ISIS – Even Crueller and More Radical than al-Qaeda

By Dean McCleland in Other Galleries 0 Comment

Who would have thought that a more militant and fundamentalist organisation than a-Qaeda would arise? Well it has happened. So radical that not even Al Qaeda will associate with them. ISIS or Islamic State of Iraq and Syria is adding a new dimension of chaos and instability to a region already plagued with both.

Formerly known as ISIL – The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant – ISIS is a Sunni jihadist group in the Middle East. In its self-proclaimed status as a Caliphate, it claims religious authority over all Muslims across the world with aspirations of bringing most of the Muslim-inhabited regions of the world under its political control beginning with Iraq, Syria and other territories in the Levant region which include Jordan, Israel, Palestine, Lebanon, Cyprus and part of southern Turkey. Continue reading

How the North Koreans Really Live – In Pictures

By Dean McCleland in Other Galleries 1 Comment

Since WW2, Korea has been divided at the 38th parallel with the northern half being a harsh increasingly paranoid dictatorship while the southern half has developed into a modern democratic state with a high standard of living. Visitors to the so-called “Hermit Kingdom”  are closely monitored by “guides” who are officially appointed and who vet all the actions of such visitors.

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The Extent of China’s Pollution Problem in Pictures

By Dean McCleland in Other Galleries 1 Comment

Rampant growth without a commensurate focus on pollution control and standards has rapidly created the sobriquet, The Dirtiest Country on the Earth. The Olympics in Beijing in 2008 highlighted the extent of the problem albeit only one aspect thereof: smog.

Economic growth does come at a cost. Being the most populous country on earth, even the upliftment of 300 million people from penury into the middle class has scared the countryside. Imagine what will happen when the next billion people become middle class with aspirations for cars and household appliances. Without urgent changes such as pollution standards and the use of renewable energy, an imminent catastrophe will befall China and ultimately the world. China burns around half the world’s coal, reaching 3.8 billion tons in 2011.
The main picture highlights the fact that air pollution has become so problematic that school and work closures due to smog are a regular occurrence in major cities.

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Sublime pictures of the Lunar Perigee on 10th August 2014

By Dean McCleland in Other Galleries 0 Comment

In astrological terms the phenomenon of the moon being simultaneously full whilst at its perigee ie its nearest point to earth is known as a supermoon. In scientific terms it is known as the perigee-syzygy of the earth-moon-sun system. This makes the moon appear to be 14% larger and 30% brighter than it usually is.

This selection of photographs from across the world illustrates the sublime almost too-perfect images contained in this blog.

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More Pictues of Adrenalin Junkies at Play

By Dean McCleland in Other Galleries 0 Comment

Imagine being rock climber Alex Honnold as he sits on a ledge on the Northwest Face of Half Dome in Yosemite National Park. He literally has the space to himself with  nobody else there to interrupt him as he espies the world. Perhaps his pulse will be racing so fast from the adrenalin rush that he will be on his own induced high. No need for my a stiff drink. In fact the opposite is  true. On needs a clear head to focus on the ever-present danger that lurks for entrap the unwary adventure seeker

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