WWII Vet Honor Flight October 2012

Posted by Ralph Cipolla on November 9, 2012
Posted in: Uncategorized. Leave a comment

While lamenting a 2-hour layover at Reagan Airport in Washington D.C. – on my way to another national capital, Ottawa, Canada – a plane with 88 World War II Veterans landed at the gate right across from where I sat. This was an “Honor Flight” – 88 heroes of The Greatest Generation had come to town for a ceremony at the World War II Memorial, prior to the annual running of the Marine Marathon. Seeing these men up close and in person, and shaking their hands, was nothing less than unforgettable. Fortunately, we all now carry a combination hi-resolution camera and hi-def video-cam in our pocket. Thanks to my iPhone, for Veteran’s Day 2012, I can share this occasion with you.

My first real ‘in the trenches’ experience with Apple Maps…

Posted by Ralph Cipolla on October 20, 2012
Posted in: Tech. Leave a comment

Apple Maps

Apple Maps tried to kill me and my mid-size rental car this past week – on not one, but three occasions. Fortunately, this occurred in the passive, patient, forgiving, stress-free rush-hour driving environment of Metro-New York City. See if you can spot the apparent real-time contradiction between: A) The Guidance of Apple Maps (Left) and B) “Reality” (Right).

Periodic Table of NCAA Scandals

Posted by Ralph Cipolla on January 30, 2012
Posted in: Info/Photo-graphics, Op-Ed / Observation / Rant, Stupid People. Tagged: , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

When I created the “NCAA: From Fame to Shame” infographic, I left a lot of relevant material on the table. There simply wasn’t enough room in one graphic of that sort to cover 60 fun-filled years of NCAA misfortune, malfeasance, and mischief. Just how does one acknowledge all those incidents in an organized and chronological manner? Ah, then I brought years of university studies to bear… and all that expense finally paid off (see, Mom?) I’m sure this work will upset some of you… especially alums of those ‘heavy element’ programs – the ones that make multiple appearances in the table. Please, share your thoughts… and if a particular school, program, or scandal is conspicuously absent from the Periodic Table, let me know. This, I fear, is a work in progress. Like the Periodic Table of Natural Elements, it’s always growing – new, ‘heavier’ elements / scandals are always being discovered.

Click here to see a larger, interactive version of the Periodic Table

Fame to Shame: NCAA Coaching Scandals

Posted by Ralph Cipolla on December 17, 2011
Posted in: Info/Photo-graphics, Op-Ed / Observation / Rant, Stupid People. Tagged: , , . 7 Comments

I have long considered creating a breed of topical and timely “Infographic” that goes beyond the typical format you see all over the web – the infographic populated by elementary school-level shapes, washed-out primary colors, with humans represented by the asexual icons you see on the door of every public restroom.  

My first effort – Stairway to 40 – was done to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Stairway to Heaven release.  It landed on the websites of several Rock radio stations, was picked up by @GuyKawasaki (thanks to the awesome @AnnieColbert), and re-Tweeted/linked-to by over 50 kind folks of exceptional taste in the graphic arts (you can see it on the ‘music’ page on this site).  

Here, I decided to tackle a topic that never gets old – NCAA Div-I coaches and their uncanny ability to:

  • Make the same stupid mistakes previously perfected by countless other blind, arrogant, and blindly-arrogant big-time coaches,
  • Egregiously violate the same small set of unambiguous common-sense NCAA rules, and
  • Deny, deny, deny – in the face of rumor, on-line murmur, a growing Everest of evidence, and the inevitable Sports Illustrated Special-Collectable-School-Sanction-Securing-Double-Issue Expose´. 

Let me know what you think… unless you’re a Penn State, Ohio State, Baylor, Indiana U, or Colorado alum.  I already know what you think.  

(Note: Obviously inspired by the Penn State Sandusky-shop-of-horrors, I didn’t include the on-going & growing Syracuse University abuse scandal.  Look for that in my next, nearly complete project – The Periodic Table of NCAA Scandals.)