If you look at the great apes, the dimorphism is greater is 50%. The males have harems and no other males are allowed to breed with the females. Humans exhibit around 15% dimorphism, we are situationally monogamous. A nice in-between are chimpanzees who have about 25% dimorphism. While they don't have harems, there is an alpha male who is given the first opportunity to breed with all females as they come into estrus, but there's a lot of fooling around on the side with the non-alphas.

There have also been studies which show very strong correlations between primate testicle size and monogamy (smaller balls relative to male body size = more monogamous, IIRC), and on those, humans fall somewhere in the middle.

Wow, um, that comparison between the great apes mating patterns and human patterns seems almost like you don't believe in Intelligent Design.

Andi, thanks - he's never been diagnosed with ADHD, but that doesn't mean he doesn't have it. I may give it a read as even if it doesn't help this case, my best friend is ADHD and I'd like to know more.

I was only going to mutter about 5ml being a teaspoon

You know, up until, oh, a year ago, I wouldn't have viscerally understood why you know this conversion, Cindy.

Cash, yuck. My Sunday started off somewhat like that, with Mal up at 6:00 and the cat barfing in the hall. And, for about an hour, I thought it was Monday.

There have also been studies which show very strong correlations between primate testicle size and monogamy

My friend with the biology major mentioned the testicle thing.

You know, up until, oh, a year ago, I wouldn't have viscerally understood why you know this conversion, Cindy.

Mommy math. It's how I can eyeball four ounces.

Has anyone here ever gone through the process for disability approval? We've been futzing with this for near on 2 years, and we're on our first appeal.

Yesterday we got something that I think is hopeful, a notice of an appointment for Hubby to see a doctor to be evaluated. Granted, the doctor could say, "It's in your head, you could go be a construction worker, get outta here, ya mooch," but being given the appointment does say they think we've got a case, right?

primate testicle size and monogamy (smaller balls relative to male body size = more monogamous, IIRC), and on those, humans fall somewhere in the middle.

Heh. I remember something about that. Mainly because the book I was reading had side-by-side pictures of man, chimpanzee and ape to compare the testicle size of each. IIRC, men have larger overall testicles than chimps, but they outweigh them by a certain amount so the relative size was more important. I don't remember if the men still won that competition or not. Another factor for monogamy is the helplessness of infants. The more care they require, the more likely the father will be involved because he wants to ensure his progeny survive. There's also factors such as foraging strategies to consider and the relative cost of sperm/egg production, etc. Although, there you're getting more into differences not just between primates, but between all different kinds of animals and invertebrates.

t /anthropology geek

How do you get outside yourself and judge how you are coming across to people?

I wish I knew, because I've had a variety of "people see me HOW?" situations pop up in my life (and not all in the same way, cause that would be too simple!)

You know, up until, oh, a year ago, I wouldn't have viscerally understood why you know this conversion, Cindy.

I had to think about this for a minute before suddenly remembering being in my bathroom last night, trying to pour out some liquid Tylenol into a tiny cup...

connie, I haven't had to appeal, but when I was doing my original claim, my laywer told me it was very good when they have you go see one of their doctors.

Crossing my fingers for you guys.

We don't have a lawyer yet, Bug. I'm hoping we don't need one. We know one guy whose successful claim to disability is that he has a strange prejudice against personal hygiene and he's only ever worked in food service. I figure if he can get disability, my all-but-crippled Hubby can get it to--once we finish with the damned hoops.

We don't have a lawyer yet, Bug.

You probably don't need one. My parents didn't have the energy to go through all of the paperwork with me, so we went that route.

connie, good luck. My eldest sister, who is legally blind took a few years to get her claim approved but only after she developed degenerative disc disorder on top of her blindness. It took my brother two years to get SSDI for paranoid schizophrenia after filing his initial claim.

I just know it's not an easy process.