You really will go blind
Came across an interesting fact in a book I cataloged this week. The subtitle: More questions you'd only ask a doctor after your third whiskey sour. The fact that caught my eye was the answer to the question: Why do you sneeze when you stare at the sun?
I've never given much thought to the medical rationale behind this phenomena, but I'm very familiar with it. I always thought my sun sneezing had to do with allergies. Looking at the sun -- heck, looking at any bright light -- could bring on a bout of sneezing. "I'm allergic to the sun!" I'd think as a kid. Then I'd try to convince myself I was only imagining it. Turns out, I'm not crazy. I have a photic sneeze reflex. Approximately 10 to 25 percent of the population are sun-sneezers. My fellow cataloger, Junior Cat, is one as well. What are the odds of that, eh?
It's genetic, too. According to the book, "if one of your parents is a sun-sneezer, you have a 50 percent chance of being a sun-sneezer too." Does Mom carry the gene, or is it Dad? And which one of my boys has it now? I'll have to force them to stare at the sun this weekend.
I've been doing a lot of sneezing lately. As we get nearer to the Nov. 7th election, I'm rolling my eyes upward and uttering prayers in an effort to remain calm. Everytime I hear someone predict the Democrats are going to take back the House, and possibly the Senate, I glance skyward and hope nobody jinxes it. I'm not greedy; I'll settle for the House. I'm not naive, I know that Democratic politicians can be as easily corrupted as Republican ones. I'd just like to see some oversight. I don't like all the power to be in the hands of one party. It's too easy to let things slide. Throw the bums out!
Did you know the photic sneeze relfect is considered to be a risk factor to combat pilots? I hope LegoGuy doesn't have it. That will bring a crashing end to his dreams of becoming an Air Force pilot.
I hope the Nov. 7th elections don't bring about a crashing end to mine.
6 comments:
Damn, from your title, I thought your were going to post about dancing solo.
Only 10-25%? Jeez, I thought everybody did that. I can't leave a building in the summer without sneezing. I would think combat pilots have a lot more to worry about than psr, tho!
Contrary to the gist of your linked story, I would rather the Dems take the high road to which they claim to aspire and lead by example. Just call a moratorium on investigations. It seems like every time there's a sea change we spend four years investigating the previous four years. Sometimes I wish we were parliamentary.
What, politicians take the high road? Surely you jest, sir. My brother favors a military takeover.
I'm a sun-sneezer and yes, John is a wizard. He tries to hide it, but we all know that's almost impossible.
I swear to God, I've never sun-sneezed. I'm from one of the most brutally sunny states in the union, though (Florida), so perhaps I developed a reflexive immunity to this phenomenon as a small child, along with my prehensile tail and third nipple.
I have to concur with St. F. too--I thought this post was going to be best read to the onanistic soundtrack of Billy Idol's "Dancing with Myself." It's time for you to confront the really controversial topics, BananAppealer.
Hmmm...I agree misleading title. You are like a tabloid. I thought you had more journalistic intergrity.
If you stare at the sun, you really will go blind. Looks like the best way to increase readership is to use misleading titles!
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