Thursday, February 26, 2009

Maps


I've been getting all nerdy this week. While my colleagues at work have been listening to ABC News Radio and/or watching Play School - I've been spritzin' and catchin' up on my listenin'. 

Specifically, getting all learned with NPR podcasts. And earlier in the week one of my favourite programs, This American Life, delivered up a piece of documentary gold with their recent story on Plan B

It was insightful, funny and inspiring - it made me want to think about my own documentary making and ideas - but it was also one of those great stories that stays with you more generally. It just pops into your mind even when you're not thinking specifically about what it was saying, because it's somehow related to everything. 

So what is Plan B? Years ago some friends of mine where in a punk band, called Plan B, and hitting it into google seems to bring up all sorts of references to skating and building. 

But in this case Plan B is the road you one day realise you're travelling, and are perhaps surprised by, because you'd always imagined that you'd be cruising along on Plan A. But at some point things changed, you took a different turn and ended up on a different route. Sometimes for the best. Sometimes not. Sometimes just randomly. If I look at where I'm at now in my life, and think about what I thought I'd be doing and have done by now - when I was 17 and invincible - it's funny because some of it is tracking that way, and somethings are so far left-field. But whatevs. Who needs maps anyway?

Unless of course it's the Yeah Yeah Yeahs' Maps

Or this acapella version.


... And if you wanna read more about the man behind This American Life, Ira Glass, check this out 


3 comments:

sophie said...

I absolutely love John Hodgman and his story was perfect. I suffer from TAL fatigue and put off listening to it for long stretches, but this episode reminded me how much of a sure thing it is!

neha said...

i haven't listened to this american life in so long! i actually (embarassingly) got into the program through the tv show that airs in america, hosted by ira glass. i was hooked straight away.

this was a great episode. the last five minutes was insane!

said...

Heya! This is my first time on your fantastic blog. I will be back. Stay fabulous. It keeps 'em guessing. Ciao.
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