Balloon Mapping From the Ground Up: Public Lab's Field Techniques Public Lab’s balloon- and kite-based mapping approach is a new way to take aerial images from the ground. However, there are some considerations and things that can be learned from a few map stories. Each map project has distinct characteristics in its time, place, and local atmospheric conditions. Here are several examples of how those factors make each balloon and kite map unique. Lake Merritt (Oakland, Calif.) This map was created on a late July morning. In some cases, the balloon is lowered all the way back to the ground to get around or under things. UC Davis Campus (Davis, Calif.) This map was made on a foggy November morning in California’s Central Valley. After the first hour, the sun started to burn through, and we were able to fly at our goal altitude of 500 feet. Sunol Ag Park (Sunol, Calif.) While doing a scheduled flight at a community agricultural park, we encountered clear weather with high winds. Chandeleur Islands (Louisiana)
INDONESIAN HANGUL. Exciting news for writing-system aficionados: the Yonhap News Agency reports that “A minority tribe in Indonesia has chosen to use Hangeul as its official writing system, in the first case of the Korean alphabet being used by a foreign society.” The tribe in question is on the island of Buton, in or around the city of Bau-Bau (which the Yonhap story gives as “Bauer and Bauer”); a Korea Herald story specifies the language as “Jjia jjia,” which would suggest that it’s Ethnologue’s Cia-Cia (population 79,000, alternate names Boetoneezen, Buton, Butonese, Butung, South Buton, Southern Butung). As Victor Mair at the Log says, “That’s one small step for [an] alphabet, one giant leap for the Korean people [and their economy].”
book2 Audio Trainer - Learn 50 Languages Online for Free Free language lessons in over 50 languages book2 contains 100 lessons that provide beginners with a basic vocabulary. With no prior knowledge, you will learn to fluently speak short sentences in real-world situations in no time. The book2 method successfully combines audio and text for effective language learning. Learn Spanish, German, Italian, French, Chinese in quick and easy lessons The 100 lessons help you to quickly learn and use a foreign language in various situations (e.g. in a hotel or restaurant, on a vacation, small talk, getting to know people, shopping, at the doctor, at the bank etc.). Learn more about our Voice Talents! Learn Spanish and over 50 other languages online with book2
Who Owns the Media? Broadcasters make billions in profits while using the public airwaves for free. In return, they are supposed to provide programming that fulfills community needs. Instead, lobbyists have successfully fought to make it easier for broadcast companies to gobble up even more free airspace while doing less to serve the public. Take Action to end the big broadcast swindle. 2011 Revenue: $6.2 billion Company Overview: These private equity firms own Clear Channel, the largest radio station owner in the country. Radio: 866 radio stations and Premiere Radio Networks (a national radio network that produces, distributes or represents approximately 90 syndicated radio programs, serves nearly 5,800 radio station affiliates and has over 213 million weekly listeners. Other: Katz Media (radio advertising broker); American Outdoor Advertising 2011 Revenue: $14.2 billion Radio: CBS Radio and 130 radio stations Online Holdings: CBS Interactive; CNET Print: Simon & Schuster; Watch! Entertainment: CBS Films
Census Maps Using Word Frequency From 19 Million Dating Website Profiles Chicago area Each decade the United States government embarks on a census of its entire population in order to update population numbers and demographic information that aids in the allocation of Congressional seats, electoral votes, and government program funding. But as helpful and interesting as this data is, what does it really tell us about who we are? What about our likes, dislikes, feelings, and the ways we choose to define ourselves? To join a dating site you have to, quite literally, “put yourself out there”, describing yourself for the express purpose of being liked. I joined twenty-one dating sites in order to make my own census of the United States in 2010. These maps contain 20,262 unique words, based on the analysis of online dating profiles from 19,095,414 single Americans. Below are some examples of maps where locations are substituted with words people used to describe themselves. Central Texas California Michigan “Bored” (male vs. female) “Lonely” (male vs. female)
Eda This piece is about 15 printed pages long. It is copyright © Murat Nemet-Nejat and Kent Johnson and Jacket magazine 2009. See our [»»] Copyright notice. The Internet address of this page is Murat Nemet-Nejat is the poet of Turkish Voices and Io’s Song. Kent Johnson: Murat, you’ve edited — if that is the appropriate word for your relationship to such an unusual book — the largest selection of modern and contemporary Turkish poetry available in English. Murat Nemet-Nejat: Soon after EDA had come out, I gave two readings at The University of Maine. Of course, there is an element of truth to his and others’ response. In other words, the sense of gossipy scandal which seems to have surrounded EDA at its publication intuitedan element of truth about the book, though a truth more complex than some people thought. KJ: Fascinating. KJ: Jack Spicer is all the fashion now. k. #75 post naked lunch panislamic femininity MNN: I completely agree.
Reading Comprehension Worksheets "Your reading comprehension materials are the best I've found on the web. They are so thorough and comprehensive! My students and I have learned a lot from them. Thanks so much!" -- Susan B., Carter, KY. 03/21/12 Like these materials? On this page you will find our complete list of high quality reading comprehension worksheets created specially by our team for students in grade levels K-12. READTHEORYWorkbooks Visit our online store here! Our reading comprehension worksheets teach students to think critically, draw inferences, understand scope and global concepts, find or recall details, and infer the meaning of useful vocabulary words. © COPYRIGHT NOTICE: The below publications contain copyrighted work to be used by teachers in school or at home. Grade 1 - Find more here! Phew! You really really like reading comprehension. Critical Thinking Reading Comprehension Worksheets Short Story Reading Comprehension Worksheets Answers for this series are included at the end of each worksheet."
The world’s top 50 billionaires: A demographic breakdown. Top 50 Billionaire Breakdown If you asked anyone to picture the wealthiest person in the world at any given time, you could bet on some common denominators: probably a man; probably somehow attached to the words “multinational” or “conglomerate”; probably on a yacht off a private island. With Slate’s Top 50 Billionaire Breakdown, we attempt to visualize the richest of the rich by paring them into demographic categories: age, location, industry, source of wealth, education, and religious affiliation. Some of the sortings are heartening: There are more self-made men than born-rich kids in the top 50, and the self-made billionaires’ total wealth is bigger. A note on methodology: To determine rankings for the top 50, we first consulted the most recent Forbes World's Billionaires List, but then switched to the Bloomberg Billionaires list, which updates daily and is a typically snazzy and info-dense product of Bloomberg Visual Data.
How We Use Maps and Globes: An Illustrated Guide from 1968 by Maria Popova A charming reminder of how far we’ve come — and what we’ve given up along the way. Yesterday, we traced the birth of our modern obsession with maps. But in today’s age of cartographic entitlement — the kind that causes an epidemic of panic and outrage at having one kind of Earth-in-your-pocket over another — it’s hard to believe we once had to be taught how to use maps and why they mattered. That’s precisely what the delightful vintage grade school primer How We Use Maps and Globes (public library) does. Originally published in 1968 as part of the same Social Studies Program series that gave us How People Live in the Suburbs, the slim 48-page book explores the basics of distance, scale, direction, and orientation through vibrant illustrations, black-and-white photographs, and simple words. One of the most beautiful illustrations in the book is this map of bird migration patterns: Donating = Loving Bringing you (ad-free) Brain Pickings takes hundreds of hours each month.
old and new DST Video Lesson: Mr. Bean / the future Follow me on twitter This is a video lesson based around the video “Mr. Bean packs his suitcase” thanks to British Council for bringing it to my attention in their lesson plan on making predictions but I’ve adapted it for use in different ways with different levels. Kids and lower levels The aim of this lesson plan is to practice holiday vocabulary (clothes and items that go in a suitcase) and some basic grammar structure. Project a picture of a suitcase on to the board (or draw one) and ask “What do you put in your suitcase when you go on holiday?” toothbrushtoothpasteswimming shorts/trunkstowelunderpantscan of baked beanscloth/flannelsoapbooksuitcasetrousersshortsshoesteddy bearscissors You could also use this quizlet set to go over clothes vocabulary. If children are old enough to write, put them in pairs and hand out post-it-notes and a pencil to each pair. Mr. in his suitcase. Then stick all the post-its on the board and show the video. Higher levels – video dictations Objects: Verbs:
Anarchism or Marxism? — ChinaWorker.info What are the political differences between anarchism and marxism, and do they still matter in the new international situation? Vincent Kolo, chinaworker.info There are areas of common ground between anarchism and marxism – in opposing bureaucracy, for example, and in seeking the destruction of the capitalist state, in contradistinction to reformists who want gradual change within the existing state. But there are also important differences between marxism and anarchism on questions of theory, programme and methods. Marxists and socialists cooperate with anarchist groupings in many day-to-day struggles, for example against fascist parties, or within the broader international movement against capitalist globalisation (such as the anti-G8 or the coming anti-APEC protests in Australia). For anarchists the explanation for the betrayals of the former workers’ parties is simple: all political parties are inherently evil and corrupt! 1. 2. ”Middle-class socialism” 3. 4. 5. 6.
David Rumsey Historical Map Collection | The Collection Dark Kitchen: Uncivilising the Table Today we begin a new series that explores food and eating in times of collapse. During this Lenten month we’ll travel through different kingdoms and terrains, sharpening our appetites and cooking knives, in the company of artists, filmmakers, writers and activists – starting with an introduction by series editor Charlotte Du Cann. Medlars in a Sieve by Food/ Still life photography: Sue Atkinson www.sueatkinson.co.uk We are looking at a plate. Tiny translucent slices of fish are artfully arranged around its rim. It is 1990 and we are in a Japanese restaurant in downtown Manhattan. We are looking at a plate. This is a story about food and powerdown. This is a series called Dark Kitchen: a set of pieces that will look at and question the culture of food in times of fall. Our focus will not be on the labyrinth, the whirlygig of distribution centres and trucks that thunder along our roads, all the data and polemic, but on finding the dancing floor beneath it. Powerdown Seven vegetable tagine