Unplugged in Gulang Yu (involuntarily). Normal service to be resumed ASAP. Here‘s some soft jungle to be going on with.
… Damn, POS pseudo-connection can‘t even manage that.
(Have they hung Bryce yet?)
ADDED: Looks like it’s possible (finally) to put up a few tropical retreat snaps (and seems like they’re clickable):
… to inflict this on people:
[OK, no need for anybody else to lose their lunch over this — I’m moving it under the fold]
Peter A. Taylor relayed this magnificent cladogram of world religions:
(Click on image to enlarge.)
If there’s such a thing as a comprehensive cultural map of the world, it’s woven on to something very like this. No opportunity to comment on it right now — but I’m confident it will spark some responses.
Photography is forbidden in the Dunhuang grottoes, and under the close supervision of the mandatory tour, this prohibition is strictly enforced. Photography is also forbidden in the adjacent Mogaoku Museum …
The spine of the museum consists of a row of (extremely impressive) cave reconstructions, sampled from among the 492 decorated caves at the site. (A two-hour tour of the site takes in perhaps 10.)
The following images are of reconstructions, not originals. The photographic quality is especially dire, given the unusual lighting conditions and cramped space. What I’m posting here is what I’ve got. (Click on images to expand.)
Cave 003:
