Penny Black’s Social Diary: LexisNexis’ maps; iCan’s cupcakes

Missing maps

It was lovely to read about LexisNexis Risk Solutions’ Mapathon in support of Missing Maps, a global humanitarian initiative dedicated to mapping the most vulnerable places on Earth.

As a 185-year-old, I remember clearly the days when maps were something we could unfold in our hands rather than looking at streets worlds away in those little boxes we carry around.

Often, my nostalgia prevents me from appreciating the value of those digital maps, and LexisNexis’ post was a great reminder.

Their team volunteered to map buildings and roads into OpenStreetMap, helping to create detailed, accurate maps that humanitarian organisations can use to plan disaster response and risk reduction efforts. 

I’ll happily bid the cartographers of old adieu for that immense greater good.

Penny’s Lunch Box

I feel absolutely giddy getting to appreciate another example of creative ways to use cupcakes in this column.

This edition is from the Insurance Cultural Awareness Network’s eighth anniversary, where they printed out faces of the individuals featured in the 80 Role Models for Eight Years of iCan book.

Simply having names on cupcakes now feels far too simple when this level of effort is possible. I hope Insurance Post’s next cupcake delivery has each of the editorial team’s headshots printed in colour as well. Bonus points if I get featured too.