A place south west of Kunming, Capital city of Yunnan Province. Because of remoteness and lack of infra structure and lodging etc. This place is not listed in the tourist map of China.
The red land of the eastern river is a place where one almost can not find it in China's tourist maps. Even if there is, it has only a few words to introduce it.
It is located in the southwestern part of KUNMING, 2600 ft. above sea level, a remote area. Because of its lack of infrastructure, transportation problem, inadequate lodging facilities. Ordinary travel agency would not think of going there. Even the people living there are not so aware or familiar with its existing beauty.
But for those who have seen the pictures of the Red land , no one can resist being attracted to its beautiful scenery! Just like a painting of a great magnificent landscape.
Because the soil contains such components as oxidized Iron, etc kind of metallic minerals. after a long period of oxidation , gradually added and mixed in the soil that produced this extra-ordinary reddish brown soil.
Here in this place, Mountains and hills , every inch of land are cultivated and planted to the maximum by the inhabitants, Consequently causing unwanted damage to the place... erosion.
Just like Taiwan, How long could this magnificent phenomenon exist? We do not know. That's why there is an advocacy of returning to forestry.
Narration is by the person who wrote it, photos by Tsungwei. I’m guessing on the photographer, but that is the name on ever picture.
Winning isn't everything, it's the only thing goes the saying attributed to Vince Lombardi. But in some cases, winning isn't what drives a person.
I just got an email about my employer's wellness program. They have been doing this all year. They have certain wellness events such as health seminars, on site yoga, chair massages (okay, those I can get behind!) etc. You are supposed to keep track on a calendar and get points for prizes.
One of the schools I taught at did a similar thing. You kept track of your physical activity on a calendar and got points for all your exercise. I run, lift weights, bike, etc. so everyone told me I should enter because I would win.
I never did and I am not currently keeping track of my "points" here. That's not why I keep in shape. I do it because I enjoy my workouts (even in the hot summer...season just changed here as the wind shifted on Monday and now it is getting brutally hot even at 6am.) I "win" by doing what I love. Don't get me wrong, I can be competitive, but I will save that spirit for the upcoming Fourth of July 5k Race!
If they have an event I want to participate in, I will, but not for the points. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to make a reservation for my next chair massage!
Hello, my loquacious larkspurs! How are you? Are you ready for our visit from President Obama? Is Racine ready? The weather is supposed to be perfect. I certainly hope that Mr. President has a wonderful day in our fair city. It’s too bad that the Dr. Laurel Clark Fountain won’t yet be functional for splashing in while President Obama is here. It would be a perfect photo opportunity: the President with his shoes off and pant legs rolled up, splashing in the water with some local inner city children. And it is conveniently located right behind Memorial Hall.
I read about the library being closed today and the book drop off boxes being temporarily removed, both for security purposes. At first I thought, “Why are they removing the boxes?” Then I remembered what world we live in today. What a shame. What an utter, utter shame that things are the way they are. I know that the younger generation grows weary of hearing, “When I was your age . . . ,” but it is true: it was a kinder, gentler world. When we were young, we heard it from our elders, too, and it was true then, too. For generations now, the world has become a less kind, less gentle place. Oh my, indeed. When I look into the future, it can get pretty grim. The other big upcoming event is the 4th of July, celebrated on the 5th of July this year. Can you believe it’s almost here? We have a three day weekend coming up because of it, and our big parade and fireworks are on Monday. The parade is one of the premier (if not the premier) events in Racine. The noise and hoopla and celebration and revelry are outstanding. The marching bands are stupendous and the floats are delightful. Even the politicians who make their obligatory appearances are almost tolerable on such a great day. The fireworks display is beautiful. The 4th of July is our nation’s birthday, and we know how to throw a party.
At the Zoltar household, I think we’re going to ingratiate ourselves with the esteemed Mr. OrbsCorbs, who lives near the parade route, and see if we can’t wrangle an invitation to use his home as a base of operations for the parade. Later, we’ll probably do some grilling. Junior and I both enjoy brats and potato salad and chips and all the usual picnic food. What are your plans for the 4th? Are you going to stay in town and watch the parade? Or are you heading out somewhere for the weekend? Whatever you do, be careful. A lot of people overindulge on holidays and make it a little more dangerous for the rest of us. May you all be safe on the holiday and every day.
Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to read my blog. It’s nice to just relax with the Irregulars and others, spending time with friends. If there is anything you want to chat about, or something “like a splinter in your mind,” post it below in the comments, or email me: madamezoltar@jtirregulars.com. I’m always delighted to hear from others.
These are busy, heady days for Racine. Stay calm, stay alert, stay centered. Enjoy our president’s visit and enjoy the holiday. I love you all, Irregulars and non-Irregulars(?)! May good fortune bless Racine and all of her children. Happy 4th of July! Zwitterion!
“I am sick and tired of people who say that if you debate and you disagree with this administration somehow you’re not patriotic. We should stand up and say we are Americans and we have a right to debate and disagree with any administration.”
Hillary Clinton, 2003
I am sick and tired of being called a racist for one reason - disagreeing with some of the policies and programs being brought forward by the administration in Washington.
Mrs. Clinton is correct. Foolishness has to stop. People need to get over themselves.
Are you excited about the President's visit? Did you get tickets for the show?
To me, his appearance here means traffic tie-ups and the added costs for security which our damaged city will have to absorb. Racine is already full of bread and circuses - we need solutions to our problems, not more campaigning on our dime.
Just over a week ago on June 19th the Swedish Crown Princess was married. Sweden still lives in a monarchy, well kinda. The Swedish King has no political power and not even really crowned King (never went through the coronation ceremony), but still King. The monarchy is quite controversial actually. Many want it to exist and many would like to get rid of it. I of course coming from the US find it strange to have a King and Queen, but even stranger to have a King and Queen that doesn't have any power, just basically costs Sweden money. Although he has many titles he may not speak out politically.
His first born was a girl (Victoria) and not long after she was born they changed the rule that the next in line to inherit the throne would be the first born and not necessarily the first born son, they later had another daughter and the youngest was a son. So Sweden was the first in the world (as I understand it) to start such a tradition. Which I don't know how controversial it was but different none the less. I do not know what kind of reaction that decision got as that was many many years before I moved here, but the wedding was controversial. She has been dating this man Daniel Westling for many years, but was never allowed to marry him. She had to ask for permission and the king repeatedly did not allow it.. You see he is a commoner (gasp!!), well whatever happened the King finally allowed it and they were engaged. The wedding plans were on their way when the Swedish people had a big problem.. She wanted her father to walk her down the aisle and give her away. Well this was a big problem for the Swedish people.. Here they are so much into equality they did not want to see their Princess given away from her father to another man. A woman is not a good to be given away. I found this very strange. I understand that long ago that is what it symbolized but I think you make traditions mean what you want them to mean. I had my father walk me down the aisle, but I saw it more as a way to include him (while the bride and the moms and sisters are running around planning and picking out dresses and flowers the dads are often not a part of the whole, of course I understand it's not always the way things are but I would bet more often than not)and a way to make a bond between families. that is just my opinion I am sure there are many out there that would gasp at the fact that I had my father walk me down the aisle.. well at least here in Sweden..
So anyways, I really only wanted to share a little video about the goings on here in Sweden. Along with the craziness of the World Cup we had a very large wedding.. So here she is the first born Crown Princess Victoria getting married to a commoner who is now a Prince Daniel in line to inherit a title that bares no political power.
Well, it cleared up nicely here and I managed to get up about 4am to grab a few photos. Of course, being at 4am, I wasn't at my most coherent and looking back at what I got, I could have played with some settings more and probably gotten better results. Still, they aren't a disaster so here goes.
My first shot was overexposed. Being 4am, I instantly started reducing exposure times and got no more good shots like this. In hindsight, I like this shot since you can see the reddened eclipsed side of the Moon even though the lit side is overexposed. I should have experimented more with this type of shot. It was 4am...that's my story and I sticking to it.
This shot exposes the lit side of the Moon a little bit better. Look closely and you can see some craters, rays and maria.
And I wrapped up the night trying to get an interesting tree in the foreground. I need to invest in a flash with a little more kick to really make this work better (could have done longer exposure or bumped up the ISO but wasn't thinking clearly because, well, you know).
A good dry run for the big total lunar eclipse later this year!
The next few days have an unusually large number of passes of the International Space Station. Every now and again, its orbit lines up with Earth's terminator (the line between day and night). When this happens, every pass of the ISS is visible because it is always in sunlight! Usually, you get one pass per night, maybe two if you are really lucky. Some places are getting up to five passes a night!
For beginners, go to Heavens Above to find when the ISS will be visible. You can find your location from the database, select it by clicking on a map or typing in your GPS coordinates. You can then click the ISS link to see when it is visible. Remember that lower numbers mean a brighter pass (a -3 pass is very bright, a -1 pass is not as bright but still impressive).
The ISS will appear as a very steady light moving across the sky. Be sure to sync your watch to the official time before you go out. Heavens Above gives you the direction to look and the time. Enjoy!
Hello Everyone! It's Friday already? I could barely tell now, seeing I'm on vacation. The day are starting blend together. Anyways, this week's questions are kind of random about summer.
1) What is your favorite summer activity?
2) What is your favorite summer refreshment?
3) Are there festivals you go to?
4) Micheal Jackson died a year ago today. Do you remember where you were when you heard the news?
I recently bought the concert version of the musical Chess. Chess was originally recorded as a concept album in 1984 with lyrics by Tim Rice and music by the two guys from ABBA. There have been many versions of it throughout the years telling the story of world chess championships.
All versions have one thing in common: at one point, the Russian (who plays for the Soviet Union in some versions but Russia in others depending on the time they were done) defects to the west. He sings the song Anthem when asked how he can leave his homeland. The song was performed by Josh Groban in the recent concert version.
Now that is a song of pride in your homeland. I love cranking the stereo and belting that out...I am not thinking of the USSR or Russia. That song can show pride in any country.
Is best known for the Song of Solomon, or the one place in the Bible that sex is good. But a lot of Christians aren't quite so comfortable with the seedier sides of sex these days, but still might want to purchase quality sex toys without dodging seedy shops frequented by questionable characters.
Enter Book 22, the online Christian sex toy shop. No graphic pictures and euphimisms abound. And you can be assured they pray over items before they are added to the site.
Hello, my woeful water lilies! How are you? Are you keeping dry? That’s becoming more and more difficult to do these days. The National Weather Service says that we can finally wring ourselves out after today, but we’ve all heard that song from them before. Those people give the rest of us in the prediction industry a bad name. If I was wrong as often as they are, I would be out of business before you could say, “Partly cloudy.” I know how difficult it is to read Mother Nature’s moods; that’s why I don’t even try. I do wonder, though how much one of those big shot meteorologists on TV makes. Ms. kk suggested last week that I get into weather forecasting. I suppose I could stand in front of a camera and make up predictions, too. I would do it with a Madame Zoltar twist: “Hello, my delightful dearies! How are you? Today I predict beautiful weather with balmy temperatures, sunny skies, soothing breezes, and a tall, dark, handsome stranger entering your life.” Oh my.
I would like to once again express my gratitude to the SC Johnson Company for coming to the rescue of Racine’s Dr. Laurel Clark Memorial Fountain. Preparing and maintaining the fountain for children’s play is a wonderful act of kindness from a company known for its generosity. Racine is fortunate to be home to such a fine corporation. I understand that Mr. Fisk Johnson took a personal interest in the plight of the fountain. Thank you, sir, for intervening on behalf of Racine’s children. May good fortune continue to bless you and yours. (And if you’d like to guarantee that, I am available for private consultations, at very reasonable rates. My prices do not rise with my clients’ incomes.)
While I’m on my soap box, I’d also like to address another issue that has concerned me lately: motorists and bicyclists. Please, everybody, please be careful out there! The good weather and plethora of things to do, along with the health and energy conscious consciences of the younger generation, have brought a multitude of bicycles to Racine’s streets and roadways, some of which were already congested at places and times. Everyone needs to watch out and be aware of each other. Motorcycles get into the mix during fair weather, too. I narrowly averted two separate accidents with bicyclists yesterday, and I’m still shaking. One ran a stop sign and the other ran a red light. But many is the time I’ve seen motorists cut off or ignore bicyclists. When I’ve been out for a spin on my bicycle, you wouldn’t believe the filthy things that have been shouted at me and/or the objects thrown at me. A few times I have barely managed to keep myself from casting the dreaded Zoltar® Curse™ on a car full of idiots. In any case, we need to respect each other and remember that we are dealing with human beings on our streets, not “the enemy.”
Finally, here’s an interesting little clip that involves a Segway (kind of a motorized bicycle) and a Zoltar fortune telling booth:
To find out all you’d ever want to know about that contraption (including how to build your own), check out: http://www.segnyc.com/. You can even follow Zoltar_Speaks on Twitter at http://twitter.com/Zoltar_Speaks. All I can say about that, my dears, is whatever my ex “speaks,” I guarantee you it is lies. Oh my, so true!
Thank you everyone, irregular and otherwise, for taking a few moments to read my blog today. I can sense when others are pondering my writings, and it makes me feel warm and loved. I want to do whatever I can to return those feelings to all of you. Please let me know if I can be of assistance to you. Don’t forget, you can always contact me at: madamezoltar@jtirregulars.com.
National Weather Service, Schmnational Weather Service, the sun is going to shine soon, I predict, in more ways than one. May the light enfold us all. Just not blistering heat and smothering humidity, OK, Mother Nature? OK? Are you listening? Isotherm!
This enigmatic phrase appeared on Twitter during the World Cup last week. Instantly, everyone wanted to know what it means. It came from Brazil, and means Shut up, Galva! It is directed at one of the sports announcers on Brazilian television (much like my harping on the winter Olypmics).
But did the Brazilians on Twitter tell people what it meant? Of course not! Those crazy Brazilians started spreading false info. The first one they spread is that it was a new Lady Gaga song. Problem is, there is no Lady Gaga song of that name. Fortunately, the crafty Brazilians promptly created no fewer than half a dozen videos on youtube in the style of Lady Gaga that incorporated Cala Boca Galva! See the sample below.
Now they couldn't stop at one hoax now, could they. The second reference is that it is a campaign to save a rare Brazilian bird. Each time you tweet, 10 cents will be donated to save the Galva. They even made a promotional video for that campaign as well.
And no good meme would be complete without the obligatory Hitler video.
Hope that stays up...Youtube has taken down lots of the Hitler parody videos using this scene recently due to the DMCA nonsense.
Almost makes me wish I had tweeted "Shut up, Costas!" during the Winter Olympics!
I was out this evening near a bridge that crosses over the Pantano Wash on Broadway here in Tucson and snapped a pic (as usual, click to embiggen). This might just look like another sunset picture with Venus. However, if we zoom in close on the bottom, something else pops up. Look closely and you can see some faint dark streaks on the image. Those are bats. I had to take a few tenths of a second exposure to get the image and they were flying pretty fast so they show up as dark streaks (I didn't have a tripod with me so I handheld this...blurring the image slightly in spite of an image stabilized lens).
Bats are pretty common here. About 30-40 minutes after sunset, you can watch them start streaming out from underneath lots of the bridges here. There were probably about a dozen people there watching them tonight. I have seen them before, this just happens to be the first time I had my camera with me and tried to see if I could get any images of them. Estimates of the number of bats per bridge range from 10,000-40,000. This bridge is believed to have one of the bigger colonies (but not the biggest which is the bridge over the Rillito River on Campbell Ave, but that one is way across town!)
Posts
