Playing Poker on line – for free

In my previous post on card games in general, I made a mention of Poker as one of the most popular games in the world, especially in the USA. Or may I say poker as a game is more often than not is considered as US Poker, as it has more fans in the USA than any other country in the world.

While poker is played in the casinos of Las Vegas and many other cities, the game has picked up more popularity than any other card game on the internet. Due to its ease of playing on the internet, the world of web has allowed more hobbyists and poker lovers to opt for playing Poker on line.

There are a number of websites that facilitate playing poker on line. While looking for such sites, I came across Mac Poker USA that is an excellent site to provide easy access to US poker lovers to many sites that provide a forum for playing many variants of poker live on line with friends as well as remote real players. The site also provides a comprehensive coverage of online poker rooms, which have been carefully selected from a long list of the best poker rooms available online. The index provided by the site provides overall rating, poker houses and compatibility of each online poker room. This index thus provides a wide variety of choice to the online poker lovers to make a choice.

So if you are in USA and are looking for a versatile and safe online site for playing poker, do visit this exclusive website for a wide variety of choices and selections. It is home to best Poker Deals and fun loads of playing poker online.

It may be added here that for all the sites listed in the website, no deposit is required for playing as all US listed poker sites have the option of playing for real money or playing for free play chips against real players. So don’t get upset if you don’t have a dime in your pocket as you can still enjoy the game of poker as free online poker rooms host free ring games and free poker tournaments.

Like the Poker USA, Mac poker UK provides details regarding US and UK player rooms' availability to the play pokers. There are links to the rooms listed , to which a player can go and see the reviews of the room , which states whether US players are allowed to play or not and other info regarding those rooms. Also the site has details about which rooms have been shut down and what are the alternatives for those players who are not able to play there. 

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Instrument-less music!!

Video: Dobrodošla nazaj / T-Mobile / nenavadno presenečenje na letališču na GenSpot.com

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My collection of Pakistan's postage stamps of 1963

This 13 Paisa stamp earlier issued in 1962 (with redrawn Bengali script) was over printed with words "U.N. FORCE W.IRAN" on 15 February 1963.

Horse and Cattle Show at Lahore Fortress Stadium has been one of the major events to welcome the spring and had been held for years in the months of March and April. The 13 Paisa stamp above was issued on 13 March 1963. The stamp shows the dancing camel and horse with a drum beater in between and a cow underneath. 

A set of two stamps was issued on March 21, 1963 on the eve of promulgation of the land reforms. The 13 Paisa stamp was in orange brown colour, while the 50 Paisa stamps was in bistre brown colour. 

On the eve of the International Stamp Exhibition in Dacca, an earlier issued stamp of 2 Ana denomination with maps of East and West Pakistan (1960) was overprinted with words "INTERNATIONAL DACCA STAMP EXHIBITION 1963". The stamp was issued on March 23 and revalued at 13 Paisa, since Pakistan switched over to decimal system in 1961. 

On the eve of the centenary of the Red Cross, a 40 Paisa stamp in red and deep olive colour was issued on June 25, 1963. 

Pakistan is rich in archaeological remains of the civilizations that once thrived in the areas that now constitute Pakistan. From Mehrgarh civilization (7000-9000 BC) to Meonjodaro and Taxila (2500 BC), there are numerous remains that are now protected by the UN. The 13 Paisa stamp in sepia colour on top shows remains of Moenjodaro. The blue 7 Paisa stamp on left shows Paharpur archaeological site, located in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The 40 Paisa carmine colour stamp shows stupa of Taxila. The deep redish coloured 50 Paisa shows remains of Mainamati, a Buddhist site near the city of Comilla in East Pakistan (now Bangla Desh). The set of four stamps was issued on September 18, 1963. 

Public Works Department (PWD) was established by the British during their rule over the British India in 1863. On October 7, 1963 on the eve of the centenary celebrations of this pre-independence department, an earlier issued stamp of 3 Paisa in 1961 was repriced at Paisa 13 with overprint "100 YEARS OF P.W.D OCTOBER, 1963". The stamp had the older version of Bengali script which was later changed in 1962. 

Mustafa Kemal Attaturk of Turkey is revered in Pakistan as both Pakistan and Turkey enjoy the best of brotherly relations. On the eve of 25th death anniversary of this great Turk leader, a 50 Paisa stamp showing the Ataturk’s Mausoleum was issued on 10 November 1963. The stamp was red in colour. 

On the eve of the 15th anniversary (1948-1963) of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, a 50 Paisa stamp was issued on December 10, 1963. 

The last stamp of the year was issued on December 25, 1963 to mark the completion of the Multan Thermal Power Station. The Paisa 13 stamp was ultramarine in colour and showed the overview of the building.

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Adventurous Mountain Climbers

Mountain climbers scale some of the highest peaks in the world in pictures by photographer Jimmy Chin

Here's a photographer who will go to great heights in his search for the ultimate picture. Jimmy Chin, probably the world's greatest adventure photographer, has travelled the world with highly-skilled mountain climbers, scaling huge peaks and even skiing down the face of Mount Everest

Conrad Anker reaches for his next gear placement, 2,500 feet off the ground on the Pacific Ocean Wall of El Capitain, Yosemite National Park, California

Jimmy has built up a portfolio that documents his work in some of the most inaccessible and extreme situations imaginable. Jimmy is the go-to man for adventurers and publications such as National Geographic and Outside Magazine

Yuji Hirayama climbs in Turkey in April 2009

His travels have taken him to the tallest freestanding sandstone towers in the world, the Hand of Fatima in Mali, to the highest sheer cliff face on the globe. "The climbs up the Hand of Fatima which is 2,000 feet and Naga Parbat which is just over 15,000 feet were spectacular," said Jimmy. "The Hand of Fatima and the Kaga Tondo in Mali, is a personal favourite of mine. That shot sums up the bravery and tremendous ability of these climbers, who allowed me to join them and to experience the same dangers that they face"

Cedar Wright and Kevin Thaw climb the south buttress of Kaga Tondo on the Hand of Fatima in Mali on December 20, 2002. Click here to see a larger version of this image

To work with Steph Davis as she became the first woman to free climb El Capitan's Salathe Wall in Yosemite, was an honour and a privilege. "I am always concerned with finding the right spot and the right shot, so sometimes I forget to appreciate the skill of my fellow adventurers, but I am aware of how my life has been changed by my ability with a camera"

Steph Davis free climbs the Salathe Wall of El Capitain in Yosemite National Park, California, on November 4, 2005. Steph is the first and only woman to free climb the Salathe

Steph Davis leading the crux "Boulder Pitch" on the Salathe Headwall in Yosemite National Parkon November 4, 2005

Of all his adventures though, his ascents of Everest stand out as his most physically demanding and rewarding. "You do wonder - when you are at 28,000 feet, the height that aeroplanes cruise at, when you are struggling to draw breath and every limb aches - why do I do this?"

Kit and Rob DesLauriers with Dave Hahn on the South Summit of Mount Everest on October 4, 2006

"But of course once you reach the summit and realise that there is nowhere you could stand taller on earth, that's why I do it. On my 2006 expedition to Everest me, Kit and Rob DesLauries decided to speed up our descent of the mountain by skiing down its south east ridge. To say that was fun and frivolous is a bit of an understatement"

Kit DesLauriers hiking through the Khumbu Icefall of Mount Everest on September 18, 2006

Pushing himself hard in training between jaunts, Jimmy's life is a constant whirl of planning, travel and photography. "I lose anywhere up to 20 pounds on location with adventurers like Conrad Anker or Brady Robinson," said Jimmy. "So I need to replace that lost weight and muscle by training hard when I am back in the States between jobs. And as I get older it is far more important for me to be doing this and taking my conditioning seriously"

Jimmy Chin climbing the Pacific Ocean Wall in Yosemite Park, California

Jimmy Chin on Mt. Kinabalu, a World Heritage Site in Borneo, on April 25, 2009

Granite towers reflected in a pool on the Karakoram Mountains in Charakusa Valley, Pakistan. This image was taken on August 10, 1999 during Jimmy's first major climbing expedition

Dean Potter, one of the greatest high line walkers in the world, walks on a one-inch thick piece of webbing over a 500 foot deep chasm at Canyonlands National Park in Indian Creek, Utah, in January 2007

Kasha Rigby, Giulia Monego and Ingrid Backstrom approach Redommaine peak before their first ski descent in October 2009 during the Shangri La Expedition, in the Himalayas

Kasha Rigby climbing Redommaine peak before the first ski descent in October 2009, during the Shangri La Expedition in the Himalayas

Conrad Anker traverses an alpine ridge deep in the Waddington Range on Mount Combatant, Coastal Range in British Columbia, Canada

Renan Ozturk on Mount Meru in Garwahl Himalaya, India, on September 14, 2009

Jimmy Chin climbs Mount Meru in Garwahl Himalaya, India

Pictures from the peak of perfection: The man who climbs mountains in search of the ultimate photo

By Daily Mail Reporter

Last updated at 6:24 PM on 6th May 2011

For most of us, hauling yourself up some of the Earth's highest peaks would be enough to keep us occupied.

But for one mountaineer, the exertion he goes through to scale the heights is just a means to capturing some of the most stunning images of nature's peaks.

Robert Bosch, 57, has climbed to the summit of Everest, the icy Alps of Europe and even to the frozen desert wastes of Antarctica in pursuit of adventure and the perfect snap.

Clinging on: Climber Pesche Wuthrich swings for another handhold in the Alps on the border between Italy and Switzerland

Perilous: This image shows Swiss mountaineer Ueli Steck ice-climbing near Pontresina, Switzerland

Balancing act: Two climbers perch on top of Salbitnadel in Uri, Switzerland, in another of Mr Bosch's stunning images

Perspective: Mr Bosch has spent nearly 40 years climbing the Earth's highest peaks to get his images

Perspective: Mr Bosch has spent nearly 40 years climbing the Earth's highest peaks to get his images

Working with some of the greats of European mountaineering, Mr Bosch's vertigo-inducing photography portrays the loneliness and grit that all climbers need to conquer the world's highest peaks.

He said: 'Climbing Mount Everest is relatively straightforward for an experienced climber.

'I had previously attempted to ascend the notoriously difficult west ridge route but that had defeated me.

'So in 2001 I succeeded climbing the north face, but I must tell you that to climb Everest up the commercially popular route is easy.

'Everyone travels to the top and thinks they can write a book about it, but the majority of these people are not mountaineers, they are relying ont he incredible work of the Sherpas of Nepal.'

Give me a leg up: Climbers half way up the artificial wall on the Diga di Luzzone in Tessin

Staying cool: Ueli Steck ice axes in hand as he climbs near Oeschinen in Bern, Switzerland

Don't look down: Annatina Schultz makes her way up The Fall on Klettern in Meringen, Switzerland

Eyes on the prize: Mr Bosch stands suspended at a 90 degree angle on the artificial wall in Tessin, Switzerland

Photographing the greats of the climbing world, including 34-year-old Ueli Steck, Mr Bosch has witnessed the skill needed in perilous climbs.

He said: 'Ueli is a wonderful climber, an exceptional mountaineer, we climb a lot together looking for that perfect shot that sums up the strength and balance and fitness that climbers need.

'His free climbing abilities are what most impresses me, he is a good friend and it is a pleasure to work with him.'

As an experienced climber, Mr Bosch - who lives near Zurich in Switzerland - has scaled more than 100 different peaks across the world.

He considered Cerro Torre in Argentina one of the hardest ascents, despite its relative unknown status.

Nearly there: This close up was taken near the summit of the wall as Mr Bosch was suspended over the drop

Bleak: The photographer counts Cerro Torre, in Patagonia, Argentina, as one of the toughest to climb

Scaling new heights: This image shows ice-climbing on the Godwin Austen Glacier in Pakistan with K2 in the background

Mr Bosch said: 'My passion was born when my parents would take me to visit the Alps when I was a boy.

'My main concern was climbing, but another interest of mine had always been photography and in my mid twenties I began to take pictures during my ascents and by the time I was 30 I had launched my own business concentrating on my climbing.

'I was working in the Swiss Alps on my photography, hanging from a rope and using my crampons digging into the rock face to balance myself.

'Unfortunately I had a momentary lapse of balance and I turned 180 degress upside down to face a sheer 3,000ft drop.

'My heart skipped and luckily for me my rope held and I managed to right myself, but that incident haunts me every day because I came so close to falling down head first.'

Source: Funzug

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Delicious Arabian Sweets For You

Arabian Sweets are different, rich in sugar and taste entirely different and crunchy. I have eaten some of the sweets pictured below and found these yummier and heavy in taste. Most of the delicacies are rich in almonds, cashew nuts and pistachios. The Arabian and Turkish sweets have much in common and have similar tastes. 

Herein under is a collection of some of the best Arabian delights, which will compel you to run to the nearest Arabian Sweets store, or even Turkish Sweets stores, and devour upon some of the best sweets you would have ever tasted.

Photos Courtesy: Funzug

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