Author: Brendan Barry
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Electric Throat Share
For the last few weeks I have been working on my portfolio site as I update things. (Note to self, do not wait another 15 years before embarking upon such an update.) At the University of the Arts (requiescat in pace), I took an information design class wherein I spent a semester learning about the…
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Electing An Expert in Nameology
Congratulations on making it to Friday. Though it was a short week for my American audience. Now that the State’s Labour Day holiday has passed, the 2024 electoral season can begin in earnest. And to begin the insanity we have a helpful graphic from xkcd. Clearly I’m not cut out for high office with a…
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I Want a Pitcher Not a Back o’ Head Hitter
We’re about to go into the sportsball realm, readers. Baseball, specifically. Tuesday night, Atlanta Braves batter Whit Merrifield was hit in the back of the head by a 95 mph fastball. Luckily, modern ballplayers wear helmets. But at that velocity, one does not have the most reaction time in the world a number of other…
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I Didn’t Predict a Riot
Yesterday I wrote about a BBC graphics locator map that was perhaps not as helpful as possible. Well today I want to talk about another BBC map, though not in as critical a fashion. I landed upon this map whilst reading a series of updates about last month’s anti-immigrant riots throughout the United Kingdom—principally England.…
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Where in the World Is Carmen Santiagova?
In the grand scheme of things, this graphic is not the end of the world. On the other hand, it is probably more than half of the world. In particular, I am talking about this graphic from a BBC article about a recent helicopter crash on the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia’s Far East. As you…
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Crossing a State Off the List
Back in autumn 2023 I shared a map with which I keep track of where I’ve visited (and driven/ridden through). In the months since I’ve visited a few new places and decided to update the map. Most importantly, last autumn I visited Keane, New Hampshire for a day and so crossed the state off the…
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The .500 Red Sox
I initially made this datagraphic over the weekend, after watching the last few weeks of Boston Red Sox baseball wherein they continued to win a game, lose a game, resulting in an even .500 record. When I started, the graphic I sketched looked very different as I had included timelines and highlighted key moments where…
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My Irishness
Yesterday was Saint Patrick’s Day and those who have followed me at Coffeespoons—or more generally know me—are well aware that my background is predominantly Irish. Those same people probably also know of my keen interest in genealogy. And that’s what today’s post is all about. Irish genealogy is difficult because of the lack of records…
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The Sun’s Over the Yardarm Somewhere
It’s been a little while since my last post, and more on that will follow at a later date, but this weekend I glanced through the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board’s annual report. For those unfamiliar with the Commonwealth’s…peculiar…alcohol laws, residents must purchase (with some exceptions) their wine and spirits at government-owned and -operated shops. It’s…
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Cavalcante Captured
Well, I’ve had to update this since I first wrote, but had not yet published, this article. Because this morning police captured Danelo Cavalcante, the murderer on the lam after escaping from Chester County Prison, with details to follow later today. This story fascinates me because it understandably made headlines in Philadelphia, from which the…