Category Archives: Fun Stuff

World Reef Map

Posted on by
Reply

Healthy coral reefs are some of the most biodiverse ecosystems on the planet, leading some to call reefs the rainforests of the sea. Coral reefs are also threatened by ocean acidification caused by pollution, overfishing, and more. Check out this wonderful interactive atlas of coral reefs in remote locations around the world. You can explore the map by selecting a pin or using the menu to choose a location, then zoom into a specific island area within that location to view a colorful detailed map of its reefs different habitat areas, many of which are accompanied by underwater videos. This online map also includes GIS tools enabling you to measure and analyze specific reef habitats. These and other features are explained in the map’s useful help section. Check it out!

reefs

The Transcontinental Railroad

Posted on by
Reply

150 years ago the completion of the transcontinental railroad on May 10, 1869 marked an important milestone in the history of the United States with the joining of the populated east with the growing cities and towns of the west. Stanford University, with its connection to Leland Stanford and Timothy Hopkins, holds in its libraries an impressive array of materials related to this monumental achievement including the often overlooked contributions of the Chinese railroad workers. A new Spotlight exhibit, Transcontinental Railroad, pulls together this material to give an overview of the people and places that played a role in transforming the west.  There are maps too!  Check it out.

screen20shot202019-04-1520at202.59.1820pm__1555365572078__w1688

Tax Freedom Day 2019

Posted on by
Reply

Ah taxes!  In case you have not been paying attention, they are due today!

This year Tax Freedom Day is April 16th, 105 days into the year.  What is Tax Freedom Day?  It represents how long Americans as a whole have to work in order to pay the nation’s tax burden.  Think of it as the number of days each year you work for the feds, state, and city to pay them off!  For California, Tax Freedom Day comes April 20!  Click below for more info on this interesting topic!

tfd-2019-map-01

Top 5 Rivers of Plastic

Posted on by
Reply

Check out this retro looking map showing the top five most plastic polluting rivers in the world.  The map uses stacks of Asian Elephants (about 4 tonnes each) to represent daily amounts of plastic.  Descriptive text is included so you don’t have to count elephants!

riversofplastic_large

Spoiler alert, no high output rivers from the US.  Stop focusing on those straws California!

You can find out more about the map from here.  Also there is a story map you can check out.  Map is based on data from a study you can find here.

Robocalls

Posted on by
Reply

Mad about robocalls?  It seems to be increasing on my cell phone every year.  In 2018, a record 48 billion robocalls were placed to phones in the US.  That works out to 1,500 robocalls per second!  Check out this map on robocalls and read the Consumer Reports article about it and how you can start the wave to stop it.

robocalls

 

Left and Right Hand Side Driving

Posted on by
Reply

Most countries drive on the right hand side of the road.  Why do some countries drive on the left hand side?  The historical account is that most countries which were British colonies kept to the left hand side of the road.  British horseback riders used to ride on the left hand side, thus keeping their right arm free to offer greetings or draw their sword.  Similarly, the USA teamsters used to sit on the left hand horse while driving a wagon and therefore kept their right hand free for whipping the other horses, however, later they decided to start driving on the right so that they could see the passing wheels of other wagons and avoid collisions.

Another fun fact, Sweden changed from the left to right hand side in 1967.

“Daylight Saving” Time?

Posted on by
1

Once again “Daylight Saving” is upon us.  I put that in quotes because nothing is being saved … more like stolen!

timezones

You heard the expression “robbing Peter to pay Paul”?  That is what Daylight Saving Time does, it pushes your state into the time zone to the east, so California moves into the Mountain Time Zone.  But nature does not care, the sun will rise and set as usual, however because you shifted your clock to the east it GIVES THE ILLUSION of setting later in the day … and rising later as well!  If you are a morning person, dealing with that extra darkness in the morning really sucks!

Continue reading →

Top Searched Trader Joe’s Items

Posted on by
2

Finally, a Trader Joe’s map of food items!  This map shows the most popular item that was searched for on Google by state.  The winner?  13 states favored Sweet Chili Sauce.  California was the only state that favored Unexpected Cheddar.  Click below to read on!

traderjoesitems

This map is even more interesting because I could not find any Trader Joe’s locations in Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota, Mississippi, Arkansas, West Virginia, Hawaii, and Alaska using the Trader Joe’s location tool.  I guess people are buying on Amazon and Ebay?