As people are going out and gathering information on their own we’re collecting a lot of geo-aware data. This is becoming a really hot area. Nokia and TomTom just made big acquisitions. Every Web 2.0 service is starting to add location. You can start mining this information with tools like geocodr.
How do you start gathering them together? We started a company called geocommons. We’re taking this massive amount of data and trying to pull it all together. It’s an open database of freely available data with creative commons license. You can see where it came from and who posted it. You can search the data.
What about when your communities are supplying a lot of data? In Detroit the city is geocoding walking trails. With Hurricane season there are lots of people geocoding where shelters are. A local NYC company social lite is doing place marking with bars using mobile web. Android has a lot of applications which are innovating on the geo aware capabilities of the phone.
Mapvertising is one way in which people are trying to make money in this space. But it’s hard. You don’t want to do a search for a romantic restaurant near you and get back a Hooters advertisement.
Once people are sharing all of this there is a problem of privacy. Flickr is looking at casual privacy where you can set who is allowed to see where your photos were taken. Fire eagle is a location brokering system. If you trust Yahoo! they can be the trusted holder of your location. You can specify which sites get which granularity (only zip code, for example) of knowledge of your data.
NeoCartography sites like EveryBlock and is trying to focus on the data as opposed to the street. You can look at and understand the area based on data. OpenCycleRoute allows you to re-render a map with the best routes for bikes.
You may think it’s a bunch of naked hippies in the desert blowing things up, and it is, but it’s a whole lot more than that. You show up in a desert and within a week you have a miniature city. It provides a canvas for trying out upcoming geocoding technologies.
We collected over 100 gigabytes of data over the week. These are early results. Why is this important for 2.0 Expo? This is a look at what these technologies can enable. Burning Man Earth was a really interesting iteration in Where 2.0.
We took remote sensing data every day. We used pictearth.com, diydrones.ning.com, openaerial.com. We got a small plane with a camera. We were gifted 200 Gallons of Fuel. We took a flight path every morning. Really cool pictures of how the event evolves day after day.
Processing with ERMapper, ESRI, Photoshop, Sweat. You also are recording with a GPS device which gives you where each photo is centered. Takes a lot of sweat to get everything lined up.
Underlying all of the projects we did is the GeoDjango platform. GeoDjango provides facilities for doing mapping. You can do interesting queries on geographic data pretty much for free. We took the PDF view of the city map, rasterized, and did rectification. Used ESRI, WMS, and Tiling software (TileCache). OpenLayers is an opensource mapping library in Javascript, has editing tools which allow you to draw over a rectified map.
OpenStreetMap (OSM) is a free map for the world like Wikipedia for maps. We export from GeoDjango to OSM XML. Import into OSM through its REST AP. Mapnik + mod_tile. The output is a tiled map. Flickr asked if they could take our tiles and use it for people to tag photos. Was really easy to do because we used basic tiles.
We need to start making our map tiles and our geotags time aware because the earth changes. By using OpenStreetMap you can get Garmin maps for free. There’s a freeware product called cGPSMapper. We used Garmin Rinos because they have radio built in so you can see where your friends are. At burning man it was incredibly useful. We also did vehicle tracking by sending packets over ham radio and APRS. Signal picked up by a digipeater which sends the data on. Some which take that positioning data and post it to the internet.
OpenViewProject.org – we were at WhereCamp at Yahoo and hacked Google street view’s data. Google sent a cease and desist. So a friend of mine bought a lot of gear and a tricycle so that he could do it himself.
Gigapans – a gigapan is a gigapixel image. Greater than 500 megapixels. NASA designed a little, sub $200 robot that captures panoramas and their software stitches it together. There’s a site Gigapan that allows you to view these massive photos and zoom in.
Google Earth & SketchUp models – Andrew Johnstone would take photos of art and texture models made in SketchUp.
While the majority of my blog posts are based around rants, beer and nonsensical ramblings, there are some things that I write about because I want to create more awareness; inform readers about issues that I consider to be of some importance or relevance. This is one of them.
If you live in Ontario, there's a good chance you've heard about the Mega Quarry proposed by The Highland Companies. You've probably also seen signs on your neighbours' lawns, like these ones:
But there's also a good chance that you're not completely sure what everyone is protesting against. What's the big deal? Well, lemme 'splain it to you - or, should I say, have the NDACT explain it to you (since they'll surely say something better than "dude, this mega quarry is bad news bears 'n stuff!" A vast improvement on my own verbiage, no doubt).
This is an application for what would be the largest ever quarry in Canada and the second largest in North America.The proposed quarry site is situated on prime agricultural land, to be excavated invasively 200 feet below the water table in the midst of the headwaters for a number of significant river systems that serve a large portion of Ontario’s population.
Due to the sheer magnitutude of the proposed excavation, and the fact that it lays in a highly sensitive water recharge area, any miscalculation, oversight or other error could result in an environmental catastrophe of enormous proportions.
And, if you're local (or up for a road trip), grab a ticket to Foodstock - some of Canada's top chefs will be cooking at this pay-what-you-can event as a fundraiser in support of the movement.
(See mom? Not even a mention of beer in this post! Except that one. and the one before. Ah, nevermind...)
I stopped by The Rhino for a bit on Friday to check out The Indie Alehouse's beer previews for Toronto Beer Week. While there, and then other bars on our Friday night hop, I encountered random people at different levels of drunkness (as is the norm), and it got me thinking - what does everyone do to prevent their hangovers?
Sounds stupid, but think about it. Most people have certain hangover cures, or weird little rituals to prevent the craptastic feeling that rears its ugly alcoholic head the next day. Right?
For me, I always used to make sure I ate something after the bar, drank a lot of water, popped an ibuprofen and got some sleep. Boom. Done.
But over the years as my migraines have increased and stomach issues have worsened, my old tricks don't do the...um... trick. Now I have the Pepto Bismol on hand, the Gatorade, the cold head-wrap thing, and the vitamins. Even all that doesn't always work (I also have my anxiety meds to blame. Oh - and the alcohol. Right. That.)
Going through random songs on my computer yesterday, I came across this little gem... Faster Pussycat's cover of 'You're So Vain' by Carly Simon. My sister will remember it well; when we were (a lot) younger, we listened to it often. I even remembered all the details of the video.
(My apologies to Faster Pussycat - I swear, I still love House of Pain. And I might still be hot for the guitarist. Shut up.)
This got me thinking... what are the worst cover songs ever done? So I asked a few people, and threw it on Twitter so I could get opinions of the masses.
As you can see, I had to put my 'thinking pen' behind my ear in order to whittle down your lists to just a mere few shitty covers. And to be honest, I am a fan of many covers. such as:
Apparently my wardrobe is not season-appropriate. So instead of judging me, maybe you should volunteer to be my personal shopper.
Aside from my actual wedding date, I managed to snag two other dates for the evening. When your real date is in the wedding party, these extra dates come in handy.
Or, depending on alcohol consumption, I may say "nein", "non", or "nyet". I'm cultural like that, si?
Now, in order to truly enjoy a wedding reception you have to lose yourself in the moment. Go where the feeling takes ya.
In completely non-related news, we're in the middle of Toronto Beer Week. And if you haven't been to any of the hop-tastic events yet, I have two suggestions. My friends over at Indie Alehouse will be previewing some of their craft beers at The Burger Bar on Wednesday, and then at The Rhino (this blog should have royalties from all the Rhino mentions...) on Friday night.
So, if you like beer you should probably go. Because the Indie Alehouse isn't open yet and people are chomping at the bit to try their beers. Here's your chance, hosers.
Well the other day I was showing The Gimp where that came from, since he never understood why I keep talking about a damn honey badger who apparently gives nary a shit. That viewing led to us watching all the animal videos, narrated by whoever this Randall guy is.
So there. No rambles today, just some videos that teach you crap you may not have ever known about animals, and the newfound knowledge that these entertain me.
You should probably be warned... there may be a crapload of photos. And when this post is done? There may be a crapload more, as I'm liable to steal 'em from my fellow wedding attendees.
Our original weekend cottage plans fell through, we so scrambled to get a car rented and find a dogsitter (Thanks Leah & Mitch!), then we drove up to look for a place to stay the night.
First dance. Cue pulling of the heartstrings and females whispering "why can't I find a man to look at me like that?"
I found The Gimp's new cane to be a perfect dancing accessory. I somehow managed not to poke anyone's eye out, or maim them beyond recognition. Success!
So... They had 'Fireworks' in 'Bobcaygeon'. I may have been the only one at the wedding who believed it was a Tragically Hip-themed event.
I've mentioned before that my doctor had put me on medication to help me deal with my anxiety disorder. I've been on them since May and, with a few side effects I could manage, they seemed to help me feel more balanced. Less anxiety; more reasons to get outta bed in the morning.
A few weeks back, I called my doctor's office to make an appointment to renew my prescription. She told me that I didn't need an appointment, I just had to get my pharmacist to fax the doctor and get it renewed.
But when I later called my pharmacist to make sure I could come get my pills, they said my doctor hadn't responded. Strange.
It started with dizzy spells. They became more frequent but I figured if that was the only withdrawal symptom I had, I would be ok.
Next came the headaches. I've been prone to headaches and migraines all my life, so I naively assumed it would be gone by morning. I was wrong.
The next day, my headache had worsened. So had the dizziness. Added to it were non-stop puking, chills, sweats, and a feeling that my brain was disconnected from the rest of my body. I had a difficult time speaking, and my thoughts were completely out of control. I hurt, badly.
Luckily my friend was there to help me out, and he got down to the problem between my pharmacy and my doctor. It was a fax machine issue - thanks, technology. You messed me up, largely.
The pharmacist knew the severity of Cymbalta withdrawal, and helped me out. Thankfully, I was able to feel a lot better by last night. I never want to go through that again.
I don't have the words to fully explain what it felt like, because there aren't any. It's a medication that deals with the brain, and so the brain is badly affected when the medication suddenly stops.
Learn as much as you can about every medication you take. And if you need to get off of it, prepare to slowly wean yourself from it safely. Suicide is a big issue with people who are suddenly without these types of medication. I didn't know that before.
But I promise, my next post will be a happier one. I'll be up north this weekend, attending the long-awaited wedding of Shaun and Patrick. And yes... I'll have my medication, and therefore won't throw up all over the wedding party.
Although it's technically been well over a decade that I've been one, some thoughts came to me recently and brought home how very true it is.
I know, I know. I've been an adult ever since I was old enough to vote, buy my own damn cigarettes and go see movies with nudity and four-letter-words ("Ha! That naked guy just said fuck! No bleeping or nuthin'!").
But the early-to-mid-twenties are really just a launchpad into true adulthood. Most of us didn't know shit about what we were doing; we were trying to figure it out by aimlessly wandering through life.
A few realizations have smacked me upside the head to let me know that 'fun' has taken a backseat to 'responsibility' somewhere along the way.
For example... about 35% of my friends used to have mohawks. Now - maybe 5%. Where'd the mohawks go, guys?
Then there's work... my mind is rarely not on my business, my clients, my upcoming new website, and my endless to-do list. And I like it. Gone are the days when my main thought was "I hope [enter random name here] can make it to the bar tomorrow night. What the hell am I gonna wear?".
Ye Olde Book of Face (or Facebook, for you young folks) only furthers the knowledge that I'm not college-age and hungover all the time. Every day a different ex-classmate is posting about their new marriage, new baby, new divorce, new house... and everyone younger than me types in this new bullshit internet language that I can't decipher whatsoever. Ah, remember words and sentences?
It's no secret that I love the CNE. Used to go every year, but hadn't gone since I last blogged about it in 2009.
Checked out the farm and got kinda sad. All the little animals make me stupidly giddy and girly, but the confined spaces bother me.
My favourite li'l guy, TJ the Water Bottle Bandit. Such a happy little monkey, and playing with a half empty bottle of water was enough to keep him giggly.
Jeff, his daddy, knows how much I freak out over babies and tried to convince me to "oops" a dude so I can get on the mommy train.
I’m participating in Five Minute Friday, a link-up writing prompt at Lisa-Jo Baker’s blog. It’s been several weeks since I’ve joined in, but I’m glad to be back today. This week the prompt is “Imagine …”
I could see myself in one of those pastel-colored beach houses. I’d want mine to be yellow. A pale, inviting yellow, not a high-energy florescent yellow. My neighbors would be my friends and we’d have bonfires on the beach. I’d like running because everything is better when it happens on the coast.
And then I settled in landlocked Kentucky. I’ve lived here my whole life. I’ve lived close to a city, I’ve lived in a couple cities, and I’ve lived my favorite years in town smaller than anything I ever imagined liking. But it’s here where I fell in love, started becoming this grown-up version of me, finally had a family, and learned that true community is better than that beach house I used to imagine.
We do have a gorgeous lake here. And while driving out to it as I often to, I like to crank up Needtobreathe and Zac Brown Band. My kids have wanted to listen to “that beach music” lately. They mean “Where the Boat Leaves From,” “Jump Right In” and “Knee Deep” by Zac Brown Band, but they’ll belt out “The Outsiders” and “Slumber” by Needtobreathe along with me. It’s nice having sounds that take us where me imagine while still loving where we actually are.
Want more? You can read my past Five Minute Friday posts here. Subscribe to get “Insights” in your inbox. Like 152 Insights on Facebook. Or follow me on Twitter and Instagram.
Isn't it beautiful to know that you are living the life God planned for you instead of the one you imagined?
God's plans are so amazing…I love this. I'm the girl who dreamed of a house on the beach, too…and somehow there's now way I would trade the life I have now for that. He's got us figured out, huh? 🙂 Thank you for this, friend! Hope your weekend is happy!
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Okay, so the tryptophan got the best of me just now. And much as I’d like to give in and see if visions of sugar plums dance in my head, I refuse to give in and be like a guy the half of the population who settles in for a long winter’s nap after eating a turkey dinner.
For me, though, it didn’t ‘feel’ like Christmas. I’ve heard that from a lot of people this year. People who I imagine are a lot like me. We’re from Michigan, and Christmas in Michigan means…snow.
I guess that means it’s time for a Christmas do-over. Yup. I’ve done it before, and I’m doing it again. Sometime between mid-January and the end of February…after we get a decent snowfall…Christmas is going to have an encore in my house.
More decorations, more baking, more movies, books and music. And maybe a few gifts. But that’s not the important part. It’s the feeling that seems to go hand-in-hand with…snow. And I miss that feeling, so I’m going to find it before winter is over.
If you’re from a state that’s known for white Christmases, does it affect your mood when it’s brownish green instead?
This entry was posted in Christmas and tagged A Fine Mess, A Hero For Holly, Enza, Erin's Christmas Wish, historical fiction, Kristy K. James, Reluctant Guardian, romance, The Stranger In My Head, Winter Wonderland. Bookmark the permalink.	
I didn’t feel one bit Christmassy this year, not sure why. It’s all over now and you wonder what all the fuss is about. Wishing you all the best for the New Year, Kristy.
Happy New Year, Emma! I won’t say I’m glad I wasn’t alone in the lack of Christmas spirit this year…because everyone who celebrates it should be able to find at least a little, shouldn’t they? 🙂
I grew up in Idaho but went to college in California, and was always glad to come home for Christmas. I don’t care how much they decorated palm trees, they just aren’t Christmas! Yesterday we had enough snow to cover up the lawns and give us a lovely white Christmas. But now it can quit.
LOL! That’s funny, Helen. I’m just the opposite. I’d love snow (LOTS of snow) on the ground from mid-November through March. Of course I’d also like it if the temps and windchills NEVER got below 32 either. But I’m with you on the palm trees. Nope. Not Christmas-like in any way. 🙂
Unless you are like my husband who says “we’ve already got too much” and we only live a few miles from you 🙂 When I was driving and could barely see for the snow coming down and felt the car slipping I could almost agree with him. When I’m in the house looking out I agree with you. Nothing so pretty as snow unless it is sun on the ice covered branches after an ice storm 🙂
Those are two of the prettiest things to see in the winter. I saved a picture of ice covered cherries and branches someone posted in Facebook, and now it’s my desktop background. The Avengers will go back up eventually, but this one is more in keeping with the season.
We’ve got the cold, Louise…but very little snow.. Even today’s snowstorm is more just a lot of strong wind blowing the little bit of snow we’re getting to Massachusetts. Merry Christmas to you, too! 🙂
Well, there’s a little snow out there, maybe 2 inches? It’s white but kind of brown stickin’ up here and there. Lucky you eating turkey! Just my wife and I here today, our Christmas was early this month. Be well!
I don’t think we got that much, John. Still way too much grass sticking up from beneath the white stuff that would like to grow up to be snow. 🙂
Hmm about the lucky me. I’m not a huge turkey fan. Frankly, I’d rather have chicken…or ham, but my kids think I make entirely too much chicken the rest of the year, and they’ve never liked ham (which would be my preference for Christmas dinner).
Oh yes, we are just fine here. We kinda like each other! Chicken is delicious! Turkey is nice for a change but I can eat chicky every day, any way. Just skip the dark meat, plz… 😉
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