This American Life

The opening of This American Life was funny yet incredibly political. To say that if you trip on a sidewalk you cannot sue the city... unless the city had been forewarned of the danger makes sense. But it makes even more sense and money for attorneys to hire people to map the dangers so of course they can have cases in which to take to court. Denis Wood reminds us that everything can be interpreted as a map, depending on what you filter out and focus on.

Act 1: Living Organisms

The pattern of lights, the traffic signs even the pumpkins that are displayed on the porches of residents in the neighborhood deserve enough attention to produce a map. Every map has a purpose often related to money, property value and such. Denis Wood would like to create a novel using maps and symbols. It would be interesting to review the results of an area mapped differently on every page. It seems this would be a homebuyers dream to have.

Act 2: What's on Right Now?

Toby Lester became fascinated with the act of harmonizing with the sounds that surrounded him; computers, air-conditioners or heating systems and he believes that like music these sounds can stimulate your mood. He related each sound to a musical note and created studies of what these unnoticed sound do to us. What is the tonic of your kitchen?

Act 3: Does This Electronic Nose Look Like a Nose?

Miss Nancy answers questions that could be interpreted as a bit silly with such seriousness that it forces you to understand that this product has a purpose. Vapors and bacteria are smells that the electronic nose is familiar with, not unimportant smells like blueberries. This is because the purpose is legitimate not trivial, to identify dangerous gases and more of the like could be an extremely profitable product.

Act 4: Quite a Survivor!

Perhaps the woman in this act has a sort of OCD that has convinced her that she is destined to self diagnose... using only the sense of touch. Health related scare tactics used by pharmaceutical companies and or doctors it seems has damaged the psyche of this woman. She lives in fear and anxiety constantly, unable to enjoy life which is filled with all of these inaccurate maps of her body she has created. A woman once told me to get to know my own body, that I was able better than anyone else to ease pain or tension, and I did. Now when I go for a massage or adjustment the therapist is shocked when I am able to adjust myself... or tell her exactly where to locate a problem. The result is rewarding, I hope for this woman she can do the same.

Act 5: Sense I Have No Plan for the Rest of My Life...

This man found himself interested in eating at every restaurant on Pico Blvd. and create a map using only his senses that could get him from one end of the street to another. He had to go to each restaurant in order, had to eat at each place, had to experience each ethnic difference... via taste. Why didn't I think of this!

The spectrum of creating a map is so wide that pretty much anything you desire to study can make for an interesting map. If all the maps in the world were created within the last one hundred years ( in 1998) just imagine all the useless or detrimental maps to come.