Examining How We Measure Our Lives
Commentary, critiques, and observations on information design and data visualisation
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Read on…: State of the Union Data
Well there was a lot to poke and prod at in last night’s State of the Union. So over the next couple of days I will be looking at some of the data. I wanted to start with something I could look at over breakfast—unemployment rate data. President Trump claimed unemployment rates are at the lowest rate in…I forget how…
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All Your Base Are Belong to Internets
Read on…: All Your Base Are Belong to InternetsOver the weekend news broke that since November, plans for military bases around the world were available to anyone and everyone on the internets. How? Why? Well, it turns out that soldiers using wearable tech to track their rides or cycling routes had forgotten to disable that feature whilst on military installations. And so when the company collecting the data…
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Remapping the 2016 Election
Read on…: Remapping the 2016 ElectionToday’s post clearly fits within the storyline of mapping, redistricting, and gerrymandering over the last week or so, but the work is a bit older. (Side note, the previously highlighted Pennsylvania 7th Congressional District, well it is in the news for a different story, its congressman just announced he would not be standing for reelection because of a sexual harassment…
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Gerrymandering Again
Read on…: Gerrymandering AgainThe last two weeks we twice looked at gerrymandering as it in particular impacted Pennsylvania, notorious for its extreme gerrymandered districts. And now that the state will have to redraw districts to be less partisan, will Pennsylvania usher in a series of court orders from other state supreme courts, or even the federal Supreme Court, to create less partisan maps?…
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Gerrymandering Pennsylvania Followup
Read on…: Gerrymandering Pennsylvania FollowupRemember how last week I wrote about gerrymandering in Pennsylvania? It was as the State Supreme Court was about to hear a case involving the partisan redistricting in 2011, widely perceived as one of the most egregious examples of gerrymandering in the nation. Well yesterday afternoon the State Supreme Court ruled that yes, Virginia, Pennsylvania was egregiously gerrymandered and the…
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Cloudy in Europe
Read on…: Cloudy in EuropeDuring my travels in Europe, I enjoyed very little sunshine. It did not rain often, but the skies were overcast in both Scandinavia and London. Turns out that at least in January, after my trip, Europe was covered in an inordinate amount of sunshine. The Guardian covered the story, with a graphic showing just how little sunshine has been seen…
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Triple Decker Sandwiches
Read on…: Triple Decker SandwichesI am working from home today, which likely means finding a little cafe or sandwich shop for lunch. And that is the only reason I am sharing this post from xkcd. Credit for the piece goes to Randall Munroe.
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Gerrymandering Pennsylvania
Read on…: Gerrymandering PennsylvaniaHere in Pennsylvania this week, the state Supreme Court will hear arguments on the legality of congressional districts drawn by Republicans in 2010. The state is rather evenly split between Republicans and Democrats, e.g. Donald Trump won by less than one percentage point or less than 45,000 votes. But 13 of its 18 congressional districts are represented by Republicans, roughly…
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The NHS Winter Crisis
Read on…: The NHS Winter CrisisIn the United Kingdom, the month of January has been less than stellar for the National Health Service, the NHS, as surgeries have been cancelled or delayed, patients left waiting in corridors, and a shortage of staff to cope with higher-than-usual demand. But another problem is the shortage of hospital beds, which compounds problems elsewhere in hospitals and health services. The…