Such nakhes!

I was driving m'boy back from synagogue when he speculated aloud about whether JFK would still be alive today if he hadn't been murdered. My son pointed out that he'd be around the same age as George H.W. Bush. I said probably not, because he'd be over the median life expectancy for men. But, said my son, what about life epectancy for men who die of causes other than accidents & violence ("natural causes", as he put it)? It's bound to be higher.

I asked him where he learned that. He said he came up with that himself. Awesome. He was surprised that I thought it was a big deal, that it wouldn't have occurred to everyone. Sadly, my son, it wouldn't.

I recommended Freakonomics to him. He wasn't enthusiastic about it, but I haven't given up hope.

And while he & I were walking the dog, he reminded me of something. Back when I first told him I was going to change sex, he was under the impression that the physioligical transformation would be... more complete than it is, and that it can be. He thought there would be a "genetic mutation". Oh, kiddo, if only.