Sunday, April 9, 2023

Shooting the Unpredictable...

Standing at one of the most dangerous beaches in the world. The danger is from the seemingly calm looking waters coupled with sudden, fast, high waves. Many lives have been sucked into the ocean at this spot…

Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach, Iceland
February 22, 2023
 


 

Saturday, April 8, 2023

清明 2023

清明了,春伴故人!

风雨人生路,
你陪我一程,
我念你一生。
往后余生,
见与不见,
你都在我心中…
 
Home
April 5, 2023 

Saturday, April 1, 2023

The Ice Caves

Vatnajökull is the largest and most voluminous ice cap in Iceland and the second largest in Europe, after the Severny Island ice cap of Novaya Zemlya. It is in the southeast of Iceland, covering approximately 8% of the country.


Picture 1 = Me inside the ice cave taking my shots

Vatnajökull National Park, Iceland
February 20, 2023



 

Thursday, March 30, 2023

癸卯年小悟

释怀、接纳、无住、净心;且行且珍惜!

2023-3-30


 

Sunday, March 12, 2023

Covid-19 Data Records (2/24/2020 - 3/10/2023)

After my email below from 1/29/2022, I didn't stop recording the Covid data - I just didn't know how to "STOP" it while the data is still available -- no matter how meaningless it might be...

Thank GOD for the attached note here, Johns Hopkins STOPPED data reporting on 3/10/2023. Therefore, I am finally DONE with my Covid data collection.
 
 
To summarize this historic event, per Johns Hopkins, as of 3/10/2023, the recorded cases are as follows:

Global Total:

Total confirmed cases = 676,609,955
Total daily new cases = 123,182
Total deaths = 6,881,955

United States:

Total confirmed cases = 103,804,263
Total daily new cases = 30,215
Total deaths = 1,123,836

United States as a % of Global Total:

Total confirmed cases = 15.3%
Total deaths = 16.3%


United States as a % of Global Total in 1918-1919 Spanish Flu:

Total deaths = 1.4% (with US deaths at about 675,000)
 
 
On Saturday, January 29, 2022 at 01:48:36 PM CST, Pei Tang <tang_pei@yahoo.com> wrote:

Not sure if you've ever faced a similar dilemma, but I am at the crossroad of my endeavor of keeping track of daily Covid-19 cases for the past 696 days.

My records started on 2/24/2020, when we only had 53 confirmed cases and no death in the U.S. Since then, I have been diligently keeping track of the new cases and deaths every day, with only one 10-day gap in June 2021 when we were out in the mountains of Glacier National Park.

Per Johns Hopkins, as of today, 1/29/2022, the recorded stats are as follows:

Global Total:

Total confirmed cases = 370,389,005
Total daily new cases = 3,662,115
Total deaths = 5,652,122

United States:

Total confirmed cases = 74,067,514
Total daily new cases = 639,081
Total deaths = 882,881

United States as a % of Global Total:

Total confirmed cases = 20%
Total deaths = 15.6%


United States as a % of Global Total in 1918-1919 Spanish Flu:

Total deaths = 1.4% (with US deaths at about 675,000)


Not sure what I should do next. Right now, it seems unthinkable to abandon the historical database at this point. However, does it make sense to keep on going -- when Covid is transitioning into a flu?

Have you encountered similar situations where you started a project and couldn't let it end because you've become so attached to it???  

Nonetheless, the above tally will go down to my history book.

Friday, March 10, 2023

My Jade Plant

My little jade plant is very special. It was the house warming gift Dan gave us 31 years ago, in November 1992, right after we bought our very first home in the north suburb of Chicago.

We took good care of it for many years. Then it grew so big that we decided to let it go. But grandma insisted on keeping it. Over the next 2 decades, grandma took great care of it.

Yesterday was the garbage day, we made the final decision to let it go. However, when I walked pass it by the garbage can, I couldn't help to save a small branch -- just so I may have a chance to start over again.

Here it is -- my sweet little jade plant. Even the pot was 31 years old -- how crazy is that? Again, thanks to grandma who insisted on keeping the empty pot for all these years...

I'm determined to take excellent care of my little jade plant for another 31 years!! 
 
Does everything have to be so dramatic?
 
Naperville, IL
March 10, 2023



 

Sunday, March 5, 2023

The Nightly Skies

Soooo glad that I exercised my patience… Five people left around 10pm. I waited patiently with the stars in the quiet winds. Finally this happened around 12am.

Stoksness, Iceland
February 20, 2023