the cat and mouse | past present future
me myself iArchive for October, 2006
most popular science myths
According to livescience.com:
- A chicken can live without its head;
- Water drains backward in the Southern Hemisphere due to the Earth’s rotation;
- There is no gravity in space;
- Humans use only 10 percent of their brains;
- Eating a poppy-seed bagel mimics opium use;
- A penny dropped from the top of a tall building could kill a pedestrian;
- Adults don’t grow new brain cells;
- Chicken soup can cure the common cold;
- Yawning is “contagious”;
- A dog’s mouth is cleaner than a human’s;
- Lightning never strikes the same place twice;
- Hair and fingernails continue growing after death;
- A falling cat will always land on its feet;
- Men think about sex every seven seconds;
- You get less wet by running in the rain;
- The five-second rule;
- Animals can predict natural disasters;
- Seasons are caused by the Earth’s proximity to the sun;
- The Great Wall of China is the only man-made structure visible from space; and
- It takes seven years to digest gum.
"The Prestige"
I thought The Prestige was superb! It was fascinating to see David Bowie play Nikola Tesla, too. He’s a good actor, though the part was a restrained one. I hadn’t realized, having forgotten way too much high-school- and college history, that Tesla and Thomas Edison were rivals.
Christian Bale most definitely isn’t hard on the eyes! But, seriously, he is a good actor, and I thought he did a good job with his hard London accent. Also good were Michael Caine, Hugh Jackman, Scarlett Johansson, and others (I thought Bale’s wife in the movie was quite good).
Tulane job
I applied for a job for Tulane’s Technology Services but didn’t get it, disappointingly. I’d love to live in New Orleans, and be closer to my family in Biloxi.
I wish employment offices would give reasons for job denials (like “We can’t match your current salary,” “We hired someone already in the department,” “We need someone who starts before you said you could,” “We need someone with supervisory experience,” etc.).
Oh, well…I’ll keep trying!
one more synopsis…
of The Bridge:
Inspired by a New Yorker story, “Jumpers,” written by Tad Friend, director Eric Steel decided to train cameras on the Golden Gate Bridge over the course of 2004 to capture the people who attempted to leap off the famed structure, the site of more suicides than anywhere else in the world. He also tracked down and interviewed the friends, family members, and eyewitnesses to further recreate the events leading up to the incident and to try to explain what led these people to want to kill themselves, especially at this specific site. The documentary’s primary subjects all struggled with mental illness, including severe depression, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorders, and the documentary struggles to understand their illness while illuminating the anger and hurt of their loved ones. Most questions remain unanswered, turning on the darker recesses of the mind. The shots of the bridge wreathed in fog turn the Golden Gate into a metaphor for a bridge between life and death, sanity and mental disturbance, and extreme isolation and connection with society. Though the camera crew worked with a set of guidelines, including that they would call in someone they thought was going to jump, the documentary still includes lengthy footage of the moments leading up to and including the suicides, so discretion is advised for sensitive viewers.
- All Movie Guide
Bob Barker to retire
I’m sad to hear that, though he’s soon to be 83. Something about “The Price Is Right,” Barker’s “reign” to end this coming June, is comforting, perhaps since it’s been on television for so many years. I especially like watching the “Showcase Showdown,” at the end of each show.
Boy, this post really shows my intellectual nature, doesn’t it? I don’t know…part of enjoying life is enjoying simple pleasures, even if one them is a game show.
“The Price Is Right” has been running since September 4, 1972, which I was in second grade. Given that I enjoy working with animal shelters, I’m glad to hear that Barker will end his final show as he ends all his shows, with the admonition “Help control the pet population. Have your pets spayed or neutered.” Good for him.
most popular science myths
According to livescience.com:
- A chicken can live without its head;
- Water drains backward in the Southern Hemisphere due to the Earth’s rotation;
- There is no gravity in space;
- Humans use only 10 percent of their brains;
- Eating a poppy-seed bagel mimics opium use;
- A penny dropped from the top of a tall building could kill a pedestrian;
- Adults don’t grow new brain cells;
- Chicken soup can cure the common cold;
- Yawning is “contagious”;
- A dog’s mouth is cleaner than a human’s;
- Lightning never strikes the same place twice;
- Hair and fingernails continue growing after death;
- A falling cat will always land on its feet;
- Men think about sex every seven seconds;
- You get less wet by running in the rain;
- The five-second rule;
- Animals can predict natural disasters;
- Seasons are caused by the Earth’s proximity to the sun;
- The Great Wall of China is the only man-made structure visible from space; and
- It takes seven years to digest gum.
"The Prestige"
I thought The Prestige was superb! It was fascinating to see David Bowie play Nikola Tesla, too. He’s a good actor, though the part was a restrained one. I hadn’t realized, having forgotten way too much high-school- and college history, that Tesla and Thomas Edison were rivals.
Christian Bale most definitely isn’t hard on the eyes! But, seriously, he is a good actor, and I thought he did a good job with his hard London accent. Also good were Michael Caine, Hugh Jackman, Scarlett Johansson, and others (I thought Bale’s wife in the movie was quite good).
Tulane job
I applied for a job for Tulane’s Technology Services but didn’t get it, disappointingly. I’d love to live in New Orleans, and be closer to my family in Biloxi.
I wish employment offices would give reasons for job denials (like “We can’t match your current salary,” “We hired someone already in the department,” “We need someone who starts before you said you could,” “We need someone with supervisory experience,” etc.).
Oh, well…I’ll keep trying!
one more synopsis…
of The Bridge:
Inspired by a New Yorker story, “Jumpers,” written by Tad Friend, director Eric Steel decided to train cameras on the Golden Gate Bridge over the course of 2004 to capture the people who attempted to leap off the famed structure, the site of more suicides than anywhere else in the world. He also tracked down and interviewed the friends, family members, and eyewitnesses to further recreate the events leading up to the incident and to try to explain what led these people to want to kill themselves, especially at this specific site. The documentary’s primary subjects all struggled with mental illness, including severe depression, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorders, and the documentary struggles to understand their illness while illuminating the anger and hurt of their loved ones. Most questions remain unanswered, turning on the darker recesses of the mind. The shots of the bridge wreathed in fog turn the Golden Gate into a metaphor for a bridge between life and death, sanity and mental disturbance, and extreme isolation and connection with society. Though the camera crew worked with a set of guidelines, including that they would call in someone they thought was going to jump, the documentary still includes lengthy footage of the moments leading up to and including the suicides, so discretion is advised for sensitive viewers.
- All Movie Guide
