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Today I will start a new section here on Graphic Rating. It is called Bing’s Weekly Lectures. The main idea for these next articles is to sum up the additional information displayed on top of Bing’s daily pictures in a week time frame. I really like the feature and I think most of the phrases are quite valuable. So, here is the first Bing Weekly Lecture:Week #1.

July 21, 2009: Angel’s Landing – Zion National Park

- The Virgin River carved this dramatic canyon over 2,000 feet deep into sedimentary rock.
- Located on the Colorado Plateau, this park protects some of the most diverse ecosystems in the state of Utah.
- The trail up to Angel’s Landing is so steep that there is a guide rope for hikers to hold on to.

July 22, 2009: Atlanta Skyline – Corbis/Photolibrary

- Atlanta elected the nation’s first African-American mayor back in 1973
- Civil Rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr. was born and raised here in Atlanta
- Atlanta media mogul Ted Turner outraged movie purists when he started colorizing MGM classic films

July 23, 2009: Green Turtle , Maui, Hawaii – Reinhard Dirscherl/Visuals Unlimited, Inc.

- Hunting, habitat loss and pollution have landed the sea turtles on the endangered species list.
- You can find see turtles, humpback whales and hundreds of other critters right outside your door if you live here.
- Turtles and other sea creatures regularly get tangled up in a gigantic garbage vortex in the Pacific Ocean.

July 24, 2009: Melbourne, Australia – Jose Fuste Raga/Photolibrary

- This first official census (in 1836) reported 142 male citizens and only 35 female.
- The oldest train station in Australia sits here, on the far side of the Yarra River.
- Meet one of the most famous musicians to come from the 1970s Melbourne music scene (Nick Cave).

July 25, 2009: Arenal Volcano, Costa Rica – Radius Images/Photolibrary

- The Arenal Volcano’s most recent eruption wiped out two villages in 1968.
- Molten lava is actually melted rock – temperatures range from about 1,300 to 2,200 degrees Fahrenheit.

July 26, 2009: Rice worker in fields near Ubud, Bali, Indonesia – Sylvain Grandadam/Getty Images

- Bali is a primary destination for thousands of backpackers from countries around the World.
- Artistic expression is at the heart of Balinese culture, from bone carving to silversmithing to painting.
- Gunung Agung, Bali’s highest peak, is locally known as the “navel of the world”.

July 27, 2009: Castellon de la Plana, Spain — Digital Vision/Photolibrary

- The Moors invaded Spain in the year 711 and ruled for the next 500 years.
- James I of Aragon reclaimed Castellon de la Plana from the Moors in 1233.
- The Iberic Peninsula’s distinct culture comes, in part, from its proximity to North Africa.

In the end I want to say that these pictures are absolutely awesome. Kudos for every photographer and thanks Bing’s team for this feature. See ya next week with the second week of Bing’s Weekly Lectures. Cheers!