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Wednesday, July 9, 2008

Taking Over the Planet, One Red Blob at at Time

I know you're like me and if you have a blog, one of your greatest little secret thrills is seeing where in the world your readers are coming from.

You say, "Hello World! Hello Spain! Hello Denmark! Hello Morocco! Hello Jordan! Hello Argentina! Hello Argentina again! And again! Hello England! Hello Australia! Hello Somewhere in Asia! Hello Alaska!" (Alaska, to me, seems as exotic as can be, too.)

When I look at this little map, though, it reminds me of Risk. You know, that board game you used to play when you were a kid. If I played with my little sister, I would usually win, but if I played with someone my own age, it was always a toss-up. I don't think strategy is my strong point.

Napoleon probably couldn't have used me for helping to plan his campaigns. (Although if you want to know what really might have happened on his disasterous Russian campaign, be sure to read this book. I loved it and would recommend it to anyone who likes a good science read (any chemistry buffs out there besides me?) with some fascinating history and anthropology added into the mix.)

Now that I look at my little world domination map again, it seems like I could be doing some outreach in Irkutsk, Yakutsk and the Congo. I don't seem to have too many readers in those parts of the world.

Right now mostly, I hope that someone in a yurt will write to me and say hello.

11 comments:

christina July 9, 2008 at 3:02 PM  

Hello from Wisconsin! :)

The book sounds interesting.

Each time I see a map, it reminds me of how small my little corner of the world is. So many more beautiful places to think and dream about.

Peace

Unknown July 9, 2008 at 4:53 PM  

one of my favorite blogging pastimes is to look at where my visitors come from. maybe they write from a centuries old desk in a european castle (my favorite daydream) or perhaps from an internet cafe in north africa? i find the idea of it all terribly romantic---like modern day pen pals all in collusion with one another. so cheers from portland, albeit not exotic nor foreign for you, my dear....but i promise if i ever stay in a yurt i will leave many blog comments.

Anonymous July 9, 2008 at 6:56 PM  

And then there are some of us, normally only a stone's throw away from San Francisco, who will leave comments from a laptop connected to an iffy wi-fi connection while on the road :)

Hello from New York City!

Anonymous July 9, 2008 at 10:22 PM  

If you like maps and graphics, TB, you'll probably love what is arguably the best statistical graphic ever drawn: a map by Charles Joseph Minard, which portrays the losses suffered by Napoleon's army in the Russian campaign.

My sweetie has a copy and it's just fascinating.

Anonymous July 10, 2008 at 3:11 AM  

Hello from Sydney, Australia - but then you already knew that! ;)

I've never played risk, but I did like the PC game 'Where in the world is Carmen San Diego?'.

Does anyone know what I'm talking about? It was cooool.

My Castle in Spain July 10, 2008 at 3:22 AM  

and hello to you !!! from the South of Granada where it's boiling hot and siesta time most appreciated ...

you know what, a couple of friends used to live in a yurt a little bit higher up in the mountains not far from here ? But they had to come down to town to be connected...

eh oui..yurt and wifi sometimes don't go together
:-)

koolricky July 10, 2008 at 7:37 AM  

Risk... So many endless nights spent playing it during my first degree...

HELLO! ;o)

julochka July 10, 2008 at 9:26 AM  

that's really fun! and thanks for mentioning denmark! :-) heehee. i have one of those on facebook, but it's of the places i've visited myself. i'd be too paranoid to put one of those on my blog. what if no one came? i couldn't take seeing it there in little red blobs!

tangobaby July 10, 2008 at 11:40 AM  

Hello sunshine from Wisconsin!

Now I am feeling very badly that I have glossed over all of my wonderful buddies here in the USA! I will have to make up for my oversight post haste.

The world is so big and yet so small. Meeting wonderful people like you makes the world seem a little bit more manageable, don't you think?

Hi Ms. Octavine,

Now you have given me something else to think about. Could we have someone writing to us from a castle? A chateau? An underwater pavillion?

Portland is a great place and a perfect home for your artistic loveliness.

Hi dutchbaby!

Say hi to the Big Apple for me! Eat a half-sour pickle and some good Nova! OMG, now I have made myself drool on the keyboard.

xoxo

Hi Johanna,

I can always count on you for the most interesting tidbits. I don't know as much about the campaign as I could but I am sure that map will make things quite clear. I still remember seeing Napoleon's Tomb at Les Invalides and the grandeur of his memory is still quite powerful, despite the way things ended up.

Hi Christie,

Of course, you knew I meant you! I have not played that game but I think it was also a television show?

Hi Lala,

Someday I am coming to Granada. Your pictures make me wish I was there now. I would love a siesta...

Hi Koolricky,

At least someone here knew what I was talking about! Risk is a very addictive game, is it not? I have a feeling you could whip me in a straight match, so I'll just ask for a tanda instead.

I think I used to cheat.

Hi julochka,

I think your map would be full of red blobs because you already get so many visitors already. I did not know there was another kind of map. Sadly, my places visited would not be as exciting as those of you who check in with me!

But I do keep my passport with me for any kind of spontaneous possibility!

Vanessa July 12, 2008 at 1:42 AM  

Well hello there, from Germany, erstwhile from the Philippines! :-) I do get such a kick from seeing where my friends on the Internets are from. It makes me feel that my blog is going where my feet can't.

I solemnly promise to write from a yurt (with Internet access) someday.

tangobaby July 14, 2008 at 5:02 PM  

Hi vanessa,

"My blog is going where my feet can't..." I love it! You've expressed it perfectly.

I'm loving your reporter on the scene action from Berlin and will look forward to the day that you write to me from a yurt. How does Bhutan sound?

;-)