How the North Koreans Really Live – In Pictures
Category Archives: Photo Galleries
Cute Animal Photographs
To me all animals especially young ones are cute. This set of photographs showcases young animals demanding and receiving TLC. How one can abuse animals is beyond me.
The Extent of China’s Pollution Problem in Pictures
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.
D-Day: Then and Now
D-Day was the largest military operation ever in history. Maybe this is not true as regards the sheer number of men involved but more so in terms of the amount of equipment: ships, tanks and aircraft. Not only that but the area into which these forces were operating was a mere 70kms as compared with 1500kms on the Eastern Front.
This was the Second Front that the Russians had been demanding since 1942. Whereas the Americans and the British understood that a naval landing into the heart of German controlled France would result in a titanic struggle which if unsuccessful would set back the Allies plans for the ultimate defeat of the Germans by years, if not forever.
Vintage Cuba prior to Castro’s Ascendance to Power
This series of photographs by Ramiro Fernandez entitled Cuba Then highlights the cosmopolitan character of pre Castro’s austere Cuba. From an undemocratic dictatorship with a teeming mass of illiterate unemployed fun-loving people, Castro effectively transformed Cuba into an undemocratic socialist dictatorship under his personal control and a dour shackled people. The teeming mass were provided with low paying jobs with no promotion prospects and no chance of freedom.
Pedestrian Crossings in China
In this pedestrian crossing, China has taken the separation of people and vehicles to a new level
Final Photographs of some Famous Icons
In most of these cases there was no indication that these famous people would be dead within days if not hours if these photos being taken. In some cases the debauched lifestyle of the icon such as an Amy Winehouse predisposed them to a premature exit to the afterlife whereas for others such as John Lennon their demise was untimely and unpredictable.
Most were sadly mourned including the mass murderer Adolf Hitler but some more than others. Each in their own way left an indelible mark on history.
In the main photo above, John Lennon former Beatle and prolific song writer is shown signing an autograph for Mark David Chapman who is also shown. Chapman who returned a few hours later to Lennon’s apartment, shot and killed Lennon who was returning home with Yoko Ono.
Sublime pictures of the Lunar Perigee on 10th August 2014
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.
Three is not Necessarily a Crowd
Examples from nature where a threesome does not have a negative connotation. Of course going out as a threesome could result in all kinds of tense situations but not if the relationship is platonic.
Shocking Images of the Israeli-Gaza Conflict
These shocking images illustrate not only the destruction of property in Gaza but also the impact upon the people who reside there. These images are both graphic and disturbing and highlight the futility of war.
As this war is unlikley to resolve any of the underlying issues driving this tension, this battle will be proceeded by yet more wars as the cycle of violence never abates. Hatreds based upon religion, dispossession and culture are indubitably intractable and not subject to facile solutions.