Morning Edition - 7/24/06

Puerto Rico Crowned Miss Universe 2006; Drama As Usual
Last night Miss Puerto Rico, 18-year old Zuleyka Rivera Mendoza, was crowned Miss Universe at the Shrine auditorium in Los Angeles, California. Rivera Mendoza is the 55th Miss Universe. On her heels was 1st runner up Kurara Chibana, 24, from Japan and 2nd runner up Lauriane Gilleron, 21, of Switzerland. Tara Conner, 21 of the U.S. came in 5th to round out the top five. Forty minutes after her win – and thankfully, well after her post pageant stroll -Miss Puerto Rico collapsed from what’s being reported as heat exhaustion. The pageant officials say the stage and lights are extremely hot and her beaded dress was heavy. It bears to mention that the dress was absolutely stunning and the front of the gown was just FIERCE. Dare I say that the dress may have sealed her win. Rivera Mendoza is said to be just fine and she went on to attend the post pageant celebrations. The U.S. presently holds the most Miss Universe titles with 7; Puerto Rico holds a proud second for most wins with 5. Puerto Rico first won Miss Universe in 1970 (Marisol Malaret), then 1985 Deborah Carthy-Deu brought home the title. In 1993, Marc Anthony’s ex-wife, Dayanara Torres was crowned Miss Universe, followed by Denise Quinones in 2001. Puerto Rico normally holds enormous festivals (and take a day-off from work) to celebrate the occasion.

Please Tell Me You Don’t Drive
Drivers in NYC are insanely aggressive and the slightest hesitation can lead to a multiple car pile-up. Unfortunately, the same aggression doesn’t translate as effectively when New Yorkers get around on foot. It appears that peripheral vision is something New Yorkers either lack or ignore. For those who are quizzically looking at this blurb and wondering where I’m going with this, let me try to sum this up. Peripheral vision is what you see at your far left and right while still looking straight. It’s basically the field of vision that allows us to see an oncoming person, vehicle, or other object coming toward us from both sides. Humans don’t have a very developed peripheral vision and studies show that we don’t really see color in our peripheral vision, we see motion. Your retina is divided into rod cells and cone cells. Rod cells, found in your periphery, are sensitive to motion, but do not see color. Conversely, cone cells are color sensitive. All this to ask, why can’t folks walk straight or see people walking besides them to avoid stepping in their way? Also, when you board an elevator and step on, do you see (in your periphery) the person standing at your side? Why not step over a few feet to avoid the uncomfortable “space bubble” violation?! I mean really! Admittedly I’m a little sensitive this morning, but I’m seconds from advertising the next big “Improving Your Peripheral Vision” class.

Deadly Reflection
Lt. Michael DeHart says the force of the falling 5-foot floor mounted mirror that crashed onto 3-year old Christopher Antonio yesterday was undoubtedly what killed him. The shocking accident happened at a WalMart store in Indianapolis yesterday while the mother was only 5-feet away from the toddler. Both the mom and another shopper pulled the mirror off the boy. The accident is being investigated. A WalMart spokesperson said that the retail giant’s thoughts and prayers are with the boy’s family; it appears their hefty settlement will be with the family soon enough too.

On Blast
It takes three seconds for a newcomer to evaluate you. It’s the “express” first impression, but one that is almost irreversible. A quick glance will give tell-tale signs of whether you like (or will like) someone. Whether it’s their body-language, their handbag, their shoes or their haircut, many factors play a role in our first impressions. Studies show that during the first couple of minutes after meeting someone, we assess whether someone is of comparable social or business level to ourselves before judging whether they warrant further interaction with us. If we find that they are above our social or business level, then we admire them and hold them in high regard as a valuable contact. Unfortunately, studies also show that if our assessment finds them below our social or business level, we tend to hold this person at arms-length. What do you factor-in as your greatest attributes and worse faux-pas for first impressions? What will definitely knock someone out of interaction contention? Tell of a recent experience that shows tell-tale signs of your judgment during first encounters.

Keep passin’ the open windows…