links for 2010-10-25

"One hundred and fifty years ago today, James Wallace Black went up 1,200 feet in a balloon over Boston and took the first successful aerial photograph in the United States. From the perspective of late 2010, when aerial and satellite imagery has transformed everything from waging war to avoiding traffic congestion on morning commutes, Black’s balloon trip looks nothing short of momentous."

"Massachusetts General Hospital has raised $1 billion as part of a $1.5 billion fund-raising campaign — despite the tattered economy and turmoil in the hospital industry — putting it on track to set what is believed to be a New England record."