Via NYT: Saying it had the right to block “controversial or unsavory” text messages, Verizon Wireless last week rejected a request from Naral Pro-Choice America, the abortion rights group, to make Verizon’s mobile network available for a text-message program.

Via NYT: Saying it had the right to block “controversial or unsavory” text messages, Verizon Wireless has rejected a request from Naral Pro-Choice America, the abortion rights group, to make Verizon’s mobile network available for a text-message program.

Trying to move fast, James was linking p. 10 and 11, backcleaning all pieces when a cam that he was yarding on blew, sending him for a good ride, maybe 40+ ft. He ended up missing me at the belay by a few feet. Air Time! At that point, I took the lead up to big sandy, just in time for the Darkness to surround us. The happy little clouds had started to turn angry, and this is where we felt the first snowflakes. Time to climb faster, we thought. Having shaken off his fall, James lead the Zig Zags, and by the time I got to the belay @ pitch 20, the storm was really starting to show its teeth.

Via BBC: The Bavarian state government said it had signed an agreement with rail operator Deutsche Bahn and industrial consortium Transrapid to build a freaking MAGLEV. Hot.

Via Engadget: “If you're into DRM-free music, you have a reason to get pretty excited today. As speculated, Amazon has launched the public beta of its new digital music portal called Amazon MP3, which will feature two million songs from 180,000 artists and 20,000 labels, all without the painful and annoying restrictions of DRM. The press release claims that the site, which will include EMI and Universal tracks (take that, Jobs), will make separate songs available for $.89 or $.99, and boasts that all of the "top 100" tracks will be priced at the former, lower amount. Albums will range in cost from $5.99 to $9.99, with the best selling albums coming in at $8.99. Of course, since there’s no DRM, users are free to throw the 256Kbps MP3s on any player they like, as well as burn CDs, copy to MiniDisc, and dump to 8-track.”