I have started a series on the dirtiest power plants in the US, using EPA data. Each map shows each power plant in the US. Small white dots are small power plants generating less than 2 million Megawatt-hours per year (MWh/year). Large white dots are large power plants that generate more than 2 million MWh/year. The black dots are large power plants that are in the top 50 CO2 power plant polluters, top 50 power plant NOx polluters, and top 50 power plant SO2 polluters. This was done in Processing. For more information see http://www.dirtykilowatts.org/

I created a map of Superfund sites in Processing. it’s a PDF. Strewth!

It seems that JSDoc is easier to use than PhpDocumentor or Doxygen, especially when using custom tags. I just came up with the stellar idea of using JSDoc to generate PHP documentation. PHP’s reflection API includes a way to read the JavaDoc-style comments on each function. What I will do is take these JavaDoc-style comments and make fake JavaScript functions to go with them, and then parse the new ‘JavaScript’ file in JSDoc.

I’ll provide details and tell you how it works in a later post.

I have been working on my office furniture. I have a big (6′ x 7’3” x 10”) bookcase and the start of a desk and a credenza. I need to get legs for the desk and credenza.

I am currently in St. Louis for a friend’s wedding. My dad’s family is from the Illinois side of the river, and as a child I went here every year to visit my aunt and grandparents. I haven’t been here in about 10 years, and it’s nice to be back. I’m going to see the arch and some of the neighborhoods, and perhaps the art museum, science museum and zoo.

I’m taking a class called Environmental Interventions [wiki] at Cornell this semester.

I’m planning on going on a long trip this summer, perhaps to Europe. I’ve noticed that I have a lot of website visitors from europe, who I’d love to meet and possibly use as a place to crash.

So, feel free to introduce yourselves.

I am helping out for a dance concert Saturday, April 28, 2007 at 4:30pm at the Henry St John Gymnasium at the Corner of Clinton St and Geneva St, Ithaca NY.

See ya there.

I am really eager to own a house. I would actually enjoy doing home improvement and gardening. It’s hard to get excited about doing these things with a rental. I am in the process of buying a house in Ithaca, NY and I will stay at least two years, possibly more.

I came across some articles on home prices — http://www.fdic.gov/bank/analytical/fyi/2005/021005fyi.html it appears that prices do not descend that much, and they tend to decline in large markets. I expect that the Ithaca market will stay flat at worst, since Ithaca is growing as a high-tech city.

Here’s some data on historical evidence of home price booms and busts: http://www.fdic.gov/bank/analytical/fyi/2005/021005fyi_table1.pdf

These downturns tend to follow years of stagnant or negative economic activity. http://www.fdic.gov/bank/analytical/fyi/2005/021005fyi_table2.pdf

Thanks to digg, I have added visitors from Australia and South America to my loyal readers from North America, Europe and Asia. I am still waiting on readers from Africa (preferably Botswana) and Greenland (standing in for Antarctica).