This is our world. This is our home. Earth. Click this link for the uber-high 21,600 x 10,800 resolution image of our home base (which is 19MB large, clicker beware). The photo was made possible through NASA’s impressive effort, NASA Visible Earth, famously known as the Blue Marble.

And if you are a statistics/spatial geek like me, it gets even better: NASA has kindly provided the full data set, measured to 1GB, up for absolutely free download!

[Source: Big Map Blog]

A San Francisco cable car holds 60 people. This blog was viewed about 20 loads of cable cars in 2011.

The stats monkeys at WordPress.com prepared an annual report for this blog. Click here to see the full report. In a nutshell, the annual traffic is about 1,200 views.

Not very impressive, isn’t it precious? No, not very much at all.

On a merrier note, my Flickr stream reaches its 1,000,000th view on Dec 30th, 2011. I signed up with Flickr on June 21st, 2005. That equals to 2,383 days of shooting, editing and working, with an average of 420 views per day. Now it certainly calls for a proper celebration!!!

I had some leftover cookies from a house party, and then this happened. Also see the photo of the shoot.

No art trip to Europe is complete without a visit to Florence. Pictured here is the first courtyard of Palazzo Vecchio (Old Palace) with the sculpture Putto with Dolphin by Andrea del Verrocchio (1476). A perfect example of the zenith of high renaissance art, the palazzo had been Medicis’ residence and now accommodates the mayor of Florence. The columns were at first smooth and untouched, and later fully decorated to match the sculpture and frescos on the walls.

Not until the debt is paid, and the voices of justice are heard. Not until mothers stop weeping for their passing sons and daughters, and the prisoners by pen are set free. Not before the blood is cleaned away by our own tear and our own hand, and by each and everyone one of us, and not before the darkness is forever overthrown. No, not until then, will we ever forget.

The lusciously pine-covered Filopappos Hill in the center of Athens has long become a favorite gathering place among the Athenians. It is also known as the “Hill of Muses”. Together with the Acropolis and Lykavittos Hill, they offer some precious green havens from the buzzing metropolis down below.

In a clear sunny day like this, you can make out a convincing view afar from the Acropolis, with Filopappos Hill, Piraeus, Saronic Bay and the Peloponnese Peninsula all within sight.

The immortal symbol of Greece and democracy, pinnacle of architecture and art. It is still like a dream too good to be true: Never could I made believe that I have seen the Parthenon and Erechtheum on the Acropolis of Athens with my own eyes!

Crossing this gate and you will leave the secular metropolis of Rome into the sacred city of Vatican, the smallest sovereignty state in the world but very probably with the highest density of artistic masterpieces per capita. Without even seeing St Peter’s Basilica or the Vatican Museum, the prelude here alone is awing enough.

The past two weeks has been a tough time for the Japanese people, yet they found ways to fight, and succeeded. I wish the current disasters would soon come to pass, the survivors find a better new home, and the perished find their way to the eternal dwelling with ease and peace.

Bronze lantern at Kasuga Taisha Shrine, Nara, Japan.
Inspired by Pet_r’s photo.

The Trevi Fountain in Rome is the largest Baroque fountain and probably one of the most famous in the world, as it was crowned by films such as “La Dolce Vita” by Federico Fellini, and “Roman Holiday” starring Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck.

As the sun summed up the day and dusk started to fall, I finally found my way out of the interwoven sleepy streets, and without any fanfare stepped into the square of cheers, joys and extravaganza. Suddenly my eyes kindled, and my heart fell in love with Rome irrevocably.

Commanding a view from the Palatine Hill to the Capitoline Hill and Roman Forum, what in front of the eyes could very possibly be the densiest concentration of history and civilization known to mankind. This is the navel of Rome, the central playground of gods and heros, of poets and peasants, and of saints and whores alike.

The prominent monuments in the photo are, from left to right, Tabularium, Temple of Vespasian, Monument Vittorio Emanuele II (the ugly big white one), Arch of Septimius Severus, Church Santi Luca e Martina, and the Curia Julia.

Drum dancing at the Oregon Country Fair, July 2010. The OCF was by far the most eccentric and bizarre people gathering I’ve attended, both visually and olfactorily. This photo documented the drum circle on Saturday afternoon. The temperature was close to 100F but as the drummers played hard, nobody seemed to be bothered.

Milarepa is one of the largest Kagyupa (the White School, Tibetan: བཀའ་བརྒྱུད) monasteries in Tibet. Kagyupa is among the four main disciplines of Tibetan buddhism, the other three being Gelugpa (Yellow School), Nyingmapa (Red School) and Sakyapa (Flower School). The namesake of the monastery, Jetsun Milarepa c. 1052 – 1135, is generally considered one of Tibet’s most famous yogis and poets, and a major figure of the Kagyupa.

The monastery locates in Hezuo, the capital of Gannan Tibetan Prefecture. Besides the monastery Hezuo is somewhat a boring city to visit. The monastery was first constructed in 1777 and then destroyed during the Cultural Revolution. The current structure you see here was rebuilt in 1994.

I don’t know why I adore this frame. It’s out of focus, heavily scratched, through a dirty minibus window. I was soaking wet and felt terribly awful. Doesn’t matter. It’s still the best memoir for me, reminds me of Iceland, of Sigur Rós, of my dearest friends, of that summer, and of the many tastes of blue and solitude.

It was seven in the morning, and the town was gradually indulged into the breakfast smoke. The stupa in the middle is Kirti Monastery, and the little green tower to the left belongs to a mosque. Beyond lies the holy mountain and holy forest.

Langmusi (Tatsang Lhamo in Tibetan) is a lovely little Tibetan town of the Amdo prefecture, on the border of Sichuan and Gansu provinces. Populates only about 5,000, Langmusi proudly boasts two major monasteries, a mosque and a functioning sky burial ground, all situated in a breathtaking canvas. It has one major street and a rushing creek running through the town center. To the north of the creek is the Sertri Monastery in Gansu; to the south the Kirti Monastery in Sichuan.

kashgar roses, originally uploaded by Xuan Rosemaninovich.

On one of the narrow alleys of the labyrinth known as Kashgar old town, two young girls in red dresses appeared from one of the identical mud-brick houses. All of a sudden the thousands years old street and the whole city was painted with rhythm of the poems and fragrance of romance. To me, this is my ultimate unforgettable moment of Xinjiang.

Just as everywhere else in China, urban redevelopment poses a serious threat to the invaluable yet fragile history and traditions of Kashgar. This Is Xinjiang blog has a nice post on the demolition blueprints of Kashgar old town. Let’s help to make sure it will not happen.