Want to know more about this country?
Well, I've got info, links and a News Illustrated page. Download the page that ran in the Sun Sentinel.

FOR INFO ON NORTH KOREA or pretty much anywhere else.

GlobalSecurity.org and GlobalFirePower have a wide range of information, statistics, maps and lists of current events.
Also, there are North Korean maps to download and print.

Look to the CIA World Factbook to find a country's flag, maps, information about their people, economy, communications, transporation or military.

INTERACTIVE MAPS
National Geographic has an interactive map, with roads and satellite view.
The Professional Travel Guide has information on top destinations, hotels, interactive map and geography.

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Attention fashionistas and Chanel fans, if you don't already have the Chanel iPhone application to stay on top of the latest styles on the runway, you can download it here:

Download Sunday's News Illustrated this week to see why Chanel is such a classic name in fashion thats been around for 100 years!

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Happy 40th anniversary, Apollo 11! July 20 marks the 40th year since Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin captured the world's imagination when they stepped foot on the lunar surface. How exciting must it have been to see those first steps on television in 1969!

To commemorate the landmark event, I decided to do a News Illustrated focusing on the entire mission. My goal was to map out every step (no pun intended) from launch to splashdown. I was even fortunate to find timestamps to help tell the chronology, and used as many historical photos as possible to further tell the story. This is just one of those subjects that demand it tell its own story.

What I wish I could have included was a timeline of the whole Apollo program, but I quickly ran out of space. So to give it the justice it deserves, here's a copy of the 30th anniversary page we did in 1999 by my former colleague Dan Niblock.

And for more information, visit NASA's Apollo 11 anniversary page.

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She is the oldest primate fossil ever found. When Ida died she weighed a bit more than a pound and was only 9 months old. This little primate has a lot of scientists jumping. They have already made a documentary and book written on her. The images of the fossil are breathtaking. Take a look at graphics and video.

IDA'S PLACE IN EVOLUTION
See how Ida relates to other primates and human evolution.

IDA IN 3-D
View a model of Ida's skeleton spin in space.

FULL-PAGE GRAPHIC
Download this in-depth graphic I did on Ida, packed with info. Enjoy.

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It is refreshing to see democracy alive and kicking in Iran — a country known for its ultra-strict religious political structure. The aftermath of the June 12 elections is really taking a toll on Iran's government (and I'm not just talking about its image).

Reading between the lines, a major (yet unspoken) concern is over the country's stability and the safety of Iran's nuclear and missile facilities.

To understand the scope of the situation, one must brush up on Iranian history first. Here are a couple of wire graphics to help you out. And then you can check out my News Illustrated page (coming out Sunday) to understand the political hierarchy and why there is growing international concern.

If you want more, the New York Times has a nice page filled with stories and summaries that I used as reference. Or you can visit Global Security or the Federation of American Scientists to get more information about Iran's nuclear and missile programs.

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Download this News Illustrated page for more information on the death penalty.

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How long will it take me to get over the first black president being elected by these United States? I have no idea, but I am happy to be alive for this historic moment in American history. Take a look at other historic African-American firsts on blackpast.org.

		FOR MORE INFORMATION Download my News Illustrated page from this Sunday's Sun-Sentinel.

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January 23, 2009

November 25, 2008

So maybe you would like to hear a gobbler this time of year. I know I do. Gobble, gobble. I had a lot of fun learning about turkeys when I researched the following News Illustrated page. I really had no idea that seven million roam freely across the country and that more 270 million were bred last year for our tables. Wow. If you would like to know more about wild turkeys check out Cornell Lab of Ornithology and National Wild Turkey Federation. Avianweb.com has information on domestic and wild turkeys. Feathersite.com has info on domestic turkeys bred for consumption.

Download this week's News Illustrated page on domestic and wild turkeys.

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They have been around for a hundred years, and they are more popular than ever. Now, you can even customize your very own pair by choosing a different color or pattern for every part of the shoe.
Just go to "Design your own" tab on the Converse website:

Download Sunday's News Illustrated here to learn how Converse became the shoe to wear.

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The Pentagon memorial, dedicated to the victims of American Airlines Flight 77 and people at the Pentagon, is now open to the public. The memorial park has 184 inscribed memorial benches, one for each person that died.

GRAPHICS

UPDATE: GET THE GRAPHIC This News Illustrated page has all the details on the Pentagon Memorial. THE EDGE, our multimedia gallery has many more News Illustrated graphics. Once there, select the News Illustrated tab and download page.

An interactive graphic allows users to see details of the park and search for individual victims, by the Washington Post.

VIDEO

The couple that designed the memorial talks about different features in the park and how truly special it is.

VISITING THE MEMORIAL

An interactive map shows landmarks around the memorial park and the Pentagon in case you would like visit.

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Wednesday, October 1 marks 100 years for the Ford Model T. It transformed cars from a luxury item to something the average American could afford. Click here to see a video about the Model T.

Now, car companies are having a tough time. One hundred years after introducing the Model T and rising to the top in car sales, here is a look at Ford Motor Co.

To learn more about the Ford Model T,
check out the News Illustrated page here.

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Coffins are stacked and readied for victims of the hurricane, near Belle Glade.
Courtesy of the Historical Society of Palm Beach

Eighty years ago, families witnessed unfathomable losses. The category 4 hurricane swept across South Florida killing and drowning an estimated 3,000 people.

The hurricane forced Lake Okeechobee to breach its shores. See an animation that shows the rise in lake levels and flooding, produced by the Tropical Prediction Center.

Take a look at photos from the hurricane's destruction provided by the National Weather Service of the following cities: Boca Raton, Delray Beach, Lake Worth, Palm Beach, West Palm Beach and Pompano Beach. Additional photos courtesy of Thomas Markham.

The 1928 Hurricane was the second worst natural disaster in the nation, followed only by the Galveston Hurricane of 1900, where 8,000 people were killed. Get information on some of the worst hurricanes and interactive graphics on their path at the National Hurricane Center.

UPDATE: Download the pdf of the News Illustrated page on the 1928 Hurricane. The hurricane took much of the area by surprise, see how 3,000 people died, the hurricane's strength, its destruction, and the Herbert Hoover dike, past and present.

There are memorials at several sites in Palm Beach County.

It is estimated that 75 percent of the victims were minority agricultural workers. The hurricane hit the rich farmland south of the lake. Many people were never found, covered in muck from flood waters or swept into the Everglades.

A stone marker was laid in memory of 69 victims in Woodlawn Cemetary,
West Palm Beach.

A historical marker locates 674 victims from Belle Glade, in West Palm Beach at Tamarind Avenue and 25th Street.

A stone marker lays at a mass grave in the Port Mayaca Cemetary which holds the remains of 1,600 victims.

At right, a memorial statue stands to the hurricane victims, located near the library in Belle Glade.
LIZ DOUP, Sun Sentinel file photo

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In May, the Jupiter Lighthouse in Palm Beach County was given the federal Outstanding Natural Area designation. This means the historic lighthouse and its surrounding park has the same protection as a federal monument.

And what's so great about that?

For starters, it's only the second lighthouse in the country to have this designation — Yaquina Head lighthouse in Newport, Ore., is the first. And, not to mention, it's really, really hard to get this federal stamp of approval.

So check out the Sunday News Illustrated page highlighting the Jupiter Lighthouse's features and history.

And coming soon, an updated multimedia gallery showcasing seven of the state's lighthouses, including Jupiter's.

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The Olympics is just around the corner. Athletes from around the world will test their skills in Beijing. But with all the excitement surrounding the games, China's relationship with Tibet has become a big issue. Protests have sprung up around the world and human rights leaders and journalists have been detained.

The News Illustrated takes a look at the history behind the conflict. You can download it here.

You can find out more at freetibet.org.

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Oh great! Recent news confirms Broward County lost some residents since 2006, but what about the other counties?

Check out this Flash graphic we did earlier this year that shows Florida's population in more detail. Click on any county you want to learn more about its population change between 2006 and 2007.

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May 14 marks the 60th anniversary of Israel's creation, so the Sun-Sentinel shared the stories of local survivors of the Israeli War of Independence in Sunday's Outlook section.

My contribution was a large historical map and timeline showing how much land Israel gained from 1946 (when the first plan to create an Israeli and Arab state emerged) to June 1949 (end of the war).

Yet, while the end result may look simple, rest assured this was a beast to put together. I had a book of historical maps as my source material, with a goal to fit 12 maps into one. But what is the best way to compact nearly 3 years of history and still make it look good?

I went through about three or four sketches before coming up with my final one, but even then I spent a week tweaking, editing and redesigning the page to make the story flow correctly.

My biggest concern was repeating too much information. For example, is it important to include a mini map of Israel's current boundaries? Or do I add them in the big map to show context but keep it subtle (I eventually chose this option).

The moral of my story is that even with your best planning, the end result doesn't always turn out like the final sketch. See for yourself by comparing my sketches with the final page:

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May 1 is Holocaust Remembrance Day, which is a national day of commemoration to remember the World War II victims. The U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington D.C. is responsible for leading the country in the May memorial, and they even have a handy calendar that marks every holiday until 2016. However, this is not to be confused with the international holiday that is celebrated in January, with yearly events organized by the United Nations.

So to commemorate, I'm offering you a copy of the 2005 News Illustrated page I worked on to coincide with a special project about 13 Holocaust survivors who live in South Florida and shared their survival stories. My full-page graphic shows where the concentration camps were located and the number of survivors after the war.

Also, we ran a four-week series a few months later on the history and future of Israel and even put together a multimedia package that encompasses both series. This includes audio of the powerful stories told by the 13 Holocaust survivors themselves.

And since the 60th anniversary of Israel's statehood is coming up on May 14, check out our special coverage in this Sunday's Outlook section. The same reporter, Tim Collie, who did the Survivors and Judaism series, interviewed local veterans of the Israeli War of Independence. And I built a News Illustrated that shows how Israel fought six Arab armies to claim most of the land they have today.

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Let's talk mysteries, shall we?

Forty years ago, there was a high profile shooting of Rev. Martin Luther King and authorities were confident they caught the bad guy, James Earl Ray. Fast forward about 25 years to 1993 and Ray gets a mock trial on HBO that was arranged by his lawyer and King family friend, Dr. William F. Pepper.

Interest builds and next thing you know, two guys connected to the original case pop up. One says he knows who the real assassin is then eventually goes back to knowing nothing. The other was an FBI agent who says he took some papers but didn't realize how important they were.

Who do you believe? TheJustice Department took matters into their own hands and investigated the claims in 1999. Pepper wrote two books, Orders to Kill and An Act of State, both of which you can find at the Broward County Library.

And if that's still not enough conspiracy for you, then check out CNN on Thursday, April 3 for their show "Eyewitness to Murder," which promises to be an in-depth documentary into the case.

Meanwhile, check out my News Illustrated to learn the basics of the case. Just remember not to take my word for it.

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Check out this Flash graphic I did last year for the Rev. Martin Luther King's National Memorial that's being built in Washington, D.C. You can check out what it will look like through artists renderings and video. By the end of 2007, it had received more than $93 million in donations. Visit the memorial's official Web site, where you can make a donation. It is scheduled to completed sometime in 2009.

King assassination: Conspiracies still surround MLK's death 40 years later
To commemorate the 40th anniversary of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr's assassination, I have a graphic coming out in Sunday's Outlook section that revisits the crime scene. You'll find a 3D model of the Memphis neighborhood that illustrates the Lorraine Motel (where King was shot) and the boarding house where police say the assassin fired his weapon. I've highlighted key shops and buildings that play an important part in the case. And pay attention to the details because they eventually weave into the tales of key players who came forward in the early 1990s with new evidence. If anything, you'll at least learn some interesting conspiracies about King's murder.

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