"YOUR PHOTOGRAPHS ARE AS DAZZLING AS YOUR SUBJECTS"

Sunday, September 30, 2012

A BIT OF SERENITY FOR SUNDAY: IN THE "SECRET GARDEN" OF CHANGDUK PALACE

IN THE 
"SECRET GARDEN" 


CHANGDUK PALACE 
(CHANGDEOK PALACE) 

Seoul, South Korea 

The Garden is formally called the Huwon (Rear Garden) 

The Palace is a World Heritage Site 

Another view here  

Friday, September 28, 2012

THE CHINESE COMMUNIST PARTY SETS THE DATE...FOR THE 18TH NATIONAL CONGRESS

THE 18th PARTY CONGRESS 
IS ON (November 8, 2012) 
BO XILAI IS OUT 

THE 17th CONGRESS OF THE CCP 
(Chinese Communist Party), October 2007 
BO XILAI sits in the last row  
second from left 
He can be seen more clearly here 
(includes something of the backstory) 

Thursday, September 27, 2012

BRIDGE ON THE RIVER HAN ... THE NIGHT VIEW I

NIGHTTIME 
ON THE HAN RIVER 


LOOKING UP 
FROM DOWN 
Seoul, South Korea 

Sailing on the river 
at night here 

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

A CRUISE SHIP DOCKS IN VLADIVOSTOK

CRUISE SHIP 
DOCKED IN 
VLADIVOSTOK 


A LATE SUMMER'S DAY 
VLADIVOSTOK, RUSSIA 

Vladivostok: 
  Russia's "Window on the East"? here 

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

SMILES OF A SUMMER'S ALMOST-TWILIGHT...ON THE WAY BACK FROM THE DMZ

TWO SHOPKEEPERS 
BEFRIEND 
A WEARY TRAVELER  


ON THE WAY BACK 
FROM THE KOREAN 
DEMILITARIZED ZONE 

Monday, September 24, 2012

JOE KENNEDY IS SIXTY

JOSEPH P. KENNEDY, II 
b. September 24, 1952 


JOE KENNEDY 
Not Quite Twenty 

Published on p. 1 of the 
July 11, 1972, issue of 
Women's Wear Daily 

Rep. Joseph Kennedy (D-Massachusetts) was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1987-1999 (biography here).  He is the founder of Citizens Energy Corporation and currently its Chairman and President (information and contemporary photographs here and here). 

Sunday, September 23, 2012

IN THE KYONGBOK PALACE THRONE ROOM

A VIEW OF  THE KYONGBOK 
PALACE THRONE ROOM 


DETAILS FROM THE  
GEUNJEONGJEON THRONE HALL 
of the 
Gyeongbok (Kyongbok) Palace 
Seoul, South Korea 



Saturday, September 22, 2012

NIGHTTIME AT THE INCHEON AIRPORT

EMPTY IS THE AIRPORT 
AT NIGHT 
INCHEON, SOUTH KOREA 


SEEN THROUGH THE WINDOW 
OF THE IN-AIRPORT HOTEL 

LET'S DANCE TO SATURDAY: B-BOYS AT THE PALACE II

B-BOYS AT THE PALACE 


"LAST FOR ONE" 
GYEONGBOK PALACE 
(Kyongbok Palace) 
Seoul, South Korea 
one week ago Saturday 

Much more here 

Friday, September 21, 2012

"ON GUARD" AT THE DMZ

ART ON GUARD 
AT THE DMZ 


ON THE SOUTHERN SIDE 
OF THE KOREAN BORDER 

Thursday, September 20, 2012

WHAT DO YOU SEE AT THE DMZ?

AT THE 
DEMILITARIZED ZONE 


ON THE SOUTH KOREAN 
SIDE OF THE BORDER 

Looking Northward 


Standing on the South Korean side of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), above a valley, seeing what there is to be seen.  High-power binoculars provided (fixed at the wall; see above).  For a price.  No photographs allowed at the wall, or for several feet in front of it.  Hold high the camera. 

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

HAROLD BROWN TURNS EIGHTY-FIVE

HAROLD BROWN 
b. September 19, 1927 



HAROLD BROWN 
as Secretary of Defense 
(January 21, 1977-January 20, 1981
testifying on Capitol Hill 


Dr. Harold Brown (Ph.D., Physics) was "the first scientist to become secretary of defense."  His Pentagon biography is here

Tuesday, September 18, 2012

PUTIN SAYS "NYET" TO USAID

THE RUSSIAN PRESIDENT
CALLS FOR AN END TO
USAID IN RUSSIA

VLADIMIR PUTIN
GIVES THE HOOK TO THE
U.S. AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

What are we talking about, and what amounts of money? According to the Washington Post: "USAID, which has been working in Russia since shortly after the fall of the Soviet Union, had budgeted $49.47 million for Russian programs for fiscal 2012, with 59 percent of that directed for programs supporting democracy and civil society, 37 percent designated for health projects and 4 percent for environmental programs." So, not huge amounts, but demoralizing for the recipients in tough times for "supporting democracy." At the government-to-government level, this is the judgment call of the Post: "No matter who wins the presidential election in November, the expulsion is likely to make relations with Russia even less of a priority for Washington than it has been in recent years, which might or might not suit Putin’s needs."

Saturday, September 15, 2012

B-BOYS AT THE PALACE I

SATURDAY MOVES 



"LAST FOR ONE" 
Gyeongbok Palace 
(Kyongbok Palace) 
Seoul, South Korea 

More Moves here 

Thursday, September 6, 2012

WINDOW ON THE EAST? FROM THE APEC SUMMIT, VLADIVOSTOK 2012

RUSSIA'S 
"WINDOW ON THE EAST"? 



THROUGH THE 
WINDOW WALL OF 
THE APEC 2012 MEETING HALL 
RUSSKY ISLAND 
VLADIVOSTOK, RUSSIA 





Wednesday, September 5, 2012

PAUL VOLCKER CELEBRATES EIGHTY-FIVE

PAUL A. VOLCKER 
b. September 5, 1927 

PAUL VOLCKER 
as 
Chair of the Federal Reserve Board 

For more Volcker, see here and here