Here is a breathtaking photo gallery from National Geographic – Visions of Earth 2012 Why I chose these shots: It’s summer and I feel like this orangutan (loungin!) Our neighborhood now has raccoons, two of them. They are weird too. Last week, I was writing outside and they popped up on the fence, right in front …
Continue reading “Visions of Earth 2012 – stunning global photo gallery”
This is an amazing journey Across Africa, Asia, South/North America, including North Korea and Cuba! Watch it, you won’t be disappointed. Back in 1989, as the Berlin Wall fell, Gunther Holtorf and his wife Christine set out on what was meant to be an 18-month tour of Africa in their Mercedes Benz G …
Continue reading “The most travelled man on Earth…ever – Gunther Holtorf’s 23-year journey”
Most people know the traditional banking model, if only from George Bailey in It’s A Wonderful Life. In simplified form: A bank takes deposits from savers, and pays them a low interest rate. Then it lends that money out to borrowers at a higher interest rate. The bank’s profits come from the difference between the rates. Charming…but far …
Continue reading “Where do America’s biggest banks make their money?”
Sea Slugs of Hawaii This little guy is called Glaucus Atlanticus. It is a species of sea slug that grows to around 35 mm. They float partially by means of an air bubble, which they swallow and store in their gastric cavity. They also have a rather unique defence mechanism – they store the …
Continue reading “Amazing Species: Sea Slug – swallows bubbles, eats stinging cells”
Living in California means power plants on the beach. It’s a fact of life driving up and down the coast. When you enter Los Angeles driving north there is a line of smokestacks so dense that some refer to it as “the apocalyptic city of the future.” Then as you enter San Diego driving south …
US media write little about the men who run #China. Here’s a great piece in Foreign Policy on the next cohort. foreignpolicy.com/articles/2012/… — Andrew McLaughlin (@McAndrew) August 13, 2012 It is a great piece that shares little known facts about the Rising Tiger, like all the elites dye their hair black (usually with “jet-black …
Continue reading “The 9 members of China’s communist party who rule the country”
The other day I heard in passing, “wind is now cheaper than coal.” If true, this symbolizes the holy grail of renewable energy. It would mean that a turning point for not only cleaner energy, but global warming, climate change, pollution, foreign oil dependence, and more. To fact check this, I pulled up the top …
Continue reading “Wind is cheaper than coal? — Fact checking this statement”
Happy 10th birthday, John Gruber, of the curation blog, Daring Fireball. A role model of mine in both style and eccentricity. I hope to one day achieve your level of excellence and also prove to the world that being a blogger can provide a happy life for me and my family. A fellow writer, Robinson Meyer …
Continue reading “Happy 10th Birthday to Daring Fireball – a role model for this blog”
Keith Malloy’s debut film, Come Hell or High Water, shot primarily on 16mm focuses on the simplicity and beauty of bodysurfing. “It’s about taking a breath, and kicking your feet, in the big blue sea.” – Patagonia The film explores the history and progression of the sport of bodysurfing and the pureness that …
Continue reading “Come Hell of High Water (trailer, DVD) – documenting the culture of bodysurfing”
Anyone who’s seen a Julia Child cooking show loves the woman. She was so interesting and weird, over-the-top and funny, and brought so much French cooking to America. Her work inspired a generation of chefs, including bringing cadre of talented French chefs to our shores. Today, you can find fine French food everywhere and cooking …