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A grim fact I didn't know until today....
In 1918, a strain of influenza struck, killing over 25 million people in a single year, and 40 million total before vanishing just a year and a half later. It's been called the "greatest medical holocaust in history." (Compare this to 25 million AIDs deaths over a 20 year period.)
Thanks, Indonesia, for allowing resumed testing on the bird flu virus! Let's stay ahead of those mutations!
Childrens' rhyme - circa 1918
We dressed in our bathing suits.
Then, we layered over them long underwear, fleece, windbreakers, down jackets, boots, two layers of wool socks, hats, and scarves... a fortress of warmth built on a base of insanity. This was our chance to swim in Antarctica, in the slightly warmed waters of an old volcano.
We're all lined up to get into the boats when we hear an announcement "Good news! The first boat has landed and there are 4 inches of warm water at the site."
Pause. 4 inches is all we got. 4 inches of volcano-heated nothing...
undress. dash in. submerge (sort of). flip over like a piece of toast a few times, dash out, dry off, get dressed, then join the paparazzi of other travelers taking pictures of the crazy people in 4 inches of water.
Done.
Our glaciologist in 4 inches of water
The Color Red.
Dreams of the foreign and exotic
.....a heavy spice in the air.
The slow and sultry movement in a dance of two.
Music that brings to mind places deep and alluring.
A small sampling of music I like listen to when night falls and the breeze still comes in warm...
Buena Vista Social Club Chan Chan
Gerardo Azevedo Berekeke
Geoffrey Orema Makambo
MC Solaar Le Belle Et Le Bad Boy
Gotan Project Criminal
A continuation on a series on my Favorite Music that includes music in the colors of White, Black, Brown, and Blue
I recently worked with a wildlife hospital to help raise several batches of these squirming, extraordinarily loud creatures to self-sufficiency. During that time, I played a second role as paparazzi, using the raccoons as helpless-to-protest subjects for my new digital camera.
I'm happy to say one of the pictures was published by WSPA, along with a portrait done by a friend, giving these furry balls their 10 minutes of fame.
Pictured below: the original picture ('coon at 4 weeks) and the picture in magazine layout. hbiddle
Picture below: Original picture ('coons at 3 months in my lap) and picture in layout. bkanter
It's big. It's bad. And it's a place of 'ests'.
"The hottest temperature on Earth ever recorded most likely occurred here, with a reading of 134 degrees Fahrenheit. "
"It's the driest place in North America."
"It has the lowest elevation anywhere in the Western Hemisphere at 282 feet below sea level."
And it's striking with a bright blue sky backed against bleached white cliffs. But I found this to be a landscape that is only appreciated when a person looks beyond 'that which is big'. Find a bit of magic in the details - fossils in old riverbeds, little flowers sticking brave stalks out into the sky, coyotes trotting invisibly on a matching landscape, the tiny footprints of a busy, furry community in the dunes, odd shadows.... look closely.
Death Valley wins the 'Best Impression of an Inferno' award.
pictures from my Dec 2005 trip to Death Valley
Gokyo Ri, Nepal
Pressing headache, nausea, and flu-like fatigue. This is altitude sickness and it's a sheer pleasure. And to make things more fun, the medicine we take for altitude sickness has side effects that mimic the symptoms of....you guessed it....altitude sickness. Clever :)!
We're entering our final push to Gokyo Ri, following a trail that will lead to spectacular views of Mt. Everest from an altitude of near 18,000 feet. (That's about the same altitude as Everest Base Camp).
......but we have to get there first.....
We're just 15 minutes out of the last camp at Macchermo, and some of us are totally unable proceed. Several hours of rest, and then we finally plod on - rest 5 minutes, walk 5, rest 5, walk 5. It's unbelievably slow going but we make it ---- all to the cheerful calls out encouragement from our guide, as he points out spots where hikers have been evacuated over the years. Thanks, Sanjay!
The reward is, however, great. A series of crystal turquoise lakes, carved valleys lined with ice, a surround of abrupt jagged mountains, and a profile view of Mt. Everest.
For the difficulty of getting there, it's all the more beautiful and satisfying. And for it's amazing views, Gokyo Ri wins 'Best Place to Get Your Altitude On...'
We spent nearly two weeks hiking in the Everest region. See below for a map of the Gokyo Ri trail.
Pictured below: Money shot of Mt Everest and I.The path we took to Gokyo Ri.
As the highlight of this day-long hike, featuring beautiful meadows and a pristine wilderness, we came upon this scene -- a postcard, with clouds passing through it. This was the view of stunning Mt. Fitz Roy.
Turquoise lake...
....brilliant blue sky
.....and jagged mountains painted on top.
Best Day Hike Winner - The Trail to Mt. Fitz Roy, Argentina
As an extra bonus, f eel out your wild west roots by staying in El Chalten, the tiny, windy dust blown town at the trailhead.
Parque Nacional Los Glaciares, Mt Fitz Roy, Argentina
Arenal Volcano, Costa Rica
It was within just one hour arrival, sitting in my room facing the volcano, that I felt it - a massive, deep, grating rumble. The entire mountain next to me had moved... and would continue to do so every few hours over the next 4 days.
Hours by bus, we worked our way inland through the jungles of Costa Rica, to one of the most active volcanos in the world - Arenal Volcano. We arrived at the Arenal Observatory Lodge, on a bluff just next to the volcano, the skies gray with clouds and the top of the volcano obscured by a heavy cloud.
In a walk around the base of the volcano, the mountain again shook, this time large boulders crashing down the top of the mountain. Everywhere there were signs "Danger. Do Not Enter. Pyroclastic Flows."
And at night, right from our room in the Observatory Lodge, we could observe a trickle of lava glowing in the dark.
It's a powerful, raw, unique, and one-in-a-lifetime experience.
A view up the volcano from a trail at its foot --
While visting Cambodia this past December, I met a kind monk who has continued to email information on Buddhism. While not a religious person, I admire many of the principles found in Buddhism, as a type of common-sense guidance for how we can move through this world. With his permission, I'd like to share his most recent email here.
How are you today ? I am fine . what are you doing now? I wish you have a good luck and success with your job . I wish the weather will be good with you and your people in your country . Now I would like to tell you the noble eight is the way to end suffering is to follow the NOBLE EIGHT FOLD PATH''
1) Right understanding is means to have a corect understand ing of oneself and the world .Althought we have our own view of the world ,It may not always be right If we nuderstand thing s as they realy are ,we would be able to live a happier and more neamingfull life
2) Right thought means to think in the right way .Those who harbour thoughts greed and anger will easily get into trouble ,but if we think correctly we would end up the right thing
3) Right speech means to avoid lying ,tale telling ,gossiping ,backbitting ,idle talk and harsh world .harsh word can wound more deeply than weapon while gentle word can change the heard of a hardened criminal .this show the efford to another in the way we speak .the 'Buddha said pleasand speech is as the sweet as honey ,truthful speech is beautiful like a flower ,and wrong speech is unwholesome like filth ''there fore we should speak word that are truthful ,neamingful and with good will.
4) Right action means not to harm or destroy any life ,not to steal and mot to use sex in a harmful way..
5) Right livelihood neams not to live on work that would in any way bring harms to living being .the buddha said "do not earn your living by harming others ,Do not seek happiness by making others unhappy'".
6) Right effort means to do our best to become a better person.example of this are to work hard at school and drop bad habits such as laziness ,quick temper ,smoking and the drugs.
7) Right mindfulness means to be always awares and attentive ,we should always be aware of what we think ,say and do we must concentrate on everything we do it well
8) Right meditation means to keep the mind steady and calm in order to see cearly the true nature of the things this type of mentwal practice can make us become more understanding and happier person.
The noble eightfold path can help us prevent problems or deel with any problems we may come across in our daily life .if we follow it ,we are on the way to less suffering and more happiness.
Please send my kind regard to you and your family all.
I am happy to look forward to seeing your email soon
David
David pictured on the left
It’s been stated that most people develop their core values and political beliefs quite early, and rarely switch those views as they travel through life.
From time to time, we come upon something remarkable in its ability to challenge our core beliefs and change our perspectives, allowing us to see the world through sunglasses of a different color.
I recently read the novel, Atlas Shrugged, by Ayn Rand and would highly recommend for the thoughtful way it challenges some of our core assumptions about the role of government and the free market -- as well as its great story. It has fundamentally changed the way I view many current affairs.
In a similar vein, a friend sent me The Bottomless Well - The Twilight of Fuel, The Virtue of Waste, and Why We Will Never Run Out of Energy, by Peter Huber and Mark Mills. The title represents the very opposite of the the beliefs I hold today, and I look forward to seeing the value of their argument.
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