Time for a map

According to this year's Time top 100 most influential people (Titans of industry, Leaders, Pioneers, 'Icons' and Artists), if you're born in North America you're approximately a million times more likely to be 'influential' in one or other of these fields, particularly if you're born on the east coast, and most particularly, New York. 

I exaggerate slightly, but only slightly. The map says it all. It's made to look like this select group of VIPs were born and live all over the globe, but that's only because there isn't room for aaaaall the Americans in America. Tim Cook of that famous fruit company is floating somewhere off the South African coast, which is not where he was born or spends most of his time, methinks.

In order to get the land mass of NZ on the map, even though it contributes NOTHING to world influence, according to the map -- which should please the Australians, except for the fact that neither do they, according to the map -- I had to leave off Barack Obama. You win some and you lose some. 

Time for a nap -- to dream about being on the map, possibly in the form of Reese Witherspoon.

A lot of living

I'm thinking a lot of our trip to the U.S. lately. Feeling like it was a lot of living...

Vegas lady in 'Venice'

Daughter B and I are discussing that here, back in NZ, we don't see the full spectrum of humanity in the way that we saw it in the States. Nowhere does the full spectrum of humanity thrive as it does in the U.S, and the difference is all in the reach of the extremes. You feel as if you're being stretched into the future, like you've got a toe in the door.

Hanging out on the corner: New Orleans

Change comes from difference. The US is all about difference. I haven't been to many mono-cultural places, namely much of the rest of the world, give or take, but I feel that this sense of stepping into the future cannot be the same there, or anything like it, that it is in the U.S on account of all the difference Every town we go to in the U.S. is distinct:

Sepulchral San Fran

New Orleans is a different country from Texas. LA is chalk to NY's cheese (or the other way round). Vegas  is a law and culture unto itself. San Fran is alive with artistic energy. Chicago is different again: the canals, the  cold, the history. Boston too.

Mecca: New York City Library and street