Sunday, December 30, 2012

Sunday, December 23, 2012

Wishing you all a merry holiday season!

Gentoo Penguin jjbjorkman.blogspot.com

Pssst: Merry Christmas, or Happy Happy for whatever you happen to celebrate. Now off to find some fish.

World's Largest Snow Sculpture

Nobody Does Snow Sculpture Like the People in Harbin, China

largest snow sculpture randommusings.filminspector.com

largest ice sculpture in China randommusings.filminspector.com

Chinese ice sculpture randommusings.filminspector.com


Turns out it is in China, Harbin, China, to be exact. It is called "Romantic Feelings" and is 115 feet high and 656 feet long. Ice and snow were pulled out of the Songhua River. It's on the edge of Siberia - could you have guessed from the Russian influence on the design? It's lit at night with colored lights and lasers. They do it every year, and get almost a million visitors - not bad for somewhere that remote.

There are Russian churches, French cathedrals, Chinese palaces, and this year a replica of Stonehenge.

There's one problem: temperatures are rising, along with everywhere else.

These are the 2012-2013 sculptures, which are amazing enough. You may also want to check out the 2013-2014 sculptures here.

World's Most Expensive Penthouse

Most luxurious penthouse jjbjorkman.blogspot.com
This is in Monaco, where good space costs like nowhere else

I assume the views from up those stairs are of the harbor, with the castle on the right center, the setting sun on the right, five minutes from the casino... must be marvelous.

Monday, December 17, 2012

Tallest Dog in the World

Tallest Dog in the World jjbjorkman.blogspot.com


This is Zeus, he is 44 inches (1.18 meters) tall. I bet it costs a lot to feed him.

Running of the Bulls - the Reality

The Famous Running of of the Bulls in Spain

The Pamplona Running of the Bulls is a part of the San Fermin Festival, which runs in Pamplona from July 6 to July 14 in 2013 and every year.

It is a major event that attracts worldwide attention to a town that otherwise is completely unknown. Ernest Hemingway, the ultimate man's man writer, popularized the event and brought it to the world's attention.

The locals know all about this. They aren't dummies.

Running of the Bulls with the cameras rolling and the tourists all around...

Pamplona running bulls jjbjorkman.blogspot.com
"Ay caramba, you bulls don't scare me!"

Running of the bull every other time of year....

Running of the bulls, the reality jjbjorkman.blogspot.com
"Help, help, there's a bull!"

Ah, it's a lot different when the television cameras are on once a year, isn't it?

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Wishing you a happy....

Wishing you a happy whatever doesn't offend you jjbjorkman.blogspot.com

You know, have a merry.... whatever.

Christmas is a Truly Magical Time

Christmas is a truly magical time jjbjorkman.blogspot.com

I wish it would make all our troubles disappear, too!

Cinderella is Proof that....

Cinderella is proof that new shoes can change your life jjbjorkman.blogspot.com


Ah, what a thought....

Central Park, Beautiful Shot

Central Park, NYC jjbjorkman.blogspot.com


Central Park, looking South, New Jersey on the right, Long Island on the left, Wall Street straight ahead at the end of the Island. The building on the left part of the park just beyond the lake (which has a cool jogging path around it named after Jacqueline Onassis) is the Metropolitan Museum of Art, well worth a stop if you are visiting (worth a visit if you live there, too, the permanent collection is terrific, and the exhibits are top-notch). Everything in this picture has a name, but that's not the point of it - the sheer beauty of a New York City sunset is what it is all about.

And, if that isn't enough, here's one from a completely unique perspective:

Central Park NYC jjbjorkman.blogspot.com
Central Park, shot from directly above, South is at the top.

Ah, if I keep finding these fabulous shots, I'll get homesick!


Horizonless NYC map jjbjorkman.blogspot.com
Horizonless NYC


Alcazar Castle, Segovia, Spain

Alcazar Castle, Segovia, Spain, jjbjorkman.blogspot.com

Pretty as a picture!  Oh, wait....

The US From Space

The US From Space

US from space randommusings.filminspector.com
Looks like a nice, sunny day ahead.
The United States From Space.

This shows the United States from space at night-time. You can tell from the tilt of the earth that it is winter-timer. Daybreak is approaching, but it still is hitting Europe in this shot of the US from space. I'm not sure which is more fascinating, how much electric light you can see in this shot of the US from space, or how dark the vast majority of the planet is. Notice how the lights don't go farther north than a certain point. It takes an entire city of thousands and thousands of people and lights to make any impact. You can clearly make out individual cities - Denver, Salt Lake City, Los Angeles, in this shot of the US from space. Those lights will travel across the galaxy until stopped by something ... somewhere.

Which light are you?

2019

Saturday, December 1, 2012