Marc says: "It's not how big or small the thing is, it's how you use it..." Now Marc, doesn't that sound just a tad bit kinky? (tsk)

Seriously, I'm no brain expert. I was simply repeating stuff I'd heard from Thom, who happens to be a science geek. Given the focus of our discussion, it seemed worthy of mention. Thom's genuine, long-standing engagement with the sciences gives his assessments and speculations some measure of credibility, at least from my humble perspective. Given the context in which Neanderthal brain size was mentioned, in that geeky science segment of Thom's, it seemed more than a remote possibility that these ancient non-homo-sapien humans were a lot smarter than our own arrogant, self-glorifying species has always assumed. I thought that it was worthy of mention, but I haven't the knowledge base to go into any depth about this. Sorry. All just speculation...

As to the question of brain size relating to body mass, I've picked up from one or more of my sources that excessive weight gain can actually cause a person's brain to shrink in size. I wish I could recall where I got that from. Over the past year, becoming certified as a health coach, I was exposed to reams of information. I also have subscribed to various medical science & nutrition newsletters in recent years, published by non-profit health organizations, thus eliminating any prospect of contamination via profit motive. Anyway it's very difficult keeping track of specific sources without taking notes. Having no way of predicting what facts I may need to substantiate down the road makes note taking impractical anyway. I run into this problem from time to time and it frustrates me. Again, my apologies.

However it may be worthwhile to re-examine our assumptions about what actually constitutes intelligence. How do we define intelligence, exactly? This could have as much philosophical significance as scientific. Of course it goes without saying, there are many kinds of intelligence, even among humans. But for such a supposedly clever animal, we homo sapiens have done some mighty stupid things, and done them repeatedly, since we first learned to stand upright or invented the wheel. And if the consequences weren't so negative, so catastrophic, it might even be laughable, how we self-described geniuses persist in being our own worst enemy. I'm inclined to chalk it up to a psychopathic minority and their dirty self-serving mischief, along with an overabundance of testosterone. Whatever it is that's driving us, like swarms of rats into the proverbial river, it seems self-evident that at the very least, if we're not the dumbest fucking apes who ever walked the earth, there is something in our genes that's working against us so that we lose access to whatever unique intelligence Mother Nature has gifted us. - Aliceinwonderland

Palindromedary ~ If you really, reallty, really, truly want to convince me there is no God... Bring back your little kitty cat avatar.

Here we go again...

What a lot of fun and funny comments!
I don't have a cohesive POV to speak from, but anyway—re "Crime rates would likely decrease because people wouldn't need to steal to survive." My first thought upon reading this was that 1/ many if not most people steal to get money for drugs. Therefore, we would need to consider heroin clinics, even cocaine clinics, as well as methadone clinics, as part of the plan. (and what about the more physically damaging drugs?) 2/ there are other people who steal in order to support "a lifestyle to which they would like to become accustomed." and which would be much grander than what they could get from their government income, (which I remember a fellow from I think Sweden? called "the dole." or it might have been the Netherlands. It was years ago. He said that he had lived "on the dole" for awhile, but became dissatisfied with his standard of living and so got a job)
One woman here talked about mental health. And what IS "mental health?" Where does dysfunctional behavior come from? Would people be content getting money from the government to live on? I've known people who certainly would not work if they didn't have to EAT. Then the jobs they have to get lead them to a certain kind of happiness they would never have found if they had not had to mobilize themselves in order to be able to work.
We really don't know what motivates people. The rich greed-sayers believe that it IS greed that motivates people to work, and working makes people emotionally healthy. But others say that working crushes the sense of self, unless it's a nourishing job. Can anyone say anything at all for sure about what motivates people to be self-actualizing? I don't think we can. Some people feel sure that they know, but even those people haven't got solutions for what would create the "right" circumstances. Some people do well in one set of circumstances whereas that same set of circumstances flattens someone else.
The high mental health statistics reflect the fact that we don't know what is creating the problems of depression, anxiety, addiction, and other various and sundry personality disorders. Were people always this depressed? More? are they getting more mentally sick because of the lack of direction in the lives of individuals and/or families. HAVING to work to survive could be what diverts one's attention from trying to find a meaningful life or a sense of self without which we get depressed, which results in people who are too depressed to work or to look for a job.
It scares me to think of what it would be like if everybody could survive without working at Something. It's been true since the dawn of man that everyone has had to DO something to stay alive. It was one kind of thing for the rich, another for the rest etc. But we are in a pickle because the Greedy sent so many jobs overseas, that there aren't enough jobs to go around. On the other hand most of those jobs were the soul-killing type of jobs which people used to say started so much individual angst due to the lack of meaning in our lives. It included the death of religion and the loss of the supportive neighborhood.
As I said, I don't have an integrated POV to come from. I have so many thoughts and theories batting around in my mind that it'll probably take me more time than I have to develop one. As Tom Leher once said, "It is a sobering thought for me when I realize that when Mozart was my age, he had been dead for five years."
I do think there is not enough consideration given to the mysteries of human nature, particularly the fact some of the genes that most influence our behavior have been in the genetic make-up of our ancestors, including those way way back in the history of our species—not even early human-like beings, but simple mammals, even reptiles, and some of our automatic responses to circumstances are not appropriate for civilized living.
Folks who hit upon economic strategies to solve our society and personal dilemmas, usually don't take into account how humans mess everything up with their complicated up minds—that are mixtures of primitive instincts of complex thoughts.
Thom is such a good person himself that some of his economic solutions would work only if everyone were like him—a truly civilized human.

Kend: Yes, it's called Corporate Welfare.

"…we subsidize big oil companies, and complain about the cost of providing food stamps for the poor." AMEN, "goat-on-a-stick"! - AIW

Loren, I'm honored to hear how my word-twisting resonates with you, given your own command of the English language. Equally impressive is your knowledge of history. Cheers! - AIW

Excellent points, Marc! It's interesting that the ferals are so much more polite as house guests. I've a hunch it's because you're not such a part of their comfort zone that they can take you for granted. This would have them more alert to your body language than your regular house companions. And you're absolutely right about the squirt bottle not being an option for ferals. They are wild animals, as wild as the birds and the squirrels. Takes very little to spook them. It's a long, slow process earning their trust, and you really have to earn it.

I've always been fascinated by how well both dogs & cats understand our non-verbal signals; both body language and tone of voice.

For some reason, furniture scratching has never been an issue for us; not with any of the numerous cats we've lived with through the years. Spraying was another matter. With Gracie we learned the hard way that females are also capable of this offensive behavior. She was the only female cat we've ever had who sprayed in the house, so we could never leave her here unsupervised. But that suited her fine. Without one of us available to open the door when Gracie was ready to go back out, she'd immediately be overwhelmed with claustrophobia and have a panic attack. And when Gracie paniced, she was like a buzz saw with fur. During one such episode, she tried climbing up our vertical blinds in the bedroom, tearing down the plastic cover that fit over the rod on top of the blinds. Then she ran smack into the window in our foyer, bloodying her nose. Talk about wild! She was the wildest cat we ever had. I miss that ornery little rascal. After living here eight years, she disappeared one night, never to be seen again. Of all six cats we initially adopted, Gracie was the last to go.

I think it's cool that you and your wife have offered a safe haven to so many of these delightful creatures. Despite the spraying, my hubby & I will always be cat lovers, just like you guys. I so look forward to extending our hospitality to them again!

I realize this discussion has wandered light years away from the global food crisis. (My apologies to Thom...) But it sure has been fun, Marc! It's neat having this in common. I'm such a sucker for cats. It's lonely these days, not having any around to hang out with. I'm still grateful to the neighbors' cats though, for keeping the rat population here in check. - Aliceinkittyland

And talking about Lizard People...I ran across an interesting Canadian documentary. It doesn't suggest that Clinton was a Lizard person but that he might have been hypnotized by them during his 1990 campaign. He certainly looked hypnotized. And I've always thought that Larry King was a Lizard Person.....
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This is a partial transcript of a Canadian Documentary called Captive Minds-Hypnosis and Beyond
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[First 1 minute and 46 seconds]
In a covertly recorded off-air transmission from the Bush-Clinton Presidential election campaign of 1990, we can see that Bill Clinton was nothing more than a puppet to the puppet-masters which placed him in the White House. Bill Clinton's demeanor appears to be similar to a person under a hypnotic trance.

Bill Clinton campaign feed...

Clinton: This is great. I love these. (note: look at the really weird expression on his face..is this guy high on something..or what?).
Response: We can do another hour if you want. We start doing Georgia tomorrow.
---pause---
Clinton: Can we do anymore?
Response: We are setting up as many as we can.

Clinton: Can we do some Maryland, can we do those two Maryland?
Response: We can do Maryland if you want.

Clinton: We ought to do some more in Florida & Texas, too. Have we done all of Colorado today?
Response: Yeah, we got one more...
Clinton: Today?
----
(And, on Larry King Live during an off-air break):

King: It's crazy - Ted Turner changed the world. He's a big fan of yours.
Clinton: Is he?
King: He would-uh-serve your-you know what I mean.
Clinton: You're kidding.
King: Oh, you'd be surprised - he's ready... what's he got left in life to gain? I'd call him after you're elected. Think about it!
--pause--
Do dope. That's for sure. Great guy to work for too.
(end of break)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWJrUYPr6r4

The rest of the video is very interesting...might shock you..maybe not!

Green -- If it cuts into corporate profits, you do not "just do them".

Great idea, Thom!! Just think how thrilled those Tea Partiers ought to be with the size of government and government services reduced markedly by this increased efficiency. Ayn Rand would not have had to live the last years of her life on social security and medicare.

Actually guaranteeing everyone a good job at a living wage would do much the same thing - so long as those who cannot work would be cared for in a fair and equitable manner.

Some common courtesy and good manners would be returning to our government and to our country.

Please use the term "living wage". Its much more meaningful than the "minimum wage concept. It is also use in northern European countries to some extent.