Fireworks

Where can you buy fireworks for the 4th of July? It is illegal in many states.

From the National Council on Fireworks Safety:



#210

Brave n00b World

Who says there are no new lands to discover and explore?

At Interesting 2008, James Wallis, geophysicist and game design consultant, presented some findings from his recent research:

I have spent the last few months on sabbatical, visiting a persistent fantasy world known as ‘Of Warcraft’. During this time I have made some preliminary observations about the nature of the world, which I am going to publish here in a series of short papers. It is my hope that this work may lead to further examination of this curious habitat, and the foundation of the academic field of Azerothian Studies, with a nice chair and honorarium for myself, &tc. &tc.

Among his findings, he as determined that the size of "Of Warcraft" is approximately 113 square kilometers; roughly the size of Newcastle. Additional findings discuss the size of "Of Warcraft" as a planetoid, as well as physics and time relativity issues.

Clearly, more reasearch is called for. View the full lecture below or here.



Thanks to Hunter for the link.


#209

Evan Crossing the US

In March of this year, Evan, twenty-three years old, left his home in Northern California and began his walk across the United States. Monday this week we had the pleasure of hosting him for a night here in Dayton, Ohio.

He had many interesting stories to share, and good conversation. We could have gone late into the night, if most of us didn't have to go to work the next day... Some of his adventures are chronicled in his blog: Evans crazy ass adventures crossing the US ect. Unfortunately, his Flagr map stopped working about halfway through Missouri:



From Dayton, he will continue across Ohio to Pennsylvania. His goal is to make it to Massachusetts by the end of the summer.

Ms. Cartophiliac connected with Evan via the Couch Surfing Project, a "worldwide network for making connections between travelers and the local communities they visit." These connections provide opportunities for individuals to find a free "couch" to stay the night while traveling, and maybe make a few new friends along the way.

Each dot on this map shows locations where couch surfers might be able to find a friendly sofa:



Evan has used this network to connect with Couch-Hosts from Europe to China. After he is done with this trip, he says he's off to Japan. Good luck on your trek, Evan. May your feet find soft highways...


#208

Maps On The Brain

A selection of recent publications with maps on the cover:

A book:

The Political Mind: Why You Can't Understand 21st-Century American Politics with an 18th-Century Brain by George Lakoff

The author attempts to explain why a great number of Americans actually vote against their own interests.



Some magazines:





The cover of this issue of The New Yorker (June 23, 2008) features cover art, “Summer Job”, by Bruce McCall.

If you cannot make out the detail, it fancifully depicts bears checking in and out of the "Employees Entrance" at a National Park, while the tourist are reminded, "No picnicing in Buffalo Wallows."

If you look very closely, you can see that, yes indeed, there is a map! A "You Are Here" map of the park for the tourists.

This cover reminds me of the old Warner Brothers Cartoon where Ralph the wolf and Sam the sheepdog clock in, as buddies, before battling over the sheep.



“Subway Man”, by Roz Chast, graces the June 30 issue of The New Yorker. A stressed out commuter IS the transit map of Manhattan.

Finally, the June 21, 2008, issue of the New Scientist magazine features a very hot looking planet Earth, for a cover story on global warming.


#207

Google Maps Finds Me

Earlier this month, Google Maps added my town to their Street View feature. Now you can "drive" down my street and see my home:



I showed the feature to one of my co-workers and he was a bit freaked out... but then I think he also worries about black helicopters and other creepy conspiracy theories.

But then again... maybe we do need to worry about Google Maps Gone Bad...


#206

Cicadanator

In 2004, my part of the country, and much of the east coast (New York to North Carolina and inland to Illinois and Michigan) was inundated by the Brood X of cicadas. These harmless insects spend most of their 17-year life cycle under ground, then emerge together to create a ruckus with their mating calls. They are loud. Some cicadas produce sounds up to 120 dB "at close range", among the loudest of all insect-produced sounds. Imagine millions of them in your trees for several weeks during the summer. It can be deafening.

Fortunately, we only have to put up with Brood X here every 17 years. Folks in Kentucky, Pennsylvania and Massachusets are currently experiencing Brook XIV:



Get up to date cicada news at Cicada Mania.

These bugs don't bite. They don't spread disease. They just make a lot of noise, make some babies, then die. Low in fat and high in protein cicadas could actually make a healthy snack! However, during their swarm they can be annoying as they fly about, then leave their carcasses to crunch underfoot. An enterprising entrepreneur in 2004 attempted to cash in on the cicada craze by "inventing" the Cicadanator:





I don't know how well he cashed in on the fad, but the website is no longer functioning.

Thanks to Hunter for the Cicadanator images!


#205

Map Catalog of the Week

Who doesn't love maps? I recently discovered two more blogs focusing on interesting maps:

Map of the Week has been highlighting a new map every week since 2005! The author, "Dug", calls himself a "Cartographer/GIS/map nut by trade originally from Philadelphia now living in exile outside of Boston, Mass." This week's map takes a look at the Map of Web Trends from Information Architects:



Mary Ann Vance started a new blog last month, that she calls "Map Catalog". I presume that Mary Ann is also a cartographic professional of one sort or another (educator?). Her blog posts highlight different types and styles of maps. Her choice of an example of a planimetric map was a stroke of genius!

In a recent post, she offers a population density dot distribution map from the U.S. Census Bureau. The brighter the dot, the higher the population density:




#204

Origins Game Fair

This weekend, I am attending the Origins Game Fair in Columbus, Ohio. Origins is one of the largets consumer game shows in the country. Dungeons & Dragons, collectible card games, minatures, family games, strategic board games and everything in between will be played, demonstrated, bought and sold. Thousands of gamers, game designers, publishers and distributors will be at the Columbus Convention Center.



If you're looking for me at Origins, most likely you will find me in the "Boardroom", a special section set aside for board games, operated by the Columbus Area Boardgaming Society. If not there, then I'll be with the Train Gamers Association, playing games like Railroad Tycoon and Ticket to Ride.




#203

Why Guys Won't Ask For Directions Part 2

Why Guys Won't Ask For Directions Part 1



From PostSecret.com, the repository of secrets on postcards.

Carto-Kudos to the first Carto-Commenter who can identify the city depicted on this postcard

Ding Ding Ding! Of course it is Bangkok. First place goes to Brian!


#202

Forvik the Free

It looks like it is time to write a new chapter for the Lonely Planet Micronations (Previously noted here).

The tiny island of Forvik, population one, part of the Shetland Islands, has declared independence



No, this is not one of Michael5000's Forgotten Lands... it is a REAL ISLAND.



The owner of the island, Stuart "Captain Calamity" Hill promises to issue currency, stamps and a new flag.


#201