Sports & Entertainment
Can you name that music media player?
These days, it's all about music streaming ... You sign up for a service, you let them know your music preferences, and they create a virtual "radio station" that plays the songs you probably want to hear. But that just doesn't compare with going to a physical record store, buying
Algoritmos, los nuevos jugadores en la cancha
La analítica se está tomando el mundo del deporte, un claro ejemplo de ello es el fútbol, los principales equipos a nivel mundial han incorporado soluciones para medirlo casi todo, desde los jugadores hasta los fanáticos. El uso de software para analizar los datos en el fútbol es una herramienta
What to do in Denver, during SAS Global Forum!
Are you going to Denver, Colorado, and wondering what fun/interesting/eclectic things you can do there? Then this is the map for you! For the past couple of years, I've made maps of the city SAS Global Forum is in, pointing out some of the attractions that conference attendees might want
Shedding some light on the lottery!
Have you ever played the lottery? Have you ever heard people bragging about all the money they've won? Does it make you want to play? ... We've had an Education Lottery here in North Carolina for over 10 years, but I still didn't really know much about it - therefore I
Price of marijuana, across the US
As marijuana has become legal in several states, it's been a frequent topic of interest in the news. And as with any interesting topic, I like to find useful ways to visually analyze the data. In this case, let's have a look at the price of marijuana, and how it
What do they call Santa in other countries?
With the Christmas holiday approaching, I got to wondering what they call Santa in other countries. Of course, some countries don't celebrate Christmas - but most countries at least have some sort of "winter holiday," and most also have some tradition of gift-giving. So, I guess the better question might
When and where have they legalized 'it'?
Whether or not to legalize marijuana is a hotly debated topic these days. And no matter which side of the debate you're on, I think you will be interested in seeing several ways to visualize which states have legalized marijuana, and when ... Their Version Here's the original graph that
Analysis of Thanksgiving side dish popularity
If you're preparing a big Thanksgiving dinner, then you don't want to leave out the most popular side dish, do you?!? But what is the most popular side dish? ... If you don't already know, then perhaps some data & analytics can help! But before we get started, here's a
How a data guy cooks a Thanksgiving dinner!
Here in the US, we're preparing to celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday. Therefore this Thursday most families in the US will be having a big turkey dinner. Although I'm a bachelor guy and eat out all the time, I'm actually a pretty good cook - and I'd like to share with
Optimizing your way in the woods -- Orienteering for real
When I shared a status update a few months ago that I would spend my Sunday morning "trying to solve an asymmetric prize-collecting traveling salesman problem with uncertain data and side constraints" my colleagues knew that I wouldn't be working. Instead, I would spend my morning at an orienteering event,
Long category values
The South East SAS Users Group meeting wound up yesterday. The 25th anniversary conference was held on SAS Campus and it provided a great opportunity to meet with many enthusiastic SAS users and attend many informative presentations. More on this in a follow-up article. During one of these presentations, Mary
Tips and tricks: Segmented discrete axis
The previous post on Multiple Blank Categories showed how to include multiple blank categories on the axis. But, given the purpose for this was to separate different segments in the data, I also included ideas on how to segmented a discrete axis using reference lines or Block Plot. A similar idea
Dance is Joy
My father introduced me to Gene Kelly and Donald O’Connor when I was 10… in a figurative sense. Dad loved musicals and Singin’ In The Rain became one of my favorites. I was obsessed with their tap dance to Moses Supposes and practiced every day after school until I ‘got
RDU airport -vs- surrounding parks and nature
In growing areas such as the Research Triangle Park, there is always the tough decision between developing land for business, or keeping it natural for parks and recreation. SAS is fortunate to have the great hiking trails at Umstead Park just across the road to the north - it's the
Exercising your way through a sleep deprived day
My sons were amazing sleepers...as babies. Around age 2.5, mutiny ensued. My eldest endured the wild combination of potty training, a new baby brother, transitioning into a "big boy" bed, and a beautiful developing imagination. While the youngest didn’t have the new baby to taunt his sleep, he did get
Tips and tricks - Multiple blank categories on axis
Off and on, users have expressed the need to include multiple blank categories on a discrete axis. Often, this is desirable to separate groups of bars (or categories) in a graph due to some difference their definition. Such a case was discussed in this blog article on using non breaking
New Features in SAS 9.40M5 - Gradient fills
ODS Graphics procedures primarily strive towards the following goal: "Make simple graphs easy and complex graphs possible". SGPLOT procedure allows you create simple graphs with a single plot statement, and create complex graphs by layering together or combining multiple plot statements. Generally, the appearance follows the guidelines set by industry
Scottish Festivals and Highland Games
I recently took a trip to Scotland, to attend the Highland Games! (ok - that statement might be a tiny bit misleading) It was a very cool and interesting event, and I wondered where and when other such events might be happening. What better way to analyze this kind of
Where’s your Balance? Don’t let your busy life trip you up.
I have a busy life. Did I sign up for it? You bet! Now I’m trying to balance it all and do it well. I’m a mom first and foremost. Being a parent is the most important job someone can take on. Raising the next generation is no easy task
Move of the Month: "Farmer's" Carry
It's as easy as walking, right? Well, give it a try. October’s move of the month is the “Farmer’s” Carry. It is a SUPER-simple, full body, traveling exercise. It incorporates core stabilization and a familiar daily activity - walking. All you have to do is walk + carry something...preferably
Getting started with SGPLOT - Part 8 - Horizontal HighLow Plot
On a recent visit to an In-House Users Group meeting at a Pharmaceutical company, I presented a 1/2 day seminar on creating Clinical Graphs using SG Procedures. Polling the audience for their experience with these procedures indicated that many SAS users are not familiar with these new ways to create graphs. So,
SAS and sports analytics (plotting kayak/SUP race results)
I recently paddled in a boat race, and was wondering how I did compared to all the other paddlers. And being a Graph Guy, I decided I should find a cool way to graph the data ... Here's some background information ... There's a great organization called Bridge II Sports
Amusement park attendance (could Wikipedia be wrong?!?)
How do the North American amusement parks compare in popularity? If this question was to come up during a lunch discussion, I bet someone would pull out their smartphone and go to Wikipedia for the answer. But is Wikipedia the definitive answer - how can we tell if Wikipedia is wrong?
Bei DS-GVO „Auf-Sicht“-Fahren? Besser nicht!
Die EU-Datenschutz-Grundverordnung kommt näher – ausweichen oder draufhalten? In den letzten Wochen hatte ich die tolle Gelegenheit mit zahlreichen Kunden und Partnern über die neue EU-Datenschutz-Grundverordnung (DS-GVO) zu sprechen. Die Meinungen und Erwartungen sind dabei wirklich außerordentlich breit gefächert. Das ist nicht weiter verwunderlich, denn das Thema hat zuletzt stark an
Can you see these spots (after viewing the eclipse)?
Hopefully if you're viewing the eclipse today, you'll be using one of the safe methods that won't harm your eyes! ... But if you're somewhat of a trickster, here's an optical illusion you can send your friends after the eclipse, that might make them wonder (just for a second) if
Tracking floods and droughts in Jordan Lake, NC
If you know me, you probably know that I spend a lot of time on the water. I like speed paddling (dragon boat, outrigger canoe, surfski, and racing SUP), and I also have a big pontoon boat at Jordan Lake where I try to go fishing at least once a
Sunsquatch - tracking the eclipse and Bigfoot ... at the same time!
In the spirit of my Forecasting Sharknadoes blog post, I now bring you Sunsquatch! In this blog post, I create a map that helps you find a location where you can see the total eclipse *and* have a chance of seeing Bigfoot (aka, Sasquatch)! But before we get into the nitty-gritty