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KIDKODAK-2
Reviews
Nova: Inside Animal Minds: Bird Genius (2014)
Missed critical science
The suspicion developing in my head throughout the program was that the "brilliant" bird stars in this video were a lot better "rehearsed" than the director would have us believe. (Perhaps necessary simply to move things along.)
A little more conspicuous though, was that in the assessment of the Caledonian Crow's biological advantages, it appeared that stereo vision providing DEPTH PERCEPTION was a concept entirely missed during the discussion about tool creation and usage. Yes, the narrow spaced eyes and straight beak allow the birds to see WHERE the tools ought to be positioned...but it's the DEPTH PERCEPTION that facilitates the additional skill of how FAR to insert the tools to perform the required tasks.
I still give the show a good-to-excellent mark simply because of the fascinating behaviour of our supposed "bird-brained" buddies!
Living Out Loud (1998)
Something for Everyone
I loved this movie...for all of its parts and for the whole of it. Holly is at her finest, Danny's magnificent and Latifah is, as always, gorgeous and honey-like. Whether you're straight or gay, male/female, young or old, frustratedly married or happily co-habitating, there's at least one scene where you're going to say, "Hey, that's me". How refreshing to see a coming of age, angst ridden plot featuring characters that are 40-somethings instead of the usual teen version of same. (Why should kids have all the fun of self-doubt, self-consciousness and self flagellation.) This movie is sensitive to the universal themes of the meaning of life, the need for love and the search for relevance. Try it, I guarantee you'll like it. (Just don't rent it for a boys night in....way too much emotion.)