Map of Strange, interactive satellite maps, Sarcasma
Thursday, May 8, 2008
Here’s a well-worn concept for the day: Sports as a metaphor for life. 
That’s part of what makes following sporting events so compelling. I enjoyed this ESPN video: SportsCenter Flashback: Chris Paul Pays Tribute To His Grandfather. CP3 scored exactly 61 points, as planned, during a game in high school. In related news, the New Orleans Hornets are tearing up the Western Conference in the NBA Playoffs.
In the past I’ve wondered if there were any sites that catalogued the random airplanes and weird objects that show up in Google Maps. The answer is yes: Map of Strange. I enjoy the bizarre photo-stitching anomalies; they remind of how amazingly seamless the rest of Google Maps is.
Apparently the National Sex Offender Registry is all Web 2.0 as well. 
You can check out your neighborhood for red, blue and green dots. When you click on these dots a picture of a criminal will appear with his or her home address and the description of the crime he or she has committed. I read that John Walsh from America’s Most Wanted developed the site. Or, at least his name is attached to it. Yeah, I’m sure he got down and dirty in the Google Maps API.
In addition, Zillow is immensely useful and fun for real estate valuations and locations, if you haven’t seen it before. As a final mapping example, Oregon State University recently switched over to Google Maps for its interactive campus map.
I know a lot of people who might “benefit” from Sarcasma (sarcasm relief capsules). Myself included. (See inset image.) (Those were sarcastic air quotes around “benefit,” by the way.)
(Help! I can’t stop using parentheses.)
What music have I been listening to most during the past month or two? Here are three random band names: Bent, Flobots, and Crystal Castles. I’ve also gotten back into Godspeed You! Black Emperor. GYBE and Mogwai were favorites of mine during college (10 years ago already!). The new Nine Inch Nails album The Slip was released for free download this week. Also, a friend of mine is opening my eyes to the magically dorky, Victorian-themed stylings of steampunk music, such as Abney Park.
Everyone’s all excited about Iron Man, but what about Iron Sky? Looks cool. Nazis on the moon?