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I wanted to “ring in the new year” by sharing a special collection of images with everyone. However, I sorely underestimated my own procrastination and now, January has nearly passed us with February hot on its trail.

So, rather than allowing myself to push the project off into next month (and the next and so on), I decided I would apply myself and finish the darn project. As a result, I’m pleased to say, it is complete. The 2010 Screensaver Collection is ready and available for download!

Choosing the Images

In selecting the images for this project, I wanted them to be colorful, peaceful, and not too busy. In short, good for display on a computer desktop or screensaver.

Most of the selected images stand on their own apart from the collection. The few that are a little more abstract may serve as good starting points for further collections. We’ll see. Time will tell.

Downloading the Collection

Since widescreen monitors are becoming more common, the collection is available in two sizes, normal and Widescreen.  Choose the size that matches your monitor the closest.

Both downloads are high resolution images for use on your personal computer’s desktop and screensaver. Please respect the copyrights on these images and do not copy them for other uses.

INSTRUCTIONS: Click one of the links below. Your browser will prompt you to save an executable file to your hard drive. The best place to save the file is in your pictures folder. When the download finishes, click on the downloaded file to unpack the images – you will be prompted for where to unpack the images. Click on “Extract” and the images will automatically be placed in a subfolder called “2010 Screensaver Collection”.  Once the images are unpacked on your hard drive, tell your computer where to find them for your desktop background and screensaver.

2010 Screensaver Collection (1280 x 1024)

2010 Screensaver Collection Widescreen (1920 x 1200)

(Update: 2/3/2010) The self-extracting files above will only work on the Windows platform. For those running other platforms or those who want to unzip the files manually, you can download the naked zip files here:

screensaver-collection-2010.zip
screensaver-collection-2010-widescreen.zip

I’d love to hear your thoughts on the images, especially after you’ve had a chance to view them all through a few times. Just throw me an elbow in the comments.

Enjoy! Ed.

This story highlights the strategic importance of Mali’s stability.  The country has vast areas of remote desert that could be used in efforts to radicalize and train muslims for jihad. With this monetary aid and ongoing training, hopefully these areas can be patrolled, and al-Qaeda efforts disrupted:

US arms Mali to battle al-Qaeda

Some 37 Land Cruisers were handed over to the Malians

The US is preparing to give Mali’s army millions of dollars worth of military hardware to help them fight al-Qaeda’s North African branch.

Trucks, powerful communication devices and clothing are among $5m (£3m) of equipment being handed over.

Mali is already being helped to fight the Islamists by Algeria and Libya.

Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb emerged in 2007 from an Algerian Islamist group and has since claimed responsibility for dozens of attacks in the region.

The US ambassador to Mali told the BBC’s Focus on Africa programme there was growing concern over the actions of the group.

“We applaud the fact that the government of Mali has taken a firm stance and wants to be as effective as possible in combating that problem,” Gillian Milovanovic said.

The military equipment is intended to ensure that the country can protect its own borders, she said.

Read more via BBC NEWS | Africa | US arms Mali to battle al-Qaeda.

Ed.

One of the first things we did upon arriving in Segou is visit a place called “ndomo” where various natural techniques are used to dye and stylize cotton cloth.  Traditional and innovative natural techniques use mud, leaves, vegetables and minerals to provide color and pattern on cotton cloth.  Although ndomo seeks to document and preserve these techniques, their primary mission is to use these activities to provide direction and socialization to disadvantaged young men.  read more »

Two Futures

Two women symbolize humanity, each looking to a different future.

One future is characterized by recent choices.

The other holds out the promise of something brighter.

Daan hopes to be in Top Ten

Daan has been working for several weeks, away from family and friends, his days dominated by this work. read more »

In the last post from West Africa, I introduced you to Emmanuel Kamate of Mali. Emmanuel runs a convenience store in the capital city, Bamako. The store has everything you might need to get you through the day; eggs, sugar, cooking oil, powdered milk and bread (in bags on the counter).

An introduction in Mali is only complete after everyone has been given a good humored ribbing over their traditional background, revealed by their last name. The name Kamate comes from an ethnic group known as the Bobo who are farmers by tradition. Emmanuel was born in 1972 and went to school through the sixth grade. read more »