eyes ... brains ... RAWRRRR

Of all the things about aging, here's something I really hate: Loss of eyesight. I have always had awesome 20/20 eyesight, even when I had Crazy Just Minutely Crossed Eyes in my twenties that could be fixed on occasion by wearing bifocal prisms as I read. But I didn't need the lenses to SEE the fucking words. I can no longer read tiny letters on tubes and such. I could deal with that, but what's really bad is I can no longer comfortably read ... well, like this screen without the glasses. Like, I lift them away and there's a noticeable damn difference.

And the thing is, this has just happened very recently this year. I went to my eye exam two months ago and I had a little trouble reading the bottom line, but managed it; now I'm not sure if I could. THAT fast. You may not have sympathy if you've always had poor sight, but think of a thing your body has always done really well almost without effort, and imagine if it started not doing it so well in a month or two. (I took my digestive system for granted until my surgery a few years ago played a little havoc - not greatly, just enough to give me occasional issues I didn't have before. But I've never taken my eyes for granted and now I'm sad.)

In separate news, I wonder how our modern brains are processing differently compared to brains 100 years ago. People then didn't seem to have so many sources of input, like TV, computer screens, portable phones, electronic signs, car traffic, iPods, radios, etc. - and that's just personal time, I don't even mean workplace stuff added on that, or dealing with a spouse or kids (which I don't have). I feel like my brain is full all the time, not really of smart things, but STUFF. And I find it nearly impossible NOT to multitask sensory input. If I read, it's in a public place with chatter noise or the TV is on mute. If I'm online, the TV or music is on. I listen to podcasts driving or walking. Even on the phone I'm usually doing something else during the conversation. It's like I've gotten incapable of doing ONLY ONE THING. I bet it's common, too. It does scatter my focus sometimes. I wonder how much is too much for the current human brain?

Sherlock fangirls ...?

I was listening to a podcast and one of the speakers made the remark about Martin Freeman, "I guess if you want to like him as an actor, you really shouldn't learn anything about him as a person" and also referred to him as a douchebag.

So I'm asking you lot, what has this person done to be an awful human being? I don't keep up with actors' lives as a rule. And I'm not a fangirl, I just like watching "Sherlock" and he was ok in "The Hobbit" (despite my myriad issues with plot, i.e. why three movies, why the singing, why don't the eagles show up earlier and stay longer, etc.). I'm merely curious what the speaker is referencing, because to get me to say something like that sort of requires a Roman Polanski or O.J. Simpson, someone who's raped or murdered or drowned kittens for funsies. I'm not wild about Johnny Depp and I still would think that's kind of a strong statement about him - I mean, I'm just meh. But "you shouldn't learn anything about him as a person" seems strong feeling.

??