This weekend I saw a very interesting documentary called The Bridge. It's about people who end their lives by jumping off the Golden Gate Bridge. I know it sounds horribly morbid to watch a movie like this, but it was actually very good. There is no heightened drama or an added sense of fascination, just a feeling of wanting to understand.
More people choose to end their lives at the Golden Gate Bridge than any other place in the world. I grew up in the Bay Area, and have crossed over the bridge dozens of times. Some people commute on it every day. The movie takes place over the entire year of 2004, in which cameras were running 24 hours a day. Twenty four people jumped that year. The movie is not gory or graphic. The director talks with family members and friends, who openly share their thoughts and feelings.
Haunting, powerful.
Other than that, the weekend was fairly uneventful. This morning, however, I woke up with a black tongue. It looked like I had been eating black licorice in my sleep. I tried not to freak out and Googled it right away. Turns out, Pepto Bismol can turn your tongue black. The main ingredient, bismuth, does it. I guess it only happens when you eat the tablets right before you go to sleep, as it hadn't happened to me before. I had an upset stomach last night and chewed a couple of tablets before I hit the pillow.
I'm glad I checked that particular website first, rather than the second one, which described black, hairy tongue. They showed a picture of a tongue with what looked like a toupee growing on it. Ick. Do not click on the picture if you are prone to gagging. Not for the faint of heart.
I guess neither of my musings are for the faint of heart. I'd better sign off before I freak out anyone else.
(image source)
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