Examining How We Measure Our Lives

Commentary, critiques, and observations on information design and data visualisation

The New American Center

Oct 16, 2013

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by

Brendan Barry

in Infographic

NBC News and Esquire magazine published results from their August survey of some 2000+ respondents that attempted to define the New American Center, i.e. the political persuasions of the majority of the country excepting the radical right and the loony left. For the purposes of Coffee Spoons, I am most interested in looking at the […]
Read on…: The New American Center
Deconstructing the International Space Station

Oct 15, 2013

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by

Brendan Barry

in Infographic

Gravity was released recently. You know, that film about a station in space that gets hit by something and drama ensues. The Washington Post has this fantastic infographic that illustrates how the station was built over the past 15 years. Scroll down the page and watch the station deconstruct itself into its initial Russian power […]
Read on…: Deconstructing the International Space Station
How British is Great Britain?

Oct 14, 2013

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by

Brendan Barry

in Infographic

Well, you will have to click through to the article for that data visualisation. But, I will provide you with the choropleth map of national identities. That is, how English do citizens in English authorities consider themselves? Scottish in Scotland? Welsh in Wales? Credit for the piece goes to Mark Easton.
Read on…: How British is Great Britain?
The Future of Data Visualisation

Oct 11, 2013

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Brendan Barry

in Infographic

Happy Friday, everyone. According to xkcd, I am failing the future test. That is to say, by 2019, I will be unable to communicate data through infographics or create data visualisations. Credit for the piece goes to Randall Munroe.
Read on…: The Future of Data Visualisation
Where Medicaid is Not Expanding is Where it is Needed Most

Oct 10, 2013

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by

Brendan Barry

in Infographic

Last summer, the Supreme Court ruled that most of the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, was constitutional. The one exception, however, was the plan to force states to expand their Medicaid coverage. Medicaid is the government plan tasked with helping to provide health insurance to the poor. But between the poverty level and […]
Read on…: Where Medicaid is Not Expanding is Where it is Needed Most
Boston’s 2013 Season

Oct 9, 2013

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Brendan Barry

in Infographic

If you’re not a Boston Red Sox fan, what’s wrong with you? Well, okay, so long as you’re not a Yankees fan, you’re not that bad. Anyway, the Boston Globe looked at the 2013 Red Sox season. Game by game, inning by inning. And because Boston is now advancing to the American League Championship Series, […]
Read on…: Boston’s 2013 Season
The Republicans Who Support a Clean Budget Resolution

Oct 8, 2013

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Brendan Barry

in Infographic

Yesterday, we looked at the new Conservative Party of America. But those are the votes that John Boehner fears to upset—and possibly fracture his party and cost him his job—if he should let a clean budget resolution come to the floor and should it pass. But why would it pass if it needs 217 votes […]
Read on…: The Republicans Who Support a Clean Budget Resolution
The Conservative Party of America

Oct 7, 2013

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by

Brendan Barry

in Infographic, My Work

We enter our second week of the government shutdown. Of course, blame for the shutdown falls largely upon a small number of conservative Republican members of the House, bolstered by Senator Cruz (R-TX) and his allies in the Senate. But we already know that there are a number of moderate Republicans who want to pass […]
Read on…: The Conservative Party of America
The Wars of Tom Clancy’s Universe(s)

Oct 4, 2013

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by

Brendan Barry

in Infographic

Tom Clancy died this week. Among other novels, he authored the Hunt for Red October, Clear and Present Danger, and Patriot Games—those three were made into movies. So you may very well have heard of the man. Over at Business Insider, they mapped out the Clancy world by colouring those countries against which the United […]
Read on…: The Wars of Tom Clancy’s Universe(s)
Paying Federal Employees

Oct 3, 2013

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by

Brendan Barry

in Infographic

The Washington Post put together this infographic looking at paydays for federal employees who will still be working during the shutdown, e.g. military service personnel. Of course, if the shutdown drags on, the paychecks for those still working would be delayed. Credit for the piece goes to Lisa Rein and Todd Lindeman.
Read on…: Paying Federal Employees