物價與入息報告

UBS 剛剛發表了2006年版的「物價與入息報告」（按此），把報告下載了，不過，由於現已夜深，腦袋不夠靈活，沒時間消化，加上公司太多文件要看，只能草草地看過報告內容，頗為有趣，例如：

全世界平均要工作35分鐘才賺夠錢買一個麥記巨無霸，在美國的大城市的人只需工作13分鐘就能買到，在非洲的Nairobi 則要工作個半鐘頭才能買一個巨無霸。

漢城的工作時間最長，巴黎是眾多地區中工作時間最短。不知為甚麼以色列的Tel Aviv沒有資料？

把它記下來，強逼自己幾天內看完寫讀後感。

我有冇Burnout？

比起以前，我已甚少週末返公司，週末在家看文件發電郵另計。因為某種原因，昨天是年幾來第一次要physically返公司的禮拜六。辦公室不只我一個，還有其他同事。五點鐘放工後，駕車回家，立即躺在床上，很累的樣子。突然想起：我到底有沒有burnout呢？想起cnn.com幾個月前有篇文章題為「Five warning signs of job burnout」（按此）：

Sign No. 1: Your co-workers are walking on eggshells around you.
If you find yourself becoming cranky and irritable with co-workers you used to get along with, it may be more than just typical interpersonal dynamics.

沒有啦，除了很憤怒的情況外，平時都很忍得。不過有次在走廊碰到個同事，當時正在一邊走一邊想工作，他說：「Where is your smile?」

Sign No. 2: You come in late and want to leave earlier.
You used to wake up in the morning excited for another day, but now every day you dread heading into the office. Once lunch passes you start watching the clock, counting the minutes to the end of the day.

沒有看著個鐘等放工，每每是過了下班時間也不知。想放假。起不了床算不算？鬧鐘──

Sign No. 3: Apathy has replaced enthusiasm.
You feel no motivation, no sense of accomplishment and have no desire to be challenged. Those who have burnout lose their motivation to perform, as well as their feelings of pride for a job well done.

可幸，還沒試過有這種情形。

Sign No. 4: You've lost camaraderie with co-workers.
You're no longer interested in the company network. You used to go to lunch, go out for drinks and participate in other company functions but now have no interest in socializing in or out of the office.

可以飲飲食食，逢有食物，我必到！越來越肥‧‧‧心廣體胖乎？要去gym了。

Sign No. 5: You're feeling physically sick.
You always feel exhausted, have headaches, feel tension in all of your muscles and are having trouble sleeping. These physical signs are common indicators of job stress, and demonstrate that this can turn into a physical problem.

對呀！很累，不過頭痛不比以前多。有發惡夢，不過不肯起身。肌肉緊‧‧‧啊！有多個藉口／理由買按摩椅。多了白頭髮算不算？去做highlight咯。

結論：
１　鬧鐘‧‧‧
２　sign up健身室，食少些。
３　聽Captain Apollo話，學meditation。
４　book appointment剪頭髮，做highlight。
５　找deal 買按摩椅。
６　找地方去旅行，Labor Day一定要去玩！

母親的薪水

去年，寫了一篇有關全職母親薪酬的文章（按此）。今年，salary.com又公報新的數字了（按此）。今年全職母親的工作範圍與去年不同：去年的護士和打雜維修技工被電腦操作員和心理專家取締。今年，salary.com提供多一套數字作比較：有工作的媽媽vs.全職媽媽。報告指出，單看母親年薪，有工作的媽媽為$85,876，全職媽媽為$134,121（去年為$131,470，升幅為2%）。全職媽媽底薪升幅為5%，加班費無起跌。

一向見數字便手癢癢的我，拿著salary.com的數字作簡單的分析如下（若要放大，請按圖表）：

首先，確定了各工作性質的時薪劃一：用年薪除以每年52星期、再除以每個星期的鐘數。然後，計總年薪的時薪值，那可謂加權平均值。結果發現，無論底薪還是加班費，有工作的媽媽的時薪比全職媽媽高37%，從總母親年薪來看，有工作的媽媽的時薪比全職媽媽高18%。可是，我們不是只把母親年薪作比較嗎？有工作的媽媽的職業薪酬還沒包括在內。

令我很摸不著頭腦的是：為甚麼有工作的媽媽的母親時薪比全職媽媽為高？

**********

後話：
寫完這篇文章後，與Viv討論。一言驚醒夢中人！全職媽媽把很多時間花在一些低時薪的工作上，例如：管家、打掃、照顧兒女、洗衫、煮飯等等。有工作的媽媽與全職媽媽花時間在高時薪的工作上差不多，所以加權平均時薪被高時薪的工作拉高了。這正是weighted average的效果！ 令人想起投資的portfolio management。

那麼，撇開一些較難衡量的價值，單從數字上看，如果一個有工作的媽媽的正職薪酬能夠cover兩者間的差價（$134,121-$85,876=$48,245），那是不是應該繼續工作？報告也指出，有工作的媽媽比全職媽媽一個星期少睡兩個鐘頭。Beauty sleep 的價值又有多少？

潛意識

一段新聞報導（按此看全文）說及一個心理學的研究，當一個人要作重大決定前，最好先做功課，然後把它丟下，過一陣子才做決定。通過潛意識作出的的決定，比不停動腦筋分析達成的決定來得滿意。至於一些簡單的決定，慎重考慮作出的決定比較滿意。

這也有點兒道理。一般簡單的事情，例如選擇哪款手機，買哪只數碼相機，旅行挑哪家酒店等等，只要收集足夠資料，做足分析，便可以做決定。我很習慣用慎重考慮的方法去做選擇。重大事情嘛‧‧‧例如工作上的去留問題，拍拖、結婚問題，即使做夠功課，要決定還比較困難。對呀，我這個人很risk averse，小心翼翼，不喜歡承受太大的風險（但又想有大回報！）。

既然有研究說潛意識能夠做令人滿意的重要決定，也許我會試試看。由甚麼開始好呢？無論如何，要多找周公聊天。

Romance Survey

A news article caught my eyes today: “And the most important trait in a mate is…” (Click here for the article) It turns out that North Americans, both men and women, place sense of humor first. It is not a surprise that men rank beauty over brain when they first meet a woman.

Not being satisfied by the brief article, I decided to dig in further. I found a bunch of Romance Reports done by the same company through out the years. (Click here for the reports) The report also indicates the relationship between alcoholic drink of choice and personality. My choice of alcoholic drink would be white if I ever need to choose. Ha ha, I guess I am opinionated and independent! There are also some things that are true such as the following:

On the men’s side –
Dress code in effect
This is true even though we were taught not to form an opinion based on appearance.

Expand your social circle
Well, I always give a guy credit for working up the courage to talk to me.

Don’t “adjust” your package
Big turn-off!

It’s a drag to brag
Another turn-off. I was once given a business card at a social gathering setting just to show me that he is a PhD! Remember that song by Shania Twain? It goes:

I've known a few guys who thought they were pretty smart
But you've got being right down to an art
You think you're a genius-you drive me up the wall
You're a regular original, a know-it-all
Oh-oo-oh, you think you're special
Oh-oo-oh, you think you're something else

Okay, so you're a rocket scientist
That don't impress me much
So you got the brain but have you got the touch
Don't get me wrong, yeah I think you're alright
But that won't keep me warm in the middle of the night
That don't impress me much
…

Pay attention
I am impressed by someone who actually listens. After I tell a guy that I am busy during certain days and if he still calls to ask me out during those days, turn-off!

Make it enjoyable
Well, this is a no brainer.

Shake your booty
I love guys who know how to lead in ballroom dancing. It is not that I am good at ballroom dance. However, having a good leader makes the dance much more enjoyable!

A Choice to Erase Bad Memories

(Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Massachusetts_General_Hospital)

Humans have an internal mechanism to block bad memories – amnesia.

Recently, I came across an article regarding the development of a drug that can potentially erase post traumatic stress disorder, PTSD, (click here for the news article). This reminded me of a movie: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind starring Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet.

The intent for the drug is to make some traumatic events, such as child abuse, rape, accident, war, natural disaster, etc., less painful to a person. Potentially, one could have a choice to keep a bad memory, or not. It sounds very Si-Fi, doesn’t it?

If I ever have a choice to erase some of my bad memories, would I do it? After all, I am constituted with memories, no matter good or bad. Perhaps, my internal defense mechanism has already blocked off some of the more painful ones. Maybe this is why I smile a lot!



刪除不好記憶的選擇

人類有一個內部的裝置去阻隔壞記憶──失憶。

最近，我看過一篇有關刪除精神創傷的藥物發展的文章（按此看該篇新聞）。這令我聯想起一部電影：占基力和琦溫絲莉演的無痛失戀。

該藥物的用途，是減輕一些重創的事件的痛苦，例如：虐兒、強姦、意外、戰爭、天災等等。一個人將來可能可以選擇保留壞記憶與否。很科幻，是不是？

如果給我選擇是否刪除壞記憶，我會怎樣呢？不竟，我由記憶組成，不論好與壞。或者，我內部的防衛機制已經把痛苦的記憶阻隔了。這也許是我常常笑的原因吧！

Estimated Age for First Marriage

US Census Bureau just published the estimated median age at first marriage (click here to view the statistics). The nation’s median first marriage age is 26.7 for men and 25.1 for women. Massachusetts has the second oldest first marriage age (men at 29.1 and women at 27.4) after Washington DC (men at 30.1 and women at 29.9). Utah has the youngest first marriage age (men at 23.9 and women at 21.9). Keep in mind that median is a number that separates the higher and lower halves of the population. When I have time, I would see if the Census provides more information.

Some people say the marriage age is tied to education and location. Forbes.com has put together a list of best cities for singles (click here to view the report). Boston ranks the second after Denver. It could be because Boston is ranked the best in terms of culture. Probably due to academics, people are in general more receptive of new ideas. No one gives singletons a strange look in Boston because there are a lot of them. There are a lot of things to do even if one does not have a relationship. Perhaps, this further validates why I am still happily single!

牛仔褲

每次去陶瓷工作室，我都會穿舊衫褲，包括一條中學時代穿的高腰窄腳牛仔褲，是昔日流行的Puma（又披露了年齡的秘密）。朋友們都覺得很神奇，也覺得我身體發育有問題，連中學時代的褲也仍然穿得上！反正都是粗著，又不是要見白馬王子，不管甚麼時裝潮流了。

一次到服裝店買牛仔褲，我望著店中很大的牛仔褲部門呆了，我只是想要一條普普通通的牛仔褲，根本不知道如何入手。選擇多得不得了：Boot Cut、Straight Fit、Natural Fit、 Loose Fit 、Low-Rise 、Ultra Low-Rise ‧‧‧還有拉鍊、釦鈕和顏色未計呢！何時牛仔褲變得這麼多樣化的？

早幾年前回大學招聘，看到大學生所穿的極長極寬牛仔褲覺得很嘔心，褲腳不但拖地，褲頭闊得褲快掉下來了，而且底褲露出。跟著幾年，女孩子們穿得極度低腰牛仔褲，當她們彎腰或蹲下時，露出屁股縫隙，很難看。身材苗條的還好，肥肥的車呔加上那走光的肥屁股（別誤會，肥絕對不是罪過），那就影響市容了。

今天看到一個大喜訊，當低腰牛仔褲低得無何再低時，褲頭又開始向上移，很快，那些肉酸的屁股縫隙便會陸續消失。太好了！熱切期待！值得載歌載舞慶祝。


Jeans lowdown: Waistbands are inching up
By Olivia Barker, USA Today
Tue Oct 11, 6:45 AM ET

Waistlines are inching up on hemlines as fashion's barometer. Navel-obscuring in the '80s, they were navel-baring a few years ago, and this fall they're creeping up toward the bellybutton again.

Hipbone-hugging styles still dominate mall racks and high school hallways. But the fashion-forward flock is donning pants and jeans that graze the ribcage, as paraded on recent Fashion Week runways. And the rest of us are realizing that pant choice shouldn't have to dictate underwear choice.

Retailers are responding, not just because higher waists are fashionable but also because consumers are demanding them. Hence, the emergence of "midrise" or "classic rise." In ads and in stores, manufacturers are grouping their wares by rise rather than wash or leg cut.

…

嘩！如廁後不洗手？！

駕車回家時聽到一段報導：

Women Better at Washing Hands Than Men
WebMD - Sep 21 9:46 AM
About nine in 10 American adults say they wash their hands after using a public restroom, but only about eight in 10 actually do so, according to a new report.

報導中提及，九成的女人和七成半的男人會在去完洗手間後洗手，Atlanta的球迷最髒，只有四分一人洗手；New York男女人洗手的相差最大，92%女人跟64%男人；San Francisco的人最乾淨，洗手人數達88%，恭喜西岸的朋友們！

真的，有時候在洗手間，看見某某女人不洗手，不經不覺會特別認住她。人不可貌相，不洗手的可能是身光頸靚的女人‧‧‧小心。

記得中學時，訓導老師給學生長們一個project，也是跟廁所有關的。我們做了一個統計，看看那個廁所〈不論男廁或女廁〉用量最多。幸好那調查在冬天進行，否則那難聞的氣味真難捱！

Mathematical Models on Dating and Gift Giving

I came across a news article titled “Study: In dating, extravagant gifts keep on giving” (partially quoted below). Typically, this sort of study is done by psychologists. The conclusion of the study seems to be reasonable enough. As the therapist quoted in the news article put it, "The more the energy, cost, extravagance - the attention - that goes into (a gift), I think the assumption would be that he is really interested", efforts count.

When I found that the study was based on mathematical models, I became very curious. I went straight to the source, the Royal Society website in the United Kingdom (click here for the pdf file). Not knowing mathematical models can be used in abstract human interaction such as dating, I was astonished! The fact that I even attempted to read through the study proves that I am such a geek (hey, geeks are trendy nowadays).

At a certain level, the study has sensible statements. There are several factors such as attractiveness, cost of gifts and payoffs, stay or ditch after mating, etc. They are cold and humorous at the same time. For examples,

- A person does not know how attractive he or she is to others for sure, but the person would know whether or not he or she is attracted to another person.

- A male only gives cheap gifts to an unattractive female. He gives valuable or extravagant gifts to an attractive female depending on her decision to sleep with him or not.

- Once a female decides to mate, the male would then decide whether he wants to stay or ditch after mating.

- A male’s best policy is to stay with the attractive female that he has just mated with, and ditch the unattractive female after mating with her.

- A male gains (has a positive payoff) as long as he mates. It does not matter whether or not the female that he mates with is attractive or not!

- A female gains (has a positive payoff) only when she mates with an attractive male and he decides to stay.

I think the study tries to prove a point that by looking at what a man gives a woman, the woman can tell whether the man is really attracted to her. If the man is not attracted to her, he will bolt after mating. (bastard!) To have a biggest payoff for a female, the female needs to be attracted to the guy who is also attracted to her such that he will stay. (happily ever after!)



Study: In dating, extravagant gifts keep on giving

By Michelle Lefort, USA TODAY
Tue Aug 9, 7:09 AM ET

If you want to win the object of your affection, an extravagant gift that has no resale value is the way to go.

That's not the opinion of a battle-weary veteran of the dating scene. It's the conclusion of a mathematical model created by researchers at University College London.

Dating obviously involves gifts, and not just among humans. Gift-giving also appears in the mating rituals of some insect species. A team of applied mathematicians created a sequential calculation as a model of dating. The new study, designed to explore the role of gift-giving in courtship, appears online in the biological science journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B.

…

男人的聽覺

讀了一段題目為”Men do have trouble hearing women”（節錄於本文末端）的新聞報導，突然想起一位朋友介紹過的一部電影，名字叫”Before Sunrise”（中譯：《愛在黎明破曉時》或《日出之前》）。片中有一段對話（也節錄如下），與這篇新聞有相關處。隨著科技的進步，我們發現（或證明）男人與女人的分別越來越多。

原來，男人要認真耐心的聽女人講話，他們用的是聽音樂那腦部分。那麼，懂得欣賞音樂的男人是否較佳的聽眾呢？快快盤點身邊會音樂的男人吧。難怪，有這麼多男人，左耳入右耳出啦！莫說當女人要找男人傾訴，男人不明白女人的含蓄婉轉，連女人叫男人到超級市場去買東西也成問題。真的，小時候媽媽投訴爸爸買錯東西，長大後我也曾投訴男生買錯東西。想起那耳熟能詳的一句：「包做錯嘢。」我就會心微笑了。

Men do have trouble hearing women, scientists find
Sat Aug 6, 7:29 PM ET

LONDON (AFP) - Men who are accused of never listening by women now have an excuse -- women's voices are more difficult for men to listen to than other men's, a report said.

The Daily Mail, quoting findings published in the specialist magazine
NeuroImage, said researchers at Sheffield university in northern England discovered startling differences in the way the brain responds to male and female sounds.

Men deciphered female voices using the auditory part of the brain that processes music, while male voices engaged a simpler mechanism, it said.

The Mail quoted researcher Michael Hunter as saying, "The female voice is actually more complex than the male voice, due to differences in the size and shape of the vocal cords and larynx between men and women, and also due to women having greater natural 'melody' in their voices.

"This causes a more complex range of sound frequencies than in a male voice."

The findings may help explain why people suffering hallucinations usually hear male voices, the report added, as the brain may find it much harder to conjure up a false female voice accurately than a false male voice.

Before Sunrise

(Eurail coach car. Man and woman argue in German. Woman slaps man, grabs newspaper)

(Céline looks up from book, disturbed. Moves to another seat, across from Jesse. They glance over at each other)

(German woman leaves car)

(Jesse and Céline look at each other, smile. Céline looks away)

Jesse: Do you have any idea what they were arguing about?

(Céline glances up at him, looks over)

Jesse: Do you - Do you speak English?

Céline: Yeah. No, I'm sorry, my German is not very good.

Céline: Have you ever heard that as couples get older, they lose their ability to hear each other?

Jesse: No.

Céline: Well, supposedly, men lose the ability to hear higher-pitched sounds, and women eventually lose hearing in the low end. I guess they sort of nullify each other, or something.

Jesse: I guess. Nature's way of allowing couples to grow old together without killing each other.

(Céline smiles, small laugh, turns away)

戒指

今天看到cnn.com的一篇有關訂婚戒指的文章（節錄在本文最後），發現潮流興一卡或以上的訂婚鑽戒。沒有女人不喜歡鑽石，在辦公室，每逢有女同事宣布她訂婚的喜訊，其他的女同事馬上把她包圍，為了一睹那鑽戒有多大。

各處鄉村各處例，聽說，男人為了顯示他的誠意，肯花錢在訂婚戒指上，有些地方認為應花一個月的人工。在美國，規矩是兩個月的薪酬（到底是打入息稅前，還是打了入息稅後呢？差距很大的喔！）；在澳洲，俗例是二至三個月的薪金。也有人不用花錢，把代代相傳的古董婚戒，祖母、曾祖母那類的古董，送給未婚妻，感動非常。

在愛爾蘭，有款戒指叫Claddagh ring。這種戒指通常沒有鑽石，形狀由一雙手捧著個心，心上有個皇冠組成。雙手代表友情，心代表愛，皇冠代表忠誠，蠻有意思，我倒十分喜歡。戴戒指的方法，有不同意思：心尖向內（接近佩帶者的心）代表那人已經心有所屬，心尖向外代表那人還是單身，可以向她（或他）作出追求。

古人把Claddagh ring 當作訂婚戒指，因為他們相信，成功的婚姻基於友情、愛和忠誠。現代人，尤其十來歲愛爾蘭裔的，把它當作友誼戒指（friendship ring），意思是，一男一女還沒打算結婚，但想跟對方穩定地交往，於是送友誼戒指給對方。如果分了手，可以把心尖向出，back on the market，可以重新約會。

其實，無論訂婚戒指值多少錢，最重要的還是未來的日子過的幸福愉快。我看見過不少幸福環境好的女人，手上的訂婚戒指小得很，可能，經過一段捱苦的日子，生活質素後來調高了，可是，無論她們多有錢，有幾多首飾，手上還是戴著那原原本本的小戒指，沒有放棄它，想起來也覺得溫馨。

Ready to pop the question?
With engagement rings just getting bigger and bigger, now may be the time to bet on love and money.

July 26, 2005: 7:40 AM EDT

By Jessica Seid, CNN/Money staff writer

NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - Big rocks are in -- and I'm not just saying that because my boyfriend will read this.

The average price for a diamond engagement ring has hit an all-time high of $2,600, and while the one-carat diamond has become the standard in popular culture, even larger diamonds are quickly gaining steam.

Just ask Paris Hilton, who's sporting a 24-carat emerald-cut diamond engagement ring.

Sales of one-carat diamonds have jumped about 80 percent since 1996, according to The Wall Street Journal, and at luxury jeweler Cartier, where engagement rings start at a cool $4,000 and zoom quickly into the millions, big bling rings are more popular then ever.
…

Cubicle

I suppose we do not need to read the “Do’s and Don’ts of Office Cube Décor” on CNN.com to understand how cubicles can portray ourselves in the workplace.

I used to have half of a corner office at my old firm. The last few days before I left, I packed two to three boxes of personal items accumulated through out the years. I was amazed at how much stuff I had in the office. There were framed pictures, toys, knickknacks with company logos (my own firm’s and my clients’), decorations, piggy bank, swear jar, alarm clock with a CD player, CD collection, dictionary, reference books, etc.

It has been months since I started at the new company. I have a cubicle. Due to the limited space, I have not yet decided what to put in my cubicle. So far, it is quite bare. My first priority was to put a rear view mirror on my monitor so that at least I knew who was behind me. I ordered a whiteboard. Then, I put up a paper calendar. There is a box of tissue on the desk. That is about all I have. Meanwhile, I have a new neighbor. As soon as he started, he put up pictures of his family. Such a family guy!

How do I want my relatively new colleagues to view me in addition to my work performance? I guess I can start lugging my reference books and dictionary to my cubicle. I am uncertain about bringing in my alarm clock with CD player. Playing music in a cubicle might be too disturbing to others. Oh my, I guess I am giving out an image of a conservative professional. Perhaps, I can frame some of my scenic pictures so that I can fantasize my tranquil paradise. Serenity Now!

火車意外

今天嫂子給我看一則新聞報導：

CBS 2 Investigates: Scare On The Rails
Jul 11, 2005 6:26 pm US/Eastern

NEW YORK (CBS) CBS Investigates has learned that shortly after the London terror attacks, there was an explosive scare on an Amtrak line, impacting a train on the way to New York from Boston.

這不是我在美國國慶那週末乘搭的火車路線嗎？再次證明，上天眷顧。這樣的故事在我身上發生不少，每次我都平安無事。果然天下無敵！

Hello~ Good Looking

Based on the article stated below, a person’s good look matters in his/her career - one more reason to keep ourselves in tip top shape.

In addition, Tiziana Casciaro at Harvard Business School has recently published a study called, “Competent Jerks, Lovable Fools, and the Formation of Social Networks” (description as stated at the end of this entry). How would you categorize yourself in a workplace?

Let’s look yourself into the mirror and think about which category you are in. Suddenly, I have an urge to march into my boss’s office. I definitely deserve a raise!

Do pretty people earn more?
CNN.com – July 08 7:19 AM

Studies show attractive students get more attention and higher evaluations from their teachers, good-looking patients get more personalized care from their doctors, and handsome criminals receive lighter sentences than less attractive convicts. But how much do looks matter at work?

The ugly truth, according to economics professors Daniel Hamermesh of the University of Texas and Jeff Biddle of Michigan State University, is that plain people earn 5 percent to 10 percent less than people of average looks, who in turn earn 3 percent to 8 percent less than those deemed good-looking.
…

Competent Jerks, Lovable Fools, and the Formation of Social Networks

Description:

When looking for help with a task at work, people turn to those best able to do the job. Right? Wrong. New research shows that work partners tend to be chosen not for ability but for likeability. Drawing from their study encompassing 10,000 work relationships in five organizations, the authors have classified work partners into four archetypes: the competent jerk, who knows a lot but is unpleasant; the lovable fool, who doesn't know much but is a delight; the lovable star, who's both smart and likeable; and the incompetent jerk, who...well, that's self-explanatory. Of course, everybody wants to work with the lovable star, and nobody wants to work with the incompetent jerk. More interesting is that people prefer the lovable fool over the competent jerk. That has big implications for every organization, as both of these types often represent missed opportunities. Lovable fools can bridge gaps between diverse groups that might not otherwise interact. But their networking skills are often developed at the expense of job performance, which can make these employees underappreciated and vulnerable to downsizing. To get the most out of them, managers need to protect them and put them in positions that don't waste their bridge-building talents. As for the competent jerks, many can be socialized through coaching or by being made accountable for bad behavior.

How Many Friends Do You Have?

This article reminds me of my vision: racing scooters with my future adult community fellows.

Friends may be key to living longer
Reuters – Thu Jun 16, 12:10 PM ET

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – Looking for the secret of a long life? Look closely at your friends. New research suggests that having a strong network of friends helps people live longer.

No Child Left Behind

There is an article about education on the CNN website:

Principal urges teachers to pass failing students
Wednesday, June 15, 2005 Posted: 11:12 AM EDT (1512 GMT)

SANTA ANA, California (AP) – A high school principal asked teachers to reconsider the grades of failing seniors to help the school meet federal requirements under the No Child Left Behind law.

Doesn’t it defeat the purpose of having “No Child Left Behind”?!

Stay-at-Home Mom Salary

I have a lot of respect for women who are courageous enough to give up their positive career outlook to become a full-time mom. Most often, their hard work is not well recognized. Approaching Mother’s Day, people start to price how much a stay-at-home mom is worth:

Salary.com Analysis Reports on How Much Stay-at-Home Moms Would Earn in Annual Salary: $131,471
[Press Release] Business Wire via Yahoo! Finance - May 02 5:01 AM
A new research analysis completed by Salary.com reveals that today's 5.4 million stay-at-home moms would earn $131,471 in annual salary, including overtime pay, if paid in cash in addition to the steady flow of rewarding hugs and kisses from their children.

Here are the figures from the above article:

• Job Title: National Average Annual Salary
• Teacher-Daycare Center: $26,891
• Van Driver: $30,762
• Housekeeper: $18,750
• Cook: $31,099
• CEO: $612,623
• Nurse: $56,113
• General Maintenance Worker: $29,656

• Base Pay (40 Hours): $43,461
• Overtime Pay (60 Hours): $88,009
• ---------------------------------------------
• Mom's Annual Salary: $131,471 (off by $1 due to rounding)

This is an interesting estimate. If the company did not provide the base pay and the overtime pay separately, my reaction would have been that the CEO function is weighted too heavily. The mom has better be a very capable person! However, the overtime pay being double the base pay seems to be more reasonable. Let’s say a mother works 100 hours a week, 52 weeks a year. The hourly rate of pay for her would be around $25.28 not including benefits. Depending on a woman’s salary level in a corporate environment, $25.28 might not be a one to one trade off. There must be something else not measurable that causes a woman to make such decision. I wonder if we could find a way to measure the opportunity costs for not staying at home to justify the difference.

Mind Reading

Recently, there is an article called Scientists Say Everyone Can Read Minds. It suggests that there exists mirror neurons, and they can mirror not only actions but also sensations and emotions.

If we, as human beings, can actually read another mind, things will be so much easier and straight forward. There will be no more guessing, no more ambiguity. Of course, it also takes away the fun of anticipation. I am sure I will miss having the pleasant surprises.

Female Intuition Myth

According to an experiment in the UK, http://www.sciencefestival.co.uk/index1.html, female intuition is a myth. Females may be more confident about their intuition. However, in reality, men and women are equally intuitive. In terms of being intuitive towards the opposite gender, men do better than women. More men are able to detect the women’s fake smiles.

In a way, I am relieved. I have some female intuition, but I do not think it is 100% accurate. Sometimes, there are doubts for going along with my gut feelings. From now on, there is no need to beat up myself for being rational.

In addition, men have slightly better ability to tell if a female is smiling at them genuinely. I can allow more confidence in my future significant other because he knows better who is being genuine. There would be no more excuse for him to be lured by other smiley women. Besides, he would know when I smile at him whether or not I am truly happy or I want to kick his butt. I can finally say things such as “You are intuitive enough. You should know better.” Ah ha! The playing field is even now.