Loss and Love in Middle Age

Don't these songs really mesh from the end of a long relation to another that couldn't quite be.  It really hits you.

Mythbusters 4-20-2011

This episode featured attempting to run on water, what can shield you from a blast.

The A myth (Jamie and Adam’s) was running on water.  All attempts to do this failed, not surprisingly, though the YouTube video was replicated (its faked).

The idea was if one could run on water, at least for a few steps.  Even an Olympic athlete couldn’t do this, though a small lizard and many insects can.  Greater weight makes its impossible.

I did wonder if approached the water more like a long jumper possible you could manage to push of the water.  I doubt it, but I wonder.

It turns out that crouching behind a car or wall does offer quite a bit of protection from a blast.  This is a phenomenon on fluid dynamics.  The one thing I would have like to have seen tested was if being in the car is more protection than being behind it.  I’m pretty sure the answer would be yes if the windows were rolled up and absorbed even more of the pressure wave.

The first Cletus on the Simpons!!

The Incredible Incredibles

The Incredibles is one of my favorite movies.  Perhaps the most adult of any Pixar picture.  There are many scenes in the movie to show this, but I’ll pick one for now.  Bob Parr and his boss.

Bob is frustrated in job, as I think most people are at times.  Not that  time at work is always or usually bad for people, but occasionally it is, more in some jobs than others.

The best illustration.  Bob in his boss’ office, where Bob’s boss has been delivering a lecture to Bob about working for the shareholders, not customers.  Apparently Bob has heard this before.  Bob is distracted by a mugging happening right outside the window, and he starts to leave to do something about it.   This ensues: 

For an employee the understanding is always there than you work (and provide for your family) at your boss’ pleasure, and the boss calls the tune.  Here that pops into the open in a stark and humiliating way (especially for a superhero!!).

Most bosses don’t assert this in such a blunt way fortunately.  But anyone who works could feel for Bob, and feel what Bob’s feeling.

Bob’s reaction has to be the fantasy of any frustrated subordinate:

Any or at least most adults could identify with this.  That’s why it is incredible.

Drinking and Business

I drink rarely.  Early in career in the utility industry, I used to worry that might be an issue.  This skit would have been a worst case.  The reality is that drinking at work seems to have disappeared since the days of Mad Men.

Reality TV Question on the SAT

Maybe a more challenging essay topic could have been chosen, but I think a smart kid should be able to say something insightful with broader implications than saying:  "I really hate Billy on survivor"  (I know there's no Billy.  I've never watched Survivor or more than 5 or 10 episodes of reality TV, unless you count Mythbusters)
My own take on reality shows is that they reflect a movement in entertainment, especially TV away from what I think of as aspiration oriented to reality oriented, and that's been at least in part unfortunate.
Forty years ago TV reflected the kind of people we wanted to be.  Hardly any dad is as wise as Robert Young on father knows best.  But we all wanted to be, and what we aspired to reflected itself on TV.  Since the 70's shows seem much focused on being real or believable.  Characters became much more flawed.  Maybe we see more what we don't want to be now.  I suppose that has value as well, but I miss aspirational TV.

How to deal with Charley Sheen

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WuC7EsepJZ4