Some infrastructural features are so ubiquitous and operate so effectively behind the scenes that they become almost invisible—like most utility lines. Compared to many developed nations, the United States still has a sizable portion of its electrical and telecomm wires hoisted high into the sky through utility poles. In fact, outside the densely populated downtowns
I know this isn’t the first time I’ve created an entire blog post out of little more than the bumper stickers on the rear of someone else’s car. Heck, one of those glib posts ended up becoming one of my most commented-upon articles. Typically, though, my goal is for bumper stickers merely to supplement or
In 2024, a rail-trail conversion is hardly a novel concept. The likelihood that most Americans have never walked or jogged on one says more about our sedentary lifestyles than the trails’ scarcity. In fact, rail-trail conversions exist in all 50 states and continue to grow in both quantity and total mileage. Initially a tactic for
I can’t exactly claim to belong to some sort of refined or elite contingent when I say I’m a big fan of small, old, and neglected cemeteries; lots of people think these relics are pretty cool. But I try my best to at least document them when I stumble across them, elevating my interest to
After over 800 articles penned, I have consistently asserted that the point of this blog is to put forward empirical arguments. I try to extract greater meaning from what I observe. Data and second-party research supplements or substantiates the arguments I try to make. Not every blog post uses outside articles, legal documentation, and/or statistics.
Continuing from where Part I left off, this article will explore the remaining 15 municipalities named Washington in the United States, the District of Columbia excluded. Ranking them from least to most populous, the previous article covered the smallest eight; this will conclude with the seven bigger Washingtons, up to the most populous of all.
Far be it from me to turn into a crotchety old killjoy who lambastes every pocket park I find, but I already did it once a few years ago, for a tidy but neglected little mini-playground in Alexandria, Virginia. Since a bigger, higher-profile, and splashier (literally) play area stands just a few blocks away, my
I’ll confess: a part of me wanted to feature The Hangar at Emerson Pointe apartment complex simply because I took such an amazing photo, completely unintentionally. I mean, look at that beauty! Doesn’t it look like the sort of professional rendering that marketing firm—or the marketing arm of a development company—might use to promote their
The infamous book How to Lie with Maps initially offered a light-hearted attempt to explore how maps can entice, mislead, inflame, and generally propagandize, often without necessarily depicting anything geographically untruthfully. Juxtapositions (not always to scale), labels, color choice, and infographics can all endow an editorial skew on what seems like objective spatial representation. And
So sue me: I’ve covered more than my fair share of public restrooms on this blog. To the best of my recollection, I’ve only featured the restrooms themselves; not the patrons. If there were ever a hint of another person lurking within the frame captured by my camera’s lens, I’d be a total creeper. But
Some infrastructural features are so ubiquitous and operate so effectively behind the scenes that they become almost invisible—like most utility lines. Compared to many developed nations, the United States still has a sizable
I know this isn’t the first time I’ve created an entire blog post out of little more than the bumper stickers on the rear of someone else’s car. Heck, one of those glib
In 2024, a rail-trail conversion is hardly a novel concept. The likelihood that most Americans have never walked or jogged on one says more about our sedentary lifestyles than the trails’ scarcity. In
I can’t exactly claim to belong to some sort of refined or elite contingent when I say I’m a big fan of small, old, and neglected cemeteries; lots of people think these relics
After over 800 articles penned, I have consistently asserted that the point of this blog is to put forward empirical arguments. I try to extract greater meaning from what I observe. Data and
Continuing from where Part I left off, this article will explore the remaining 15 municipalities named Washington in the United States, the District of Columbia excluded. Ranking them from least to most populous,
Far be it from me to turn into a crotchety old killjoy who lambastes every pocket park I find, but I already did it once a few years ago, for a tidy but
I’ll confess: a part of me wanted to feature The Hangar at Emerson Pointe apartment complex simply because I took such an amazing photo, completely unintentionally. I mean, look at that beauty! Doesn’t
The infamous book How to Lie with Maps initially offered a light-hearted attempt to explore how maps can entice, mislead, inflame, and generally propagandize, often without necessarily depicting anything geographically untruthfully. Juxtapositions (not
So sue me: I’ve covered more than my fair share of public restrooms on this blog. To the best of my recollection, I’ve only featured the restrooms themselves; not the patrons. If there