voralog http://voralog.com Most recent posts at voralog posterous.com Sun, 27 May 2012 08:02:38 -0700 Untitled http://voralog.com/133953340 http://voralog.com/133953340

My tribute

It has been 6 months that I am back from Antarctica. I was looking at images and I had epipheny.

I knew why I looked at these images so wistfully, longingly.

Whether one is religious or not the visit brought me closer to nature or God almighty more than ever. There was nothing between you and God, just beautiful creation.

I remembered Late great Ustaad Nusrat Fateh Ali.

He was a Sufi worshipper. His music was Sufiyana or 'pure as god'.

He used metaphors of woman's beauty or alcohol to describe the powers and beauty of God.

His music that is played in this video is Afreen which means 'Unique Beauty', Touché!

 

 

 

Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan (Punjabi: نصرت فتح علی خان  (October 13, 1948 – August 16, 1997), a world-renowned Pakistani musician, was primarily a singer of Qawwali, the devotional music of the Sufis (a mystical tradition within Islam). Considered one of the greatest singers ever recorded, he possessed a six-octave vocal range and could perform at a high level of intensity for several hours. Extending the 600-year old Qawwali tradition of his family, Khan is widely credited with introducing Sufi music to international audiences.[2] He was popularly known as "Shahenshah-e-Qawwali", meaning "The King of Kings of Qawwali".

Born in Faisalabad, Pakistan, Khan had his first public performance at age of 16, at his father's chelum. He officially became the head of the family qawwali party in 1971, and was signed by Oriental Star Agencies (OSA), Birmingham, U.K., in the early 1980s. In subsequent years, Khan released movie scores and albums for various labels in Pakistan, Europe, Japan and the U.S. He engaged in collaborations and experiments with Western artists, becoming a well-known world music artist in the process. He toured extensively, performing in over 40 countries.Khan was taken ill with kidney and liver failure on August 11, 1997 in London, England, while on the way to Los Angeles in order to receive a kidney transplant. He died of a sudden cardiac arrest at Cromwell Hospital, London, on Saturday, August 16, 1997, aged 48.[11] His body was returned to Faisalabad, Pakistan, and his funeral was attended by the public.

Antarctica_1080pweb-iPhone.m4v Watch on Posterous

 

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/119092/Kirit-Sketch8x8.jpg http://posterous.com/users/kem1gHi8Br Kirit Vora voralog Kirit Vora Wed, 16 May 2012 03:19:17 -0700 Buckingham Fountain, Grant Park, Chicago http://voralog.com/buckingham-fountain-grant-park-chicago http://voralog.com/buckingham-fountain-grant-park-chicago
Buckingham Fountain
Buckingham Fountain is a Chicago landmark in the center of Grant Park. Dedicated in 1927, it is one of the largest fountains in the world. Built in a rococo wedding cake style and inspired by the Latona Fountain at the Palace of Versailles, it is meant to allegorically represent Lake Michigan. It operates from April to October, with regular water shows and evening color-light shows. During the winter, the fountain is decorated with festival lights.
The fountain is considered Chicago's front door, since it resides in Grant Park, the city's front yard near the intersection of Columbus Drive and Congress Parkway. The fountain itself represents Lake Michigan, with each sea horse symbolizing the states of Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan andIndiana, that border the lake. The fountain was designed by beaux arts architect Edward H. Bennett. The statues were created by the French sculptorMarcel F. Loyau. The design of the fountain was inspired by the Bassin de Latome and modeled after Latona Fountain at Versailles.
The fountain was donated to the city by Kate Buckingham in memory of her brother, Clarence Buckingham and was constructed at a cost of $750,000. The fountain's official name is the Clarence Buckingham Memorial Fountain. Kate Buckingham also established the Buckingham FountainEndowment Fund with an initial investment of $300,000 to pay for maintenance. Buckingham Fountain was dedicated on August 26, 1927.

Fountain Fountain-2
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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/119092/Kirit-Sketch8x8.jpg http://posterous.com/users/kem1gHi8Br Kirit Vora voralog Kirit Vora Tue, 15 May 2012 17:16:10 -0700 Waterfall garden http://voralog.com/waterfall-garden http://voralog.com/waterfall-garden Waterfall garden at Chicago Botanical Gardens
The Water Gardens in the Great Basin, consisting of tens of thousands of native and ornamental plants, extend gardens into the water in a way never seen before at a botanic garden.

An array of aquatic and semiaquatic plants that range from native grasses to sedges help prevent erosion on the miles of Chicago Botanic Garden shoreline. Lotuses and waterlilies provide color and drama during the summer months and well into autumn.

The Water Gardens blend beauty with environmental sensitivity. Lush growth at the water’s edge provides a rich ecosystem for birds, insects, fish, turtles, and other wildlife. At the same time, the shores of the Great Basin demonstrate ways to restore and protect shorelines of lakes and ponds.

Waterfall

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/119092/Kirit-Sketch8x8.jpg http://posterous.com/users/kem1gHi8Br Kirit Vora voralog Kirit Vora Tue, 15 May 2012 15:48:53 -0700 The Bean http://voralog.com/the-bean http://voralog.com/the-bean Cloud Gate -- referred to by locals as "The Bean", for obvious reasons -- is a public sculpture by talented British artist Anish Kapoor. Cloud Gate weighs in at over 110-tons, and is 66 feet long and 33 feet high. "The Bean" was created using a huge number of individual stainless steel plates -- Cloud Gate's seamless surface is the result of thousands of hours of polishing.

The sculpture has the appearance of a giant drop of liquid mercury, and the mirrored surface offers an amazing reflection of the city skyline, even more breathtaking on a bright, clear day. Visitors can walk underneath the Cloud Gate, which is surprisingly concave. Kids especially enjoy the fun house mirror effect that this creates.

Cloud Gate is quickly becoming one of the more popular photo opportunities in the city. In 2005, the City of Chicago tried an ill-fated attempt at requiring permits to photograph the sculpture -- a move that was soon rescinded to the delight of shutterbugs everywhere.

The_bean-1

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/119092/Kirit-Sketch8x8.jpg http://posterous.com/users/kem1gHi8Br Kirit Vora voralog Kirit Vora Mon, 14 May 2012 14:01:05 -0700 Chicago Botanical Garden http://voralog.com/chicago-botanical-garden http://voralog.com/chicago-botanical-garden English Walled Garden
For good old-fashioned romance, nothing rivals the secluded charm of an English garden.

The English Walled Garden at the Chicago Botanic Garden was designed by the world-famous designer John Brookes. Within the English Walled Garden a smaller Vista Garden, Cottage Garden, Pergola Garden, Daisy Garden, Courtyard Garden, and Checkerboard Garden highlight contributions of English garden design through the centuries.

English gardens mix many annuals with perennials and appeal to the senses, with the sound of water playing an important role. To this end, the Sadder fountains provide tranquil sounds and are surrounded by climbing hydrangea vines, which grow well in shade and adhere to brick and morter without damaging it.

Cbg1

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/119092/Kirit-Sketch8x8.jpg http://posterous.com/users/kem1gHi8Br Kirit Vora voralog Kirit Vora Sat, 12 May 2012 14:23:43 -0700 Crown Fountain in Millennium Park http://voralog.com/crown-fountain-in-millennium-park http://voralog.com/crown-fountain-in-millennium-park Designed by Spanish artist Jaume Plensa, the Crown Fountain in Millennium Park is a major addition to the city's world-renowned public art collection. 

The fountain consists of two 50-foot glass block towers at each end of a shallow reflecting pool. The towers project video images from a broad social spectrum of Chicago citizens, a reference to the traditional use of gargoyles in fountains, where faces of mythological beings were sculpted with open mouths to allow water, a symbol of life, to flow out. 

Plensa adapted this practice by having faces of Chicago citizens projected on LED screens and having water flow through an outlet in the screen to give the illusion of water spouting from their mouths. The collection of faces, Plensa's tribute to Chicagoans, was taken from a cross-section of 1,000 residents. 

The fountain’s water features operate during the year between mid-spring and mid-fall, while the images remain on view year-round.

Chicago-2

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/119092/Kirit-Sketch8x8.jpg http://posterous.com/users/kem1gHi8Br Kirit Vora voralog Kirit Vora Sat, 12 May 2012 14:20:41 -0700 State of Illinois Building-James R. Thompson Center http://voralog.com/state-of-illinois-building-james-r-thompson-c http://voralog.com/state-of-illinois-building-james-r-thompson-c The James R. Thompson Center (JRTC) is located at 100 W. Randolph Street in the Loop, Chicago,Illinois and houses offices of the State of Illinois. The building opened in May 1985 as the State of Illinois Center. It was renamed in 1993 to honor former Illinois Governor James R. Thompson. The property takes up the entire block bound by Randolph, Lake, Clark and LaSalle Streets, one of the 35 full-size city blocks within Chicago's Loop. In front of the Thompson Center is a sculpture, Monument With Standing Beast, by Jean Dubuffet. The JRTC is sometimes referred to as the State Building.
Chicago-1

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/119092/Kirit-Sketch8x8.jpg http://posterous.com/users/kem1gHi8Br Kirit Vora voralog Kirit Vora Sun, 29 Apr 2012 06:45:31 -0700 Spring is here to stay http://voralog.com/spring-is-here-to-stay http://voralog.com/spring-is-here-to-stay
Tree

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/119092/Kirit-Sketch8x8.jpg http://posterous.com/users/kem1gHi8Br Kirit Vora voralog Kirit Vora Sat, 07 Apr 2012 11:05:36 -0700 It must be spring in San Francisco http://voralog.com/it-must-be-spring-in-san-francisco http://voralog.com/it-must-be-spring-in-san-francisco See the blimp also
Tiburonhdr

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/119092/Kirit-Sketch8x8.jpg http://posterous.com/users/kem1gHi8Br Kirit Vora voralog Kirit Vora Fri, 16 Mar 2012 12:52:24 -0700 Dock on a foggy evening http://voralog.com/dock-on-a-foggy-evening http://voralog.com/dock-on-a-foggy-evening
Fohhy

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/119092/Kirit-Sketch8x8.jpg http://posterous.com/users/kem1gHi8Br Kirit Vora voralog Kirit Vora Wed, 22 Feb 2012 01:36:00 -0800 Penguins go Bollywood http://voralog.com/penguins-go-bollywood http://voralog.com/penguins-go-bollywood

When I was in Antarctica, last December, I played with some video on my Canon 5D Mark IIstill camera.

here is a short, 2 minute video of penguins partying Bollywood style.

Make sure that

You view at home and not in office, because the sound may distract others

Turn volume up

do not forget to make full screen by clicking the button in lower right corner


Come_swim_with_me.mov Watch on Posterous

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/119092/Kirit-Sketch8x8.jpg http://posterous.com/users/kem1gHi8Br Kirit Vora voralog Kirit Vora Mon, 13 Feb 2012 02:26:47 -0800 Iceberg at sunset http://voralog.com/iceberg-at-sunset http://voralog.com/iceberg-at-sunset
Nekoglow

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/119092/Kirit-Sketch8x8.jpg http://posterous.com/users/kem1gHi8Br Kirit Vora voralog Kirit Vora Thu, 02 Feb 2012 02:18:42 -0800 A small window http://voralog.com/a-small-window http://voralog.com/a-small-window
Window1

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/119092/Kirit-Sketch8x8.jpg http://posterous.com/users/kem1gHi8Br Kirit Vora voralog Kirit Vora Tue, 31 Jan 2012 02:30:09 -0800 Castles in the sky http://voralog.com/castles-in-the-sky http://voralog.com/castles-in-the-sky
Vorafolio2-4

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/119092/Kirit-Sketch8x8.jpg http://posterous.com/users/kem1gHi8Br Kirit Vora voralog Kirit Vora Sun, 29 Jan 2012 04:14:36 -0800 Colors of LaBoca http://voralog.com/colors-of-laboca http://voralog.com/colors-of-laboca
Laboca1

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/119092/Kirit-Sketch8x8.jpg http://posterous.com/users/kem1gHi8Br Kirit Vora voralog Kirit Vora Thu, 26 Jan 2012 02:22:40 -0800 Nectar of life http://voralog.com/nectar-of-life http://voralog.com/nectar-of-life
Nector

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/119092/Kirit-Sketch8x8.jpg http://posterous.com/users/kem1gHi8Br Kirit Vora voralog Kirit Vora Wed, 25 Jan 2012 02:32:58 -0800 Chandeliers in the blue house http://voralog.com/chandeliers-in-the-blue-house http://voralog.com/chandeliers-in-the-blue-house
Chandelier1-3

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/119092/Kirit-Sketch8x8.jpg http://posterous.com/users/kem1gHi8Br Kirit Vora voralog Kirit Vora Tue, 24 Jan 2012 02:07:58 -0800 Majestic http://voralog.com/majestic http://voralog.com/majestic
Majestic1

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/119092/Kirit-Sketch8x8.jpg http://posterous.com/users/kem1gHi8Br Kirit Vora voralog Kirit Vora Mon, 23 Jan 2012 04:09:13 -0800 Blue House in the ocean http://voralog.com/blue-house-in-the-ocean http://voralog.com/blue-house-in-the-ocean
Blue_house1

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/119092/Kirit-Sketch8x8.jpg http://posterous.com/users/kem1gHi8Br Kirit Vora voralog Kirit Vora Sun, 22 Jan 2012 04:03:22 -0800 Penguin breakup, it is me not you. http://voralog.com/penguin-breakup-it-is-me-not-you http://voralog.com/penguin-breakup-it-is-me-not-you
Penguins-3

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