National Geographic News reports of new findings that indicate a concentration of prehistoric cave paintings in spaces of excellent natural resonance. As Ker Than’s article states, “In at least ten locations, drawings of horses, bison, and mammoths seem to match locations that focus, amplify, and transform the sounds of human voices and musical instruments.” These caves, found in France, have acoustics comparable to a “Romanesque chapel,” supporting the belief that the caves were used for religious and magical rituals.

Anyone who knows me knows that I love the city. It doesn’t matter what city we’re talking about, all that matters is the downtown pulse. In my mind, cities are alive. They are creatures in their own right, never sleeping, and always on alert. Yes, I am an advocate for nature. But in many ways, city life is better for the environment than suburban or rural living. For starters, one’s carbon footprint is much smaller in a city environment. Public transit is almost always superior, and places are usually located close enough to walk to.

Inhabitat reports on a new project by British artist Tim Knowles that puts nature’s artistic beauty to the test. His Tree Drawings, works of art created by attaching pens to tree branch tips, are both unique and beautiful. A combination of wind and weather converge to create these unique works of art, each image revealing unique information about the tree it came from. In the image to the left, it almost looks as if the tree branch is a hand, delicately painting the blank canvas with an artist’s touch.

Estes Park, Colorado: A primordial swamp of overpriced shops meant to attract the weary traveler. With a credit card, that is. Perhaps I’m being a bit too cruel. Estes Park is actually a very lovely place to visit, as long as you’re off the beaten path. A good rule of thumb is to avoid the main street as much as possible. If you go towards the Rocky Mountain National Park Beaver Meadows entrance, you’ll head down a street lined with decently priced inns and motels.

We all know by now the situation in Beijing, China. The Olympics are a mere days away, and Chinese authorities are doing everything in their power to clean up the air in time. For awhile there, things looked promising. But unfortunately, the weather has not been in their favor. Wired.com reports on the progress after four days of anti-smog measures. Construction in the city halted, factories closed, and cars were taken off the road. Yet the smog continues to linger in the air.

Guest poster Aaron Muszalski over at Laughing Squid writes about a new exhibit at the RayKo gallery in San Francisco. The exhibit is a “collection of work from ten contemporary photographers who use the historic collodion - or “wet plate” - process to create their unique images.” Though the respective photographic styles of each photographer [...]

Wikipedia describes the Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado as a “138-room Gregorian hotel…[which] offers panoramic views of the Rockies.” This statement couldn’t be more true. The hotel, built in 1909 by Freelan Stanley, has been host to the rich and famous for nearly a century. I know this because I bought a 100 year anniversary mug. But I probably would have figured it out after awhile anyway. Nevertheless, the hotel is a reminder of a time gone by. Life was much simpler when this hotel was built, and the growth of the local community can attest to this.

In recent months, the entire world has been talking about the city of Beijing. The capitol of The People’s Republic of China, Beijing will host the 2008 Summer Olympics in less than three weeks. National Geographic described it as “…a place of frenzied construction. New housing, new roads, and new sports venues seem to spring up overnight. At the same time, the capital of the People’s Republic of China remains an epicenter of tradition.”