was having an asthma attack.  I’m sure that normally sucks, but it was a little extra sucky/odd because Priscilla didn’t have asthma.  I got worried and decided to leave work and go check on her.  Well, apparently, now ahe does have asthma…  So she wasn’t very excited about that, but she was ok.  To make things worse, we were out of cat food.  Both of our cats had already given us verbal warnings about the issue, and we decided that we couldn’t go out of town without getting more food.    Jason’s girlfriend of seven years had also just dumped him a few nights before.  (This didn’t really have anything to do with our departure time, but it’s a recent event that I thought should be added ) All and all, we got on the road for Chicago a little late.

We got off the road at about 1:00 AM in Dubuque, IA.  Jason’s folks have a house boat there and we climbed aboard and watched that horrible train wreck of a film about cheerleaders with Kirstin Dunst. This is kind of a traditional houseboat film. …if you’re not familiar with houseboats.   In addition, it is also unrelated to the story at large, which has to do with us going to Chicago to play a show.

Chicago is a big city.  Some people seem to think that this also means that it has strange and evil powers, like traffic the likes of which, no mortal has ever lived tell!!  …but, mostly, it’s a big city… so it has more cars.  Minneapolis sports fewer cars, but also fewer competent drivers, so we are able to create similar drive times with half the people.   No one striped our vehicle while we were inside a gas station and liquidated the parts in mere seconds while we tried to pay for gas… this is another urban legend.

But that doesn’t mean Chicago was free of crime- Not one bit.  They actually charge you to go up in the Sears tower to look around.  I kid you not.  They charge you to look out of their tall building’s windows… We didn’t figure this out until we were half way through the 45 minute wait to get to the elevator.  Once we were that far, we decided we’d better go all the way.

So we waited… and waited… and waited.   …and finally we got crammed into an elevator like sardines with about fifty other tourists and rocketed to the top.  …which wasn’t really the top… it was the 99th of 127 floors, which was as high as they would let us go.

When we got out there were windows.  From the windows you could see the whole city, all fifteen dollars worth!  There was also a gift shop where you could buy a card board cut outs of Obama? …my guess is they based their selections for the gifts for the 99th floor after seeing the affects of high altitudes and depleted oxygen on the human brain; no healthy person would have bought anything there.  And then, just when I thought our lack luster journey couldn’t lack less luster, something awful happened-  I had to crap.

Now, we all know the value of the “home thrown advantage,” but, when you can’t be at home, you usually try to find a low traffic, a safe looking spot.  …this was not that spot.  Here, at the top of the western hemisphere, in a small bathroom where countless touring hoards had shat before me, I relieved myself.  Not much is known about the long term effects of high altitude deification, so I can only hope for the best.

Also, in Chicago, we played a show.  I’m pretty sure that I plugged this website more times in one interview, than anyone has ever plugged any website in any interview. So, I’m really hoping that when they put the video up there’s something good on my front page.  Anyway, we sounded like ass I’m pretty sure.  Naturally people still said that it was great, and we took the praise, but it was a little sub par.  My friend Craig came to see us, and he said that we sounded good… but he’s a pastor, so I’m pretty sure that’s all he’s allowed to say.  I blame Jason’s girlfriend for dumping him and putting a kink in our normally rigorous practice schedule.   Normally when we’re feeling like pouty rock stars we like to throw TV sets out hotel windows, but we were staying with friends, and they did very specifically say we were not allowed to do that.

So, after Chicago, we were off to Green Bay- or rather, De Pere, a suburb of Green Bay.  After driving for seven hours in Chicago traffic we’d finally reached the outskirts of the metro area, where the McDonalds City is over the tollway.  I think it’s five miles from downtown.  We ate at KFC in the overpass land, because a recent news article had dared us to temp fate.

When we got to Green Bay we were welcomed by a kindly man with a jackknife tattooed on his neck.  He showed us to the complimentary green room foods where we awaited our performance.  This place was a riot.  I’ve never seen so many people who wanted a good time.  It was a great show, and, of course, we killed it.  (Like in a good way.  Not like we actaully killed anyone or the event itself; like we played well.) They made Chicago look pretty unhip;  it was very ironic.  Scantily clad women attacked me while I was playing, which was a rock star first for me.  …didn’t look like it was a first for them.  Anyway, great show.  Don’t underestimate the cheaderheads people.  After we were done our pals the Melismatics played and I showed Pony how to kill a man with my Tae Kwon Do prowess when the show was over.

Naturally, after we left, we were pulled over by the police for suspected drunk driving.  Now, even though Jason was taking us down a one way in the not-so-right direction, one look at him should have reassured them that he was not a raging alcoholic.  Wisconsin cops are all total d-bags when you’re from Minnesota though.  It’s an unwritten code.  So Jason had to do a field sobriety test.  …which he failed.  Sure that they had their man, they followed up with a breathalyzer. Jason scored a 0.0, which, for this game is high score.  Baffled by his lack of coordination, the police let him go.  …but not before harassing Priscilla for taking picture and trying to tell her that it was illegal to do so.  …It’s not.

COP: “Those better not show up one of those internet youtube sites!”

Anyway. after that we went to a Super 8 motel.  We did this because Little Man’s wife had told us that this Super 8 was voted best in the country and had an awesome breakfast and such.  Well, with a build up like that we should have known something was wrong.  Super 8 doesn’t even track which of it’s motels are best, the actually just track least number of fatalities from the poison waffle mix.  It was awful.  Also, the guy didn’t haggle with me.  Hotels all haggle.  When you roll in at 3:30 in the morning, you don’t pay full price for a hotel room, that would be dumb.  You always say something like, “hey, it’s already 3:30, what could you do on a room till morning?”  If I learned nothing else from William Shatner, I know you can bargain with hotels.  Usually we get about 40% off with a line like that.  …this dude was like, “no.”  Then he later upgraded us to a six dollar discount which he seemed to think was pretty generous.  He looked like sloth.

Anyway, so after we left in the morning and found food that was edible, we returned to the land o lakes and then went to sleep.  Casualties?  One.  Priscilla’s green hoodie that had little ears sewn into it from when she tried to be Battle Cat ne Halloween.  Where it went, no one knows.  …but I think Sloth did it.

David

HALO also known as High Altitude Low Opening is one of the more risky extreme sports. Originally created to test how risky it was to eject from an aeroplane at high altitude this experience has become popular with extreme enthusiasts in and out of military zones. With a height of around 30,000ft this jump requires an oxygen tank and a lot of skill to help with a consistent freefall. With an average of around 4 minutes of freefall this experience will leave you with a whole world of emotions running through you.

With the sign showing Get In, Sit Down, Shut up & Hold On nothing more really needs to be explained. Then all you need is for your emotions to take control as you progress through shock, excitment, confusion and wonder as you reach speeds of up to 180mph as you quickly approach the earths surface. Hmm I think I would probably try this after a few skydives but maybe after a lot of training!

Now comes the hard part – packing! I’ll certainly get that “I’m forgetting something!” feeling, I think we all do. But I don’t have to worry about my oxygen, it’ll be delivered to my hotel!

I normally sleep with an oxygen cannula in my nose. It was originally prescribed because my Hemoglobin was so high that I was having to have a Phlebotomy – a planned, controlled bleeding – once a month. The high Hemoglobin is caused by  my heart defect: since I’m Cyanotic, my body tries to compensate for the lack of oxygen by producing more of the oxygen carrying molecules in my blood. The body has several little tricks it uses to try to compensate for its own failures!

You can get a Phlebotomy done at the local American Red Cross center with no problem, it’s the same procedure as if you were donating blood. But since the Red Cross can’t use your blood (With that high Hemoglobin reading, they have to discard it) you get charged for their services. It’s been at least ten years since I had to have a Phlebotomy, and back then the charge was $50. Who knows what it could cost now!

When I first started the oxygen therapy, I had to spend a night in the hospital wearing the O2 and a Pulse Oximeter to record my blood oxygen levels. That was probably the easiest hospital stay I have ever had! Just sleep with the cannula in my nose and the little clip on my finger, and no worries about someone coming in the next morning and saying “Your tests results are not what we hoped for…”

I asked the doctor how long it would be before he could tell if the oxygen was working – I expected his answer to be a couple of weeks, or perhaps six months – but he said “Eleven minutes.” Your body starts responding to oxygen therapy almost instantly, but when blood leaves the heart, it takes eleven minutes for that same drop of blood to make one complete circuit of the  the body. Cool, I didn’t know that!

So fast forward to a few months ago, when my doctor said it would probably be beneficial for me to have my oxygen while on the Colorado trip. Usually I don’t have to carry it with me; I’ve never had a problem if I go on a trip and miss a couple of nights. But the surrounding air is going to be thinner than I am used to, so he thought it would be a good idea this time.

For a while I thought I was going to have to figure out how to ship a sixty pound Oxygen Concentrator from my home to Boulder! At least the thing is on wheels, so I wouldn’t have to carry it… much! But thankfully my oxygen Supplier, Apria Healthcare, has a program that can match you with a unit if you travel. I have to give a shout out to them; the O2 will be delivered to the hotel by their local office before I get there, and picked up again right after I leave!

Until next time!

Whether your personal choice is culture, history, wildlife or simply pushing yourself to your limit, Peru is one of the greatest adventure destinations on the planet.

Peru is synonymous with Machu Picchu and hiking the Inca Trail to the former royal city is the fulfillment of a lifelong dream for many travellers. The Trail itself is most easily accessed from Cusco, the historical capital of the Inca Empire and an ancient colonial city high in the Andes. At over 10,000 feet altitude, Cusco is also the place that most people acclimatise before tackling the trail or travelling the 80 kilometres to the ruins by train. Served by an international airport, the city is home to both Inca ruins and colonial architecture and hosts a number of spectacular festivals.

Most people who opt to hike to Machu Picchu start their trek at kilometer 88 or 82. Due to limits imposed on the trail to protect the environment, all hikers now require permits which are strictly limited and must be obtained from the authorities many months in advance. Most operators not only provide these permits in their tours, but also include local porters and guides thereby allowing trekkers to gain better enjoyment of their experience. The trek generally takes 3-4 days and although it requires no technical skills, it does demand a good degree of physical fitness due to the distances covered and the high altitude.

The final morning of any trek emerges at at the Sun Gate and provides the classic sunrise view of Machu Picchu below. Trekkers also have the advantage of being able to explore the legendary site before the crowds arrive by bus.

For those with less time, Machu Picchu can also be reached by train from Cusco through the Urubamba Valley with a stop in the small town of Aguas Calientes and its eponymous natural mountain hot baths.

Machu Picchu was started in AD 1430 on a mountain ridge more than 8,000 feet above sea level and overlooking the Urumbamba River almost 2,000 feet below. Built for the Inca rulers but abandoned a century later, it became known as the “The Lost City of the Incas” until  ‘rediscovered’ in the late 19^th century by the outside world and then popularised by American historian Hiram Bingham in 1911.

Further south in Peru lies the city of Puno on the shores of Lake Titicaca. At more than 12,000 feet altitude, the lake is the highest navigable body of water in the world. Although boasting many colonial buildings, most people use Puno as their staging point to visit Taquile and Amantani islands and the floating islands of the Uros people. For centuries, the Uros have built their floating island homes from bundles of totora reeds as protection from more aggressive neighbours. They are most hospitable to visitors and it’s also possible to arrange a homestay in the area.

For a complete change of scene from the Andes and ancient cultures, head west into the Amazon jungle. Starting in Puerto Maldonado, travel by motorised canoe and on foot to a remote lodge deep in the jungle. From there, spend your days exploring the thick forest and winding waterways or the evenings looking for caiman. At night, lie in your bed listening to the distant roll of thunder, the rain pounding your thatched roof and all the wild sounds of the jungle.

And if all of that wasn’t enough, there’s always cosmopolitan Lima, local markets, Nazca Lines, Colca Canyon and the rugged Pacific coast.

Post by:  Simon Vaughan © 2009