These past few days have been excruciating but the heat wave we’re having in new york is finally coming to an end. Just a few more hours to go so hang in there everyone!In the meantime, this beautiful coffee maker helped cool me off.

A stunning before and after shot of city of Beichuan in China after the government carried out a “controlled drainage operation” of a dam that was damaged by the recent earthquake. Thankfully all residents had been evacuated. I thought is was interesting that the destruction was actually a direct result of man, rather than nature.

Image courtesy of Liu Jin/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

via the NYT

I found myself enraptured, staring at the photographs by Koji Onaka yesterday. I don’t think I’ve ever seen pictures that capture the essence of Tokyo so well; the Tokyo that I knew as a child, growing up. It’s far from a glamorous perspective, and yet I had this sudden urge to try and find the cheapest ticket on Travelocity.

Click to enlarge (images courtesy of Onaka Koji)