Steve Kass » NSFW

Let Charles Minard Rest in Peace

Steve — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 17:55:58 +0000

Thanks to Edward Tufte, millions of people have seen Charles Minard’s remarkable chart of the French Army’s losses during its Russian campaign in the winter of 1812-13. Minard’s chart is a joy to behold. It’s the acme of data presentation — magnificent, spectacular, inspiring. So it kills me that Gene Zelazny, who wrote the you-know-from-the-title-it’s-bad book “Say it with Charts” FUCKING SHAT ALL OVER MINARD’S LEGACY.

I learned about Zelazny’s desecration here, though Andrew Abela, who reported it, failed to call it that. “Zelazny notes that the graphic is difficult to read, and proposes that there might be better ways to convey the same information.”

Sure, there might be, just like there might be better ways to decorate the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, but what Zelazny offers is an epic numerical fail, because IT NOT ONLY DEPICTS DIFFERENT (AS IN WRONG) INFORMATION, IT ALSO DEPICTS THE WRONG INFORMATION BADLY (as in we can’t even tell what wrong numbers he wants us to find and what they are supposed to quantify).

Zelazny might as well propose that “there might be better ways to clean up the Gulf of Mexico,” trot out a broken doorknob and a bent bicycle tire, and ask us to wonder with him. Ugh, ugh, ugh. And ugh.

Here are a few of the gory details (of which there can be but few, given how little actual stuff there is in Zelazny’s chart).

Ok, so the spirit levels in the cutesy clipart thermometers don’t match the numbers, only their absolute values (sort of). But the numbers are wrong, too. Five of Zelazny’s six data points are wrong — misread from Minard’s original. Five out of six. That’s almost all wrong, for those of you who aren’t counting. Badly, differently, and horrifyingly wrong.

Minard reports that there was rain on October 24, and that the temperature was about zero*. Zelazny misread the day of the month (24) as a temperature, then used the only other written figure at that spot on Minard’s chart (8^bre, for octobre) for both the month and the day. No explanation short of “Who gives a fuck?” works for this slop.

*Minard’s figures give the Réaumur scale temperature, which detail Minard, lest future readers misconstrue his chart, tells us. Minard cared deeply about communicating. (Zelazny’s figures are wrong in every known temperature scale. He cares less. Much less, like not at all.)

Remarkably or not, almost nothing is correct in Zelazny’s “presentation.” The border between Poland and Russia is misplaced, and all the graphical scales are wrong. I’m no PowerPoint guru, but I assume you have to work very hard to incorporate numbers into a slide this wrongly (as was famously done here, and better).

Even Zelazny’s title is wrong.

Things got bad on the retreat from Moscow. And it’s not clear how many died. Minard charted the number of troops, not deaths. Some who didn’t return were captured. Others may have deserted. And the overall message isn’t “the colder … the more.” The biggest declines were early in the campaign, when the temperatures aren’t given. So the title is all wrong, but hell, IT FIT ON TWO LINES. Shit like this matters. It’s our planet’s fucking history.

Sure, Minard’s correct title (Carte figurative des pertes successives en hommes de l’ Armée Française…, and penned more beautifully than any web typography can be rendered) won’t work projected at WXGA resolution or on your favorite eReader or phone.

THIS IS WHY WE PRINT STUFF ON PAPER. If you don’t have a copy of Minard’s chart, buy yourself one. Fuck, if you’re one of the first five people to ask me, I’ll buy you one.

Now turn off your computer and pick up a beautiful book. Or go to the library. Or write. On paper. Thanks for listening.

Unexpected Spurt in St. Petersburg Tourism

Steve — Sat, 19 Jun 2010 16:03:07 +0000

Early Wednesday, a new monument slowly rose over St. Petersburg in northern Russia, and tourists and residents alike have flocked to see it. The Moscow Times provided this poetic description of the new attraction:

Measuring 65 meters long and 27 meters across, the light-colored phallus rises and glistens against the imperial-era capital’s elegant skyline when the bridge is drawn up to let ships pass in the twilit northern summer nights.

More at english.pravda.ru: Giant Penis Erects Literally in St. Petersburg Center. Additional photos at Xaxor.com.

Note: This is not the first time a giant penis has aroused attention in one or another St. Petersburg. In 2008, police in St. Petersburg, Florida, responded to a “complaint about a giant penis statue.” The incident ended in the arrest of an art gallery owner for violating a city ordinance that prohibits places that serve alcohol from allowing the public display of genitals. (The genitals of a person found by investigating officers, not the aforementioned statue, prompted the arrest.) According to its owner, the Florida giant penis statue stood “eight” feet tall.

Thanks to Lucinda for passing this on from Sue Katz.

Why, why, why?

Steve — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 16:35:40 +0000

Yesterday, Neil Patrick Harris retweeted David Blaine‘s funny observation that "one of these things is not like the others."

My AOL data (see #836. How to be a sex goddess) was a little thin on "why is he" queries, but a broader "why is" search didn’t fail to disappoint. Here are a few; the full list in alphabetical order (not safe for work, as you might guess) is after the jump.

why is the earth so important
why is renaissance art emotional
why is pi irrational
why is a frog difficult to hold
why is there dirt in my air
why is the tympanum located in the abdomen of the grasshopper
why is scary movie2 rated r

why is 776 bc important in physical education or sports
why is a frog difficult to hold
why is a liver scan done after diagnosis of a nodule
why is a mri done for the carotid artery
why is a pet ct scan good for detection brain tumors or tumors in the sternum
why is a raven like a writing desk
why is a reflux condenser used
why is a ship called she
why is a simple 401k not popular
why is a soap molecule more attracted to a calcium ion than a sodium ion
why is a thesis statement so important
why is abortion right
why is abortion wrong
why is abortions a problem
why is acetic acid acidic
why is acetic acid soluble in water
why is aerboic dance good for you
why is aerobic dance good for you
why is affirmative action important
why is alcohol a depressant
why is alcohol a depressent
why is algae important to the food chain
why is aluminum an important element
why is an idependent kashmir valley the better solution
why is an iron cross on motorcycles
why is aol dial up so much slower now
why is aol suddenly chargeing long term members a fee to play games they used to befree
why is aol turning off virus scan
why is art important in the early childhood classroom
why is automatic aol not running
why is automatic aol status telling me it did not run today
why is begging the question significant
why is benzaldehyde insoluble in naoh
why is benzaldehyde soluble in hydrosulfuric acid
why is bill cosby famous
why is blood sometimes found in nose mucus
why is brutus unfit to rule rome
why is buddy list grops not showing
why is caillou bald
why is calcium good fo you
why is california called the golden state
why is called twelfth night
why is cash king
why is celebrex good medicine
why is changing from communism to democracy difficult
why is changing from communism to democracy hard
why is cholesterol high in slim people
why is cholestral high in slim people
why is christianity devided into numerous denominations
why is christianity divided into numerous denominations
why is city ripping up 40 million dollar trolley line
why is college good for kids
why is communism not a threat to united states
why is contrast injected for an mri
why is cream cheese frosting too soft
why is danielle spencer on crutches
why is desert cold at night
why is dna hydration solution used
why is dog vomiting blood
why is drinking water important
why is earth so imporatant
why is economic a problem in effect to drugs
why is electricity important
why is elvis an icon
why is eminem a icon
why is europe a great place to visit conomically and cu;turally
why is europe a great place to visit conomically and culturally
why is europe a great place to visit economically and culturally
why is europe so expensive
why is everything so small
why is evlis an icon
why is family important
why is fire retardants use
why is florida so polluted
why is france and paris a great place to visit economically and culturally
why is gas prices getting higher and higher
why is gatsby a great man
why is gatsby great
why is hailey down to 88 lbs on dr 90210
why is hanley hazelden now hanley center
why is hard to identify a disease
why is hockey a great sport
why is humulin u not working
why is husband rude to me in front of my girl friends
why is husband so talkative and friendly with my friends
why is important to tested
why is injustic done against black
why is islamic terrism a thrat to the united states
why is islamic terrorism a threat to the united states
why is isopropyl alcohol only partially soluble
why is it bad to get a tatoo
why is it called chokecherry
why is it called good friday
why is it called republican pudding
why is it called the portait of a lady
why is it called the portrait of a lady
why is it called to kill a mocking bird
why is it easier for a woman to contract hiv
why is it illegal to tear off a mattress tag
why is it important for criminal justice practitioners to be able to read
why is it important for criminal justice practitioners to be able to read evaluate and critique research reported in criminal justice
why is it important for students to know factors
why is it important to ask questions about your faith
why is it important to have laws
why is it important to learn about short stories
why is it important to properly recognize revenue when preparing income statements
why is it important to rest when angina equivalent symptoms flair up
why is it important to take vitamins
why is it importnt to take vitamins
why is it necessary to get a marriage license
why is it necessary to make adjusting entries
why is it so expensive to live in norway
why is it so hard to love
why is it so hot on venus
why is it so stormy now
why is it winter in arizona and summer in cape town
why is iv potassium so painful
why is joseph w. johnson disrespected by harlem negroes
why is katie crying tom wants full custody of baby
why is kentucky called unbridle spirits
why is knowing spanish beneficial
why is knowing spanish benificial
why is langage so sterotypic
why is language so stereotypic
why is life in nyc public housing bad
why is life so hard
why is life unfair
why is lil kim going to jail
why is lil kim going to the pen
why is little kim going to jail
why is love and beauty connected
why is lower back popping
why is lucille ball an icon
why is luke oil gas stations replacing mobil gas stations
why is lukeoil gas stations replacing mobil gas stations
why is m8iy computer requird to press
why is making friends so hard these days
why is male sperm diffrent colors
why is man on earth from the biblical pont of view
why is marijuana illegal
why is marriage counseling important
why is mary touvestre important in history
why is may the month of mary
why is megabus site closed
why is moscow so expensive
why is my aol radio disabled
why is my bbt 100 at 21 days past ovulation
why is my calf aching
why is my car amp overheating
why is my compter running slow and how to fix it
why is my daad a sweety
why is my dad a sweety
why is my dog coughing
why is my dog spinning
why is my dog walking in circles
why is my ear ringing
why is my electricity bill so high
why is my exgirlfriend calling me
why is my face and ears burning and stinging
why is my husband angry about everything i do and say
why is my husband is rude when my girl friends are around
why is my husband pay more attention to my friends tan he does to me when they are around
why is my husband so angry about everything i do and say
why is my husband so full of himself ones closest to him end up hating him
why is my husband so talkative and friendly to my female friends
why is my husband so talkative with my female friends
why is my husband so talkative with my friends
why is my husband so talkative with my friends and he’s not with me
why is my husband suddenly talkative and upbeat when my friends come over
why is my labia swollen
why is my menstruation early
why is my mouth dry
why is my orchid branch turning yellow
why is my pear tree leaves wilting
why is my poop black
why is my right calf throbbing
why is my rose plant’s leaves wilting
why is my sclera not white
why is my sclrea not white
why is my sonogram of the left breast suspicious
why is my throat sore
why is my toddler crawling again
why is my walking toddler crawling again
why is natural gas the best energy source
why is nicorette gum not recommended for over a year
why is nike an icon
why is olso so expensive
why is one born with no gallbladder
why is oslo so expensive
why is outreach for autism important
why is outreach important
why is outreach important for autism
why is p.e. important in our children lives
why is paper chromatography limited
why is pete short
why is physical therapy important after back surgery
why is physical therapy so important
why is physical therapy so painful the first time
why is pi irrational
why is plants important to earth
why is pol pot is worse than hitler
why is pollution affecting the quality of st john parish water
why is pornography legal
why is poverty importaint
why is pugs tongue always out
why is recycling so important
why is renaissance art emotional
why is revenue is important
why is sales tax different in west virginia than in north carolina
why is scary movie 4 rated pg-13
why is scary movie2 rated r
why is school readiness important
why is sexual abuse a hidden crime
why is sexual abuse not reported often
why is sexual reproduction important for survival
why is she crying she’s 8 months
why is soap soapier than detergent
why is spell check tab not on my e mail message
why is sperm diffrent colors
why is st. augustine important to florida
why is star jones in the hospital
why is supply chain management important
why is tailbone popping
why is tennessee called the volunteer state
why is tennessee clled the vlunteer state
why is tennessee so polluted
why is terri bauer dead
why is that the moon does not display auroras
why is the birth of jesus important
why is the book called nectar in a sieve
why is the book called to kill a mockingbird
why is the book of ruth read on shavuot
why is the bun low in congestive heart failure
why is the color purple associated with lesbians
why is the core of the earth so hot
why is the core so hot
why is the crust on my cheesecake always hard
why is the dime for the penny
why is the earth so imporatant
why is the earth so important
why is the empire state building famous
why is the godfather a great film
why is the government withholding emf information from the public
why is the heir called the prince of wales
why is the hustle award given in baseball
why is the large specific heat of water good for the human body
why is the moon does not display auroras
why is the nhl suffering
why is the nickname called praie state
why is the poor so happy
why is the prenatal stage important in the lifespan approach
why is the rock cycle called the rock cycle
why is the sblue
why is the scientific community unwilling to consider creationism as a scientific theory
why is the screen so dark contrast
why is the sky blue
why is the sow head given the name lord of the flies
why is the star spangled banner special
why is the sun blue
why is the tv show charmed ending
why is the tympanum located away from the head of the grasshopper
why is the tympanum located in the abdomen of the grasshopper
why is the water melt of glaciers frequently blue
why is theie an error on aol
why is there a need for standards groups
why is there a need for standards groups like the ucc
why is there a red x in pic boxes
why is there a spider on the dollar bill
why is there an altar with a sacrifice
why is there an easter rabbit
why is there different grades of gasoline
why is there dirt in my air
why is there globalization
why is there so much vaginal secretions so late in my cycle
why is there speed bumps
why is there still genocide
why is there still genocide in the world today
why is tia so lazy
why is today like no other
why is today passover
why is tom robinson related to the dog in to kill a mocking bird
why is trade deficit bad
why is tv show medium not on this monday 3 28 2006
why is tv show not on this monday 3 28 2006
why is tyler perry famous
why is unhealthy food bad for you
why is unhealthy foods do to you
why is urine yellow
why is virginia’s nickname the old dominion
why is washington d.c. not a state
why is water pressure low
why is yearling developing roached back
why is your ass dark
why islam nj event
why islam nj event yusef
why islam nj vent
why isn’t aol screen names working
why isn’t aol screennames working
why isnt loveline on
why isn’t my task manager working
why isn’t training programs provided in the company for all employees regardless of job levels
why israel should have the gaza strip

Bad Words in the News (Gallery 1860-2010) [Warning: Contains Bad Words]

Steve — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 23:41:18 +0000

Yesterday, the New York Times published “Why Do Educated People Use Bad Words?” on the Opinion page as part of its series Room For Debate: A Running Commentary on the News. The Times piece was dull, but it gave me an excuse to visit and play at the never-dull Google News archives.

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