Heady stuff.

[hadespussercats]

I know a lot
of strange things
about skulls--

information gleaned
from fitting head-gear
of various sorts
on a wide variety
of people over the years,
and having an
anthropologist sister
who likes to teach.

Knowing strange things
makes me happy.

Five Fun Facts About Heads:

Before I begin,
please keep in mind that
typical human traits
are a spectrum, not a point,
and that all humans are
close relatives of each other.

1. Men have
aerodynamically-shaped skulls.
Picture a bicycle helmet--
low smooth forehead sweeping back
and thickening toward a point
midway-up and behind the head.

Women, on the other hand,
are blockheads--
flat vertical forehead and sides,
sometimes even the hint
of four subtly rounded corners
ringing the skull.


2. If you were to
take a cross-section of
the head of your average
person of Caucasian or
African descent,
it would be roughly egg-shaped.

People with Asian backgrounds
have skulls with a more
circular cross-section.*

*- I imagine it might be frustrating
if you're Asian and looking
through Western-designed hats
for one that fits--
even if the circumference
were right, the crown would
pull across the front
and the brim would dip down
at the sides.

Thank goodness for knits, I guess.

3. Opera singers
have really big heads.

Stands to reason;
that sound needs to have
some place to resonate.

4. Dancers
tend to have small heads.

Of course, dancers
live in an environment
dominated by shape-based
artificial selection pressures.

Case in point:
I worked with a former dancer
once, in a Midtown millinery studio.
Oddly enough, the costume world
is teeming with former dancers--
most of whom had to quit
when their knees gave out.
I asked if that was
what happened to her.
No, she replied,
she was refused admittance
to a prestigious dance academy
because her head was
too big for her body.

"I'm a lollypop."

Tough break.
That's not something you
can diet away.
Maybe someday
plastic surgeons will master
the science of planing down
perfectly healthy skulls.

Still,
5. Head size can shrink.

Usually this happens
when someone decides
to get rid of their
hair extensions--
in my experience,
this also usually happens
after I've almost finished
making that someone a hat.

But a few months ago,
I was measuring my head
at work--
one of my colleagues
wanted to know if I'd be
a good fit-model for her project,
since I have a
rather large noggin--

I was shocked to find
my head circumference was
a good three-quarters of an inch
smaller than the last time
I'd measured it.

Maybe my brains are shrinking.

No, I'm pretty sure
I can chalk that up to
losing a lot of weight
and cutting my hair.

I hope.

At least now I can buy hats retail.

[Azathoth]

Hello odd person. Welcome to Ratz

[devogue]

[hadespussercats]

Hello odd person. Welcome to Ratz

Well, you know what they say about hatters . ..

[Azathoth]

They suffer from mercury poisoning?

[AshtonBlack]

A great post.

[Xamonas Chegwé]

Welcome to Ratz, Hades. I have a feeling you'll fit in rather well.

[floppit]

Hades - I've never found a hat that suits me so I figured I don't suit hats, is it more likely that I've just not found 'the one' or do some people just go instant village idiot as soon as they stick a hat on?

Cool post BTW!

[Animavore]

A lot of hats suit me. But I never wear hats.

[hadespussercats]

They suffer from mercury poisoning?

Yes! Or at least they used to-- which makes people MAD!(as in insane.) Just ask Jeremy Piven.

A great post.

Why thank you, AshtonBlack-- you're a gentleman and a scholar.

Welcome to Ratz, Hades. I have a feeling you'll fit in rather well.

I'm glad to hear it, Xamonas Chegwé-- and may I say you look rather evil and dashing, reclining in that chair the way you do.

Hades - I've never found a hat that suits me so I figured I don't suit hats, is it more likely that I've just not found 'the one' or do some people just go instant village idiot as soon as they stick a hat on?

Floppit, I'd say the perfect hat is out there. Just like the truth, in that it is out there. I have a hard time finding them, too-- because of the aforesaid large noggin. Even in its small stage, my head needs a whole lotta hat, generally. Never mind when it's big, and develops its own gravitational field.

A lot of hats suit me. But I never wear hats.

Well Animavore, chacun a son gout.

[charlou]

Hello and welcome hades

[hadespussercats]

Hello and welcome hades

I and my big head thank you.

[ficklefiend]

I love hats. Hats are win.

The very best compliment I ever got was when I was wearing my very best hat. The man in question (lovely) looked at my head and started his sentence "Oh, I like your... everything". I think I might have married him on the spot if he'd asked.

[hadespussercats]

I love hats. Hats are win.

The very best compliment I ever got was when I was wearing my very best hat. The man in question (lovely) looked at my head and started his sentence "Oh, I like your... everything". I think I might have married him on the spot if he'd asked.

Heh. Based on your avatar, I could be convinced to make you any kind of hat you want . ..

[JimC]

I wear a hat in the hot Aussie sun for pragmatic reasons...

Great post, too, sort of a prose/poetry thing...