Fanfare for Friday...

Today in history:

On Sept. 29, 1978, Pope John Paul I was found dead in his Vatican apartment just over a month after becoming head of the Roman Catholic Church.
(I remember this...I was in the fourth grade when this happened.)

In 1979, Pope John Paul II became the first pope to visit Ireland as he arrived for a three-day tour.
(I remember this too...John Paul II came to Iowa as well, and I was jealous because all the Catholic kids got to miss school and I didn't. I persuaded Mom to switch but she wouldn't budge.)

In 1982, seven people in the Chicago area died after unwittingly taking Extra-Strength Tylenol capsules laced with cyanide.
(I had a room-mate in college whose father acquired his wealth by inventing the safety seal for aspirin bottles. A very lucrative industry, I guess. Sadly, he wasn't adopting any more children.)

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Greetings, pals n gals!

Not a whole lot going on, but I'll highlight some things of interest...first up...

Robert Downey, Jr. as Iron Man.

Huh?

Here's a blurb from the article:

Downey will portray Tony Stark, a billionaire industrialist and genius inventor who is kidnapped and forced to build a devastating weapon. Using his intelligence and ingenuity, Stark instead builds a high-tech suit of armor and escapes captivity. Upon his return to the U.S., he uncovers a plot with global implications and must don his armor and protect the world.

Don't get me wrong...I lubs me some Robert Downey, Jr. I do. His turn in "Chaplin" was nothing short of miraculous...almost enough to forgive him for "Air America".

But he doesn't seem to me like a superhero type...then again, neither did the late, great Christopher Reeve. So maybe it's possible.

Thoughts?

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Here's the news for the "Blinded me with science" award winner: Dr. Lou Ann Brizendine!

Well, this discovery is supposed to confirm what we've already known...women's brains and men's brains are...grab hold of your seats...DIFFERENT.

Short response...well, DUH!

To quote the article:

Recent reports show that newborn males and females have very different brain circuitry, and hormones dramatically shape their future thoughts, feelings and behavior in the first years of life.

One interesting fact, however?

Again, to quote:

(Dr. Lou Ann) Brizendine says that after eight weeks in utero all children's brains appear exactly the same: female. Female is nature's default setting. It is only after a surge of testosterone that boys' brains begin to look male.

I really recommend reading the rest of the article, just to read about the different results, the studies, the conclusions, etc.

The last little quote:

"The reason little girls may play better together is brain wiring — verbal ability at a younger age," she continued. "And they may just be able to negotiate the sharing better than boys. Of course, little boys and little girls act differently. Adult men and adult women act differently, too. But it has really been ignored until probably the middle '90s."

That explains the whole "remote control" thing, but does it explain the blanket-stealing thing? Again, thoughts are welcomed and encouraged.

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From the "How coincidental is this?" department...

Yesterday, I posted about Miles Davis. Today, this article pops up...Miles Davis was inducted into RockWalk based on his contribution to pop music between his ventures into cool jazz, fusion, experimental songs, jazz fusion and hip hop grooves.

Interesting note, from the first paragraph...to quote:

The King of Cool, Miles Davis, was posthumously inducted into Hollywood's RockWalk on Thursday. The event was attended by musicians and members of the Davis family, including his son, Erin, and daughter, Cheryl.

The picture shows two jazz performers (Chris Botti and George Duke) with Davis' first wife, Frances. However, if I understand correctly, he had remarried. That spouse was none other than the legendary actress Cicely Tyson. Why wasn't she there? Maybe there's tension or something? I dunno. If anyone has the scoop on this, let me know.

So apparently Miles Davis is loved by more than jazzbos...I'm diggin' it.

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Finally, a thought for today...

"Any man should be happy who is allowed the patience of his wife, the tolerance of his children and the affection of waiters." — Michael Arlen, English novelist (1895-1956).

Sudiegirl's response?
Don't forget one other piece of advice...the two best friends you'll ever make on the job are the secretary and the maintenance man...between the two of them, you can get anything you want.

Enjoy yer Friday...

Your favorite miscreant,
Sudiegirl