Xenos In Place

Where It Smells: NYC Subway

2006-09-29T15:04:00.000-07:00

I thought I should check in before we head up north for the weekend. If the weather holds up, early Fall in the Greater Duluth/Superior region is a sight to behold.

But I can't leave you cold without simultaneously stimulating two of the great senses: sight & smell. I found a map/mashup of New York subway system which maps the entire system by smell.

It's both hilarious and repulsive. The website, Gawker.com, also features an interactive map of celebrity sightings in NYC.

Have fun!

Where It's At: AMERICA

2006-09-17T16:50:00.000-07:00

These two maps of the world according to Bush/America have been around a while. I think I need to make my own version.

Blowing The Whistle On Map Porn

2006-09-09T16:28:00.000-07:00

I knew I might end up regretting the promise to keep you updated on any mapsploitation issues. As soon as I hit the dreaded "publish post" button on the map porn article, Gene sprinted into my office and knocked down my little succulent plant. "Georgie boy! I think you may have to turn yourself in someday soon. What if a client comes along and offers you beau coup bucks to make them a bunch of schlocky maps. Are you really gonna show them the door?"

While I've been able to avoid peddling schlock for now, our data provider is providing nothing but cause for deep concern. In his infinite wisdom, he is marketing a product called "Lifestyles." Lifestyles takes every census block group in the country and assigns a color and a snappy label. The label is supposed to summarize the demographics of the area (roughly 3000 residents) by providing a bullet point which allow marketers to target their sales effort accordingly.

This is disturbing on many levels. I've always been wary of block group analysis, despite the fact that I do it routinely. The name alone connotes a level of generalization that gives us social science oriented geographers bad name. Block group analysis is conducted because you want to understand the basic characteristics of the human geography within the area. As it stands, there are over 400 variables I can map for any given block group. I can tell you about the percentages of ethnicities, household size, income, food expenditure, gas expenditure, age, and sex, along with a plethora of data on consumer preferences. So I am already making generalizations about these 3000 individuals who are being sorted into various buckets based on characteristics that may or may not tell a fraction of the real story.

Then there's the issue of boundaries. Anyone who know's me will tell you that I like to keep things unpredictable. This is difficult to accomplish if you abide by every boundary that is drawn and enforced in life. Perhaps this is why I map- I want to know where the boundaries are so I can mess with them. In this case, boundaries are being constructed based on limited reality. I accept this because if you are analyzing large urban areas, you need manageable categories to organize your thoughts. However, for someone to attach catchy one-liners to these datasets is proposterous. The product is worthless in my book.

It turns out that retailers disagree. The product is in big demand.

Below please find (with horror) the Lifestyles legend, which breaks down the different (obnoxiously bright) colors and labels for each block group. You may have to download this to see it clearly.

I created some quick, very rudimentary maps to see how neighborhoods are being represented in 4 urban areas from different parts of the country.

______________________________________

The Fruitvale District in Oakland, California is rich with Latino culture and a vibrant DIY arts scene. This richness and diversity is devalued by making crude characterizations about whether Latinos are single or married. I don't understand the "Quincenera" label- Only 15 year old girls live here?
______________________________________

Hmmm...
There is a Lifestyle category called "Lower East Side," but it was deemed inappropriate for the actual Lower East Side. Perhaps it should be renamed ApprenticeGuruApronstring land.
Hark! There be Wizards and Empire Builders where the economic center of America used to be.

______________________________________

I'm happy to announce that the Guru's & stately suburbanites of New Orleans didn't get flooded out of the 9th ward. Take note of where the Lower East Side of NY ended up! Now it seems the posh Upper East Side of NY has floated its way into the Lower 9th ward. Crazy town.

______________________________________

Last, behold my neighborhood in Saint Paul, Minnesota. I live in the land of "Single Male meets Single Female," despite living on a block of all families and young couples. My next door neighbors on both sides are lesbian partners. Where do they belong? Not in San Francisco's Castro district- there be Wizards there!
______________________________________

That was fun. I haven't yet looked at the metadata on this stuff. It's Friday, and this map specialist just wants to drink a little whiskey and forget about Lifestyles for now.

Circle This, Bert! Crop Circles & Maps

2006-08-27T18:17:00.000-07:00

It's official my friends: I am way too inundated in other "projects" to keep up with 3-a-week posting pledge. Therefore I'm in "when I have time" mode until further notice. Such is the ebb-and-flow of a map specialist working for a small business. I'm just not sure if I'm ebbing or flowing at the moment.

I would love to show off some of the cool maps recently made for Mr. "Compete or Co-Exist," but it's too early in the game. I'd have to have you "dealt with."

So for the time being this blog is influenced by (or perhaps stealing verbatim) the good work of others. I came across a compelling post about crop circles and GIS mapping that led me to interesting aerial photos documenting the phenonmenon. Before I go any further I should explain the title. It's roots are distinctly Minnesotan, referring to the "Circle Me, Bert" signs held by Minnesota Twins baseball fans at the Metrodome. Broadcaster and former Twins pitcher Bert "Be Back" Blyleven is urged to circle the image of fans doing a poor job of budgeting their 15 minutes of fame. The action sometimes extends to broadcast partner Dick Bremer, who occasionally is prompted to "Triangle Me, Dick" or "Rhombus me, Dick."

Okay, back to the crop circles. I was surprised to learn that aliens went through the trouble to blast a crop circle in the image of the Firefox web browser logo.

USA Crop Circles of 2006 is a website which catalogs all crop circle findings and conducts professional spatial analysis on each case. I would love to know more about the personalities who invest so much money researching crop circles. I'm not sure if these Cambridge, MA researchers are attempting to debunk the myths or unlock an unfolding mystery. The mission statement expresses a desire to know more about the "energy (or energy systems) responsible for creating them." It all sounds rather earnest.

My colleague Gene is also skeptical about crop circles.
He insists he could pull off the above with his weedwhacker.

Whoa.

2006-08-18T20:26:00.000-07:00

Sorry to disappoint all those who set the clock to Where It's At. I'll get back on shed-jule next week.

Google Earth is trippy, man. Very trippy...
100 XIP points will be awarded to anyone who can name all 5 places:

Where It's At: The San Joaquin Delta, CA

2006-08-14T19:53:00.000-07:00

My apologies for the recent lack of content. Perhaps the 3-a-week pledge is a little ambitious. We just returned from a whirlwind trip to honor the legacy of my mother, Lucille Vincente Xenos (Bellanti), in our hometown of Stockton, CA.

Stephanie, Benji and I concluded the holiday by taking to the waters with my cousin Chris Papas; the proud owner of a 1958 Chris Craft.

Not Chris' craft, but a Chris Craft

Before anyone gets the urge to criticize the California heartland, they must first spend a day island hopping through this 1000 mile labyrinth of waterways. If you can tolerate occasional jet ski bravado, you will enjoy the water, the cool breezes, and the bird watching.

The highlight of Sunday's trip was sneaking into Tinsley Island, the far eastern outpost of The Saint Francis Yacht Club. You can almost hear Robin Leach narrate your journey past opulent sea vessels draped by impressionistic lush patches of water hyacinth.

Tinsley Island.

Every trip to the Delta brings me back to my days as the first mate on my brother Bill's deluxe dingy, The Vasili 2.

My experiences of the Delta, the SF Bay, the Apostle Islands of Lake Superior, and Door county Wisconsin make me dream about the water, my Two, and a sailboat named Loukia.

Compete or Co-Exist?

2006-08-08T15:40:00.000-07:00

The big, big boss walked into my office this morning with that giddy look he usually reserves for the Cheetah pizza delivery guy. "We have a big (mapping) job for you: x's grocery (a medium size chain in the upper midwest). They need us to figure out whether to compete or co-exist with Wal-Mart." 10 seconds after he leaves, I get a call from Gene: "We need you to map Wally locations and other good stuff in the upper midwest (long pause) and so. You the man. Let me know whatcha need." I think he has my office wired.

Upon further review, I quickly realized that I have to work at light speed to get this done by the deadline. The only thing I do at light speed is run to first base. This, combined with another quick trip to California tomorrow, means I might be cutting back on the posts for a while.

The big picture of the situation looks like this:

By GX. Source: DWC

The red dots are Wal-Marts and the blue dots are all other grocery. If I thought ahead, I would have overlayed all towns with a population over 15,000. Wal-Mart wishes to be in every market that has 15,000 residents within a certain radius (probably a 3 miles). Therefore the towns over 15,000 that don't yet have a red dot are likely high on their list. If I tell you anything else, I'll have to have you "dealt with."

The notion that retailers have the option of "co-existing" with Wal-Mart is a peculiar one. Doesn't co-existance require mutual acknowledgement and acceptance? I seriously doubt that the braintrust back in Arkansas has our client on their radar other than to identify them as being in the way. Wal-Mart does not adapt to others of any kind. Others must adapt to Wal-Mart. Anything that grows at this rate doesn't seek to fit in; they seek transformation and domination. (Use this link to the Dr. Holmes Research page and choose Movie of Wal-Mart store openings. Sorry mac users- it's a .wmp file).

New Name, Same Thing

2006-08-06T17:02:00.000-07:00

Gene is livid. "I don't get it," he says as he paces about the office giving me no eye contact. "You establish observer loyalty, then you displace your brand identity. Congratulations Number One. You've just displaced yourself. It's hari kari." He storms out and probably heads straight for The Double Duece without stopping for his usual Hungarian in Northeast Minneapolis. He leaves a post-it note on his desk with nothing on it but a url that reads deconstructing_georgex.blogspot.com. Sounds like a winner.

Yes I've changed the name, but not the gig. There's still much to do in August. I need to finish an epic post, a postel if you will, that maps the ancient Greco-Italiano roots of myself and my tattoo.

I also need to cover a trip I made back in March to the Yucatan peninsula.

Well, gotta go. I just got a text message from Gene that says "finished & all smiles. All is forgiven. At stone arch bridge with that urge again. I really think I can survive though."

The Stone Arch Bridge & St Anthony Falls, Minneapolis.

Where It's At: Morgantown, West Virginia

2006-08-03T11:08:00.000-07:00

Morgantown, widely considered one of the HOTTEST small cities in the US, is home to a vital geographic technology scene centering around the University of West Virginia. Nestled along the banks of the Monongahela river, the town of 26,809 residents quietly boasts a mix of scenery, historic architecture, academics, and mass transit innovation. (It has a citywide personal transit system!)

Nice view. Lovely river. But why no trees downtown?

The Morgantown monorail. Note the company name "Loving Furniture." I love that.
____________________

The view of the Monongahela valley from Dorsey's Knob, just south of Morgantown.

Morgantown has become a hub of geograhic technology thanks in large part to Very Spatial, home of the incredibly informative and interesting A Very Spatial Podcast. The PhD bound Sue, Jesse, and Frank each bring a unique persepective on all things GIS, and are often joined by the leading minds in GIS from around the world.

In my world Sue, Jesse and Frank would be the town celebrities, but Morgantown is better known as the hometown of actor Don Knotts. It's most famous living resident, former Survivor real person Richard Hatch, is just barely surviving these days in the Morgantown state penitentiary.

Barney Fife wasn't too bright. He left Morgantown for Mayberry.

Can Maps Be Sexy?

2006-08-01T14:27:00.000-07:00

I've received some criticism for this blog's seriousness and purported lack of excitement. So I got input from Gene, my numbers human at-large, and he tells me the data indicate that while "observer loyalty is high in your trans-continental heartlands, one-and-dones are at an all time high out in your 'show me the money' coastland markets." The translation of my NYC contact: "Enough with the maps 'n s*it, aight? Your site's boring! It just not... hot enough to hold an audience anywhere people happen to have a life..." The diatribe ended with the following attachment:

Not hot? How can it be possible? It's all heat! What about the Florida story? Is your attention span so tiny that you forget the hot, bold, red lines of eminent domain seizures, and the "sex and shopping" girl about town in Knutsford? The accusations are outrageous, oafish poppycock.

To the contrary, I've uncovered an underground movement of bloggers who write about hot, sexy maps. They are experts in the field of map porn; maps that make no apologies for their glamourous, over-the-top, sexed up layout. Don't hate them because they're beauty-ful.

Worldmapper, a jumpstation of density equalizing cartograms, is the undisputed king of map porn. Cartograms are often better in theory than in practice, but these maps prove they can make for stunning eye candy.

Projected world population: 2050.
_____

Machine Exports.
Yes, It's a world map & not a Pink Floyd album cover.

I'm of the opinion that a little map porn among consenting adults can open the mind to a new world of creative possibility. A recent article about a map of North American transit systems may fall into the MP category, but it puts an interesting spin on the topic.

The fallout from map porn is yet to be known, but you can be sure that I'll keep you up to date on any mapsploitation issues that may arise.

Identity Displacement Is The Real Problem

2006-07-30T20:05:00.000-07:00

About the only thing I could do to survive the midday heat was slurp cold press coffee and pretend to work on the house while I listened to a few podcasts. Oddly enough, of the three shows I heard, two of them were on the topic of "identity theft." Of particular interest was KCRW's Bookworm, which aired an interview with TC Boyle about his new book Talk Talk. The book is about a deaf woman who becomes a victim of identity theft. It sounds like an interesting read, but after I heard the term thrown around all afternoon I realized how much I despise it. It seems we've come to the point where our identities are frail to the extent that all a thief need do is steal your financial information online and poof!- your very identity has vanished.

All the talk of financial identity scams led me to conclude that the only way someone could displace my identity (outside of taking a loved one) is by taking away my sense of place. If I woke up and discovered that a strip mall was being built on my block, I would feel displaced.

If I received a letter in the mail informing me that my property was being condemned in order to build a freeway, my identity would be displaced until I established a new sense of place. So while financial identity scams are a problem, abuses of eminent domain are a far greater threat to one's identity.

Property at risk of seizure in California's South Bay Area.

Real identity isn't determined by retinal scans or social security numbers. Real identity is formed in large part by where you are and what you do in that location. When your neighbor watches you play catch with your child in your neighborhood park, you are identified as a part of the place. To me, it is this kind of imprinting of one's identity that is priceless and well worth defending.

Where It's At: Knutsford, United Kingdom

2006-07-27T14:10:00.000-07:00

I'm quickly learning that one of the great joys of blogging is sharing unusual knowledge with like-minded sorts from around the world. The site has been hit up by some cool, obscure places on the globe. As I look at the list on the "geo display" of my log, I find that every place peaks my curiousity: Caracas, Cordova TN, Manassas, Hong Kong, Reze, Singapore, Riyadh.... It's just so fantastic that you're out there! This is why I've decided to give an occasional "shout-out" to a place as a show of appreciation. In addition to what I say on the home page, I'm just as interested in learning about where you've been.

Where It's At today is the town of Knutsford, located in the county of Cheshire, England along the northeast border of Wales.

The town is named after the Dutch King Canute, who settled here in 1016. I'm not quite sure how Canute became Knuts. Perhaps I'll ask Joan.

The Finders Map of Knutsford (below) is an interactive map that details the town's mix of historic and modern architecture. Each point symbol links to a photo of the site.

The website has given me a case of map envy. The Finders Map is an excellent example of how much better a map can look using graphic design software. I look forward to getting some time away from the cartographic confines of GIS.

Hooray for Knutsford. When I visit my friend Theodore in London, I'll be sure to stop by for tea. I wonder what else there is to do there?

The Ozone In China

2006-07-23T19:34:00.000-07:00

Please don't fret. The topic isn't nearly as earnest as it sounds. "The Ozone" I refer to is not that high-maintenance layer in the sky. It's the 32-year-old DJ/ writer/webmaster/philosophy graduate who's become a force in the burgeoning Shanghai, China underground music and arts scene. I first met DJ Ozone (Michael Ohlsson), way back in the slanted & enchanted summer of 1992. That was the summer I accepted the following offer from Stanislaus State University in Turlock, CA: CONDITIONAL ADMISSION.

CSUS (AKA Turkey Tech or UNR: University Near Raley's- grocery)

Humble beginings, perhaps, but I managed to meet a couple of inspirational professors (and one insane one) here in the way-out west. It's also the place where I spent two years broadcsting, and a year managing the college radio station, KCSS. (Please ready yourself for sensory overload before viewing)

How can I forget my first day on the air filling the coveted 6am-9am Saturday slot? Quite easily, it turns out. What I do remember ... meeting the next DJ who showed up late. Standing nearly 6 feet tall and weighing no more than a buck-thirty-five, he hoisted a wooden crate chock full of the coolest, most obscure vinyl I had seen. (He was accompanied by a leggy supermodel straight out of a Bebe ad wearing an oversized Wedding Present T-shirt.) He thrust out a skinny arm with bony fingers attached and spoke like Nic Harcourt, sans accent; with command. "Heeeeeey, man, I'm Thee Ozone! You must be the new kid." Obnoxious, yes. Imminently likeable, absolutely. I mean, it takes a special sort to maintain that level of pretense in the middle of Central Valley obscurity.

KCSS transmitter ... the same as it ever was.

Fast forward about three years. Michael found himself atop Mount Whitney accompanied by an insane companion who removed himself (and most of the supplies) for almost two days. This brush with mortality left Ozone, now simply Michael, duly humbled.

Mount Whitney, Sequoia National Forest, CA (site of the humbling).

Michael moves to San Francisco and takes on the guise of a "normal 20-something" living the city life as a manager of shift-workers at Virgin Megastore. Until ...

One fateful day, we meet again on the corner of Church and Market, my old hood. I might suspect he was "under the influence" from his glazed over appearance. As it turns out it was, in high-80s parlance, the look of love. His words: "We spent all night (the previous night) talking, all day today talking...I think... you know...." Oh, I knew. Margaret was the one.

Things happened all over the map and they moved to Shanghai, China.

Eight years elapse since the Church & Market day. They've built a life in THE place to be in Asia (not to mention one of the most important historic centers in China- download above map). Old meets new. Or, in the case of Michael, old becomes new again. The Ozone is reborn, except this time he's Chinese (sort of).

It's the Wierd Meat! guy.

The Ozone lair, Hengshan Lu.

Learn all about Shanghai ex-pat life here.
&
This is where the Chinese Lilliputians Live

Strange military activity in the China desert discovered by Google Earth users- Thanks Mailbar

A Supposedly Great Place I'll Never Visit

2006-07-18T14:14:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I finished a map project for a small company in Florida wishing to open a grocery store in Cape Coral- a bedroom community of 100,000 founded in the fine year of 1970.
(the same year I was "founded") Now if I were traveling to Earth for the first time from another planet & came upon Cape Coral, I would think I had found a paradise city.

The city is situated along the southwest coast of Jeb Bush's peculiarly shaped state, just across the Caloosahatchee river from Fort Myers. Most every house is adjacent to one of the over 400 miles worth of canals that snake through the entirity of the city limits. So at first glance, it seems you've arrived at the Venezia of America. The VOA, if you will.

Benj, my son, likes to speak of how things exist in his world, starting with sentences like "well, in my world...." In my world, Cape Coral would be much like a modern Venice, with most streets closed to cars. All city life and all public life would revolve around the canals. The waters would be filled with modern gondolas that resemble the design of Mini Cooper's. Most businesses, all of them small, would have boat-thru's where one could float into the video store, rent their Fellini flick, and after a laugh and a glass of wine with the attractive clerk/barrista, move on. On the way home they would pass by attractive, shade abundant parks, beautiful murals, and architecture that inspires the soul.

But alas this is the state of Florida, in the country of the US of A, and we simply don't do things in such an innefficient utopian manner. Gene, my contact out in the field, tells me there's not a great deal of boat travel in the canals due to the enormous size of most yachts and sea cruisers. Like Venice, the canals are quite narrow so most folks house their vessels for about 350.00 a month in "boataminiums:" Large marine storage facilities located in deeper water.

This is the main reason why less than 2 percent of the population use the boat on a regular basis. Other factors contributing to limited boat use are unpredictable weather

& the fact that the most prevalent activity seems to be car travel.

By GX. Source: PopStats

By GX. Source: PopStats

Furthermore, the city wants to charge residents a maintainance fee of $40,000.00 per household to update the storm drainage system. Hmmm, I wonder how they might accomplish that?

I suppose that's the price one pays to live in paradise.

A Moment of Silence & A Wish for Peace

2006-07-17T11:10:00.000-07:00

Please take a moment to recognize and honor the victims of war, extremism, and natural disaster in today's world:

Lebanon & Isreal:

_____

Today's Tsunami in Java:

_____

Darfur, Sudan:

_____

Iraq (left) & Grozny, Chechnya (right)

_____

Hurricane Katrina & Rita

It's a TC Thing.

2006-07-13T15:18:00.000-07:00

Home is good.

Saint Paul remains good old Saint Paul. Somewhat withdrawn,
but still good & old. It's where you'll find me most evenings.

Except, of course, on Wednesdays! It's all about
Marshall Terrace in Nordeast Minneapolis:

Yes, last night was B-Squad softball night.
Read all about it all the time
& check out the archives:
http://www.jimbernard.net/bsquad/

It was yet another statistical loss.
We've avoided statisical victory for about
6 years now. 6 Years!
Ahem...
No matter. We always win in the end:

Congratulations to Friend Ted Hummel...

2006-07-13T12:23:00.000-07:00

and his tremendously significant other Margaret Cumbie
for both getting new jobs. "Magrit," as the locals in Maine
insist upon calling her, scored her first gig as a social worker.
Ted found a position as a Special Ed teacher.
Here's the tricky part:

They are leaving here (Portland, Maine)

Looks friggin' cold! Like MN cold!

To move here! (London, U.K.)

Way to go lads!

Quick Cal Trip June 28-July 2

2006-07-12T13:58:00.001-07:00

I recently flew back to No Cal to attend
my sister's wedding/scotch tasting event.

I was happy to discover:
A nervously excited and cute sister.
A content Papou (My Dad)
& lovely significant other, Bobbie.
A big brother who grows older and wiser.

Here's where it all started, my friends:
My little house on memory lane.
Actually it's on Elmwood Avenue in Stockton, CA
Xenos Headquarters occupies the NE corner of the cul-de-sac:

zoom in man!

I took a day trip to Mendo County. Dad's car battery died here:

Auto club saved the day!