Scenes from a marriage - nuts

Mabel (eating pistachios) - It's so considerate of pistachios that, as they grow bigger, they split open their own shells.

Fernando - That happens when they steam them.

M - They steam pistachios?

F - Otherwise they're poisonous.

M - Well... they should steam walnuts too.

F - I'm just kidding, they don't steam pistachios.

M - (Disappointed that this technology to pre-crack nuts does not exist.) Were you just practicing your Male Answer Syndrome skills?

F - Something like that.

M - ... ... ... I wish walnuts were like pistachios.


VERY IMPORTANT UPDATE!!


Apparently the technology does exist! And yet still no cracked-open walnuts! Surely we can cross a pistachio with a walnut... a walnachio.

When the [pistachio] fruit ripens, the shell changes from green to an autumnal yellow/red and abruptly splits part way open (see photo). This is known as dehiscence, and happens with an audible pop. The splitting open is a trait that has been selected by humans^[7]. Commercial cultivars vary in how consistently they split open. (wiki)

Blobby the Squid

We just watched Watchmen for the first time since going to see the movie, and since (me) having read the comic. Some thoughts...

* Because of the book I was recently reading on Cambodia, the ending reminded me of the Khmer Rouge. Anytime someone has tried to "reboot" society--that I can think of--it's ended in horrible numbers of people dying, and some sort of deterioration of that society's ability to function.

* However. If you ARE going to re-start society, I definitely recommend doing so with a giant blobby quid. That's awesome.



* I agree with this blogger that the biggest failing re the ending is that the filmmakers don't show the bloody, gory, horrible result of Ozymandias' plan. The movie is overly gory throughout, in ways it doesn't need to be / that the comic isn't, and then when it comes to the most important part--where you need to decide whether this kind of destruction is a worthy means to an end or not--it's sanitized.

* After reading the comic, I felt that the biggest thing missing from the movie was the little human touches. There are all these mini subplots/characters, of the psychiatrist, of the newspaperman, a cab driver etc. throughout the comic, and these are the people you see get killed at the end. It's very affecting, and I think they represent the goodness and decency that still exists, even in an almost amoral society--and therefore their deaths make O's Final Solution that much more chilling. In the movie, you occasionally see those characters, but it's meaningless if you haven't read the comic.