Calling all Map Geek Wannabes

Think you have what it takes to be a Map Geek?

Take this test and let me know how you do.

One of the coolest map thingys ever.

Oh I got a 564,172 my first try. I guess that's OK...I could prolly do better if I boned up on my Central Asian geography. ah well.

Map on, Dude.

Found this Job posting on the GIS Jobs Clearinghouse.

http://www.gjc.org/gjc-cgi/showjob.pl?id=1179074547

Position Detail
Organization: Private Web Media CompanyTitle: Needed: ArcGIS Server 9.2 Freak

Location: USA (Chicago or Houston preferred)Application
Deadline: Posted: 2007-05-13
Position Description: Need a freelance freak
in ArcGIS Server 9.2 to join our team. We're building a sick web-based mapping
site for a new kind of social networking. Bonus if you've worked with Navteq or
Teleatlas databases before. Double bonus if you know something about mobile
phone networks. Send resume with links to stuff you've done so we can see if
you're the kind of freak we're looking for. Email to "rubygods@gmail.com". Map
on dude

Now THAT is the kind of company I'd like to be working for...hopefully this is a hint of what the future holds for us GIS professionals.

Oh and by the way, looks like I may be getting laid off tomorrow, so I'm in the middle of a job hunt. Anyone looking for a mid to senior level GIS Manager/Database Analyst type person? I can furnish my resume on request.. *big charming grin*

Nevermind, if I dont get the axe tomorrow, but I think odds are pretty high. I'll keep you up to date.

Fun with Google Earth - Name that place I

Just for kicks, here are two images from Google Earth of relatively well known locations in the world. Can you name them?

First Category - U.S. Cities:

1.)


2.)


First to answer correctly is the Honorary MapGeek of the week. yeah, you know you wanna be that cool.

Calling all Geographers!

You really can sell ANYTHING on E-Bay nowadays. Check this out, the interstate overlay is PRICELESS. (GIS, Tortilla style)

Georgia Tortilla Chip

Thanks to Boortz for the link...

I wonder with my knowledge of geography if I can sell a piece of bread as a 'Colorado shaped slice of bread'?

Wonders never cease...

I'm BACK!

Howdy intrepid Blog readers!

I've been away for a while as lots of interesting things have happened in our lives over the past month. If you've kept up with War Eagle Girl's Blog, you'll know that we took a trip to Vegas and to Charlotte, so you know we've been busy. I have also been going through a job transition and am just starting to get settled at my new job. They keep me pretty busy around here, so I haven't had a heck of alot of time to post on my blog. This new job has been a big change for me, and I am finding that most changes (especially this one) are for the better. Some of the pros of my new job include:

1) They gave me a nice big office (my own!)
2) I have a big and fast PC to do my mapping and programming on
3) The morning commute is better
4) They pay me more
5) Better opportunity for promotion and career growth
6) I'm a regional employee now, so I work with a larger variety of people in different offices
7) Less stressful - not near as many hurried requests for projects due in an hour
8) (this is for Seannibal) The vending machine in the breakroom is free!

As great as this new job is, there are some drawbacks:

1) I no longer work with War Eagle Girl
2) the afternoon commute is worse than before
3) I miss talking with my BC friends. I'm located with the Regional VPs, and they travel alot so its usually pretty quiet around here.
4) I no longer have a supportive GIS community here to work with. I guess I will have to build my own.

Who am I working for, you might ask? Pulte Homes, America's largest home builder. I am still making maps, but in support of strategic planning for residential development. It's a different world over here, different from environmental consulting, that's for sure.

Just wanted to fill you all in, I'll try to keep up with my blog when I find amusing links and the like.

Have any questions for the new Southeast Area Senior GIS/Data Analyst? Ask away...

Hasta Luego, Amigos!

Geography Trivia Question O' the day IV

Keeping with my Quixotic quest to improve the world's knowledge of where stuff is, my valiant Blog readers, I give you another Geography trivia question.

Hmmm - this time a U.S. States Question...

Which U.S. State is known as the 'Natural State'?

Extra Credit...What is the name of the highest elevation in this state?

Geography Trivia Question O' the day Answer

The Capital of Mali in Western Africa is Bamako.

Thanks to a couple of intrepid folks (Deeziner and Curleygirl) for at least giving it a shot. The rest of you are looooosers. You're probably afraid I would mock your incorrect answers. Well you're right.

Oh and just a note: I'm pretty glad that Columbia isn't the capital of Mali.

I'll have another question for Y'all tomorrow.

Until then enjoy the latest FarkThread regarding the riots in France and an amusing blog reference to some futurologist's study of the roots of the problem in France.

What the hell is 'futurology' anyways? And why couldn't I major in it in school?

Geography Trivia Question O' the day III

Man have I forgotten to get back to basics! yall need some learnin' in the ways of Geography. Here's your handy-dandy Geography trivia question of the day:

What is the Capital of Mali?

Spelling counts... :)

Own your piece of the Caribbean

Wow. Check out this link and you can own your own island!

I reckon I'd better start saving....

*dreams*

Katrina

We were in Hickory this past weekend when we noticed on the news saturday night that Katrina had intensified and become a Cat 5 storm and was bearing down on Louisiana. I had always wondered what a Cat 5 storm would look like when it hit land, seeing as how I used to T.A. Meteorology and Climatology in Grad School. I had this inner desire - from the same place that people have the desire to see car wrecks - to see what sort of destruction a storm like this could bring.

I've seen it now, although not in person, and I am ashamed of ever thinking that it would be 'cool' to see what a Cat 5 storm could do.

This is beyond anything I could have imagined, and I fear it may get alot worse in New Orleans. Buildings may start to topple due to softening foundations. There is no law in the streets now, so it may even be necessary to have a Fallujah-style invasion of New Orleans by our military just to get it back. Gas lines are insane here in Georgia. Corpses float through flooded streets. Diease will soon set in. Thousands may die. The effects are seemingly endless.

And all this because of a very large hurricane - a natural event.

Who's to blame? No one. The lefties and Euroweenies are blaming President Bush for this, just showing their total lack of human hearts and minds in the process. Category 5 storms occur on this planet, they have in the past, they will in the future. It's not one man's fault and to think so is ignorant, and then to voice it? That's just the height of stupidity.

I pray and hope that things get better for the entire Mississippi and New Orleans Katrina impacted areas. I just hope that we as Americans learn some lessons out of this, and remember when someone brings up the possibility of an event like this being brought on by a terrorist. *shudder*

San Diegoooooo....

Sorry I haven't posted in a while, I realize that I may be losing many of my loyal fans by my lack of blogactivity (is that a word?). I have been at a conference all last week in San Diego, California.

Wow. What a great place and a great conference.

It was the big ESRI International GIS conference at the San Diego Convention Center. It was my first time going and I couldn't beleive that there were almost 15,000 GeoGeeks all in one place at once! It was incredible, There were hundreds of technical workshops on GIS software, thousands and thousands of map displays, hundreds of GIS demos, User papers, maps, aerial photos, and maps, oh my! It was definitely a great time to network and learn alot about my industry.

My thesis advisor in graduate school at USC, Dr. Cowen, got a lifetime GIS achievement award at the plenary session on Monday in front of thousands of other GIS colleagues. He was moved to tears. It was a great moment for a man I am a big fan of. Congratulations Dr. Cowen! and of course, as he was leaving the stage, after the thunderous applause, someone shouted 'Go Gamecocks!'. and the grand poobah of all things GIS, Jack Dangermond said from the podium 'umm, yes.'

*sniff* it was beautiful.

The keynote address was given by Jane Goodall of Chimpanzees in Africa fame. She gave a really good speech about the Earth and how were destroying it and all and how she got to come to know the chimps in Gombe. Then after her speech, she and Jack Dangermond were on the stage and started chatting about things. He asked her a couple questions and it got pretty liberal, pretty fast. I have alot of respect for Dr. Goodall and the things that she has done for environmentalism and science in general, but some of her views on the world are a bit extreme. But then I suppose if you devote your life to these views, then I guess that's what one should expect to hear. Dr. Goodall proceeded to tell us (I paraphrase a bit, but this is what I remember):

- we are destroying the Earth and we should return to the good old days of
subsistence hunting and gathering (yeah that'll fix it!)
- that many of us buy things we don't need and that is one of the problems with
Western Society (I don't need this house or motor car? Who'd a thunk it?)
- Things would be so much better if we just gave more food and money to the poor in the world (You mean we don't already give BILLIONS of American Taxpayer dollars in aid to the world already?)
- She pushed her 'Giant Peace Doves' as some sort of statement that everyone on Earth really wants peace. She hoped that someday 'a satellite will fly over the planet and see thousands of giant peace doves all over the planet'. As jaded as it sounds, I couldn't help but chuckle at her peace doves. It's just funny. Check out the link - its good fun. I just hope those things come equipped with explosives for the terrorists and murderers in the world.

San Diego is a great town. The weather was unbeleivable, I kept shaking my head thinking to myself 'it's almost August, Pat, almost August..really!' as I was strolling through the Gaslamp District in the middle of the day in sunny, 74 degree temperatures with NO humidity. Being from Atlanta, I KNOW humidity. They don't have it in San Diego, and that is why it is so expensive to live there. Not only is the weather great, but the downtown area is happening with tons of restaurants, bars, shops, etc. that people actually go to at night. Yes I am referring to my own hometown's lack of downtown life, and the reasons are many, but I won't get into them here. Let's just say that SD sure as hell puts on a good nightlife time - whether it be a fancy reataurant, Mexican cantina eating on the sidewalk, or Irish pubs...they got it. Plus beautiful bayside scenery and palm trees.

But I have to be honest with yall, as great as it was to be out there, by the time the third morning dawned, I was reallly missing my wife and daughter. It just isn't the same to travel without them.

awwwwww.

Post Fireworks blues..

Arggghhh...

After a nice long holiday weekend at the lakehouse in Tennessee, it's back to work for the MapGeek. Yuck.

Had a good 4th of July weekend, fishing and playing on the lake, ate lots of BBQ and determined that Apple Pie may be the quintessential American dessert, but in the South it's definitely peach pie.

Will have pics from the weekend up tomorrow.

Answers to last weeks geo-quiz (thanks for your participation, Seannibal - the rest of you - ptthhhhtttt):
1) Mt. Whitney, California (el. 14,491 ft above MSL)
2) Hibernia - Ireland
Dacia - Romania
Gallia - France
Hispania - Spain (and Portugal)

Oh and thanks for all the responses to my football query! /Sarcasm

May actually go to the Wild Wing for wings and trivia tomorrow - w00t!!

Geography Trivia Question O' the day II

Continuing the awe inspring and brain wrenching trivia question series, here is your weekly geography question:

What is the highest elevation in the continental (Lower 48 - excluding Alaska & Hawaii) United States??

Extra credit question:

Name the modern day countries formerly known to the Romans by the following Latin names:
Hibernia
Dacia
Gallia
Hispania

Oh and no cheating on the web! Answers to be posted over the weekend.

Happy Geo-geeking!

The Greatest Father's Day Ever

Hello there blog-world denizens,

Just in case you were sitting on the edge of your virtual seats waiting for the answers to last Friday's trivia questions, I'll answer in a second. It seems a little 'trivial' now.

Saturday, June 11, at 12:49 PM, our beautiful little baby girl was born right here in Atlanta, GA. I can't begin to describe to you how it feels other than WOW. We are doing very well, our baby girl Mairin Abigail, is happy and healthy, and we thank God for that every day. We are tired and happy at the same time. The past three days have been a blur of diaper changing, baby feeding, sleeping in half hour increments, and all around love and family togetherness.

It was the best Father's Day I have ever had, and probably will ever have until another little one comes along.

Oh and Happy Brithday, Little Baby Mairin.

Pictures will follow.

1) the River Thames
2) Seven two-digit Eisenhower Interstate system highways - I-16, I-24, I-59, I-75, I-85, I-20, I-95

Geography Trivia Question O' the day

In a seemingly futile attempt to make the U.S.A. a much more geographically aware country, I am introducing daily geography trivia questions. Now try to do this without using the web to find the answers, I know, I know, that's no fun. But hey, give it a shot, right? I'll start easy and the second question will be for the experts.

1) What's the name of the river that flows through the city of London, UK?

2) How many two digit interstates are in the State of Georgia?

Answers to be posted tomorrow....may the force be with you.

Thoughts from the commute...

Which was crazy light this morning. Memorial Day weekend is upon us and the adage 'calm before the storm' usually applies to Friday morning traffic on holiday weekends. Everyone will be leaving early this afternoon to go to the beach or Lake Lanier and gridlocking Atlanta's highways once again.

Kitten asked me a question this morning during the newscast on the TV about the Guantanamo 'detainees' - "What are they going to do with them?". Good question that I don't know the answer to. It seems the MSM (Main Stream Media) is full bore on making sure we feel sorry for these 'people' that are kept at the detention facility there in Cuba by US military forces. Every day this week it's 'alleged detainee abuse' this..and 'mishandled Quran'that. Who cares? All I know is that these 'people' kept in this facility did not fight for any recognized army, did not fight wearing any identifiable uniform, fought against our troops in Afghanistan, and did not fight for the cause of freedom. Wait a minute, did I say 'fight' four times there? Yup, that's right. These guys were fighting, not peacefully sitting around smoking their opium or whatever talking about peace and love. Know who and what they were fighting against? The list is long, including tolerance, women, religious freedom, innocent life, homosexuals, and western civilization in general. The most important item on that list? Us. Americans. I'm American, and I don't like people that threaten me with violence. They can rot for all I care.

And this whole Quran 'mishandling' business? Again, who cares? I'm already tired of hearing about it, it's a freaking book. Yes I know that it represents an aspect of a major world religion, but really, its a book. It's not like we're bombing Mecca and all their Islamic holy sites, that would be extremely sacreligious, but it's an item that is made of paper that has ink scrawled in it saying some stuff. Let's just say 'P&ss Christ' offends me, but I don't see Amnesty International screaming about it or the MSM playing it up day after day after day. Probably because it doesn't have anything to do with making President Bush looking bad.

Heard a great term on the Zone this morning - 'Crane-iac'. Heh, thats what they're calling the guy who's still on the crane in Buckhead this morning. He's been up there 36 hours already. You have to wonder how this will end, but I'll place my money on something not as fantastic as a lot of people are saying might happen, I bet he just climbs down. Booooring.....

Find an aerial photo of any location in the USA!

Prelude to a Weekend...ahh Friday

Friday morning commutes are the best. For some reason no one comes to work in the morning on Fridays and everyone else who does gets to enjoy the lack of their cars taking up space on my highways. Well regardless it was record time getting in. yay!

WOW Adventures
So last night I decide to scratch that itch which is the need for a new PC game. So Derek is good enough to lend me his evaluation version of World of Warcraft. I get the box of gamey goodness in my hand..rush home with it, visions of smashing enemy hordes and exploring new dungeons dancing in my head. I run upstairs to the computer and pull out the install discs..only four!! Man, I'm gonna be playing this in no time!!!

Wrong. Those measly four discs took an hour to install. Each one ending with a Blizzard licensed *THUD*tm. Fine. After the final *THUD*tm, I create a user account and hit the 'Play World of Warcraft' button with quivering anticipation....the screen darkens, music plays and a killer animation plays showing me all the nasties in the World of Azeroth and how they fight great battles. Excellent! Then the game does something called a handshake. a Handshake?? Whatever. Well after a few seconds this handshake informs me that I have to install some downloaders and patches in order to play WOW. So out OUT I go to the patch downloader in Windows. The downloader informs me that I do not have enough space to download the patches. *sigh* The downloader obviously agrees with me that I need to upgrade my PC..but that's another tale. Two hours later, after four patch downloads, each accompanied with a handshake iteration, I am in the world of Azeroth as a Troll Warrior smashing anything that approaches me with axe aplomb. SMASH!!! Was all this pain worth it??

YES. I will be losing more sleep than I had planned on, baby coming and all. Looking forward to spending some quality time in Azeroth this evening smashing anything that moves.

OK enough nerdiness for one day. Well not quite, here's your Spatial Link o'the Day, click and learn: http://worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/eu.htm