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Besides its stars and moguls and wafer thin celebs, Los Angeles is home to the largest population of homeless people in the United States. Map maker Cartifact presents this record of itinerant souls in the Central City East area, a region otherwise known as "Skid Row." Culled from the past seven months of L.A.P.D. data, the online atlas reveals the constant movement of humans sleeping on the streets. It also bears a striking resemblance to color enhanced satellite imagery of a storm—if the tempest jumped and settled, expanded and contracted, and suddenly ebbed back to where it started. Cartifact says, "Before a problem can be solved it must be understood." Let's hope that maps like this allow us all to understand this kind of human disaster better.

Map mavens should also check out Cartifact's other examples of interactive media. We particularly liked their treatment of "The Fabric of Griffith Park" and the charting of the May 8 fire that savaged it.

Jan 01, 2008
Good-Bye From Yahoo! Picks - Good-bye!

Dec 31, 2007
Long Awkward Pose - smile for the camera. Keep smiling.

Dec 28, 2007
Starship Dimensions - space invaders.

Dec 27, 2007
Kiddie Records Weekly - the gang's all here.

Dec 26, 2007
Japander.com - money changes everything.

Dec 25, 2007
Scared of Santa - who is that bearded man?

Yahoo!'s crack team of editors serves up the coolest, funniest, or quirkiest sites we encounter on the Web. Got a favorite new link of your own? Share it with us!