Friday, October 21, 2005

People Doing Odd Things

I'm trying to get a more focused grip on my readings, so I'm in the process of drawing out my 100 Reading List. Will I be able to finish all 100 titles in the Year of Our Lord 2006? Probably not. But it's fun trying! ;p

"Why do it?" you may ask.

Because it's fun.

A brief anecdote:

I dislike popcorns in general. I find that they have the texture of styrofoam when you bite into them, and the salted ones are usually too salty, and the sweet ones are usually sticky and cloyingly sweet. And the butter - if the popcorn's not fresh, the butter usually have that rancid smell that clings to your clothes and hair.

Don't like popcorn.

Once, out with Ms F for a movie, I mentioned the "popcorn has the texture of styrofoam" observation. Ms F piped: "Yeah, like you've tasted styrofoam." Or something along that sentiment.

Actually I have. When I was a wee thing, I had some styrofoam around the house to play with. It was nice. Lots of things you can do to styrofoam. Then one day I wondered how it will taste. So I bit into it to check out the texture. What can I say? It crunch like popcorn without the butter, salt and caramel syrup.

No, I do not swallow.

"Why do it?" you may ask.

Because it's fun to find out things like these.

Anyway, recently I'm taken with this writer, Mary Roach. She strikes me as someone with the curiosity in the unusual things in life. Her previous book, Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers made it to the bestsellers. I've perused it briefly, and she's an illuminating sprite amongst the chaos of dull books out there.

The book apparently first began with the Salon.com article she wrote on how much a human stomach could hold before it burst. It was a Thanksgiving thing and with all the feasting I guess the question just popped into her head.

She is fun person. ;)

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