June 1st-2nd was National Day of Civic Hacking. Hacking is one of those words that instantly makes some people think of teenagers programming in their parents basement, trying to break into personal information because they’re bored. Those people have seen too many movies.

Th earliest print mention of the word hack, given this usage, was from the MIT student newspaper, The Tech in 1963:

The hackers have accomplished such things as tying up all the tie-lines between Harvard and MIT, or making long-distance calls by charging them to a local radar installation.

But the person credited with the first usage of the word is mathematician John Nash who began teaching at MIT in the early 50s. Today the word has been expanded to also mean pranks at MIT, such as placing a police car on the great dome.

But I digress. There is a short essay  by Edelman, the sponsor of the event, on the Civic Hacking event site that aims to explain away this outdated notion of what hacking entails.

Civic hacking brings together people who have never met but share complementary skills. These people collaborate – they use creative thinking, publicly available data from places like the U.S. Census Bureau and their skills to seek and educate the public and build solutions to social issues.

Many projects came out of the two day event, and part of that was a series of maps, many interactive, using public demographics to illustrate the differences in wealth, gender, education, etc. throughout our country. On the more positive side, there are also a couple maps that showed the proliferation of libraries and museums throughout North America.

The opening map in this post represents the public libraries across the country derived from data collected by Institute of Museum and Library Services. The creator, Justin Grimes, used additional data from the IMLS to develop a map of museums in the U.S. While we bemoan the lack of culture in our society, it isn’t due to lack of opportunity. Libraries alone are available to 96.4% of the population.

There are more public libraries (about 17,000) in America than outposts of the burger mega-chain (McDonald’s - about 14,000). The same is true of Starbucks (about 11,000 coffee shops nationally).

As Grimes notes in the article, you could erase the borders of the country and still be able to easily discern the shape of the U.S.

Grimes wasn’t the only creator of maps during the event. Calvin Metcalf, Kyle Box and Laura Evans using the latest five-year American Community Survey estimates provided by the Census Bureau to create a series of maps . Their maps illustrate the regional differences within our vast country.

Median income is one reference point:

 Complemented by a map of women’s income as compared to a $100 base of men’s salary. What with being a woman, this statistic did interest me, though not surprise:

 While the answers to the questions these maps pose are not easy to solve, the efforts of these people, who gave their time, intelligence and skills to creating societally beneficial work, teaches us about our country and that hackers are not the movie villains many consider them to be.

You can see see more of the above maps, with some interactive capabilities on the teams website.

- via The Atlantic

If you haven’t noticed, writers like to drink. Google quotes on drinking (I did) and you’ll find no shortage of writers who have something to say about booze:

• In wine there is wisdom, in beer there is Freedom, in water there is bacteria – Benjamin Franklin
• Here’s to alcohol, the rose colored glasses of life – F. Scott Fitzgerald
• In terms of emotional comfort it was our belief that no amount of physical contact could match the healing powers of a well made cocktail – David Sedaris
• There is no bad whiskey. There are only some whiskeys that aren’t as good as others – Raymond Chandler

I could go on with that for a while, but you get the idea. Our writers like drink and so do the people they write into existence. We read or watch while our favorite heroes and villains order and imbibe cocktails, but we don’t usually know how that drink is mixed. Pop Chart Labs, makers of many entertaining and educational infographic posters, aim to change that with their newest concoction The Cocktail Chart of Film & Literature. William Prince of Pop Chart Labs said of the project:

“We started with what characters and drinks we could pull from the top of our heads. Then we researched, and got sort of lost in the close marriage of story and booze in the course of fictive history… As in all things, once we added alcohol everything started to seem more attractive.”

How did James Bond take his Vesper Martini?  You might think he’s a gin man, but he doesn’t discriminate – his poison includes 2 oz. dry gin, 1 oz. vodka and 1/2 oz of Lillet. Holly Golightly enjoys a white angel in Breakfast at Tiffany’s. It sounds light and refreshing. A bit deceiving since it’s simply 1/2 vodka and 1/2 gin.

Those are the straight forward drinks. What’s in a Buttermaker Boiler (Bad News Bears)? Pop Chart Labs wants you to know. I see a fictional character themed cocktail party in my future. No one will need to dress up, but they might have to drink a Flaming Moe.

You can view a larger version of the poster at most of the links above and then start your mixing.

- via Co.Design

Illustrator Wendy McNaughton and her partner Caroline lost their cat. If you’ve never been in that position, it takes between 1 week to one month, depending on personality and the history between you and your feline friend, before you’ve decided something terrible happened and your furry partner won’t be returning. It’s devastating. But the catastrophic thoughts we imagine aren’t always the story. Cats have a resourceful adventurousness that they sometimes prefer to pursue instead of snuggling at home with you.

Many friends over the years have told stories of their cats disappearing for a month or two at a time before returning home. Some cats go on extended hunting trips, some have weeks long parties with other cats in the ‘hood and some find a second family, switching between homes as it suits them. Wendy and Caroline’s cat fell into one of the latter categories and judging by the extra weight she returned wearing, a second family is a good bet.

While it’s an emotionally thrilling moment for your cat to reappear on your doorstep, one can’t help but wonder, “what have you been up to?” Wendy and Caroline set out to find the answer. They used a series of techniques to track Tibia during her prowlings after she returned- GPS, cat cameras, in house surveillance and drones. What they learned in the process is that their beloved cat have a life all her own. They co-wrote a book about the adventure and their process of spying on their cat. The story is accompanied by Wendy’s illustrations. If you’re a cat lover, you’ll understand the lengths they went to and enjoy the book.

I’ve posted about Wendy’s wonderful illustrations in the past. Her blog is well worth a perusal.

The camera store was not terribly pleased when my fiance thoughtfully called on my behalf to ask for a time estimate. “It takes 2-4 weeks. We’ll call you when it’s ready” they grumbled through the phone. That was 1 week ago, AKA 3 weeks after I’d handed it over to them. I’ve never liked how the pictures I take with my phone come out but I have no other options at the moment.

Since I am on Facebook, I see all of the Instagram photos that other people take. I even have an account; I simply never used it. At first it was because I carried my SLR everywhere with me, then I hadn’t bothered to ever look at Instagram, then I forgot my password, and finally the news was abuzz with their ridiculous privacy policy in which the said they had the right to place user photos in their advertisements. They quickly withdrew that policy change after their customers revolted.

So I finally created a new account and have started playing with the Instagram. I feel a bit like I’ve climbed on the wagon but the other wagoneers are good company and it’s a whole lot easier than lugging a big ol’ camera around with me. I may revive my photo pf the day, but they’ll be insta. instead.

The Storm King Art Center in Mountainville, NY has been on my short list of weekend trips for a while. Unfortunately, I not good about making time to leave town for only a couple days. Storm King boasts the distinction of being one of the world’s largest sculpture parks. Only 1 hour north of NYC, it has just over 500 acres of land. As they are only open 7 hours each day during their season, which runs April-December, a few visits are required to truly enjoy the breadth of art that dots the park’s landscape.

The park is something of a “Whose Who” of outdoor sculpture. Their permanent collections include works by Alexander Calder, Henry Moore, Isamu Noguchi, Claes Oldenburg, and the only permanent Andy Goldsworthy installation in the U.S. Those 5 artists represent less than 1% of the artists in their permanent collection. Then they have their new and temporary collections.

The solarium pictured above is the creation of William Lamson. What looks like a lovely stained glass greenhouse is in fact the prettiest sugar house I’ve seen. That’s right – the colorful glass panels are produced with caramelized sugar. The caramelizing process is important to achieve the variance in color, as well as creating the candy sheets. Lamson describes his work:

Like a mountain chapel or Thoreau’s one-room cabin, Solarium references a tradition of isolated outposts designed for reflection. The space functions as both an experimental greenhouse, growing three species of miniature citrus trees, and a meditative environment.

I wondered, as you may be, why doesn’t the sugar turn sticky or melt in the sun? While it isn’t immediately evident when viewing the images, the sugar panes are sandwiched between glass. You can learn more about Lamson’s inspiration and process in this video made by  Kate Barker-Froyland.

- via Colossal

I made my favorite appetizer Whipped feta with Sweet and Hot Peppers, an Oleana restaurant classic that is easy to make, once you obtain the unusual peppers required for the recipe. I enjoy it so much that I have to try not to make it for every party.

The experimentation was solely for drink. The plan behind the party was to make infusions and, if you felt inclined, develop a mix for a tasty cocktail that complements your infusion. We  didn’t begin until the day before the party which makes infusions difficult to nearly impossible but I pulled a couple off. I infused half a bottle of gin with 1 small cucumber sliced thin, and the other half of the bottle with thin slices of ginger for a 2″ piece of fresh root. Both absorbed good flavor in the 20 odd hours they soaked, but it was the cucumber that stole the show.

The cucumber infusion only requires a day of soaking. The cucumbers stay crisp (caution if you decide to sample one) but the ginger could have used another day. Still the flavor did come through and combined with the spice of the other ingredients, worked well.

The idea was to make a Pimm’s Up (or whatever name you give it) and cucumber is a natural pairing. We made a simple syrup with coriander and cardamom which was added to homemade lemonade, and combined that with the infused gin and Pimm’s liqueur in equal parts. Using ball jars worked well; the measurements are on the side and they are easy to close up for transporting. Here are our recipes:

Simple Syrup

• 3 cups water
• 14 oz sugar
• 8 green cardamom pods, lightly crushed
• 1 Tbsp coriander seeds lightly crushed

Combine ingredients and bring to a light boil. Reduce to 2 cups (about 30 minutes) let sit for 1-2 hours, and strain. Simple syrup with keep in the fridge for a couple weeks.

Lemonade

• 6 lemons halved and juiced
• 200 ml simple syrup 
• 5 cups water

Combine all ingredients. Chill or serve over ice.

Pimm’s Up

• 200 ml Cucumber infused gin (or ginger infused)
• 200 ml Pimm’s
• 400 ml lemonade

Serve over ice. Optional – top with seltzer

It made a delicious spring drink. Yum.

It’s turned into dog day. Here’s a lovely animated short, Omelette, about a shared love of food and how it brings family (through birth or circumstance) together. I learned to cook with my mom at an early age. It’s a wonderful bond we could share when I was growing up and persists today. It made food a center of my life.

Food is a meaningful way for me to share myself with  friends and family. I enjoy teaching people to open their palette, try new foods and I feel great pride in aiding their discovery. Sharing the kitchen with friends who equally enjoy food and cooking is a wonderful pastime. The shared experience of cooking makes a meal taste even better.

The animator, Maddie Sharafian, a student at CalArts, shares the same sentiment in explaining why this film is personal for her:

I wanted to make something that focuses on how meaningful it is to make food for someone you love. My family’s lives practically revolve around cooking for each other, so it’s a theme that I’m deeply attached to. I hope you enjoy it! 

Bon Appetit!

- via Vimeo, Staff Pick

Dogs are generally known to be face lickers, but not this Shiba Inu, who has learned to block his owner’s affectionate advances by all means necessary. Further proof that Shiba Inus are awesome dogs. As a co-owner of three cats, I’ll have to enjoy them through videos like this since I’m unlikely to become a dog owner anytime in the future.

- via 22 Words

Sometimes street art is about give and take. English artist Mobstr has created many text based works that aim to send a message or tell a story. You may have seen his advertorials like “The larger I make this the less the content matters.” He also has a series of work called “Progressions” which represent the interplay between graffiti artists and property owners or public works departments. Wall to Watch posted his series that tells a brief story, which lead me to his website. Here is another of his progression works:

You can read an interview with him in Public Ad Campaign, where he talks about his motivations, the meaning of public space and the visual bombardment of billboard advertising.

He doesn’t have a biography page on his website, but he does have 3 reasons why he chose Mobstr as a name:

1. He owned a pet lobster named mobstr.
2. Like real mobsters he partakes in illegal business. His illegal activity is painting on walls without permission, not being part of an organised crime gang.
3. The third reason is to do with mirrors.

My response:

1. Really, a pet lobster? I’ve had some unusual pets but he beats me with that one.
2. Makes sense
3. Vague, yet intriguing.

See more of his work on his website.

A relatively small bird, the sociable weavers work together to build these massive nests and constantly maintain them. The nests are believed to be the largest birds’ nests in the world and when well maintained, can last for 100 years.

In an interview with the Mirror, Marsh explained that he wanted to further explore the relationship between people and the environment. These nests co-opt the telephone poles, an ideal platform to suspend their intricate homes. Marsh describes these nests:

Their burgeoning nests are at once inertly statuesque and teeming with life. The twigs and grass collected to build these nests combine to give strangely recognisable personalities to the otherwise inanimate poles.

The use of telephone poles has provided a second benefit to the birds – safety from predators. When the nests are built in trees, snakes will enter the nests to grab a snack. The availability of safer nesting places has allowed the population of these birds to increase during the last century.

See more photos from the series on the artist’s website as well as his other work.

- via Huffington Post