Campanastan

What If the Largest Countries Had the Largest Populations?

Interesting post from The Independent.

Read the whole story here. Click on the map to enlarge it.

"Sometimes I think war is God's way of teaching us geography." - Paul Rodriguez

Ebola: The Story Behind That @BW Cover

I'm sure you were taken aback when this recent issue of Bloomberg Businessweek hit the stands last week. I sure was.

The cover struck me as being over the top, to put it mildly. Sensationalism, anybody? This 'cover trail' recently appeared:

Here is the story behind 'that cover'.

“It’s not true that you never learn from history. You do, but then you forget.” – Martin Wolf

Correlation and Causation...Explained

Where else? At xkcd!

By the way - Randall Munroe's book is out. 

I had a statistics class like this in grad school. I think it helped me, too.

"Statistics always remind me of the fellow who drowned in a river whose average depth was only three feet." - Woody Hayes

Show Me Your Gun Stores and I'll...I'll...I'll Show You This Map!

Not sure how significant this is but it's here's an interesting graphic from Christopher Ingraham at the Washington Post. 

 

Go to the original source to see an interactive version Wonder how one would count a combination gun shop - gun museum? 

Don't forget - you can find a lot of knowledge on the Internet, and all of it is true!

For some reason this graphic reminds me of Warren Zevon's Lawyers, Guns and Money. 

"Ideas are more powerful than guns. We would not let our enemies have guns, so why should we let them have ideas?" - Joseph Stalin

Oh, Canada - Bear Impedes the Mail in Greater Vancouver!

This is from Huffington Post Canada.

Be sure to read the entire post - interesting Twitter exchange between the recipient and Canada Post.

“Love is a bear dressed up like a honeybee. It’s all good, unless you’re a salmon swimming in a stream of honey.
” - Jarod Kintz

Cat Washing Made Simple; Disapproval Expressed

Cute, even for a cat lover.

 Galahad is NOT amused! He's wishing he had opposable thumbs so that he could purchase and use a handgun.

 

"What greater gift than the love of a cat.” - Charles Dickens

"Dream on." - Unknown

Feline Revenge: Accidents Do Happen

Mary Frances sent me this picture. Galahad is looking at me right now with a similar mien.

"A cat is an example of sophistication minus civilization." - Anonymous

A Book for the Ages: The Atlas of Prejudice

Check it out here: The Atlas of Prejudice.

Some samples follow.

What's with the 'WTF?' for the South Caucasus?

Wonderful!

Thanks to Fast Company.

"Prejudice is a great time saver. You can form opinions without having to get the facts." - E.B. White

Philosophers, Economists & Artists (Thanks to Banksy)

From the mind and hand of graffiti artist Banksy.

I've also posted this graphic on my WaterWired blog today, albeit with a specific interpretation: how we view water.

"Philosophers are people who don't want what they can't get." - Unknown

Listen Up, Guys! James Brown Makes the Best Speech of His Life on Domestic Violence

James Brown makes a remarkabkle statement on domestic violence on 11 September 2014. Who would have imagined this before an NFL game, much less one involving the Pittsburgh Steelers (Ben Roethlisberger) and the Baltimore Ravens (Ray Rice)?

You go, James!

Guys, it's in our court.

 

"Our silence is deafening and deadly." - James Brown

A 9/11 Happy Ending! @ProfKeefe Finds the Folks in the Photo

E. Stringer Keefe has sent this photo around on Twitter every 9/11 in hopes of finding the owner. It was found in the rubble of the World Trade Center.

There is a happy ending to this story. Read here.

Amazing!

Thanks to Brian Jordan for bringing this to my attention.

"Happiness is as a butterfly which, when pursued, is always beyond our grasp, but which if you will sit down quietly, may alight upon you. " - Nathaniel Hawthorne 

Why Cat Racing Is So Boring

As if I had to tell you this.

And here is what Galahad thinks of this.

"Cats are intended to teach us that not everything in nature has a purpose." -- Garrison Keillor

Equal Rights? Whose 'Equal Rights'?

From Jeffrey Levin. 

'Exactly.' - Jeffrey Levin

Honduran Villagers and Mary Frances Get a Library!

After 35 years a professional librarian, why not?

Today, in the village of Monte Vista in Honduras, villagers dedicated a library in honor of Mary Frances. It is part of the kindergarten school building, and, like the school, serves six communities in the rugged region in the Municipio of Omoa. The library serves all but will focus on the children. 

The library was the villagers' idea. They know the importance of reading and knowledge and wanted their children to have a better education in a country where only a sixth-grade education is required and provided by the 'benevolent souls' in Tegucigalpa. Why give your citizens a high-school education when one half as much will do fine, thank you very much.

Amigo Rolando López will donate a computer or two. Wireless Internet? Perhaps that will come to pass.

The villagers donated 370 person-days and 95 mule-days (hauling stuff) in time to construct the library. The Ann Campana Judge Foundation used several hundred dollars left over from village water projects in the area to help purchase building materials. Mary Frances and I also made up the shortfall. 

A huge celebration and program was organized by librarian-teacher Maria del Carmen Ramirez (shown below with Rolando). Students sang, performed, and put on skits. Five hundred tamales were consumed!

Maria with performers. Patronato Melvin Chávez observes from the doorway.

The library is the right door. Below is the plaque for Mary Frances in the library. The translation:

Mary Frances Campana worked in libraries in the U.S. for 35 years. She held management and information research positions in government, public, university and corporate libraries. She taught library science skills in rural California libraries and set up a library for a Panamanian environmental organization. Mary Frances also holds a Masters degree in Spanish, with a specialization in Latin American literature.  Her favorite pastimes are supporting her husband Michael's work in water resources, reading and riding horses.

 When one man saw her picture, he said to me, 'Su hija es muy bonita' ('Your daughter is very beautiful'). I just smiled and said 'Si'. 

Great people, great library, great spouse!

"Reading maketh a full person; conference a ready person; and writing an exact person."  - apologies to Francis Bacon (who used the male gender)