thedrifter
11-03-03, 06:06 AM
EOD Marine plays mental gymnastics with Bacon
Submitted by: MCB Hawaii
Story Identification Number: 20031031174323
Story by Cpl. Jason E. Miller
MARINE CORPS BASE HAWAII, KANEOHE BAY, Hawaii(Oct. 31, 2003) -- The Marine Corps is a melting pot. Take a group comprised of people from every corner of the country, and every walk of life, and guaranteed, there are going to be some unique individuals in the group.
Sergeant David Karr, an Explosive Ordnance Disposal technician from Combat Service Support Group 3, MCB Hawaii, Kaneohe Bay, is pretty unique. The man has a knack for remembering the names and faces of the silver screen like no other - particularly, in the way they relate to actor Kevin Bacon.
"They call it 'The Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon,'" Karr said. "Essentially, it's a game where you just try to figure out ways to relate actors and actresses in movies to Kevin Bacon. Name any actor in any major motion picture since 1977, and I can map a path right back to Kevin Bacon."
Using actor Ewan McGregor as an example, the game is played like this: Ewan McGregor was in "Moulin Rouge" with Nicole Kidman, who was in "Days of Thunder" with Tom Cruise, who was in "A Few Good Men" with Kevin Bacon.
"You pretty much just try to come up with actors to stump the person you're playing against. You try to find the shortest route possible back to Kevin Bacon. It's a great way to pass the downtime in the field."
While deployed to Australia as part of Exercise Crocodile 2003, Karr took the opportunity to put his talents to use, entertaining Marines who might try to come up and stump him with movie star names.
"People just come up to me and say 'Jack Nicholson' or something, and then sit there and wait for an answer. It's pretty fun to just blow people's minds when I start rattling off movies and actors' names."
Karr began learning the game from friends when stationed in Okinawa with an infantry unit as a TOW gunner. During long stretches of downtime, he began getting better and better.
"It only took me maybe a couple of months to get good. Now, I can generally find the path back to Kevin Bacon in about 10 seconds," Karr said. "But there are some actors out there who are really tough, particularly musicians who've made cameos or 'B-movie' actors, but I just see their faces and it comes to me."
Added Karr, "Even I get stumped once in a while, but I'd say I'm better than most."
The game started years ago when some college students, in an effort to prove the theory of the "Six Degrees of Separation," identified Hollywood as a control group and used actor Kevin Bacon as the subject for the exercise. Now, years later, the theory still holds true, and the game has become a cult phenomenon in small circles and the Internet.
"There are Web sites out there that can actually play the game for you," the gaunt, five-foot-six Karr said. "Even Visa did a commercial about it, but I doubt most people understood it, if they've never heard of the game."
Karr admits that there are some actors that really give him a problem, but insists that there's always a true path back to Kevin Bacon.
"The actor Carrot Top usually stumps me," said Karr. "The guy was only in one movie or something, but I've found a way to do it before. I just always forget it."
Working as an EOD tech, Karr says he has a lot less time to practice since he's often busy with work, but he keeps in tune with the game through everyday contacts; especially during exercises like CROC '03 where EOD may have some downtime due to lack of real ordnance use during parts of the exercise.
"I just have a knack for remembering little facts and things. It's nothing really great, but I have fun with it."
http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/image1.nsf/Lookup/20031031191130/$file/sixdegreesmuglow.jpg
Sergeant David Karr sharpens his knack for remembering details by playing "The Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon." Photo by: Cpl. Jason E. Miller
http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf/main5/4F59166DA4C993B785256DD0007CD29A?opendocument
Sempers,
Roger
:marine:
Submitted by: MCB Hawaii
Story Identification Number: 20031031174323
Story by Cpl. Jason E. Miller
MARINE CORPS BASE HAWAII, KANEOHE BAY, Hawaii(Oct. 31, 2003) -- The Marine Corps is a melting pot. Take a group comprised of people from every corner of the country, and every walk of life, and guaranteed, there are going to be some unique individuals in the group.
Sergeant David Karr, an Explosive Ordnance Disposal technician from Combat Service Support Group 3, MCB Hawaii, Kaneohe Bay, is pretty unique. The man has a knack for remembering the names and faces of the silver screen like no other - particularly, in the way they relate to actor Kevin Bacon.
"They call it 'The Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon,'" Karr said. "Essentially, it's a game where you just try to figure out ways to relate actors and actresses in movies to Kevin Bacon. Name any actor in any major motion picture since 1977, and I can map a path right back to Kevin Bacon."
Using actor Ewan McGregor as an example, the game is played like this: Ewan McGregor was in "Moulin Rouge" with Nicole Kidman, who was in "Days of Thunder" with Tom Cruise, who was in "A Few Good Men" with Kevin Bacon.
"You pretty much just try to come up with actors to stump the person you're playing against. You try to find the shortest route possible back to Kevin Bacon. It's a great way to pass the downtime in the field."
While deployed to Australia as part of Exercise Crocodile 2003, Karr took the opportunity to put his talents to use, entertaining Marines who might try to come up and stump him with movie star names.
"People just come up to me and say 'Jack Nicholson' or something, and then sit there and wait for an answer. It's pretty fun to just blow people's minds when I start rattling off movies and actors' names."
Karr began learning the game from friends when stationed in Okinawa with an infantry unit as a TOW gunner. During long stretches of downtime, he began getting better and better.
"It only took me maybe a couple of months to get good. Now, I can generally find the path back to Kevin Bacon in about 10 seconds," Karr said. "But there are some actors out there who are really tough, particularly musicians who've made cameos or 'B-movie' actors, but I just see their faces and it comes to me."
Added Karr, "Even I get stumped once in a while, but I'd say I'm better than most."
The game started years ago when some college students, in an effort to prove the theory of the "Six Degrees of Separation," identified Hollywood as a control group and used actor Kevin Bacon as the subject for the exercise. Now, years later, the theory still holds true, and the game has become a cult phenomenon in small circles and the Internet.
"There are Web sites out there that can actually play the game for you," the gaunt, five-foot-six Karr said. "Even Visa did a commercial about it, but I doubt most people understood it, if they've never heard of the game."
Karr admits that there are some actors that really give him a problem, but insists that there's always a true path back to Kevin Bacon.
"The actor Carrot Top usually stumps me," said Karr. "The guy was only in one movie or something, but I've found a way to do it before. I just always forget it."
Working as an EOD tech, Karr says he has a lot less time to practice since he's often busy with work, but he keeps in tune with the game through everyday contacts; especially during exercises like CROC '03 where EOD may have some downtime due to lack of real ordnance use during parts of the exercise.
"I just have a knack for remembering little facts and things. It's nothing really great, but I have fun with it."
http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/image1.nsf/Lookup/20031031191130/$file/sixdegreesmuglow.jpg
Sergeant David Karr sharpens his knack for remembering details by playing "The Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon." Photo by: Cpl. Jason E. Miller
http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf/main5/4F59166DA4C993B785256DD0007CD29A?opendocument
Sempers,
Roger
:marine: