Asia
Capturing the Moment – Preserving the Memory
In addition to writing, photography and art have always been my passions. I use all three to capture the essence of the places I’ve been in my life. Travel, by the way, is another passion, which makes a great quartet.
I’d like to share here some of the images I’ve captured with my camera over the past several years – just a few of the thousands of images I’ve snapped across the globe. Missing from my collection are photos taken during my visits to South and Central America – I was unable to take a camera on those trips, so I’m limited to describing them in writing.
The different faces of Africa
The people and places of the continent are a lot more varied than most foreigners think.
And, of course, one mustn’t forget the animals
Asia
Just a few shots of Cambodian scenes, one of the ten countries in East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, and Pacifica I’ve visited.
Europe
Just a few snaps of western Europe.
The USA
Finally, I’ve done thousands of photos of various regions right here in the good old USA – animals, people, and places of interest – some quite literally in my back yard.
Just a sampling which I sincerely hope you’ve enjoyed.
Wildlife Photography Without Ever Leaving Home
I love taking photos of all kinds of wildlife. One usually thinks of wandering far afield when doing this, and in truth I have done that, with photo safaris in Africa, Europe, Asia, and many parts of the United States. On July 4, 2013, though, I fell and hurt my hip, and since then I’ve been pretty much confined to my house or hobbling around with the aid of a cane, which you might think would inhibit my ability to get good wildlife photos. Not so. My deck looks out on a wilderness park, and my neighbor has a profusion of flowering plants in his back yard. Butterflies, birds, squirrels, and many other small creatures can frequently be seen hopping, perching, or flying around in both places, as well as my small back lawn.
For the past thirteen days, I’ve spent many hours sitting under an umbrella on my deck, camera in hand. I’ve documented an interesting array of nature’s creatures who’ve come to visit, all without having to move more than ten feet – to the rail of the deck for a clearer shot in some cases. More often than not, I’m able to just sit in my chair and by using my telephoto lens, get some pretty good shots of my visitors. Here is a small offering of what I’ve been able to get. I’d be interested in how many readers have also documented the wildlife around their homes. If you do a post of your photos, please link them to this post so that I and other readers can also enjoy them. Happy shooting.
Related articles
A Detailed Look at Chinese Hacker Attacks on U.S. Targets
See this Daily Beast article for more information on the Chinese PLA unit that conducts cyber attacks against U.S. Government and corporate targets:
Related articles
Review of ‘Export Now: Five Keys to Entering New Markets’
Export Now: Five Keys to Entering New Markets, by Frank Lavin and Peter Cohan, Wiley (Asia), Singapore. 2011. ISBN: 978-0-470-82816-8
Like it or not, we live in a globalized world where borders have little meaning anymore in an economic sense. It doesn’t matter whether you’re a manufacturer of widgets in Waukegan or a writer of fiction in a basement office in Washington, DC, you have to be able to pitch your product to a global world, or risk being sidelined and forgotten.
Frank Lavin, who served as U.S. Ambassador to Singapore and undersecretary for trade at the U.S. Department of Commerce, and Peter Cohan, president of a management consulting and venture capital firm, have written an excellent book on not just surviving, but thriving, in that world. As practitioners of international trade, they know what they’re talking about. Moreover, unlike a lot of books of globalization and international trade, they’re able to explain it in terms that don’t require an advanced degree in economics and finance to understand.
While this book is written for companies looking to invest in foreign markets, its common sense approach to international trade and cooperation apply to anyone who has a product to market, even writers. The whole book is useful, but parts one and two, which address market analysis, self-awareness, and developing marketing strategies are the most valuable. The case studies that the authors use to illustrate their points are interesting, but as a writer, I only find them mildly useful. The background and the final part, on taking action, though, were valuable in and of themselves. If you’re pressed for time and can’t read this book from start to finish, just go to pages 213 and 214 and read the first two pages of Chapter 10, “Take Action.” These few brief words should be engraved on parchment, framed, and hung in the office of every one of us.
You don’t have to be a businessman to appreciate this book.
Charles Ray's Ramblings 