Geography Awareness Week: Why Geography Matters to Certain Professions

National Geographic's Education wing has made a good infographic on why geography matters to diplomats, operations managers, fashion designers, park rangers, pilots, sustainability directors, ecologists, weather forecasters, urban planners, and agriculturalists.

Click to enlarge

Meanwhile I also recommend I am a Geographer, Hire Me

Gettysburg Address: 150 Years Late

As true today as 150 years ago.  Actually pay attention to the words and meditate on them.  This speech has a whole new life for me since I returned from Iraq and Afghanistan.

Geography Awareness Week 2013: The New Age of Exploration

Happy Geography Awareness Week 2013!  This year's theme is meant to emphasize the new age of exploration.  I believe exploration stays at home and if you have not explored it before it is new to you!  So I will be trying to find new, unique ways to explore this world of ours.  For today I recommend you look at previous do-it-yourself geography activities and previous GAW posts to share with friends, family, students, or just try it yourself.

Poor Infrastructure Adds to Typhoon Haiyan Diaster, Political Geography Makes it Even Worse

Slate has a breakdown of why such horrible disasters in the Philippines are made worse by human issues.  Despite recent economic gains the Philippines suffers from poor infrastructure and many poor people forced to live in areas that are easily flooded, eroded, or at risk of earthquakes.  Because of the poor living conditions, the Philippines leads the world in disaster fatalities.

Meanwhile TDAXP pointed out that political tensions with China over rocks in the middle of the South China Sea has destroyed the feeling of sympathy Chinese may have for Filipinos and Chinese tourists in the Philippines.  A blog post about Chinese tourists stuck in the disaster area has lead many Chinese commentators on the ChinaSmack blog to call these tourists 'traitors" who deserve whatever happens to them.  I do not expect China to offer any aid to the Philippines because of their on-going dispute.  

Happy Veterans Day and a Thankful Remembrance Day 203

To all those who served with me and those I have not and will never meet, thank you.

Placing Literature: Crowd Source Mapping Where Books Take Place

Placing Literature is an effort to crowd source map where books take place.  So far over 1,074 places have been mapped.  One can use social media tricks like gamification to "check-in" to places and compete against others.

Quick Note:  Who knew Duluth, Minnesota is so popular in literature?

November 2013 Monthly Travel Photo: Bridge over the Potomac at Harpers Ferry

Photo by TDAXP

Now a regional tourism destination and the half way point along the Appalachian Trail.  In the past the meeting of the two "wild" rivers of the Shenandoah and Potomac near the capital of the United States helped destine Harpers Ferry to being a flashpoint for Civil War.