Examining How We Measure Our Lives
Commentary, critiques, and observations on information design and data visualisation
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Read on…: You Say You Want a Revolution…
If you have been living under a rock—or perhaps I should say isolated at an oasis deep in the Sahara—you may not have heard that these are some interesting times in northern Africa and the Middle East. Popular protests begat revolutions that have now toppled two governments, Tunisia and Egypt, and quite possibly a third in the near future, Libya.…
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Having Your (Presidential Birthday) Cake and Eating It Too
Read on…: Having Your (Presidential Birthday) Cake and Eating It TooPresidents’ Day originally celebrated the birthday of George Washington, the first president of the United States. (Though, one could get crazy and say it was actually Samuel Huntington, but I fear I would digress.) Now technically the holiday still does celebrate Washington as the official name of the federal holiday is Washington’s Birthday, but by and large we group folks…
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If Money Grew on Trees…
Read on…: If Money Grew on Trees…I would have become an arborist…alas, I am a mere designer in a world where trees shed leaves, not cash. The government, on the other hand, now that sheds a lot of cash. President Obama released his budget proposal for 2012, proposal because the responsibility actually falls to the House of Representatives to pass spending bills and budgets. The New…
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All You Need Is a Box of Chocolates, a Dozen Roses, a Pricey Dinner Reservation, a Fancy Bottle of Wine, Tickets to the Show…
Read on…: All You Need Is a Box of Chocolates, a Dozen Roses, a Pricey Dinner Reservation, a Fancy Bottle of Wine, Tickets to the Show…Valentine’s Day is a day both loved and loathed; I need not detail which groups feel which way. However, despite the dark history—think less hearts and love and more martyrdom and death—we have seen the lighter elements promoted by various causes from genuine love to commercial profits. But all things must have their symbols, especially if they are to be…
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Charging the Flux Capacitor: No Lightning Required.
Read on…: Charging the Flux Capacitor: No Lightning Required.My co-worker, Ben, who is far more knowledgable about cars than myself, brought the following to my attention. At the Consumer Electronics Show we always get to see the latest in cool, new, must-have toys. This year, however, a company called Fulton Innovations displayed a proof-of-concept, wireless charging-station for electric vehicles. And while one must wonder about the conservation and…
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South Sudan
Read on…: South SudanFor 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 war in Sudan and as…
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May I Have Pepperoni on That Pie (Chart)?
Read on…: May I Have Pepperoni on That Pie (Chart)?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 Domino’s adding more cheese to…
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The Candidate Says Tweet Tweet
Read on…: The Candidate Says Tweet TweetYesterday, 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 how it works. I understand…
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Scary Halloween Graphics
Read on…: Scary Halloween GraphicsI 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?
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How to Best Describe Oneself
Read on…: How to Best Describe Oneselffrom XKCD