Relevant Magazine‘s question of the day on 11/8/2012 was: What is the best place to eat in your town? Which place is it that you take out of town guests? We like Relevant, like to eat, like to travel, and like maps – so why not map the responses? Click here or the image below to go to a searchable map.
This is a map of Relevant Magazine’s QOTD: What are the best places to eat in your town?
Sometimes things can be so divergent that it gets hard to make sense out of what is being said. Case in point -three separate news stories on Yahoo!
The first is about the continuing spread of the Ebola virus in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The article states that the World Health Organization is very, very concerned and that an additional $2 million had to be found. This is one of the worst viruses out there, with no cure in a place already decimated by war, corruption and poverty.
To the side of the news about the Ebola epidemic, there were links to the Fed spending $40 billion to keep interest rates low, and America’s most expensive hotel rooms – ranging from $20,000 to $40,000. A night. One.
If the divergence is hard to comprehend in the midst of a country blessed with power and wealth, what does this look like from someone already on the margins?
The London 2012 games were spectacular. Records were set and legends were self proclaimed. There were also amazing back stories, like those of South African track star Oscar Pistorius, U.S. runner Bryshon Nellum, Sudanese “lost boy” Lomong Lopez, and former World Vision sponsored child Nataly Landaverde.
Each Olympics though, NBC’s handling of the medal count is dubious. A total doesn’t tell the complete story. As any silver medalist will tell you, there is different worth to placing first, second or third. While Spurred applauds all of the athletes just for making it to the olympics, recalculated medal points are necessary to set the record straight. The formula is simple, Gold=3 points, Silver=2 points, Bronze=1 point. Multiply the points by the number of medals and total the score. This will be called the Medal Points. The top 25 now are:
| Country | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total | Medal Points |
| United States | 46 | 29 | 29 | 104 | 225 |
| China | 38 | 27 | 23 | 88 | 191 |
| Russia | 24 | 26 | 32 | 82 | 156 |
| United Kingdom | 29 | 17 | 19 | 65 | 140 |
| Germany | 11 | 19 | 14 | 44 | 85 |
| France | 11 | 11 | 12 | 34 | 67 |
| Japan | 7 | 14 | 17 | 38 | 66 |
| Australia | 7 | 16 | 12 | 35 | 65 |
| South Korea | 13 | 8 | 7 | 28 | 62 |
| Italy | 8 | 9 | 11 | 28 | 53 |
| Netherlands | 6 | 6 | 8 | 20 | 38 |
| Hungary | 8 | 4 | 5 | 17 | 37 |
| Ukraine | 6 | 5 | 9 | 20 | 37 |
| Spain | 3 | 10 | 4 | 17 | 33 |
| Kazakhstan | 7 | 1 | 5 | 13 | 28 |
| Brazil | 3 | 5 | 9 | 17 | 28 |
| New Zealand | 6 | 2 | 5 | 13 | 27 |
| Cuba | 5 | 3 | 6 | 14 | 27 |
| Canada | 1 | 5 | 12 | 18 | 25 |
| Iran | 4 | 5 | 3 | 12 | 25 |
| Jamaica | 4 | 4 | 4 | 12 | 24 |
| Belarus | 2 | 5 | 5 | 12 | 21 |
| Czech Republic | 4 | 3 | 3 | 10 | 21 |
| Kenya | 2 | 4 | 5 | 11 | 19 |
| Romania | 2 | 5 | 2 | 9 | 18 |
Not much changed, still the United States clearly dominated. This doesn’t take into consideration population though. More people should generate a greater pool of talent to pull from, so the next table is the top 25 Medal Points divided by population (population was divided by 1 million to give a usable ratio).
| Country | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total | Medal Points | Medal to Population Ratio |
| Grenada | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 28.60 |
| Jamaica | 4 | 4 | 4 | 12 | 24 | 8.86 |
| Bahamas | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 8.64 |
| New Zealand | 6 | 2 | 5 | 13 | 27 | 6.13 |
| Trinidad and Tobago | 1 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 4.46 |
| Hungary | 8 | 4 | 5 | 17 | 37 | 3.71 |
| Slovenia | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 7 | 3.41 |
| Montenegro | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3.16 |
| Lithuania | 2 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 10 | 3.12 |
| Denmark | 2 | 4 | 3 | 9 | 17 | 3.05 |
| Croatia | 3 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 13 | 2.95 |
| Australia | 7 | 16 | 12 | 35 | 65 | 2.87 |
| Georgia | 1 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 12 | 2.67 |
| Mongolia | 0 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 7 | 2.50 |
| Cuba | 5 | 3 | 6 | 14 | 27 | 2.40 |
| Netherlands | 6 | 6 | 8 | 20 | 38 | 2.28 |
| Estonia | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2.24 |
| United Kingdom | 29 | 17 | 19 | 65 | 140 | 2.23 |
| Belarus | 2 | 5 | 5 | 12 | 21 | 2.22 |
| Czech Republic | 4 | 3 | 3 | 10 | 21 | 1.99 |
| Norway | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 9 | 1.82 |
| Latvia | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 1.80 |
| Cyprus | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1.79 |
| Ireland | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 1.78 |
| Azerbaijan | 2 | 2 | 6 | 10 | 16 | 1.75 |
But not all countries have the same resources. Richer countries should be able to field better athletes. So the next table presents the medal points divided by GDP (GDP was divided by 100 billion to yeild a more usable ratio).
| Country | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total | Medal Points | Medal to GDP Ratio |
| Grenada | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 36.76 |
| Jamaica | 4 | 4 | 4 | 12 | 24 | 15.93 |
| Georgia | 1 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 12 | 8.35 |
| Mongolia | 0 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 7 | 8.18 |
| Kenya | 2 | 4 | 5 | 11 | 19 | 5.65 |
| Cuba | 5 | 3 | 6 | 14 | 27 | 4.44 |
| Ethiopia | 3 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 14 | 4.42 |
| Montenegro | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4.40 |
| Armenia | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 3.90 |
| Bahamas | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 3.85 |
| Belarus | 2 | 5 | 5 | 12 | 21 | 3.81 |
| Moldova | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2.86 |
| Trinidad and Tobago | 1 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 2.67 |
| Hungary | 8 | 4 | 5 | 17 | 37 | 2.64 |
| Azerbaijan | 2 | 2 | 6 | 10 | 16 | 2.52 |
| Lithuania | 2 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 10 | 2.34 |
| Ukraine | 6 | 5 | 9 | 20 | 37 | 2.24 |
| Croatia | 3 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 13 | 2.04 |
| New Zealand | 6 | 2 | 5 | 13 | 27 | 1.90 |
| Uganda | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1.78 |
| Serbia | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 7 | 1.55 |
| Tajikistan | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1.53 |
| Kazakhstan | 7 | 1 | 5 | 13 | 28 | 1.50 |
| Latvia | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 1.42 |
| Slovenia | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 7 | 1.41 |
Either way you look at it, Grenada and Jamaica are on top. What do you think of that Bob Costas? Or Fox News? The main point of doing this is to point out there are more ways to look at things. Digging deeper can bring out some surprises and maybe even generate new appreciations or intelligent questions. So nice work James Kirani, you won your country’s first medal ever and by doing so, put Grenada at the top of the medal count.
The recent video produced by Invisible Children has caused quite a stir. It’s quite incredible really – in an age of soundbites and tweets, a 30 minute video about ridiculously horrible atrocities in Africa becomes the most viewed in the shortest time clip in history. This feat hasn’t gone unnoticed, even by commedian Jon Stewert as revealed in this clip. What Stewart points out too though, is that the LRA isn’t a new bunch of thugs. And that it has been reported about before several times. So what is it about this latest video from Invisible Children that has caused such interest? Could it be that the world now has 850 million facebook users and 300 million tweets happen per day? Probably, but it also could be the video’s simplicity. Which is one thing that critics of it have latched upon. And critics there are many, on CNN a couple of times, in Relevant Magazine, and on thinkchristian.net, just to name a few. Invisible Children has responded as well.
The Relevant piece is particularly well done and worth a read. Author Rachel Held Evans writes, after pointing out some of the problems or distinctions of Invisible Children, “Some people seemed more upset by IC’s policies and practices than by the cruel actions of Joseph Kony and the LRA.” She also points out that IC is largely an advocacy or awareness organization. This is key. We need to stop viewing every organization as comprehensively able to deal with every crisis, circumstance and atrocity. Those are great goals, visions, and strategic plans possibly, but they are entirely unrealistic and maybe even not very smart. Aren’t we supposed to diversify our portfolios to minimize risk? Shouldn’t we want organizations to specialize and collaborate? A body with many parts that have specific functions is a repeated theme in the New Testament. Let’s let IC excel at advocacy. Let’s be thankful that the world is talking about child soldiers and what to do about them. Let’s keep the focus on the real criminals here and realize we’ve dropped the ball for many, many kids for the last 25 years. Share the link to the video. Keep the conversation going. Find what moves you and get involved, and yes – if there is a better way to do something, then share it, but always remember that you probably have more in common with who you are criticizing than who they are fighting.
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It seems major sporting events having a way of focusing attention. Spurred blog entries reflect that – so as to not disappoint around the biggest sporting spectacle of the U.S., here are some links for the Super Bowl.
Super Bowl winning coach Tony Dungee and his wife have made a video for an alternate half time show. So if you want to skip the commentary or the Material Girl, check out their video here. It’s about adoption and the link provides for many viewing options.
There’s also the ugly side of humanity that goes along with major sporting events – that of human trafficking. The State of Indiana should be commended for recently closing loopholes in the prosecution of those involved in this disgusting practice.
Then there’s the excessive costs associated with Super Bowl advertising and insane team salaries. What does that say about societal values? Entertainment and consumption drive us way more than we care to admit. That is probably an oversimplified view however. Creativity and hard work will also be on display. Let’s root for those and hope for all wardrobes to be functioning properly. And to get ready, watch the awesome commercial for the new bug.
It goes without saying, it’s that time of year again. How ‘that’ is said can change the meaning of the previous sentence and have profound effects on our Christmas experience. Exasperation too often is the result though. Author Jen Hatmaker has a great post about her family’s journey on how to do Christmas differently – even with links to help with ‘buying products with a conscience’ and a snazzy app to help determine if something was potentially made responsibly. It’s also worth pointing out the fine folks at Advent Conspiracy. Their video is worth at least an annual viewing. And also, here are some entertaining yet insightful thoughts on Advent. For Advent devotionals – click here.
Other things worth checking out but not directly Christmas related:
Relevant Magazine on generosity and materialism.
For a look at what the world is concerned about, tech site Mashable lists the most popular Facebook and Twitter posts.
Again from Mashable, a look at 30 cutting edge tech projects from around the world.
Finally – don’t forget about gift giving catalogs from nonprofits:
International Justice Mission
blood:water mission
World Vision
Christian Reformed World Relief Committee
This is the first of Spurred generated maps. By clicking here, a series of maps from 2006 to 2010 are presented in a pdf file. These maps plot unemployment percentages as reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics over the Business Tax Climate Index as calculated by the nonpartisan Tax Policy Foundation. The Business Tax Climate Index is a combination of individual income tax, sales tax, corporate tax, property tax and unemployment insurance tax. The darker shaded states have a more favorable business tax climate.
There is much talk about lower taxes being a job creator, especially during elections. It is probably safe to say that for short term, that would be correct. See Michigan’s film industry incentives. The question on the table is, if lower taxes really create or sustain jobs, wouldn’t those states be hit with less of a blow in unemployment numbers? The maps show no relation suggesting that that is correct.
We’re all for job creation and believe that is one the best ways out of poverty. Which is why we’re so enthusiastic about organizations like Partners Worldwide. We also favor truth, best practices and data, which is why the maps were created (and also for a class project).
Here are a few links discussing the world’s population reaching 7 billion:
Meet the 7 billionth.
7 things you should know from World Vision.
National Geographic‘s year long look at 7 billion, and their cool video.
The BBC has a calculator to find out what number you are.
There has been a lot of talk about capital punishment this week. The execution of one of its citizens by the government should never be taken lightly, but that’s not what this is about. It’s about the intense focus on one person’s death and the ignoring of several thousand. This is not to minimize nor glorify Troy Davis, this is to raise awareness of those that pass away daily with little press, mention or even thought. Reject Apathy states (quoting the UN) that 600,000 people could die by the end of the year in East Africa and questions why their stories are rarely being told. It gives some answers as does this CNN opinion piece discusses the difference between drought and famine. Droughts happen from natural causes, famines happen because no one does anything about them.
We as a society obviously care for human lives. That’s what so many of statutes are based on and why so much care is put into the safety of travel, whether by car, boat, train or airplane. This is why 10 year anniversaries of horrific attacks matter to us. It is also why the lack of press toward the 100 plane crashes worth of people dying a day from preventable things is crazy. Is it because there wasn’t a specific name or face? No exact time? No pronouncement of judgment? And if we think so, aren’t we really fooling ourselves that there aren’t those things? There most certainly are names and faces and exact times. Maybe we’re just uncomfortable with who’s the judge and jury.
This morning’s news radio brought discussions of vaccines for Liberia and the defeat of the Miami Heat in the 2011 NBA Finals. The two are not as unrelated as may first appear. Miami was suppose to be the team to beat. The trifecta of superstars. An amazing line up of basketball talent- and yet they lost. Many like to root for the underdog and this year’s finals had no shortage of Miami haters. How could the Heat not win? But Dallas played like the better team. This isn’t a sports blog though, so go to espn.com to read about Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Terry.
Back to talk of being an expected winner. Are the wealthy countries of the world viewed like the Miami Heat? A stacked deck of expected victory? If so then what are we doing with our economic dominance? This is where basketball and Liberia connect. Unfortunately the adversaries aren’t nearly as awesome as the Dallas Mavericks, but they are as tenacious. They are things like diarrhea, pneumonia, AIDS, clean water, sanitation, TB and malaria.
We’re letting those win?! Really?!?
Time to step up our game.
Dallas’ guard, Jason Terry got a tattoo of the Final’s trophy at the beginning of the season which proved to be either prophetic or motivating. He said after they won, “When you do something crazy like that, you have to back it up.”
Time to do something crazy that we have to back up.
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