On the map...

I saw a great new show last night on the Discovery channel – it’s called Discovery Atlas. I don’t think it’s a permanent show – I think it’s just a special documentary series they’re airing for the next month or so. Each show focuses on one particular country, and over the two hours of the program, they cover various regions, doling out interesting facts and figures while profiling the life of a citizen in that area of the country. And one of the reasons I have to assume this is a short-lived show is because both the cinematography and accompanying music are feature-film-worthy. I can only assume this was a massive undertaking on the part of the Discovery network. But hopefully it can be a semi-regular feature… because I think EVERY country should have a two-hour documentary feature on the Discovery channel.

Last night’s show was about Italy. And another fun thing about Discovery Atlas is that while the show is on, you can visit the website and follow along with an interactive online program – so while the show on TV was talking about the Alps or about gondoliers in Venice, the online program was synchronized to the same point in the show and would display extra facts and maps and trivia questions. Wow – a travel show with interactive maps and trivia questions? This is like the best show EVER. I can’t wait for next week’s show about Brazil… Of course a show with the word “atlas” in the title is going to catch my attention, what with my love of maps and travel. Although it’s funny that I don’t actually OWN an atlas. (Wait, that’s not funny at all. Why don’t I own an atlas? This is a situation I shall have to remedy forthwith…)

So now that the weekend is over and I’ve had time to absorb the whole Yankees debacle (sigh…), I’m realizing how much I’m going to miss baseball for the next few months. Fantasy baseball made my favorite sports diversion even more interesting, and “America’s favorite pastime” really did become a great way to pass the time. What am I supposed to do all winter? Watch football? Read books? Get a life? (Yeah, that might be a good idea…) Oh, I know – I’ll buy an atlas and spend the winter studying it. And that way, by the time we know whether or not Joe Torre will be returning as the Yankee’s manager, I will have honed my geography knowledge. Not that one has anything to do with the other. I mean, it’s not like I can say, “La Paz, Bolivia is the highest capital city in the world” and suddenly the Yankees will be guaranteed decent pitching next season. Right? Gee, I HOPE that’s not the way it works…

I’d better go buy an atlas…