He'd walk a mile for a merit badge

Did you know that Google Maps has a super-handy measuring tool? You have to enable it by clicking on the lab beaker icon, then click to enable "Distance Measuring Tool". Using this amazing little thing, I found that a walk around our yard, avoiding the poison ivy behind the shed in the top left of the picture, will take you almost exactly one-tenth of a mile. Our oldest son has to walk a mile as a prerequisite for a Boy Scout merit badge, so he's out there now walking around our yard 10 times.

Update: I was wrong about the merit badge.  His pediatrician recommended more exercise & this is what the boy chose to do.

Fivescore and six years ago

Two photos of the corner of 19th Street & 6th Avenue, Manhattan.

• 1903 via Shorpy
• 2009 via Google Maps

Cell phone triangulation plus Google Maps

equals foiled kidnapping.