Tag: data visualisation
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Just a Wee Bit Warm
This past weekend was a hot one in Philadelphia (and many other places across the eastern United States). As we enter July, the Philadelphia Inquirer published an article examining climate change’s impact on summer temperatures. Spoiler: it’s hotter. The article included two interactive line charts. The first one plotted the average high temperature of July…
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My First Half of Music (Records)
Two Christmases ago, my mother gifted me a record player. Ever since I have been slowly buying records—and then listening to them. And over the last year I have been recording those record plays and with 2026 now half over, I decided to run the numbers and see where I am at. As context, my…
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A Messi Hat Trick
Messi. Messy. Get it? The World Cup continues across North America, including in my own hometown of Philadelphia. Argentina has not played in the city, but even here in Philadelphia, you could hear of Lionel Messi’s scoring three goals—a hat trick—against Algeria a little more than a week ago. Messi, the famous Argentinian footballer, then…
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A Dan Miller Coronation?
Six weeks ago I created a small interactive chart on the news that Wes Streeting, the then British health secretary, resigned in order to challenge Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer for the leadership of the Labour Party. Six weeks hence, Starmer has resigned. Lo and behold, my interactive graphic still works: British Governments of My…
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New(ish) Data for the Old Country
One of the most popular pieces of content on my website over the last several years has been a datagraphic I designed, which explores the Slovakian census data from 2011 on the Carpatho–Rusyns of Slovakia. I wrote about it for Coffeespoons back in 2012. The Carpatho–Rusyns, as they are known in the United States and…
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Big Beautiful Ballroom
Last week the BBC published a look at the new White House ballroom promised by President Trump. The ballroom required demolishing the existing East Room. Instead of focusing on the legality of the move, I want to focus on the ever increasing cost of the project. The article does include a great before/after photograph of…
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Pain at the Pump Across the Pond
Over the past week I did a bit more driving than usual. Every single day I watched the digital display at the local Wawa tick up by a penny or two. But I read the news and see reports of fuel shortages and restrictions, especially in Europe and Asia. This morning the BBC reported on…
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Unnecessary Extra Labelling
I frequently criticise labelling the data values on bar charts, a style seemingly everywhere on the internets. Labels provide precise values, but if you need to see the precise value in a graphic, you don’t really need the graphic—you need a table. Enter this interactive graphic in an article from the BBC exploring hotel bookings…
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Maple Syrup Monday
This morning over breakfast I was reading an article in the Philadelphia Inquirer about Pennsylvania maple syrup production. My breakfast was oatmeal with maple syrup, cinnamon, and all space along with orange juice and a cup of tea. They talked about Pennsylvania’s production and compared it to Vermont’s, which made me want nothing more than…
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Rise of the Nutters
For most of my life I have been interested in British politics. I can recall talking with my mates about Tony Blair’s Prime Minister’s Questions (PMQs) in high school and at university. During the Brexit debate, my American friends would frequently ask me just what was going on across the pond. Through that point in…