Daily Dose of Common Sense

If you’ve sat through a 3-hour plus movie recently, you probably took a bathroom break at some point during that time. Then, you came back to your seat and whispered to your friend/date/spouse/creepy neighbor, “What did I miss?” Oh, movie intermission, how we wish you were still around.

The 1982 film Ghandi was the last major release to have an intermission. But, don’t blame the theaters. The movie studios are responsible the damage to your bladder:

With a greater number of popular movies approaching and sometimes exceeding three hours in length (even the lightweight “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” lasted 2 1/2 hours) bringing the intermission back seems logical. Contrary to popular belief, the theater owners I’ve spoken to say they would like to have the option –they could sell more concessions, where they make the real money –but their contracts with the studios prohibit intermissions.

Give us a pee break, studios! Between our bladders, the high ticket prices, loud moviegoers on their cellphones, and outrageous concession prices…is it any wonder why people would rather watch movies at home instead of the theater?

[Via Pat's Papers]

I think Tina Fey is the DDOCS poster girl. She’s smart, funny, and interesting–exactly the kind of person who makes your “famous people I’d like to have over to dinner” list. Plus, of all the public figures out there, no one speaks more common sense than Fey, who is the creator, writer and producer of the genius 30 Rock.

Here are some of her recent gems:

On being the ‘thinking man’’s sex symbol:
“What I’ve come to realize is that when people say, ‘The thinking man’s whatever’ — there’s no such thing. The thinking man also wants to fuck Megan Fox.”

Normal Girls:
“I feel like I represent normalcy in some way. What are your choices today in entertainment? People either represent youth, power, or sexuality. And then there’s me, carrying normalcy.” Pause. “Me and Rachel Ray.”

The Skinny:
“People will say, ‘Oh, fashion magazines are so bad, they’re giving girls a negative message’–but we’re also the fattest country in the world, so it’s not like we’re all looking at fashion magazines and not eating. Maybe it just starts a shame cycle: I’m never going to look like that model, so… Chicken McNuggets it is! And conversely, I don’t look at models who are crazy skinny and think I want to look like that, because a lot of them are gigantic, with giant hands and giant feet.”

On fame:
“I think my level of fame will drop back down. I think it’ll recede. In fact, I know it will. That’s life on planet earth. And I’m okay with that. Besides getting tables at restaurants and special treatment at the airport, what else is there?”

Here she talks on Letterman about being a 24-year old virgin:

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iV0NA3UfpvA&feature=player_embedded

[Source: Huffington Post]

Remember the Ouija Board? It’s a staple of the middle school sleepover, to fill up the minutes when you aren’t playing “Light as a Feather, Stiff as a Board.” Well, Hasbro has released a pink version of the game and some folks are really…well…freaked out.

Meet Stephen Phelan, communications director for Human Life International, who believes that using a Ouija Board, “will leave a person’s soul vulnerable to attack.”

“It’s not Monopoly. It really is a dangerous spiritual game and for [Hasbro] to treat it as just another game is quite dishonest.”

Some comments on the product’s Amazon page chastise Hasbro for marketing Ouija Boards to young girls. Reviewers say Hasbro should be ashamed, and one person advises to buy this only if you hate your child:

Guns don’t kill people, people kill people, right? Why doesn’t Amazon.com sell automatic weapons or child porn? Because it is understood that these are very dangerous.

Um, what? Child porn and guns are the same as Ouija Boards?! That seems a bit ridiculous. And, actually, it’s not understood that these are dangerous. Has there ever, EVER, been an incident reported where something bad happened (legitimately) because of a Ouija Board? They have been debunked many times. How does a Ouija Board work?

What makes the pointer move? An effect similar to that which occurs in dowsing, known as the ideomotor effect. This is a fancy name for involuntary/unconscious movement, such as a dowser’s hand flicking enough to move his stick when he passes over an area he knows has water.

Sorry to get all “science-y” on you, but this should explain that a Ouija Board is nothing to be afraid of. It’s a game, and just a game. So, paint it pink, blue, purple, or yellow–it still won’t conjure up anything more than harmless fun. Don’t believe the experts? Then take Skeptic.com’s advice and debunk it yourself:

To prove this, simply try it blindfolded some time. Have an unbiased bystander take notes on what words or letters are selected. Usually, the results will be unintelligible.

I actually think it’s pretty smart of Hasbro to create a pink version and market it to tween girls. They know *exactly* who their audience is!

[Via BoingBoing]

With the holidays upon us, many of you will be at cocktail parties, office gatherings, and seasonal shindigs. It’s a time for seeing old friends as well as meeting new ones. Or, as I like to call it, the Season of Mindless Chit Chat.

If you’re not hugging the wall, chances are you’ll be mingling and chatting people up at these parties. It’s usually fairly easy to tell whether someone is interested in what you have to say or not. (If someone pulls the old “Oh, look at the time” routine, that’s usually a pretty good indicator that you’re not exactly a witty conversationalist.)

However, there are some people who really do seem clueless. To make sure you’re not one of the boring ones, check out this list by Gretchen Rubin at Psychology Today.

Her tips to know if you’re boring include:

Repeated, perfunctory responses. A person who repeats, “Oh really? Wow. Oh really? Interesting.” isn’t particularly engaged.

Simple questions. People who are bored ask simple questions. “When did you move?” “Where did you go?” People who are interested ask more complicated questions that show curiosity, not mere politeness.

Interruption. Although it sounds rude, interruption is actually a good sign, I think. It means a person is bursting to say something, and that shows interest.

Body position. People with a good connection generally turn to face each other. A person who is partially turned away isn’t fully embracing the conversation.

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