Vote of the New Montana Quarter Design.

Time is running out for the State of Montana to choose their individual design to grace the back of quarters in 2007 and you can be part of the process. Head over to http://governor.mt.gov/hottopics/mtquarters.asp to get the chance to vote on one of four designs. Personally, I go for the cow skull because it reminds me of the C.M. Russell paintings. Plus, it's a skull! How many states can say they have a skull on their quarter? Links: C.M. RUSSELL.ORG MT.GOV QUARTERS

INDIA GIS AND CENSUS MAPS

I found a great link for an interactive GIS census map of India with multiple layers of information to choose from. India is a complex nation with several factors that impact the census data more than any other country. Be sure to check out the different layers such as religion and marriage to get a better understanding of what it is like to live in a country with over a billion people in an area half the size of the U.S.

Also, check out India from space with satellite images from http://www.liveindia.com/earth/2.html

LINK: http://www.censusindiamaps.net/

FUN WITH GOOGLE MAPS- MAJOR LEAGUE BALLPARKS AL CENTRAL

Google map: CHICAGO WHITE SOX, U.S. Cellular Field

Home of the 2005 World Series Champions, US Cellular Field is the new home to the White Sox after they moved there from the giant Comiskey Park, which housed the Sox for over 50 years. Old Comiskey saw some of baseball's most memorable moments during its day, including the 1919 'Black Sox' scandal and 1979's Disco Demolition Night. Disco Demolition Night Google map: CLEVELAND INDIANS, Jacob's Field

Jacob's Field is a lush ballpark that opened in 1994. The previous Indian's field was Cleveland municipal Stadium which had all the appeal of a trainyard. The Indian's old digs can be seen in the movie 'Major League', which is Bob Uecker's finest role. In the movie, though, most of the interior scenes were shot using the old Milwaukee stadium, with all the exterior shots being from Cleveland's stadium. Major League Google map: DETROIT TIGERS, Comerica Park Comerica Park is one of the newest parks in the AL for one of the oldest teams. Detroit is home to Ty Cobb, Sparky Anderson, Lou Whitaker, and Magnum P.I. Google map: KANSAS CITY ROYALS, Kauffman Stadium George Brett helped make Kauffman Stadium famous with his attempt to bat .400 in 1980. However, even with that, most people will remember the famous 'Pine-tar' game in which Brett charged the ump in a critical game after his homerun was taken away for an illegal bat. The Royals were also home to one of the best 2 sport players in Bo Jackson.

Google map: MINNESOTA TWINS, Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome The Twin's were home to the late, great Kirby Puckett who passed away this year. During his time on the field, the Twin's visited the World Series and gave the Metrodome plenty of TV exposure. Remember the Hefty Bag-looking outfield walls? Yuck!

Fun with Google Maps - Major League Baseball Stadiums.

Baseball is here and there's no better excuse to play with Google Maps then to check out the stadiums of the Major League teams. We'll begin with the AL West and look at satellite images of the ballparks.. Make sure to click on the underlined team name to view the satellite image of the ballpark.

Google Map:LOS ANGELES ANGELS OF ANAHEIM, Angels Stadium of Anaheim

The Angels have changed their name again this year, making it hard to figure out how many cities they're putting on their uniform. They stuck the 'Los Angeles' back in the name after being 'California' and 'Anaheim' over the last few years. If you pan to the northwest, you can look in on Disneyland. Angels Stadium is an old dual use field that used to house the Los Angeles Rams. After the Rams left for St. Louis, the stadium got a facelift to make it more Baseball friendly.

Google Map: OAKLAND ATHLETICS, McAfee Coliseum

Not exactly the nicest stadium to look at, McAfee is a dual use stadium that still houses the Oakland Raiders during the fall. Just like Anaheim Stadium, McAfee opened back in 1966. During the years, the A's have seen some strong teams, including McGwire & Canseco. Google map of: SEATTLE MARINERS, SAFECO FIELD.

Opened in July 1999, Safeco Field is a retractable roof stadium just south of the new Seahawks Stadium. Make sure to zoom in and watch the WSU football game going on at Seahawks Stadium directly to the north of Safeco Field. TEXAS RANGERS, Ameriquest Field in Arlington

Opened April 1, 1994, Ameriquest Field has all the perky characteristics of Ebbets field mixed with the pillars of old Detroit Tigers Stadium. The Rangers were owned by George W. Bush before he was governor of Texas. Also, check out Ballparks.com for more info.

Great new site for U.S. State Facts and Figures

StateMaster.com is more than just a rehash of census data. They have grouped the information wisely and added comparison features and quick maps and graphs. The site is quick to load and easy to use. Here's a description from their own site: "Welcome to StateMaster.com, a unique statistical database which allows you to research and compare a multitude of different data on US states." Where StateMaster.com excels is the ability to quickly access data and view it in a variety of graphs, maps, and charts. I only wish I had this site when I was writing my final papers. The website is well managed and easy to use. Their stats are well researched and in detail. They have everything from death rates to how 4th and 5th graders did in math. A ticker sits on the top of the website and spouts interesting facts from their files. Make sure to click on it to find more info. Overall, a vital source of information and facts with a quick and easy to use website. Site: StateMaster.com

U.S. Weather Satellite Moved Over Amazon River.

U.S. meteorologists are finding a new use for hurricane satellites during the offseason. They will move the satellite to areas with more pressing needs. From article:

In October, the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration plans to reposition an aging but reliable 9-year-old satellite high over the Brazilian Amazon to provide full-time coverage for forecasters who now weather long periods without regular images during U.S. hurricane season. US Satellite Article Google Map of Amazon Also, the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) regularly updates its site of climate and satellite images. First to note is their Global Navigator, an interactive map of the world with highlighted points of interest. Then, on their main site, are archived data sets and articles on everything from hurricanes to La Nina. There are some great articles for research to be found here.

JAXA HOMEPAGE

GLOBAL NAVIGATOR

Beautiful China - Pictures of China

Take a tour of mainland China courtesy of FunMansion.com. The terraced landscapes and chiseled topography are sure to amaze you. Also, add in some beautiful sunsets and early morning mists for good measure. The rich photography captures the beauty of China. Click here for more pictures of China

Online Atlas

Merriam-Webster's Online Atlas is a good bookmark for anyone needing a quick reference to information on Singapore, or whatever country you need stats for in a hurry. The references are limited when compared to the CIA World Factbook, but is good for presentations or quick facts. Speaking of the CIA World Factbook, if you need some more in depth info like census data or political structure, than the CIA is for you. Merriam-Webster's Online Atlas CIA World Factbook

Virtual Tour of 1906 San Francisco Earthquake.

Thanks to the power of Google Earth, one can now re-create the infamous 1906 earthquake that ripped up and shaped San Francisco, California. The USGS has enlisted Google Earth to utilized the ability to download and manipulate files (known as kml.files) and create a virtual tour of the site with multiple layers. A similar use of Google Earth in manipulated form was illustrated with Maxim Magazine's 100th Issue cover of Eva Longoria being a 100' banner in the middle of Nevada and seen on Google Earth (Previous Post). Google Earth continues to show its potential and growth as a useful tool with multiple applications. One can only imagine the future uses of Google Earth. Link: Virtual Tour of 1906 San Francisco Earthquake.

Welcome to Your New Home- The Palm, Dubai.

The islands are almost complete, and if you are rich then you can own a piece of history. Man made islands are being constructed in the shapes of palm trees, among other things, in the Middle East. Come to Dubai and live on a replica of the world or a palm tree. The Palm Developments

Eva Longoria Maxim Cover on Google Earth.

Who knew that Google Earth could be used to broadcast a 100 foot picture of 'Desparate Houswives' star Eva Longoria for satellites to see. Thanks to Maxim Magazine and their 100th issue, people with Google Earth, and traveling aliens, can catch a glimpse of the cover. It turns out that to help celebrate the 100th issue of Maxim Magazine, the company made a vinyl replica in the desert outside Las Vegas, NV. The image is actually 75' x 110' and can be viewed by linking to Maxim Magazine here. Also, the direct link location for the Kml file is here.

World's Tallest Building-Stats

Check out the World's Tallest building. It's the Burj Dubai in the U.A.E. At least when it opens in 2008, it'll be the tallest. There are already plans to build taller buildings, including the monster Al Burj.

Quick Links Update

Some additions to note- Horry County, South Carolina GIS and Assessor Link St. Francois, Missouri Assessor Link Greene County, Missouri Assessor Link Jefferson County, Missouri Assessor Link Phillipsburg, Maine Assessor Link W/Tax Maps and Search

GIS Links-State and County GIS Links-A comprehensive list of GIS sites

I have more skyscraper pages for you. Although it has very little to do with GIS, I found it fun. http://www.skyscraperpage.com/diagrams/ GIS Links-State and County GIS Links-A comprehensive list of GIS sites

THE WORLDS TALLEST BUILDINGS-IN ONE PICTURE

SKYSCAPERNEWS.COM has posted a rather unique photo of all the world's tallest skyscapers and placed them into one background. Make sure to click 'enlarge' to view all of the buildings. Skyscrapers Skyline

Watercrest Flood Verification.

Watercrest Flood is alive on the web. Check out the satellite image of our builiding, WaterCrest Flood Verification, Inc.

NASA Satellite Maps

The hard working people at NASA are known for their work looking at the stars, but few think about how much time they spent watching our own Earth. Head over to their Earth Observation Room and check out their high res pictures of the Earth. Then hit their 'data & images' page and you can make your own maps using their data. Earth Observation Room Data & Images

Daily Timekiller - Solar System Live

I get a lot of requests for the previous post on the Earth at Night. The same website has a few other nice pages to mention. It's run by John Walker out of Switzerland and you can find his main page at http://www.fourmilab.ch/ First, there is a live map of the planets in relation to the sun. http://www.fourmilab.ch/cgi-bin/uncgi/Solar/action?sys=-Sf Second, there is a nice sky chart showing the stars and their formations at any given location. Just update the lat and long and click for a map and you can see what your missing. http://www.fourmilab.ch/cgi-bin/uncgi/Yoursky