Infinity Plus One.

Check out: chartsnthings - A blog of data sketches from the New York Times Graphics Department

Wed, 02 May 2012 21:58:54 -0400

Check out: chartsnthings - A blog of data sketches from the New York Times Graphics Department:

The New York Times might be the gray lady of papers, but in some ways it has really embraced the modern age of technology. I am constantly in awe of the paper’s use of multimedia and fascinating data to drive home a story. Now they’ve created a tumblr which illustrates and narrates how they create their data points. It is fascinating and beautiful — even for a statistical dud like myself. I’m always fascinated by the why behind everything, and this gives a little peak into that, along with the how. Enjoy.

I’m going to need you to stick with me on this one,...

Tue, 01 May 2012 00:32:00 -0400

I’m going to need you to stick with me on this one, because I’m starting off with a story about my cat, Alabama. Forgive me.

Alabama, like many other cats, is very particular about his water. He refuses to drink the water from his own dish, preferring instead to steal from haphazardly kitty-accessible water glasses, or to drink from dishes in the sink, or to drink toilet water. While this last kitty water fountain was always disgusting, over the past half year it’s become worse. My roommate and I bought one of those “1000 Flushes!” tablets that leaves the water blue and facilitates with the toilet cleaning. And also turns the water into poison. We usually remember to shut the lid, but occasionally we find him drinking the blue water, which inevitably leads to me finding kitty vomit a few hours later. Every time this happens I find myself a little shocked by my cat: He’s smart! He should know better! But each time he’s left alone with an accessible toilet, he goes back for more. I have spent many hours shaking my head at Bama, in awe of how he fails to learn from his mistakes.

Then, a few weeks ago I found myself over the toilet bowl, sick from something that was in my meal from the mexican restaurant by my work. For the second time in a month. I realized the irony. Just because I should have known better didn’t mean I was learning from my mistakes. After acid reflux left me incredibly sick one night, I went back for more a few weeks later.

I love This American Life because it teaches me about interesting people throughout the country. But sometimes I love it because it tells about me. This episode, from a few weeks back, opens with stories from people with allergies, who know full well the repercussions of eating the crab or the cheese or the toast — and do it anyway. It’s aptly called “My Own Worst Enemy.” I’ve been struggling through my new stringent eating guidelines over the past year. No dairy gluten, dairy, eggs, beans and coffee. It’s usually only a matter of time before I slip up. Coffee is usually the first to go. When I do give in, there’s no one to blame but myself. And no one wants to hear the constant complaints of a regretful lactard after a slice of pizza. This isn’t perhaps the most deep episode of TAL, but definitely worth a listen — if nothing else than for a good laugh at others’ misfortune.

Read: NYTimes' 'Hashtag Activism and Its Limits'

Tue, 27 Mar 2012 01:33:00 -0400

Read: NYTimes' 'Hashtag Activism and Its Limits':

I’m a passionate and opinionated person. I don’t think anyone would argue that I have a shortage of opinions — some of which I’m probably too uninformed to rightfully have. Yet something about Internet activism has never appealed to me. That’s not to say I’ve never shared an article on Twitter or plugged a Vote Obama link. And it’s definitely not to say I don’t believe in the power of the written word. But something about what David Carr has branded as hashtag activism — spread virally through social media — has never appealed to me. For one thing, there’s the very nature of it: easy and fast spreading. For me, to believe in something, to understand and comprehend something, it has to be processed a bit longer than the latest meme. I can’t watch a single emotionally wrenching film on Kony and decide that’s the whole story. Activism for me needs to be a bit more deliberate and a bit harder. I watched a panel on this at SXSW earlier this month and they discussed many of the same points Carr brings up. Yes, all the petitions for Susan G. Komen and Planned Parenthood caused an uproar and, in the end, brought about some significant changes for the Komen Foundation, namely some prominent folks stepping down. But is this the same as actually getting off the couch and fighting for a change? Carr argues that while it isn’t the same, it still makes a difference. I am not arguing that it doesn’t make a difference, I just worry that hashtag activism will come to replace real, deliberate activism. And maybe on some level it doesn’t matter. Who cares that the people who shared a link opposing Komen’s move didn’t call their congressmen to protest. The companies and their congressmen got their call loud and clear. I’m more concerned that too many fights will the the wrong fight or an uneducated fight. As with so many things online, people are less concerned with being right and more concerned with being first and loudest. Before marching down to their senator or congressperson’s office, most people will at least do some research. But how much research do you have to do before sending out a tweet? Half the time you haven’t even finished the article before endorsing it.

I am inexplicably drawn to science writing. Strange, because I...

Tue, 06 Mar 2012 21:48:00 -0500

I am inexplicably drawn to science writing. Strange, because I never especially loved learning about science in an academic setting. But At a higher level, everything is so magical and mystical and perplexing and wonderful. This video is of the response astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson gave when a Times reader wrote to ask “What is the most astounding fact you can share with us about the Universe?” I can’t imagine a more perfect response.

When I look up at the night sky and I know that, yes, we are part of this Universe, we are in this Universe, but perhaps more important than most of those facts is that the Universe is in us. When I reflect on that fact, I look up — many people feel small, because they’re small, the Universe is big — but I feel big, because my atoms came from those stars. There’s a level of connectivity — that’s really what you want in life. You want to feel connected, you want to feel relevant. You want to feel like you’re a participant in the goings on and activities and events around you. That’s precisely what we are, just by being alive.

"There’s certain aspects to human existence that remain constant. The desire to get something right...."

Tue, 28 Feb 2012 15:25:29 -0500

“There’s certain aspects to human existence that remain constant. The desire to get something right. To feel that you’ve accomplished something. That you’ve mastered something. That’s what keeps me interested … it’s important to remember that everyone’s pursuits are important.”

- From Susan Orlean (my favorite): http://typecastshow.com/susan-orlean/

It’s a beautiful February day here in San Francisco...

Thu, 23 Feb 2012 14:06:46 -0500

It’s a beautiful February day here in San Francisco — feels like summer already. This video, reminiscent of warm summer nights in high school, makes me itch to go to a bonfire and be out late. Enjoy.

Read: The New Yorker's 'A Story of a Suicide'

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 00:44:50 -0500

Read: The New Yorker's 'A Story of a Suicide':

A story that had been covered and rehashed and dramatized in the media, this article takes an deeper look at the gay Rutgers student who took his life by jumping off the George Washington Bridge in 2010. It’s such a fascinating and fastidiously-researched read, that really reaffirms my strong belief in the importance of real journalism. Through many instant messages and tweets, the journalist pieced together a much more complete view of what happened to a young, tortured boy. I say more complete, but it’s still full of holes and almost harder to understand. It’s way easier to say: This gay teen was bullied by an evil, homophobic roommate than it is to simply not know. And that might just be what the truth is — a complicated mess of mistakes and accumulated cruelties and deep depression and loneliness.

Damn.

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 13:43:43 -0500

Damn.

Read: NYTimes' 'A Second Here a Second There May Just Be a Waste of Time'

Sat, 21 Jan 2012 23:04:00 -0500

Read: NYTimes' 'A Second Here a Second There May Just Be a Waste of Time':

Sometimes the world simultaneously baffles, amazes and amuses me. Such is the case discussed in this article, from Thursday’s Times, about the debate over the potential elimination of the leap second. In a relatively short read, the journalist details the controversy over the leap second — outlining the impassioned beliefs on either side of the argument, while acknowledging the strong constituency of “meh”s (only 16 nations have an opinion). Perhaps most interestingly, the article gets into just what time is, exactly. Because there are two types of time, astronomical and atomic, a leap second is built in to sync the two due to the earth’s slowing spin. A leap second is complicated in a world where businesses relying on accuracy in time, but without the leap second many many years from now we could be faced with a noon sunrise. Imagine how hard getting up to go to work would be then?! The entire article left me with a goofy wide-eyed grin on my morning commute — and less concerned about being a second late to work.

Resolute.

Sat, 21 Jan 2012 18:45:00 -0500

Tea > Coffee

Create > Consume

Learn > Watch

Now > Yesterday

For us ‘mericans, it’s tough to see two Swedish...

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 00:39:00 -0500

For us ‘mericans, it’s tough to see two Swedish sisters nail folk music. Doesn’t that belong to us, along with dusty sunsets, as a key part of Americana? Anyway, love this song and the entire rest of the album - have been listening to them on repeat all week.

As someone that grew up on Sunday night episodes of Nature on...

Tue, 03 Jan 2012 04:02:40 -0500

As someone that grew up on Sunday night episodes of Nature on PBS, I’m a sucker for a good animal video. I also love anything in nature that’s mysterious and unexplainable by scientists. Enjoy.

Maurice Sendak: On Life, Death And Children's Lit

Tue, 03 Jan 2012 01:05:10 -0500

Maurice Sendak: On Life, Death And Children's Lit:

NPR is rerunning some of it’s best interviews for the end of the year (I also recommend checking out this interview with Louis CK).

I found this interview with Maurice Sendak absolutely heartbreaking. There is something bittersweet about listening to someone talk about life with a full understanding that they are at the end of theirs. Sendak — someone who shaped my and about 90 percent of my peers’ childhoods — is honest and reflective and sad about being at the end.

“It’s something I’m finding out as I’m aging: that I’m in love with the world.”

Read: Deep Intellect - Inside the Mind of the Octopus

Sun, 06 Nov 2011 11:22:45 -0500

Read: Deep Intellect - Inside the Mind of the Octopus:

I have always loved octopuses. Well, I guess that’s not exactly true: I’ve always loved sea life. Whales were where my heart truly lie — otters, sure. Who doesn’t love dolphins? Truly, a visit to the aquarium is one of my favorite activities. But at the aquarium, the octopus tank always intrigues. Recently I risked a serious bout of car sickness by reading the whole Wikipedia entry on the octopuses (including it’s numerous subarticles and hyperlinks) to my reluctant audience, after giant octopuses were brought up on a drive back from Seattle.

This is a beautiful and eloquently written article about these fascinating creatures. It’s on the long side, but it’s absolutely worth your time. It left me with a strong desire to be able to touch one and feel it’s tiny suction cups — and see whether or not it approved of me, too.

I have been listening to this song on repeat for about a week....

Fri, 28 Oct 2011 19:54:50 -0400

I have been listening to this song on repeat for about a week. The video is great, too — although be warned it’s a bit NSFW. Or at least — odd for work.

When I was in fourth grade, I took summer school class on...

Tue, 11 Oct 2011 00:36:00 -0400

When I was in fourth grade, I took summer school class on whales. I’d always loved them, but I became obsessed after that point. Every fourth picture of me from that time period I’m in an orca whale shirt. I kept a file on whales, where I’d keep pamphlets, photos and information. I’d also indignantly correct anyone who used the word “killer whale.” Needless to say, I loved this. It’s beautiful artistic. Also, it’s about whales.

Read: NYTimes' "Lost in Paris"

Tue, 11 Oct 2011 00:04:00 -0400

Read: NYTimes' "Lost in Paris":

There are no cities I miss quite like Paris. Only it can stir up such a strong desire from reading a simple travel guide. But so many articles about Paris, or books, or movies (Midnight in Paris, Paris Je T’aime, Amelie) can make you feel like that. The city makes you nostalgic and sentimental, and so does the culture created in its honor. Even saying the phrase ‘Paris me manque’ hits me with a sudden urgency to go there. Manque just sounds like yearning. Somehow, even with my french as rusty and forgotten as it is, the sentence just pops into my head and rolls off my tongue.

I was still participating in distinctly Parisian endeavors. Reminiscing at meaningful corners, indulging in highbrow culture available nowhere else, eating more duck than one should eat — this is why we come to Paris in the first place. This is why I’d come to Paris, and why I’d kept coming back.

I love this image by Jen Maravillas, a SF-based artist. Check...

Mon, 10 Oct 2011 17:31:40 -0400

I love this image by Jen Maravillas, a SF-based artist. Check out more of her artwork here: http://jenmaravillas.com/. It’s currently the background on my work computer and I can’t stop staring.

Read: NYTimes' Free To Die

Wed, 21 Sep 2011 04:07:00 -0400

Read: NYTimes' Free To Die:

I have never followed politics adamantly. Not because I’m apathetic, but because the more I start to read and understand and comprehend, the more disheartened I become. I’m certain denial isn’t a lofty trait, but it’s where I’m left: blissfully ignorant 85 percent of the time. The truth is, with many topics — gay marriage, healthcare — I simply feel a strong gut feeling of what I know to be right. I feel so strongly I can’t understand people who don’t believe the same. Not like I don’t understand the concept of small government, but I don’t get not believing in basic human rights. I find myself rationalizing political moves that take away these rights, and when I read an article that seems to contradict that, I don’t know where to place it in my mind. Also - boy is our political system broken! Who doesn’t get exhausted following this crap?!

Beyond that prologue, I’m really not going to add to this editorial piece from the Times. I will say I find the whole article a little bit devastating. I have to believe the mob mentality was the impetus for the crowd yelling “let him die.” Because I don’t believe that the majority of people would simply let someone die because they didn’t have health insurance.

Eee - it’s so pretty and simple and nothing. Enjoy.

Wed, 21 Sep 2011 00:11:20 -0400

Eee - it’s so pretty and simple and nothing. Enjoy.