Category: My Work
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A Refreshed Look at My Ethnic Heritage
Late last week I received an update on my ethnic breakdown from My Heritage, a competitor of Ancestry.com and other genealogy/family history/genetic ancestry companies. For many years, the genealogical community had been waiting for this long-promised update. And it has finally arrived. For my money, My Heritage’s older analysis, v0.95, did not align with my…
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For Whom the Teamsters Poll Tolls
The Teamsters Union decided to officially endorse neither candidate in the 2024 US presidential election. Prior to their non-announcement announcement, however, the union surveyed its members and then released the polling data ahead of the announcement. Of course, the teamsters represent but a single union in a large and diverse country. More importantly, the survey…
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Three-dimensional Charts Are Back, Baby
I thought three-dimensional charts died back in the 2010s. Alas, here we are in 2024 and I have to discuss one once again. have been following the Titan Inquiry this week and the opening presentation included this gem of data visualisation. To be fair, I do not know how many designers, let alone specialist information…
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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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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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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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It’s Been a Little While, But I Haven’t Gone Very Far
I last posted to Coffeespoons a year ago. Well, I’m back. Sort of. Over the last year, there has been a lot going on in my family and personal life. Suffice it to say that all’s now relatively well. But the last 12 months forced me to prioritise some things over other things, and a…