Author: Brendan Barry

  • South Sudan

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    Brendan Barry
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    For those who may not be aware, part of Africa’s largest country is holding a referendum on whether it should remain a part of Sudan or secede and become an independent state, Southern Sudan—though one wonders if they would not come up with a different name. About 2005 a peace agreement all-but-ended a decades-long civil…

  • May I Have Pepperoni on That Pie (Chart)?

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    Brendan Barry
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    I love pizza. I think most people do too, though, we can all disagree on whether thin crust or thick crust is better. Yet as someone who has now eaten both…well…I shall not wade into the matter. But, I will toss up this piece from the New York Times. The paper has an article about…

  • The Candidate Says Tweet Tweet

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    Brendan Barry
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    Yesterday, the New York Times released this interactive piece to look at the popularity of particular candidates in that seemingly ubiquitous world of Twitter. Perhaps it was inevitable that the Times or somebody else would create something like this. Regardless, it is out there and I have to say, I am left confused. No, not by the…

  • Scary Halloween Graphics

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    Brendan Barry
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    I appreciate that people will want scary graphics given the upcoming holiday. But like many other things in life, that does not mean I want to actually see them. Alas, this comes from the BBC on an article about the holiday’s growth in the United Kingdom. Need I count the ways?

  • How to Best Describe Oneself

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    Brendan Barry
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    from XKCD

  • Fast and Shiny Trains

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    Brendan Barry
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    This is another comparison of high-speed lines and how woefully inadequate American infrastructure is in this particular department. The graphic comes via the Chicago Tribune in support of this article, wherein the outgoing mayor states the need for a high-speed line to link downtown Chicago to O’Hare International Airport. Apparently his desire for such speedy transit…

  • Midwestern Shrinkage

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    Brendan Barry
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    The United States was founded on the East Coast as English (and the odd Scottish) colonies with the old cities of Philadelphia, Boston, and New York. These first colonies became the original 13 states. Ever since the 18th century, we have expanded westward into the Ohio Territory, the Northwest Territory, French colonies, Spanish colonies turned…

  • Growing Pains

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    Brendan Barry
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    This piece comes from my coworker, Ben, who found the graphic in Scientific American. Broadly speaking the piece is looking at the obese and the overweight in the United States, comparing the numbers of both children and adults in 1980 to 2008. These numbers are supplemented by the risk of death posed to both men…

  • Monday Mornings Are Annoying As…

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    Brendan Barry
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    It’s Monday. The day of the week we hate the most when we realise that we really do have to wake up. Myself, I on occasion throw in some choice words as I swat my alarm clock. This graphic, from xkcd, is apropos as—well, you get the idea.

  • The United States According to (Southeastern) Pennsylvania

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    Brendan Barry
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    After being inspired by the Europe from Europe maps, last night I created a map of the United States, as seen by someone from southeastern Pennsylvania.