April 2000 Notebook Entries

Notebook entry, April 30, 2000

A New York Times newswire report by Robert Pear tells us that medical researchers who receive federal money and are required to analyze the effects of drugs and treatments on women are usually ignored. One study done by the General Accounting Office, and The Journal of Women's Health found that although women are included as subjects in their clinical research, they often ignore the requirement that they analyze their data to see if women and men have different responses. To quote Pear: "Researchers in the emerging field of "gender-based biology" have found that men and women sometimes report different symptoms of the same disease, and that certain drugs are more effective in one sex than the other, or produce more severe side effects in one sex."

The GAO reported that researchers funded by federal money did tests that "were designed to include women, but not in numbers high enough to allow analysis that would definitively measure different outcomes for men and women." 

Many women in science and feminists have know this discrimination all along, but the new studies have buttressed  their muted cries.  Dows it seems that science, which prides itself on including all facts to reach truthful conclusions has just embarrassed itself due to its control by one gender, and thus, flaw their results?  One most begin to assume that perhaps there is a module in males for ignoring pain and suffering in women. Or does it go deeper than that?  Will we find that a "dehumanizing" other humans module is larger, or tied to more sub-modules of thought mechanisms in males than in females?  Only time will tell.

Notebook entry, April 24, 2000

I trust that everyone had a good Easter and Passover holiday.  My step-son, Daniel is in town from his various journeys.  I will not dwell on his various enterprises because I wish to keep his identity unknown to allow his studies to continue without disruption..  He should be graduating with the next two years. (knock on wood). Our family went out and had dinner at the Gemini Restaurant and took in the movie, "Return to me."  It will endure as a classic.

While I am waiting for the edit to be done on my first book, this past week I have been studying the human behavior of torture.  Three areas of research have been included in my search for these universal behavior mechanisms. 1). The book "Without Sanctuary: Lynching Photography in America." 2). The book, "Hitler's Willing Executioners: Ordinary Germans and the Holocaust." 3). An Associated Press newswire story by Kiley Russell, dated Tuesday, April 11, 2000. "8 Guards accused of setting up fights: Calif. prison inmates allegedly brutalized."

The first source is a powerful document that has received wide media coverage and is worth its weight in gold as a source of the worst possible example of human behavior.  It documents, through photography,  some several hundred lynchings of mostly black males by mostly white males.  Many of the photographs include mixed crowds of men, women, and children in various degrees of emotions. But, what strikes one as difficult to view, is the obvious enjoyment on the faces of some of the spectators..  Some are obviously proud of their accomplishments, and as one law enforcement official was quoted as saying in the press: "I went into that cell block with every intention of fulfilling my oath and protecting that man, but when the mob opened the door, the first half-a-dozen men standing there were the leading citizens -- businessmen, leaders of their churches and the community -- I just couldn't do it."  p. 21.

This thread of the "common person" doing the worst possible deeds to their fellow humans has a common thread in the second source. Hilter's Willing Executioners.  On p.245, one sees a photograph of three German's from Police Battalion 101 amusing themselves with the tightening of a neck restraint to cause pain to the Jewish male being detained.

The third source is the newswire about the prison guards. To quote one FBI agent who was investing the case: "It appears the fights were staged, even provoked, for the amusement of correctional officers or retribution against inmates."

To me, all the mechanisms in the three sources, from initial conceptions, to enactment, to "law enforcement" and accountability, appear to be universal: Identifying, isolating, and taking action on various individuals that might pose a threat to one high hierarchical position and using one's dominate position to justify actions against submissives.  The actions seem to be broken down into several attempts at group messaging. 1). "You are submissive, and we are dominate." 2). We are human -- you are subhuman. 3). Tell this message to others in your clan/group/tribe so that don't have to endure what you have gone through., and 4). Laws created to cover all crimes are subdivided into non-enforcement for dominates and strict enforcement for submissives. (this final one is a appears to be a joint, duel cultural message up the hierarchical chain and down the hierarchical chain).

I will continue my studies until I have to met with my editor, John Martin.  At that time we will discuss the direction for the rewrite of my first book. In either case, I feel that this is very important research, and I will continue to collect material to study on the subject. 

Notebook entry, April 15, 2000

I was cruising some of the web search engines yesterday and came across a gem. It's an paper/essay by Leda Cosmides & John Tooby titled: Evolutionary Psychology and the Emotions.  No doubt posted on the web to give themselves a running start in claiming priori.  It is part of a new book coming out this year entitled: Handbook of Emotion, 2nd edition, published by Guilford of NY.  It is a classic essay that will help to establish the emotional map of the brain that Cosmides and Tooby have been predicting.  Instead of explaining in detail the piece, let me provide you with the address on the web, and you can learn something new.  Please remember that the piece is copyrighted, so show the proper respect.  There are some minor differences that I could quibble about, but overall, to tell you the truth, I have not been this excited about a piece of work since I read Robert Wright's, The Moral Animal.

To read "Evolutionary Psychology and the Emotions", Click here.

Notebook entry, April 12, 2000

I just wanted to let you know that there was a cute cartoon in the April 17th issue of The New Yorker that indicates the cultural spread of evolutionary psychology.  One hip,  and very generational X'er male with dark glasses is standing at a bar facing a very voluptuous same-aged female with blonde hair, large breasts, and mini- skirt sitting on a bar stool.  So the hip dude gives the blonde female this evolutionary pick up line: "I know that you're wired to respond to successful older men, but what are you doing in the meantime?"

Notebook entry, April 9. 2000

The May issue of Discover magazine is out and I wanted to let you know that there are two good articles that I feel you should read. The first is by Meredith F. Small, titled "Aping Culture." p. 52.  It takes a closer look at the various "cultures" that scientists are beginning to identify with chimpanzee behavior.  Not only are they getting better at recognizing the differences, they are also beginning to understand that they are associated with different groups/clans/tribes located at different locations.  Thus, my theory of CLL (Cultural Longitude and Latitude) is gaining strength. It is my belief that culture varies from precise location to location and in the future I predict that there will be data bases identifying these cultural differences on a world wide basis. We will find that there is indeed underlying universal human behaviors, flavored -- like salt and pepper -- with cultural differences that will make all of us unique.

The second item on page 72 is the piece by Richard Conniff titled: "Want to be the Boss?" The lead in tag line: "Evolutionary psychologists say that no matter how often masters of our universe like Bill Gates beat their chests, the real secret to gaining power over others is -- get this -- being nice."  Ah, yes.  Humanity's true destiny. 

I will most likely attempt to place a classified ad with the magazine sometime this summer -- depending on the cost and if I can get a tag line.  It is time to expand my role at this web site to include those more inclined to be scientific in their outlooks and not so politically oriented. 

Notebook entry, April 7, 2000

I've been working extra hours at the day job -- 55 hours last week.  A combination of shortness of help and new automated delivery methods.  Been at this job for over 15 years at the same location, and it never seems to change.  There is always work to do and it seems fewer are willing to work the longer hours.  It takes time away from my studies, but it provides necessary revenue for this web site and future plans.  I don't know who will publish my book, but I am ready and willing to publish it myself if necessary.