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Ye duniya

 The title is a Hindi (language) expression meaning 'this world of ours'. Famously sung in poetry by erstwhile poets and today a topic of consternation for the global leaders when it comes to its state and its imminent future. It is today inhabited by the highest order of organic beings which is us humans (I know right?) and we seem to have lost our way in minding its ongoing stability and health.  Home to 8 billion of our kind it is largely occupied above an imaginary line called the equator with some 90% of our species occupying a land mass that is merely twice as big as in the southern part of the globe. So clearly it is crowded up here. We can handle the crowds but when it comes to geo political stability and well being it is quite a harsh story.  While overall metrics for life expectancy and education and wealth across the planet have gone up over time the distribution among sapiens is far from perfect. Most world order post WWII concluded that the collaboration betw...
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TikTok frenzy

 I did not know what TikTok was until very recently so one might argue this blog is biased. I say go ahead. So apparently the Chinese have started creating products so well that they control a global mindshare beyond your pantry and closet space. This means what you think (if you do) and where you look and what you might say or do; what you ultimately buy; when you sleep or wake, is ever so cleverly manipulated through code written by Chinese programmers.  Marketers (many of them from America and Europe and everywhere) pay big money to be on this channel called TikTok. Created by a 20 something engineer from China, the social media short video channel or platform as these things are called created a buzz instantly.  As of this writing it is claimed that half the American populace (approx. 170M have an account here). People clearly have a lot of spare time. I mean what with ordering pizza from your couch to zooming on pretend work calls what's a gal got to do? So with this...

From the fjords to the straits

 2024 has been a whirlwind of travel.  All good before time runs out. As in the passage of our being through this galaxy while the faculties still work. Each trip is a glimpse into human endeavor in different geos, and how it evolved with its local conditions and temperatures and political motivations. The beginning of the year was the trip to Cote d'Azur and new years day in Antibes, France.  What a gem of a place with its perch on the Mediterranean; a former haven for aristocrat and artistes and today a reminder to take life slow and savor sunsets. Night lights at the church Grasse perfumery in the hills Cannes on the coast That was then followed by a summer jaunt across the Atlantic this time to hit the northern fringes of Europe in Scandinavia. Oh what joy! As a train nerd it was especially fabulous with sights like no other from vast fjords to the mountainous regions of Norway.   A trip on the Fjords Flams Bana along the 20 km journey from Flam to top of th...

Columbia SC

 The Palmetto state.  One of the confederate kinds. History dating couple centuries back.  We visited the capital yet again this time to take in the SC State Museum. Occupying the former digs (literally remodeled) of an erstwhile cotton mill this structure is an amazing piece of reimagination.  Four floors of excitement for kids and young at heart alike. Located on the shores of the Congaree River formed when the Broad meets up with the Saluda River, this edifice is approx. 60 years old.  The front of the building has a more modern planetarium that was added about a decade ago.  The museum itself has different areas of interest segregated on each of its four floors. The first floor has gift shop and a diorama of some of the local geography including the swamps and the state beaches with audio guides to help understand what fauna thrives locally. The second floor is all about natural history and showcases animal kingdom that may have survived on this latitud...

Hickory NC

 Not since the poem about the mouse and a clock have I heard of Hickory.  I did not see any Dickory either but plenty of docks in this part of the Carolinas that we call home. So what is this Hickory you say?  Well its a type of wood that can be used to make furniture. Not sure how many of this variety grow anymore in NC but at one time it was a forest. Fast forward and this part of the foothill of the Blue Ridge mounts that rise to the east, became the city of Hickory, that also was an erstwhile hub of wooden furniture making. While that industry is not as vast today it serves as a periphery town north of the fast growing Charlotte metro area. About 60 miles due north it is fairly quiet yet historic and blessed with abundant nature and trails and docks along the Catawba river flowing through town. We went hiking along this river and take in the scenery.  Below some vistas. $5M project that the city awarded to design a walking path on the river While finishing that m...

Nashville and Knoxville

 An impromptu long weekend trip to witness America's country music roots and explore what has been one of the nation's fastest growth cities. We drove out from Charlotte for a six plus hour road trip after what had been some epic rain.  Result - the crowds were thin and the route through the Asheville area and the western flank of the Blue Ridge mountains was bursting with major impromptu waterfalls. En route we also decided to explore Knoxville - a major urban center on the eastern edge of TN. The city for 1982 world expo (a fair that showcases global industrial might and held once in five years at different locations around the globe) built a 260 foot metal tower with golden glass windows to form a sphere on the top.  This serves as a viewing gallery for customers that take an elevator to the top. Rooftop dining offers visitors a view Colorful arches dominate the world's fair complex in downtown Other than that the city has some nice parks and trails and also offered a ...