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Date: Fri, 22 Jun 2001 22:30:38 -0700
From: "Virginia R. Hetrick" <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Cartographers for Social Responsibility  ;-)
Sender: "Virginia R. Hetrick" <[log in to unmask]>



Hi, gang -

So, did any of you know there were 4300 cartographers on the planet (let alone in
the country) who would think Mercator's projection was socially irresponsible?
;-)

For those of you who are not fans of The West Wing (Wednesdays, 9pm Eastern and
Pacific, on NBC), Wednesday night's show was Big Block of Cheese day.  This is a
day set aside by the fictional President to commemorate Jackson's big block of
cheese near the entrance to the White House to welcome visitors back in the days
when anybody could come in to talk to the President.  The press secretary on the
show, named C.J. and played by Allison Janney, was assigned to meet with the
Cartographers for Social Responsibility who wanted Mercator's projection replaced
by Peters' projection as a matter of reducing the racist implications of the
Mercator projection.  They even had their facts correct about the relative sizes
of several geographic areas (continents, islands, and countries mostly).

It's not the cartifact that Alice was asking for, but I can't ever recall any
kind of geographers getting time in a prime time drama since I've been one and
also old enough to watch, let alone three of them with speaking parts!  ;-)

Have a terrific weekend.

vh
--
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