the shrewdness of apes

a few years ago, there was study that showed how early high school start times worked against the natural biorhythms of teenagers, resulting in negative educational and even societal consequences.

having once again eaten too much indian food at lunch today, i got to thinking about some related topics:

* i am a night person, and i have been since high school. it's very simple: i am not peppy in the morning, even after 8-9 hours of sleep; yet when i only get 4-5 hours, i am usually not tired by midnight or 1am. i am fortunate to have a job that allows me to be flexible with my hours so while most people get here at 8 or 9, i am almost never here before 9:30 and rarely leave before 6. i've finally gotten over feeling bad about this, though i still get the "what, did you sleep here?" jokes anytime i'm in before 9.

* "experts" say that the midday meal should be the largest one that we eat every day and that nighttime eating should be kept reasonable. which is all well and good, except that even a moderate sized lunch makes me a bit drowsy. some sort of siesta would help, but it would also lenghten the work day, and i don't live close enough to go home and come back. but siestas have been shown to increase worker productivity and happiness, so why don't more companies use them?

* what i'm really dreaming of is a job where i only have to be in the office one or two days a week for meetings, etc. really, most everything i'm doing can be done at home, with e-mail and the phone. it doesn't have the immediacy of being "in the office", but it means i get to work when i'm going to be most productive (read: after the price is right ends), i get to reclaim my ungodly amount of commuting time, and i don't have to be subjected to numerous pain-in-the-ass co-workers. also, it makes one's schedule mouch more flexible for non-work related events. doctor's appointment? matinee? meeting with parole officer? no problem.

* as long as i'm dreaming, i'd also like a world without pollution, a summer without humidity and a World Series victory for the Red Sox.