Thursday 28 June 2012

Working in Ottawa today --celeb du jour

Good morning folks,

I will be working in Ottawa today.


Hey!  Ever wonder why some people gush and wail at the mere sight of celeb du jour and others have a more meh attitude?

It seems that our buddy the orbitofrontal cortex is likely to blame.  That's right kids, it's time for another lesson on you and your brain.

Although it is early in the research there appears to be a linear relationship between grey matter volume in a particular region of the lateral orbitofrontal cortex and the tendency to express desire for objects owned by other people, and just before you think, "Hey, the envy section of the brain", it also results in the owner placing value on what everyone else thinks, from political candidates to teen idol.  Yes, even now I am sure the pharmaceuticals are working on a new drug that will fuel this area, but the drug will be marketed of course as everything from an anti-anxiety drug to a appetite suppressant.

Wow.. where did that bit of cynicism come from?

Ahh. There is a tempering part of the ole' OFC as well, this counter check area is developed through personal experience and independent decision making.

Why the interest in what makes celebs so gosh darn exciting to gaze upon?

The answer lies in Sharlene's and my mini vacation to PEI.  We stayed at a historic house turned inn, and during a bit of an exploration of the house..

Sidebar here.  From the outside Sharlene and I observed windows where we knew there to be fireplaces inside, and the 4 chimneys appeared to be constructed of a different brick than the rest of the house.  We looked for photos from the 1800s and early 1900s to explain the observations. Yes, the chimneys had been replaced but the windows were always false windows, this is consistent with the Georgian architectural style that demands symmetry.

And then we saw it.

Tucked away on a short wall near out of view. The photo.

It was 2006 and Michelle Jean had still not chowed down on a raw seal heart, and the Parliament Restaurant had no seal on the menu.

And Paul McCartney was here.  There that is, in the photo, in PEI, during a protest of our seal hunt.  Of course you may recall that during the Larry King Live interview McCartney thought that he was in Newfoundland.  Not quite as funny as George Bush waving at Stevie Wonder, but amusing none the less.

Back to the photo.  It was taken in front of the fireplace in the front room.  McCartney had stayed at the Fairholm Inn.  We were staying at the Fairholm Inn.  We were in the Master Suite.

!!

Did Paul stay in the Master Suite?  All of the possibilities raced through my mind..  I said to Sharlene in a hushed tone.., "Sir Paul McCartney used the same crapper as us."

It was the best that I could come up with.

Have a good day.

2 comments: