Sense and Nonsense

Book Recommendation

Thinking of the map in the post directly under this, I realize that it would greatly appeal to the main character of a novel I read this past week while on vacation in Aspen (the only one of four books I read worth mentioning).   The book is The Selected Works of T. S. Spivet by Reif Larsen. The title's character, T.S. (Tecumseh Sparrow) Spivet, is a twelve-year-old boy from Montana who is obsessed with mapping (i.e., somehow graphically capturing) everything around him.  In fact, he is such a genius at describing complicated things through diagrammatic representation that he is honored by the Smithsonian Institution for the contributions to science made by his charts, maps, and diagrams. The book follows his perilous solo travels to Washington, D.C. to collect his award.  Marginalia in the form of maps, graphs, illustrations and illustrations make this book a truly unusual reading experience.   It's hard to describe adequately in a few sentences, so read more about it at Amazon.com here and visit the website devoted to the book here.  Larsen is an amazingly creative young novelist.

Cool Map

From Strange Maps, via Cool Blogs.

Path to Cardiovascular Health

The British National Health Service reportedly is trying to educate students about the cardiovascular benefits of a healthy sex life, espousing the notion that "an orgasm a day keeps the doctor away."  See here.

And there are people out there who object to nationalized health care?   Killjoys!

Already Screwed

Revenge on United for Guitar Damage

From the New York Times LaughLines Blog:

For airlines, it seems, hell hath no tuneful fury like bands whose instruments are manhandled in baggage. Musical revenge from Dave Carroll and his Halifax-based band Sons of Maxwell, which has become quite the hit on YouTube in a matter of days: