Ouch, this had to hurt a lot. You don’t get to see the actual impact in this video from YouTube, but the results are immedaite and obvious. This one goes into the Joe Theisman Hall of fame.
Park Problems in MJ
We’ve done our best here to keep tabs on what has been going on politically, environmentally, economically (all intertwined, of course) in the country’s National Parks. Some of it ain’t pretty and many of the problems the parks face have nothing to do with politics, but more with unavoidable trends of migration, human settlement and suburban sprawl. Last month one the the nation’s best magazines, National Geographic (yes, the yellow-bordered one, not one of the glossy off-shoots) ran a series on the problems the parks face. It was a nice piece of journalism, but left me feeling just a little hungry for more. Vanity Fair also ran a piece about a dissident superintendent n the park service that was also interesting, but again, didn’t fully articulate the issues the park’s face. Again, I was left a little hungry for facts.
Well, it looks like another adventure magazine is going to take a whack at it. I used to subscribe to Men’s Journal until every issue seemed to be about how to get rock hard abs. But the December 2006 is actually dong some real journalism and attempting to take on this very issue of what’s wrong with the parks (and/or those who administer them). The article is called “The Plot Against America’s Parks” and is unfortunately not online (another reason MJ bugs me) and I’m actually gong to plunk down some dollars for it and will try to review it here. But for those who want to get their hands on it there you go. Ad if you’ve read it, we’d be curious to hear what you think.
Worldmapper
Here is a very interesting new way to look at the world. A site called Worldmapper allows you to view the various countries of the world in relative size according to factors other than actual geography. Consider, for example, the map I chose here which shows population. Now, everyone knows that India and China are the most populated nations in the world. But in this image you can see how much larger their populations are than other countries like the US by the size they represent on the map.
Wee countries like Panama and Chile and Norway and, well, Guinea-Bissau, just kind of disappear. But population is kind of the obvious one. You can also view countries by private health spending (where the US looks as bloated as a mid-western teen with a fast food addiction) and HIV prevalence. Pretty neat new view of the world, eh?
Credit Cards & Travel
Turn away right now if you’re looking for advice on how-to avoid those hidden credit card fees that seem only to appear when you make a purchase in a French pastry shop in Paris or any foreign transaction at that. I’m not here to talk about those matters tonight. Instead I’m passing this Pittsburgh Post-Gazette story onto those who are interested in learning some history on their plastic pocketbook pals and wish to explore who deserves the credit for credit cards. My initial thought was no one should get credit for creating those debt generating cards, but on the flipside I couldn’t imagine life without them. Sad, but so true. When I want to book a flight to California I head to www dot ‘x’ travel search engine dot com, enter the credit card digits and wa-la! I’ve got an e-ticket to L.A.! I know who to fault when I carry a balance for too long – myself. But who is to thank?
Even though credit card references date as far back as 1890, when European merchants offered them as perks to their better customers, it is Frank McNamara who deserves most if not all for crafting the world’s first broad-use charge account. McNamara is said to have gotten the idea for the Diner’s Club card after an experience in 1949 where he left his wallet behind in another suit while dining out and though his old lady saved him from royally embarrassing himself it bothered him so much that he went and had a chat with his lawyer. The story goes on from there and a club for diners with a card to tote was created, but I won’t be the one to tell it in full. It’s an easy read if you give a half-hoot about credit topics and want to give thanks to the right man this Thanksgiving. Just think about all the trips you’ve charged on a card or the souvenirs you’ve plucked up because of the plastic!
Park Size Graphic
An interesting graphic from Park Remark about the various sizes of several National Parks. It’s a bit odd, but the point being that the circles’ size shows the likelihood that an acre in the Park System will be in a particular park.
Fairly obvious that St. Elias gets the biggest circle, followed by Denali, Glacier bay and Yellowstone. Or maybe it’s not so obvious since most people can probably only name four or five parks and most would say Yellowstone is the largest.