List of Free Data Sets for Analytic and Forecasting Efforts
I’ve compiled a list of free, downloadable data sets that are useful for analytic & forecasting efforts. This list is by no means exhaustive and will be certain to evolve with time. Recommendations are appreciated. Population & Geography Data US Census Data Access ToolsStarting point for accessing data sets in the US Census. US Zip CodesA free source of USPS Zip codes. National Center for Health StatisticsMarriage data occurring in States that meet reporting criteria for inclusion in the marriage-registration area, except for California unlicensed marriages. Economy & Finance Data Bureau of Labor StatisticsContains information on inflation & prices, employment, unemployment, pay & benefits, spending, productivity, workplace, employee...
razorfunfish : how I grabbed high organic rankings
If you’re reading this during the Razorfish Client Summit, I’m hoping it’s because I had the #1 organic spot for razorfunfish on Google. I had to leave early this AM on the redeye to Atlanta for another work engagement, but I’ve asked our Razorfish team be my representative. They asked that I blog about how I seized 31 on Google for the ‘razorfunfish’ term. For reference, I was trying to gain top rankings for this search: http://www.google.com/search?rlz=1C1CHMA_enUS313US314&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&q=razorfunfish How can you leverage the learnings from this exercise? The easy solution is to come work for MillerCoors. Great brands, great people, we get free beer, and I’d be able to partner with...
Mohican State Forest, Ohio, Thursday
I continued my journey to Loudonville and the Mohican State Forest area for a family reunion today. I began my journey at the midway point in Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore. Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore is not a quiet campground. It is surrounded by highways and railroads, and is too far away from the beach to have any noise cancelling effect. Tents are already not good for light or sound insulation. The constant traffic from the road, trains, and the early sun caused Gus to be awake most of the night. Gus is an early riser anyway, rising at first light so we don’t lose a moment of play time. I have to keep my room at home dark or I end up being awoken at 5:00 AM in the Summer. He will sit with complete dedication on the bed, his head...
Indiana Dunes
Gus and I packed up on Wednesday afternoon and headed down I-94 to the Indiana Dunes. I had a family reunion in Ohio scheduled for the weekend and wanted to get past Chicago. Loading my truck took longer than I expected. I’ve been living out of a hotel room for 2 months. My life is organized into clear Rubbermaid tubs with fliptops, making transport easy if bulky. 9 tubs, 1 mighty squirrel hunter, camping equipment and 11 cases of beer… well, almost 11 cases of beer. I ran out of room. Fortunately, a group of guys and girls in front of the hotel were grilling and graciously helped me relieve myself of a case of beer. I hit the road for the Dunes at around 4:30, which was the worst possible time. That put me in Milwaukee rush hour towards...
Surfing the Indiana Dunes
I’m leaving today for my family reunion in Ohio, but along the way i will be stopping at the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore for a night. Indiana Dunes is 150 miles from Brookfield, but is conveniently located on the other side of Chicago. The campsite is a bit off from the beach, but I’m hopeful I can hear the sounds of waves crashing throughout the night. I miss my yard and garden (and my bed), so I am pretty excited to get back into nature. I spent most of last year cultivating a nice garden in my front yard. I ripped out two massive hedges and replaced it with a french drain, terracing, and a garden of perennials. What amazed me was I put in one butterfly plant and the garden attracted all sorts of butterflies, bees, and other good...
Breezing Across the Country
Growing up in Nebraska, one becomes accustomed to a constant 15-25 MPH wind. I jokingly reason that we have this wind because there is only one tree separating us from the North Pole, but in reality the prairie is unique situated for wind. I’m not a climatologist, but I suspect the warm, moist air that is generated over the Pacific rises up as it warms, then hits the mountains, cools, and descends along the prairies generating a constant wind. I took a trip from Omaha to Minneapolis by way of Des Moines. In the north central part of the state is a massive array of wind turbines. It’s an amazing drive through the area, and I suspect that we’re only slightly leveraging the capacity of wind in the area. It seems T. Boone Pickens has an idea...