Mishmash Musings

We almost never go out for New Year’s Eve. I hate how crazy everything gets and how potentially dangerous the roads are because of stupid drunk drivers, so I usually convince my husband to just stay home.

But this year, a few other couples are trying to get us to go out for dinner, dancing, and drinks at some restaurant. It’s out here in the suburbs so we wouldn’t have to deal with the long commute to the city, but still… I’m just not too keen on the idea of getting dressed up to go out.

I need a good excuse to get out of it, though. Maybe I should tell them I have Plantar Fasciitis and that dancing would be impossible. Or maybe I’ll just tell the truth and say that I would rather stay home with a pizza and a couple bottles of beer. What can I say, I have simple tastes!

NASA has released a new, detailed report about what likely happened to the astronauts aboard the space shuttle Columbia, which broke apart and disintegrated upon reentry back in 2003. All seven astronauts aboard the vessel were killed in the disaster.

Reports about the 5-year-old incident have been available before now, of course, but the most recent one, which runs some 400 pages, is said to be the most graphic concerning the astronauts’ fate.

Apparently, none of the equipment in the shuttle’s cabin did its job of protecting the passengers, including seat restraints and helmets. As a result, the astronauts’ upper bodies “flailed around”, and their heads were battered inside the helmets.

But the astronauts were already either unconscious or dead at that point, and there’s no way they could have survived the rest of the descent, so any arguments about the equipment are purely academic.

At least the disaster has prompted numerous design and safety overhauls for the next incarnation of NASA spacecraft. Let’s hope we never see another tragic space-related crash again.

I just read a pretty funny article on some entertainment site about the most ridiculous movie moments of 2008. I know that any film out there can be picked apart mercilessly unless you suspend your disbelief at least a little bit, but these scenes were definitely pushing the limits. Among the ones that made it to the list were the following:

– Indiana Jones surviving a nuclear blast by hiding in an old-school lead-lined refrigerator. Well, there were tons of scenes in that film that could have earned a place on this list, but the refrigerator one was definitely the worst. So, so stupid!

– The “twist” of having the Charlize Theron character also be a superhero of the same mold in Hancock — and then having her fight Hancock for no reason at all, destroying half of downtown Los Angeles in the process. I usually love Will Smith movies, but I was not impressed with Hancock at all. That has to be the worst one he’s made in a long time… though I hear Seven Pounds isn’t that much better. Maybe it’s time for him to get a new agent — or to actually read scripts before signing on.

– The scene where a computer villain (?) causes power lines to snap, just in time to fry a bad guy to death in Eagle Eye. I haven’t seen this movie yet, so I’m not sure what the computer villain part is all about, but the whole thing looks completely outlandish to me. I’m sure there were other scenes in the film that could have fit this list — that much is evident just from the trailers I’ve seen. I’ll probably rent the DVD someday, but obviously I’m in no hurry.

– A character in Journey to the Center of the Earth getting a call from his mother on his cell phone. This is another movie I haven’t seen, but I’ve read the book, so I know the premise. I’m surprised that the article writer picked this as the most ridiculous part, instead of, say, pointing out that no one would even make it close to the center of the earth because of the extreme temperatures. I mean, the kid could have been using a cell phone repeater to boost his signal (not likely, I know), but there’s no way anyone survives the temperature. (Exact same thing bothered me with that move The Core.)

All of these scenes sound pretty ridiculous, don’t they? But I’m actually more interested in hearing what people think are the best movies of 2008. I’ve got my own personal list of favorites, but haven’t seen the professional critics release their lists yet.