For centuries and longer now, man has collected data and recorded history. The amount of data that is collected daily by organizations, companies and even individuals grows at an exponential rate. However, to see raw data in its naked form, is often immensely intimidating for the average person. Some are able to grasp the message, however many more are simply turned away by the sheer immensity of rows and rows of raw information.
With so much knowledge at our fingertips, this is one of the oldest, but least developed and serviced frontiers that still has treasures to yield. A very impressive presentation that I have recently seen, I would like to share with everyone here.
I habitually slave away at my computer for hours or even days working on articles, designs, web development and more. Music has always been a dear friend at these times, able to inspire me, drive me, excite and calm me. Unfortunately, I couldn't bring all my music with me from the U.S. so I've had to rely on net radio a good deal while in China. My favorite net radio has always been Pandora, but recently I have discovered a new net radio from the UK that is wonderfully designed. It is called Musicovery . Give it a try and hopefully you'll like it too.
Pandora is a great net radio but unfortunately you cannot access it from China due to copyright restrictions, though it will work if you use a proxy. Musicovery is directly accessible from China, so no need to go through proxies.
Each time I travel beyond Beijing, namely to the South, folks I meet often ask what Beijing dishes am I fond of. I look at them blankly and they nod in response, looking at me pitifully. It's understandable, they explain, Northern food is oceans and mountains behind the delicate flavors of Southern fare. Then they ask me, "But you must have had some good noodles and dumplings? Doesn't the North specialize in such dishes, besides hot and spicy?" Again, I look at them blankly and say I don't recall any such memorable experiences of dumplings or noodles in Beijing during all of my eight to nine months here. Well, that has now changed... for dumplings at least. This is what happened last night...
Since I always have to go to the Carrefour complex to use their ATM's, I often find myself doing grocery and daily item shopping around there, as well as around Zhongguancun. I was delighted when our Editor Charmaine X took me there for a cozy dinner. Read on for a little mini-review as well as some photos of the dining environement, at the Fresh-Plus International Buffet Restaurant...
Welcoming the onset of a beautiful, but windy springtime, Beijing swiftly casts away its cloak of bleakness and the lingering threat of sandstorms. This winter in Beijing was the warmest winter in Beijing's history and this year is the first year in many that Beijing did not experience one decent sandstorm. Yes, everyone, now that it is over halfway through May, the threat of sandstorms has more or less passed. The only sandstorm Beijing experienced was washed away in it's infancy by gentle rains that occurred exactly at the right time. Meanwhile, my contacts in Shanghai informed me that they were shut inside their buildings looking outside at a brown haze enveloping the city from the sandstorm. Expecting that I could understand and share in their grief, I cheerfully explained that I saw no sign of sand and I had heard in the news that a timely shower from the heavens had stopped the sandstorm in its tracks before hitting Beijing.
Despite the winter miseries I suffered, having come from sunny California, I am glad to say that I am thankful to Beijing for allowing me a kinder winter and a gentle spring. Now if only, those crazy Mongolian winds would go away, or if Beijing would build some wind farms (not in the flight path of birds/bats/etc.) to make use of that bountiful natural resource. Flowers and trees are coming back to life everywhere throughout the city and one of the best places to witness this awakening is in Beijing's Botanical Garden, located near Fragrant Mountain, for many reasons...
I habitually slave away at my computer for hours or even days working on articles, designs, web development and more. Music has always been a dear friend at these times, able to inspire me, drive me, excite and calm me. Unfortunately, I couldn't bring all my music with me from the U.S. so I've had to rely on net radio a good deal while in China. My favorite net radio has always been Pandora, but recently I have discovered a new net radio from the UK that is wonderfully designed. It is called 
Each time I travel beyond Beijing, namely to the South, folks I meet often ask what Beijing dishes am I fond of. I look at them blankly and they nod in response, looking at me pitifully. It's understandable, they explain, Northern food is oceans and mountains behind the delicate flavors of Southern fare. Then they ask me, "But you must have had some good noodles and dumplings? Doesn't the North specialize in such dishes, besides hot and spicy?" Again, I look at them blankly and say I don't recall any such memorable experiences of dumplings or noodles in Beijing during all of my eight to nine months here. Well, that has now changed... for dumplings at least. This is what happened last night... 
Since I always have to go to the Carrefour complex to use their ATM's, I often find myself doing grocery and daily item shopping around there, as well as around Zhongguancun. I was delighted when our Editor Charmaine X took me there for a cozy dinner. Read on for a little mini-review as well as some photos of the dining environement, at the Fresh-Plus International Buffet Restaurant...
Welcoming the onset of a beautiful, but windy springtime, Beijing swiftly casts away its cloak of bleakness and the lingering threat of sandstorms. This winter in Beijing was the warmest winter in Beijing's history and this year is the first year in many that Beijing did not experience one decent sandstorm. Yes, everyone, now that it is over halfway through May, the threat of sandstorms has more or less passed. The only sandstorm Beijing experienced was washed away in it's infancy by gentle rains that occurred exactly at the right time. Meanwhile, my contacts in Shanghai informed me that they were shut inside their buildings looking outside at a brown haze enveloping the city from the sandstorm. Expecting that I could understand and share in their grief, I cheerfully explained that I saw no sign of sand and I had heard in the news that a timely shower from the heavens had stopped the sandstorm in its tracks before hitting Beijing.