Wednesday, April 28, 2010

The Wave, Coyote Buttes, Arizona, United States

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The Wave, Coyote Buttes, Arizona, United States

In Arizona, near the border with Utah, in the United States, you can find a stunning sandstone rock formation called The Wave. The Wave is on the slopes of the Coyote Buttes, which are in turn located in the Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness, on the Colorado Plateau. This formation is actually sand dunes calcified in vertical and horizontal layers, and the fascinating color bands are iron oxides, hematite, and goethite. The Jurassic-age Navajo sandstone making up The Wave is estimated to be 190 million years old. Getting to The Wave requires a moderately difficult 3 mile hike from the Wire Pass Trailhead. Due to the delicate nature of this formation, visitors must arrange a day permit in advance and pay a $7 fee per person. Only 20 of the highly sought-after permits are issued for each day. More info on permits can be found on the Bureau of Land Management website. Camping is not allowed in the permit area, and the closest accommodation can be found in the small towns of Kanab, Utah and Page, Arizona. 

The Wave, Coyote Buttes, Arizona, United States


The Wave, Coyote Buttes, Arizona, United States


The Wave, Coyote Buttes, Arizona, United States


The Wave, Coyote Buttes, Arizona, United States


The Wave, Coyote Buttes, Arizona, United States


The Wave, Coyote Buttes, Arizona, United States


The Wave, Coyote Buttes, Arizona, United States


The Wave, Coyote Buttes, Arizona, United States

View larger 1024 x 687 (298kb) Credit: Frans Lanting

The Wave, Coyote Buttes, Arizona, United States


The Wave, Coyote Buttes, Arizona, United States

Monday, April 26, 2010

Bora Bora, French Polynesia

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Bora Bora, French Polynesia

Officially a collectivity of France, the island of Bora Bora lies in the Leeward group of the Society Islands of French Polynesia. With its amazing reef, fantastic white sand beaches, and laid-back local population it is easy to see why Bora Bora is considered by many to be paradise on Earth. The island itself features an extinct volcano in the center and is surrounded by a lagoon and a barrier reef. Bora Bora is a tourist hot-spot and many resorts and over-the-water bungalows have been built on the island. The population of locals is just under 9,000 with Tahitian, French, and some English spoken. Visitors can enjoy world-class diving and snorkeling, as well as sunset catamaran cruises, fishing trips, and jet ski rentals. For discounted flights and hotels, visit our Travel Page and check out the coupon codes for many major booking sites.


Bora Bora, French Polynesia


Bora Bora, French Polynesia


Bora Bora, French Polynesia


Bora Bora, French Polynesia


Bora Bora, French Polynesia


Bora Bora, French Polynesia


Bora Bora, French Polynesia


Bora Bora, French Polynesia


Bora Bora, French Polynesia


Bora Bora, French Polynesia


Bora Bora, French Polynesia

Sunday, April 25, 2010

Japan's Neon Lights

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Urban Life in a Neon Forest

Japan digital photography

One of the most enduring images people have of Japan is the riot of multicolored neon light that illuminates major city centers with a vibrant nighttime glow.

What looks like a gaudy collection of signs during daylight hours:




(images credit: Andrew Eckford)

...at night turns into a veritable forest of glowing signage. Ginza District at Night:


(image credit: Archidose.org)






(images credit: Jakob Oester)


(image credit: P!xeL')

Where did it all begin? Neon lighting itself is less than a century old and Japan's first displays were opened in 1926 at Tokyo's Hibiya Park. Advertisers soon saw the possibilities inherent in night lighting with neon, and one in particular was determined to make a name for themselves in neon.



In December 1957, switches were thrown and a giant neon sign nearly 36 feet wide in the center of the Ginza strip proclaimed the name "SONY" to the watching world. Each massive neon letter weighed almost 580 lbs.! It's hard to answer "What if?" questions, but without that sign, the history of both SONY and of neon advertising in Japan may have taken a different, less auspicious direction.

Instead, neon lighting caught on in Japan as the 1960s swung into gear. Tokyo Ginza at night in 1965:


(image credit: Thomas B. Roach)

Today, publishers often choose Japan's urban neon lightscapes to illustrate articles on Japan's two major metropoli, Tokyo and Osaka.

Modern illumination on Ginza:


(images credit: K. Lee and Hiroaki Ohtsu)

The heart of Tokyo is the famed Ginza, renowned for having some of the world's most expensive stores. Devastated by bombing in World War II, the Ginza has made a remarkable comeback - celebrated nightly in neon.


(image credit: Eitaneko)

Soft pastel shades mix with eye-catching primary colors, highlighted here and there with complementary incandescent lighting that plays up the contours of the district's historic architecture.


(image credit: Ryo)

Even Japan's far northern island of Hokkaido has embraced the unique ambiance of neon. Sapporo's entertainment district of Susukino features a scenic neon canyon of kaleidoscopic color that rates right up there with the heavy hitters down south:


(image credit: Paul Dymond)

Moving on to Osaka, Japan's second largest city and Tokyo's fierce rival, you'll find another spectacular tableau of pulsating neon. Shinsaibashi in Osaka's city center comes alive every evening with flickering, ever-changing panoplies of glowing neon light in every imaginable shade:


(image credit: Matthias Jaap)


(image credit: A Mystery Reflex)


(image credit: Jonathan S.)

What's more, these displays extend skyward for nearly 10 stories! This is a distinguishing feature of Japanese neon advertising: not a whole lot at street level, but look up to be amazed and entranced!

Japan digital photography

Saturday, April 24, 2010

Hilarious Babies

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Parenting is fun! (sometimes)

We all know how babies arrive:



and then the fun begins!



(image credit: omwo)

A little early to get worried -


Exercise!

(image credit: lileks.com)



Shopping with parents is an interesting activity:


(image credit: lileks.com)




Some parents are too forgetful ?!




Learning to do many things at once:






Other parents buy really strange toys to their kids:



or toys that look at you funny -




Tip for families: Buy a Boomerang!
Once very popular, this game is almost forgotten today. Here is a little chart showing how to have fun with it:




Curiosity strikes:




Romantic friendship is wonderful!






Kids Portrait Gallery:











(image credit: Prirodoved)









(image credit: Davide Legnani)






(image credit: Phitar)









(image credit: Phitar)









(image credit: Alexander Tchorgolashvili)


Some babies already need a haircut:




Is this child the cutest?


(image credit: Botinok)


Here is an interesting aspect of a baby's face:




A baby doll in a car window -



and a strange baby sculptures - both are the fruits of a tired parent imagination, perhaps.




A couple of comic strips we particularly liked:
Restaurant for Toddlers:


(art credit: Wulffmorgenthaler.com)

Kid's wish comes true:


(art credit: Matt Hammill)

As your kids grow up, make sure you check their homework:




Children learning to take care of their vehicles from the early age:






Russia produced many cute pedal cars for kids during the 60s and 70s. Most are collector's items today: (source, among others: English Russia)















No matter how careful parents are, accidents happen:




but parents can always ask grandma to help with children, right?



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