has to have the worst peripheral vision in the world. (I've decided to post this instead of continue with the interview; it actually answers one of the two questions.)

It took me probably two decades to figure this out. Here's one thing. She thinks she's saved me from stepping in dog shit probably about 30 times. You're walking along and all of a sudden you get one of those Elaine Benis shoves that sends you rocking off the sidewalk. Because she just saw it. Meanwhile, you saw it like 10 strides ago and were planning an easy miss, no big deal. But big deal for her, she saw it half a stride away!

How would you ever know, anyway, if you had the worst peripheral vision in the world? If you're like an owl-person. When I tell her, after picking myself up off the curb, that I saw the dog shit 5 minutes ago, that doesn't register at all. She just thinks it's a competition thing. Same thing with, well, say, the computer. I can sidle up beside her and read her emails with her and stuff, she doesn't have a clue I'm there. After awhile you know you're going to scare the shit out of her once she sees you, so you just sidle on back out. Now she tries that on me, and I'm like, Yeah, can I help you? Has she figured out that I'm seeing her, not guessing? Nope.

So then we're talking about it, I told her that her max was 180 degrees (while I'm at about 340 just to bug the hell out of her), and then, couple weeks ago, I said this: image stapling two eyes on a piece of plywood, that's you. Then once we got through the obligatory ring toss on my head jokes I got to thinking, going with the piece of plywood for a face thing ... maybe it's not her, maybe it's her race (she's Chinese). Could it be true? Do we all have them all beat on the peripheral vision thing, and if so, what's it all mean? Maybe we need to push this one over to Saleton or something.

By the way, no joke about the dog shit. Imagine her in Paris. Right .. she didn't see a thing. She has to walk looking at the sidewalk, she has no other choice. And yet, while she's doing all these fancy half steps and tippy-toe steps, she never asks herself why everybody elseis gliding around the piles so effortlessly.

It's not a Chinese thing, nor a dog-shit thing. It's a man/woman thing.

Some years ago UC? psychologists set up an experiment where men and women walked into a room twice, were asked to detail differences between each occasion. The coatrack in the right entranceway was modified each time, things shifted. Furniture was rearranged. Colours were changed. In every instance, women far outperformed men in identifying changes in cloistered space.

A corollary experiment repeated the same thing in broad expanses, outdoors. Men always exceeded women. Direction, tracking, broad vision, focus on goal, focus on hint of predator.

Something to do with evolution, hunters and gatherers, developmental roles of genders, wariness of threat, which is why men are so often reluctant to accompany mates on shopping expeditions to malls. There's a threat around every corner, and I know damn well where that place is and don't have to ask directions, and if you think landmarks are are a better solution than instinct, ask someone yourself. I won't!

That dog-shit may be apparent to you strides away, but I'll bet you still ask your wife "Honey, where's my coat?"

But why can I never find my way out of a mall, never find the door I entered?

I think it has most to do with the amount of time women spend indoors, on average compared to men. It's like measurements. Most men are better at estimating lengths up to hundreds of yards-- because they watch football and are familiar with the distances. Most women in the past could more easily identify small measurements, like parts of an inch, because they all sewed. The only men who could do this well were those who had some carpentry or similar experience. Now women don't sew, men don't make cabinets, and nobody knows which ruler to use.

OTOH, you should read Pink Brain Blue Brain if you want to find out how much of those male-female studies are full of hooey, how many are really related to other things, and how many are more or less accurate.

(I think it was on Slate)

It said that the really interesting thing about people who are bad drivers was that they had no clue that they were bad drivers. Thought they were good drivers in fact (if I recal).

I can spot a cop clocking speeders from 3/4 miles.

I can estimate when a traffic signal will turn yellow at 75 mph.

But I can't find the mustard in the fridge.

"...mustard in the fridge."

Funny! Were that mustard sitting right in front of me, were there choice between yellow and diijon and vinegar seeded, I'd still have to ask "Where's the damn mustard?"

Me driving down the road in Grand Canyon national park:

kids, look at that 2 point buck through the trees!

where

right there don't you see it?

no

By now we have passed it, and so I turn around and pull over so that they can enjoy it.

Driving around here I am scanning the trees for eagles all the time.

Kids, look at that bald eagle

Mom, just shut up and drive

You don't understand how lucky you are. These were almost wiped out. I didn't see my first one in the wild until I was 19.

Sigh, ok mom, whatever.

But don't ask me to find the car keys, remote, or my purse.