How’s everyone’s weekend going? Thanks for spending a portion of it with the Six.
What a week. Just when there appears to be a slight lull in the culture wars…we get a mass shooting in Texas. And the spit fire merry-go-round cranks up again.
I’m trying to avoid discussions of a political nature this weekend, but it’s hard. Even in casual chats about pop culture or sports, there can be an urge to frame a celebrity or sports figure through the lens of what their political views might be, if they’ve publicly shared those views. That’s why I think the just-released film “Top Gun: Maverick” will do huge numbers this weekend (I’m going to see it later Sunday).
People want a break.
The long-awaited Top Gun sequel (first scheduled for release in 2020) provides us with two hours of diversionary escapism, starring a familiar face whom we don’t know anything about. Is there any famous person as apolitical as Tom Cruise?
Sure, “Top Gun: Maverick” will be filled with patriotic symbolism and storylines. But this weekend, regardless of any differences in global world views, seeking shared communal experiences is healthy for body and soul (I feel the need…the need for speed!)
And Happy Memorial Day.
Let’s proceed with the Six.
5 Facts About Guns in America.
The horrendous mass shooting at a school in Texas this past week has re-ignited the debate around guns. Our beliefs on this issue are shaped by life experience. I’ve fired a gun a handful of times in my life (most rounds fired while on a ‘chuker’ hunt about 15 years ago on a ranch in DuPage County, IL) and have no interest in owning one. But I believe in the 2nd Amendment and our constitutional right to bear arms. I also believe it was too easy for the 18-year-old shooter in Texas to acquire and possess the fire arms and ammunition used to murder 19 school children. What are the facts about guns in this country? The newsletter Popular Information tells us absent of ideology.
Those Fighter Jet Rides in “Maverick?” Here’s How Much They Cost.
After a re-watch of the original “Top Gun,” forget how thrilling the fighter jet scenes were. Those were done using 1980’s technology (there wasn’t CGI or any digital simulations at that time) and are arguably the best parts of the film. Audiences for the sequel will get their need for speed fulfilled – at a cost to the studio of over $11,000 per hour. That’s what the U.S. Navy charged per hour for use of the advanced jets built by Boeing. One condition to use of the jets? Star Tom Cruise couldn’t touch the controls. Fortune has the details.
He Was a World Renowned Cancer Researcher. Now He’s Unemployed.
David Sabatini, a tenured professor at MIT, “was predicted to win the Nobel Prize. It was how he reeled in between three and four million dollars every year for his lab from the National Institutes of Health, the Pentagon and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, among others. It is why his colleagues have described him to me with words like “genius,” “one of the best scientists alive,” and “a pillar.” Then came the crash. From the article via the Common Sense newsletter, “Today, Sabatini is unemployed and unemployable. No one wants to be associated with him. Those who do risk losing their jobs, publishing opportunities, friends, visas, and huge federal grants. What wormhole did my life take, to billionaires and protests and being called a sexual predator? What quirk in the universe allowed this to happen?” A stunning story about the rise and fall of one of our country’s most celebrated scientists.
It’s only happenstance we’d have back-to-back articles about scientists on the Six. This one not nearly as dispiriting as the previous one. It’s safe to say the most famous scientist in history is Albert Einstein (apologies to Carl Sagan enthusiasts). But who knew that the Hebrew University in Jerusalem and many others are waging an epic fight for the money to be made from his image? A fascinating tale about name, image and likeness of a man who’s discovery of gravity became a global revelation just over 100 years ago.
Ray Liotta Made Goodfellas As Much As It Made Him.
Another punch-to-the gut celebrity death this past week. Ray Liotta, who played Henry Hill in the 1990 film Goodfellas, died while on a film shoot in the Dominican Republic. Details remain unclear as to the cause of death (Liotta died in his sleep). Liotta has a long career post-Goodfellas (in one calendar year acted in almost a dozen movies) but will always be a known for his leading man role in the 1990 Martin Scorsese-directed classic. The Ringer
pens a requiem on Liotta and his impact in film and pop culture.
Never Play With a Caged Lion. Here’s Why.
Ever since the invention of animal zoos, there has been one universal warning.
“Do not play too close. And under no circumstance do you touch the animals!” Pretty reasonable advice. This video from Jamaica affirms the “do not touch” edict. Because when you do…fingers get bitten off. That’s just what happened to this dimwit. Lions are not meant to be teased.
Thanks for reading everybody and enjoy the rest of your holiday weekend.
Have a suggestion for The Sunday Six? Send email to jonjkerr@gmail.com.