Travels with Charley - I Mean, Chin Ho Kelly

A celebrity goes to the Middle East and doesn't launch into half-baked political yammering and virtue-signaling moral preening! Instead, he conducts himself with grace and humility (and some charmingly self-deprecating humor too). Kudos to one of my favorite Asian American actors for doing it right.

‪A #Christmas Tree, a #Crescent Moon and a #dove with 8 lights for #Hanukkah, all present in one holiday display in the city of Haifa. This simple monument, more than anything else, captures my feelings about my visit here to the Middle East. Though I have listened and heard many impassioned viewpoints, my trip is not a political one. I am not so arrogant as to think that a two week stay qualifies me to be an expert on a conflict that has lasted for thousands of years. I am here to appreciate the beauty of this region. I am here to meet its extraordinary people, from every walk of life. I am here to respectfully bow my head in the birthplace of many of the world's religions. And most importantly, I am here to learn. ‬ What I do know though, is that I have already had some unforgettable experiences with people I now consider friends- Israeli, Palestinian, Bedouin, Jordanian, Christian, Jew and Muslim. And to all of you, above all else, I wish you #PEACE and a harmonious #COEXISTENCE. In fact, I wish that for us all. ‬ So if you shout. Or if you rage, I will not hear you. But if you want to share your opinion below in respectful dialogue, you are welcome here. ‬

A photo posted by Daniel Dae Kim (@danieldaekim) on Dec 29, 2016 at 5:36am PST

Photos from the Front Lines

Combat photographer Michael Yon gives a name to helicopter halos. Take a look at the remarkable images of the Kopp-Etchells Effect.

"Allow myself to introduce ... myself."

This bird landed on the page about itself

From Rio: A Tale of Two Images in Sportsmanship

The Egyptian judoka refusing to shake his Israeli opponent's hand vs. the gymnasts from North and South Korea taking a selfie together.

🔴Deux images des @jeuxolympiques, deux volontés diamétralement opposées. #Rio2016
Vouloir faire la paix ou la guerre pic.twitter.com/4UCPXY4WEW

— Jean-Paul Ney (@jpney) August 12, 2016

History in Photos: The Fall of the Berlin Wall 25 Years Ago

A picture is worth a thousand words.  25 years already have gone by?!

Photographing the Flight From ISIS

Photojournalist John Stanmeyer brings images of some 66,000 Syrian Kurds fleeing from ISIS and flooding into Turkey yesterday.

The Incredible Journey: From San Francisco to Anchorage

On the road again.  A taste of it here.

Hastings to Afghanistan: 1000 Years of British Battle Kits

From battle axes to iPads.

Humans of Iraq: Popular Photo Blog Turns War Report

Humans of New York is now in Iraq.  If you're not reading it, you're missing out.

Astronaut's-Eye View: Gaza From the International Space Station

My saddest photo yet. From #ISS we can actually see explosions and rockets flying over #Gaza & #Israel pic.twitter.com/jNGWxHilSy
— Alexander Gerst (@Astro_Alex) July 23, 2014

Awesome: The First Space Selfie!

Did you know I took the first space selfie during Gemini 12 mission in 1966? BEST SELFIE EVER http://t.co/JfPAiVXmLk pic.twitter.com/DuwDXvcDmp
— Buzz Aldrin (@TheRealBuzz) July 19, 2014

Public Service Announcement: Tips For Photographing Fireworks

Looking forward to some fireworks later?  Here's some advice from National Geographic if you want to take snapshots.  Happy Fourth of July, my darlings!

Fabulous: Fashion Grandpas

This Instagram account is a veritable art gallery of the sartorial stylings of fashionable fellows of a certain age.

"The Overseas Selfie": Narcissism and Global Voluntourism

Not surprised.  A blurb:

Voluntourism is ultimately about the fulfillment of the volunteers themselves, not necessarily what they bring to the communities they visit.  In fact, medical volunteerism often breaks down existing local health systems.  In Ghana, I realized that local people weren’t purchasing health insurance, since they knew there would be free foreign health care and medications available every few months.  This left them vulnerable in the intervening times, not to mention when the organization would leave the community.

The World Cup's Most Expressive Referee

Tsk tsk tsk!

GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAL!

This has got to be the best goal yet in this tournament. Take a look at some glorious still photos here, but I can't stop watching the animated gif:

UPDATE:  "The perfect sports photo."  Plus ridiculous video.

Normandy on D-Day and 70 Years After

Remarkable photographs from then and now.  See this too.

While you're thinking about the day, take a few minutes for:

• Jim Martin, the 93-year-old Ohio vet who will parachute back into Normandy to mark the occasion by making the same jump he did 70 years ago as a private in the 101st Airborne.
• A glance across the pond, where the BBC has Sir Patrick Stewart, Toby Jones, and Benedict Cumberbatch reading bulletins from D-Day in chronological order of their original broadcast.

The Ultimate Selfie

WOW.

Counting Calories Around the Globe

23 photos of food from around the world!

A Matter of Perspective

Landmarks from different angles!