AARoads Forum

Non-Road Boards => Off-Topic => Topic started by: US71 on September 21, 2011, 09:37:45 PM

Title: Maphead
Post by: US71 on September 21, 2011, 09:37:45 PM
 Maphead Charting the Wide, Weird World of Geography Wonks by Ken Jennings  (http://www.npr.org/2011/09/21/140433863/love-longitude-maphead-locates-geography-buffs/)

A book about maps by Ken Jennings )of Jeopardy fame) with a passing acknowledgement of "road geeks" and a brief mention of Richard Ankrom (the I-5 sign artist)
Title: Re: Maphead
Post by: corco on September 21, 2011, 09:49:13 PM
And...book purchased.

I love that quote though- "That's what unites all of these people: a desire to be explorers even though they were born centuries too late for the real era of exploration."

Although now Ken Jennings is going to be nationally credited as the inventor of the term "roadgeek"  :-|
Title: Re: Maphead
Post by: US71 on September 21, 2011, 10:04:41 PM
Quote from: corco on September 21, 2011, 09:49:13 PM
And...book purchased.

I love that quote though- "That's what unites all of these people: a desire to be explorers even though they were born centuries too late for the real era of exploration."

Although now Ken Jennings is going to be nationally credited as the inventor of the term "roadgeek"  :-|

Well, I prefer "road scholar", myself  :)
Title: Re: Maphead
Post by: hbelkins on September 21, 2011, 10:12:42 PM
If I am not mistaken, Ken Jennings is a member of the Roadgeek Yahoo group.
Title: Re: Maphead
Post by: corco on September 21, 2011, 10:19:10 PM
He's posted here a few times too. He seems like good people.

I'm not sure if I like the idea of roadgeekery becoming something the mainstream is aware of (there are people taking pictures while driving?!? HORRIBLE!), but it sounds like we're portrayed in a positive light, so that's good.
Title: Re: Maphead
Post by: vdeane on September 22, 2011, 07:32:08 AM
Quote from: US71 on September 21, 2011, 10:04:41 PM
Well, I prefer "road scholar", myself  :)
That's not too far from "Viatologist"...
Quote from: corco on September 21, 2011, 10:19:10 PM
He's posted here a few times too. He seems like good people.
He's multiple people!?  :wow:
QuoteI'm not sure if I like the idea of roadgeekery becoming something the mainstream is aware of (there are people taking pictures while driving?!? HORRIBLE!), but it sounds like we're portrayed in a positive light, so that's good.
That hasn't stopped places like NY and Ontario from banning taking pictures while driving anyways.
Title: Re: Maphead
Post by: US71 on September 22, 2011, 08:24:57 AM
Quote from: deanej on September 22, 2011, 07:32:08 AM

He's multiple people!?  :wow:

Maybe he's one person in multiple bodies? ;)
Title: Re: Maphead
Post by: Scott5114 on September 22, 2011, 03:55:29 PM
I think this was the book that he was writing that he sought the input of this board on, actually.
Title: Re: Maphead
Post by: hbelkins on September 22, 2011, 04:03:43 PM
Quote from: deanej on September 22, 2011, 07:32:08 AM
That hasn't stopped places like NY and Ontario from banning taking pictures while driving anyways.

New York bans it? Then I was a major scofflaw on my recent trip. Photos going up on Flickr this weekend to document my lawbreaking activities.
Title: Re: Maphead
Post by: Ian on September 22, 2011, 04:22:22 PM
Quote from: hbelkins on September 22, 2011, 04:03:43 PM
New York bans it? Then I was a major scofflaw on my recent trip. Photos going up on Flickr this weekend to document my lawbreaking activities.

You rebel  :-P
Title: Re: Maphead
Post by: vdeane on September 23, 2011, 02:34:15 PM
Quote from: hbelkins on September 22, 2011, 04:03:43 PM

New York bans it? Then I was a major scofflaw on my recent trip. Photos going up on Flickr this weekend to document my lawbreaking activities.
Technically it's been illegal for quite some time, but only recently did they make it possible for police to pull you over for it.  Somehow taking pictures while driving was equated with texting while driving in the legislature's mind.
Title: Re: Maphead
Post by: J N Winkler on September 23, 2011, 02:55:29 PM
Quote from: Scott5114 on September 22, 2011, 03:55:29 PMI think this was the book that he was writing that he sought the input of this board on, actually.

Does anyone have a link to the thread where he did that?  I've looked for it but haven't managed to hit on the magic combination of search terms.
Title: Re: Maphead
Post by: agentsteel53 on September 23, 2011, 03:14:20 PM
Quote from: J N Winkler on September 23, 2011, 02:55:29 PM

Does anyone have a link to the thread where he did that?  I've looked for it but haven't managed to hit on the magic combination of search terms.

I think this is it.

https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=2331.0

the only way I could find it was by author search.  here are his other posts, in case that thread is not it.

https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?action=profile;u=1285;sa=showPosts
Title: Re: Maphead
Post by: Hot Rod Hootenanny on September 23, 2011, 10:59:05 PM
I guess that really was Ken Jennings after all.  :banghead:
If he comes to Columbus, I'll apologize for being a snob in the "Roadgeeks that changed the world" thread.
Title: Re: Maphead
Post by: huskeroadgeek on September 25, 2011, 12:55:31 AM
Quote from: Scott5114 on September 22, 2011, 03:55:29 PM
I think this was the book that he was writing that he sought the input of this board on, actually.
I believe so. As a huge Jeopardy fan, his was one of the first names on this site that caught my attention and I wondered if it was really him. I guessed it was because it all seemed legit and made sense. Nice to see the work actually come out in print.
Title: Re: Maphead
Post by: formulanone on September 26, 2011, 08:45:11 AM
Quote from: deanej on September 22, 2011, 07:32:08 AM
That hasn't stopped places like NY and Ontario from banning taking pictures while driving anyways.

Nonsense, I use my camera to scratch my head while driving. I should get that looked at.

Saw an A&E (I think) TV special on Ken Jennings a few years ago, and they couldn't drag anything bad out of him and his life; not even any overdue library books. :)