Sunday Funnies: Save The Antelope (Myspacetv.com)

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savetheantelope

Instant Business/Competitive Intel Link Diagrams (NewsVisual via Information Aesthetics)

Information Aesthetics (one of the best blogs out there covering the world of information visualization) posted a link to NewsVisual, a 9 month old site that combines current news with link charts generated automatically using SEC data and IntellectSpace's proprietary link analysis software.

The site should be of particular interest to competitive intelligence and externally focused business intelligence professionals. I was a little disappointed in the load times for the full charts and was very disappointed to see that the charts only opened up in IE Explorer (Firefox users will have to get the IE Tab add-on to see the full charts). It was worth the effort though as the charts (see screenshot below for an example) add real depth and nuance to the stories.

First Rate Overview Of Refugee Situation In Iraq, Chad, Columbia, Sudan (UNHCR And Google Earth)

The UN's High Commissioner For Refugees (UNHCR) has teamed up with Google Earth to produce a very informative overlay that provides general information about not only UNHCR activities in Iraq, Chad, Columbia and Sudan but also the challenges faced by refugees in those countries in meeting the demands of everyday life. In addition to the main countries listed above, the overlay also includes some UNHCR activities in Syria, Jordan, Lebanon and Egypt (primarily in the context of the Iraqi refugee crisis).

The news and information is designed to inform rather than outline the specifics of each UNHCR mission. As a result, this overlay is perhaps best used as it was clearly intended to be used, as a background piece. Each individual entry is quite interesting, however, and, while it may take a moment to load, they are all worth exploring. It would be particularly helpful for individuals who were not at all familiar with the UNHCR and the work it does around the globe.

If you do not have Google Earth, then you will need to download it (its free). Once Google Earth is installed, you can download the .kml file that contains the overlay. Double clicking on the .kml file should open up the overlay and Google Earth. Within the "Refugee's Life" menu, there are a number of options (See image to the right). You can start at the top with the introduction or go straight to one of the other items by double clicking on it in the menu. I found the "Let's Visit A Camp" link to be particularly interesting (see image at bottom of post).

If I have one beef is is that double clicking on some of the items in the menu takes you to strange places. For example, double clicking on the "Regional Overview" item takes you to a spot over North Africa but at an elevation that does not allow you to see any of the UNHCR icons. My recommendation is to zoom in and out on the named countries in order to be able to see what is there. Aggravating, but not fatally so.

All in all, this is a good overview product and well worth a teacher's or a student's time. It might also a good way to orient young soldiers, analysts, contractors and others who might not otherwise be familiar with the UNHCR's activities using an engaging and interactive tool.

Art Theft And Organized Crime (ISN)

Morgan Russell, a graduate student here at Mercyhurst, just had a short article published by ISN concerning the connection between art theft and organized crime. The article was a bit of an eye-opener for me as I was not aware of just how much money (upwards of $6 billion) organized crime is making off of art theft.

Mercyhurst Featured On Fox Business News (Foxbusiness.com)

Mercyhurst made a little bit of news in recent weeks by shifting the way it provides financial aid. The College announced in March "its decision to directly provide federal student loans, a move intended to shield its students from recent upheaval in the student loan market."

Of interest primarily to students (or potential students), parents, alumni and academics at other institutions, the video below from Fox Business News (who are on campus all day today) features the Mercyhurst president, Dr. Thomas J. Gamble, using some intelligent (and some decidedly "intelligence-sounding"!) phrases to talk about Mercyhurst's new policy.