Women's Intelligence

A few days ago the UK released statistics that once again girls were outperforming boys in high school to which a Financial Times female journalist quipped: "Whenever women outperform men it's a problem that requires national attention. The other way around, no one cares."

This has been going on for decades; girls outperform boys in school and the numbers decline as they enter graduate schools particularly in the STEM sector. The reasons in conducted research is always the same socialization, better behavior, more discipline, more risk adverse behavior etc.

IQ tests are not an exact science. They are standardized tests that provide a range within which intelligence falls. Nor is intelligence a sign of success.

Recently I came across an article in which a 17 year old Hannah Cairo had disproven a math theorem. It reminded me of the fact that DNA was not discovered by Watson and Crick, but their graduate student Rosalind Franklin. Recent groundbreakers include physicist Lisa Randall (superstrings and hyperspace/extra dimensions), Emmanuelle Charpentier and Jennifer Doudna (Nobel prize for CRISPR) and Ilaria Capua (Virologist). All of whom encountered misogyny and discussed in interviews how it slowed down their careers. Randall was already famous, invited as keynote speaker to a conference in Italy where someone assumed she was "Professor Lisa's assistant."

But what if that repetitive research is partially wrong? If no one is researching IQ in longterm studies between men and women, how could we prove that the IQ of women remains high? What if millenia of resourcefulness and finding solutions actually changed brain development? What if and this is what I'm getting at, women arent just as intelligent as men but more intelligent and, therefore, make smarter choices early on?

Something to think about.

Science facts about cats

Here are a few interesting science facts about our domesticated cats:

1. Cats are obligate carnivores. They must eat meat because they require two amino acids to be presynthesized by grain feeding prey. They cannot convert it themselves. Any cat food that has vegetables or grain in it is practically useless for them.

2. They have a spine that is flexible in more than one direction.

3. They have a second layer called tapetum lucidum that lows them to see in the dark by reflecting available light onto their retina. It's mostly grey tones and they don't have night vision if there's no light source.

4. Their tongue has tiny hooks that bend backwards so anything they lick or groom goes down. One way only.

5. They can't spit.

6. They can breathe and swallow at almost the same time. Humans cannot. (When humans swallow they stop breathing for a few seconds).

7. They slice/saw their food like a shark and don't chew since they have no molars.

8. Their communication is nonverbal body language. The "talking" is learned behavior for us.

9. They heal much faster than most mammals.

10. They purr when they're content or distressed. Lots of theories about that.

11. They form colonies when feral, but don't have a hierarchy.

12. They can't sweat. They cool off through panting and their fur traps cool air in the summer.

13. If they consider you part of the family, some will share their prey with you. One of mine would bring me my socks, meow loudly and leave it in front of the bedroom door. It's a gift of a shared meal.

14. Unlike dogs who show their bellies as a sign of submission, cats will often lie down to get their claws in position.

15. Some are peacemakers. There is a great video called cat playing peacemaker between two cats. (The one I found doesn't want reposts). You should be able to find it. Yes. They do break up eachother's fights.

Incredible amazing creatures.

I will add some more facts as I think of them

Celebrity Acquaintance

 

This certainly became the case across various platforms which at times push me to watch millennials and very young influencers with no talent, desperately trying to become famous for the sake of becoming rich and famous. A trend that is getting progressively worse.

Some years ago through a friend who manages celebs, I went to watch a famous Comedian perform. (No. I will not identify him). Opportunity happened and I carpe diem; I was invited to hang out with his "Entourage" and watch his radio show.

He was highly accomplished; movies, scripts, Broadway shows, tours, Emmies and so on. After the show, I stood next to him waiting for his limo that his manager was driving.

"Did you ever think you'd be standing next to [insert celeb name] and invited to listen to my radio show?" he asked. "I'm in the medical field, I have seen what happens to all of us in the end. Very few people impress me." I replied.

Then I looked at him: "Did YOU ever think you would meet and stand next to someone like Meeee?", I quipped and smiled at him. 

This would be the time to uninvite me and I would simply take a cab home after laughing for two hours at his cerebral and political humor. I wanted to ensure that he would not expect to be worshipped.

It surprised him and he laughed. We all drove to the venue where he did his radio show, which initially had some technical difficulties because someone had gotten the time zone wrong. He was off air while he thought he was on air and just as he yelled: " IMBECILES!!! How hard can this be?" he was on air. We provided the laughing track.

Afterwards, I was invited any time he performed in town and participated in his routine. After the show he invited a group of young professionals to high end restaurants so that he could unwind. No drugs and a minimum of alcohol. We conversed for hours. Then we would take long walks because he enjoyed architecture and sightseeing at 2am.

The dinners kept him connected to the "real world," and all of us had the same thing in common; funny, intellectual, intelligent mostly younger professionals and able to hold conversations that ranged from architecture to pharma. We provided him with material and acted as his audience. On one occasion he liked one of my jokes, wrote it down on a napkin, and asked if he could use it.

I always looked forward to this and the random seeming groups he selected from all types of backgrounds. We entertained each other, laughed a lot, he would invite us and connect beyond touring cities and lavish hotels.

I view this experience differently now, but it also confirms what I already knew. There is no overnight success. During those walks he sometimes shared a little about his failures. He worked incredibly hard, encountered frustration and controversy. When I watch some of the young wannabes and their entitlement, who watch social media and think that wealth should simply drop into their laps because that is what inspires them, I know it's an illusion. That attitude among some has always existed. (They usually turned into losers). But when I occasionally overhear todays youth, they are not passionately talking about their craft, their passion, their business idea or planned path. All they talk about is wealth, because that is what social media is teaching them.

Life is short, opportunities are rare and random, I seized them when they felt right. Living a great life is like that.

Coincidence Journal

I have always had a journal addiction. More is more. Many of them are waiting to be filled according to topic. At times, when I find a great bargain, I buy a number of them and have found that Moleskine and Leuchturm no longer offer the quality that I like. 

I had found a delightful Harry Potter themed journal that held up to ink and made my inner child smile. By the time I went back for more they were sold out. Regrettable. I thought about the restructuring of world maps and new boundaries (where did all the Stans come from?). I thought of journals and that I'd filled the HP one and needed a new one. And then as I popped into a store, I was surprised to find an entire section of discounted, guilt free Harry Potter stationery. 

Paulo Coehlo once stated that when you really want something the entire universe conspires to make it happen. The sentence stuck with me eventhough I consider Coehlo an overly melodramatic spirituality writer, who believes in serendipity.

Maybe what we wish for is too big, but then again maybe a Harry Potter journal that fills a need isn't as small as we think it is.

About My Father And The Senior Care Industry

Peacock Butterfly

I am an intensely private person and I've been wondering whether to post about this. Many go through a similar experience so maybe it will help me or someone else.

I meant to write a tribute to my father, but events surrounding his 'passing away by other people' are still present and the logistics prevent me from moving on. 

I am well aware of the cutthroat practices of the elder care industry. I've never known it to be different and my father being my father made all the necessary preparations. We couldn't have prepared for the psychopaths in this industry. They've gotten worse over time. Experienced staff is being let go, replaced by people who have none, especially when it comes to seniors.

My father had arranged for someone to shop for him. On one occasion he yelled "I do not have a coffee machine!" I couldn't figure out what he meant until my suspicion about the shopper made me hide while he came to shop. Mr. Scam  would purchase coffee cartridges and other products for himself, tell my father that that's all they had, pretend to return them and expect my father to forget the return by next week. My father ended up low on groceries and scammed out of about 50 dollars a week.

I expected compassion and gerontologists, I ended up with a commission based "consultant to seniors" (wtf is that?) and aggressive psychological support offers, which made me snap "are you trying to talk him out of being old?" Then someone had claimed that he was 'bedridden and suffered from dementia' (he wasn't). The harassment (see below) was relentless until we got a lawyer and court order to desist. It worked until the next fiscal quarter when they revisited and ran off after I waved the court order at them.

By the time I had arranged the home care assessment, I had wasted more time fending off vultures and harpies then actually finding anyone to help. I was exhausted doing most of it myself and burnt out.

How a butterfly saved a human life:

In the middle of the world turning upside down, I was also fending off predatory nursing homes that wanted my father's finances, going so far that behind my back they had approached him, taken him on a trip to show him the facilities and tried to FORCE him to sign on the dotted line. Going even further by sending him flowers and meals as incentives. I had promised him that he'll never end up there.
I had arranged for a house visit assessment for home care. The night before I had prepped the medical records in a nice folder: "Age related cognitive decline. No dementia." The morning of this assessment my father had found and misplaced the folder. F..k! The report would have helped him and fended off greedy vultures.
Assessor came with his laptop, refused coffee and cookies. The questions started. Went well. After 90 minutes the difficult questions started, my proud father in his suit and tie started to shake like a leaf, angry and scared. I was fearing an outburst. A colorful butterfly flew in that I had not seen since childhood. We all watched, relaxed chatted about butterflies. As a result of engaging conversation about butterflies, he passed his cognitive part. Approved. Disaster averted. I kept my promise and a butterfly saved his life.

Time will heal. I am aware of that. But time will not heal the cruelty that I was forced to witness. It remains simmering below the surface.

The acute stage of grieving is behind me, however I cannot grieve properly because I'm not grieving him, but what was done to him.

I miss you dad. I gave more than my best.

Humor videos

 A little humor is in order. Here are some short videos if you can use a laugh.

From Blazing saddles:

https://youtube.com/watch?v=hYTQ7__NNDI

How I feel about the world at the moment:

https://youtube.com/watch?v=6pMcuqgSRds

Politicians:

https://youtube.com/watch?v=3m5qxZm_JqM&pp=0gcJCfwAo7VqN5tD

Comedian Eddie Izzard on computers. Not much has changed in 20 years:

https://youtube.com/watch?v=TKQzqwn-jIM&pp=0gcJCfwAo7VqN5tD

If you have any funny clips to share please do

Advertising Intelligence

 Nostalgic Retro Futurism That Isn't 

Bladerunner car 1982

Nostalgia

A word that has lost its meaning, but one that is forcing emotions on us by people who have none. I don't like having my emotions trampled on, especially when it's trying to sell me a product.

Nostalgia was successful when coca-cola invoked those sweet memories of childhood Christmas with its polar bear commercials. I don't even drink coke. When polar bears became associated with melting glaciers, and consumers disliked it, the company stopped.

2025 and the internet has become the playground of advertisers that do not know how to sell their products, because they lack the emotions to do so. Zuck is one of them. Would I like a robot companion to assist me? Maybe. Would I want an "AI" companion/friend programmed by his company? Absolutely not. I, like most people like my privacy.

As to the antics of Spacey, with his emotional development of a teenager and nothing further. It sounds trite but that's what drug consumption does. I suspect that he watches a lot of science fiction movies and reads a lot of science fiction, particularly the cyberpunk vision of the 90s, which he then sells as his own ideas. There is nothing predictive or futuristic there. The symbol for his AI is the mathematical representation of a black hole in Interstellar. The truck design is from Bladerunner. A few Mars movies and we're going extinct unless we fly there. 

As to the neither futuristic nor visionary, Spacey actually wants to bring about the Culture series world of Iain Banks. Among the most intellectual of scifi novels, it describes a society thousands of years in the future. I recommend the books, wikipedia has a fairly decent review at the moment, but am truly frightened that he wants to be the creator father of this type of society.

There is a long history of science fiction inspiring science. The medical tricorder in Startrek inspired the MRI. Many others improved our lives. They weren't prototypes, but finished products.

I need CEOs who have more than the empathy of a rock and are inspired by utopian visions of improving lives, not fear mongering and dystopian visions of horror science fiction.

The irony of it all doesn't escape me; among the many themes in Bladerunner, the most significant one is Ridley Scott's exploration of what makes us human: Empathy.