The Silicon Valley Dating Game

"The odds are good, but the goods are odd" - Unknown
This quote was frequently used in America several years ago when there were many more men than women at college. In some, it was as high as 6 to 1!

Basically it meant the odds of women finding love on campus were good, but the goods or men available are odd - not necessarily unattractive but perhaps peculiar in behaviour or otherwise unusual.

It doesn't seem to be the case here though. In all higher education, even going back to 1997, the figures are consistently 55/45 in favour of women. You hearing me single fellas? Bone up...on textbooks.

On the subject of gender relations, a non-scientific study was done several years ago about the male/female balance of the computer geek filled Silicon Valley - it suggested the split was 62/38 to men.

Time to lay my geek credentials on the line - I used to have a Commodore 64 on which I would sometimes play the very geeky game Chip's Challenge. I used to hate it because it was so damn hard.

"The premise of the game is that high-school nerd Chip McCallahan has met Melinda The Mental Marvel in the school science laboratory and must navigate through Melinda's "Clubhouse" (a series of increasingly difficult puzzles) in order to prove himself and gain membership to the very exclusive Bit Buster Club." - Wikipedia

I didn't notice the co-incidences until years later when I heard that Bill Gates' wife was named Melinda. She met Bill in 1987 and the game was released in 1989.

But wait there's more! Melinda has a degree in computer science and economics - yes she's a mental marvel but I'll continue.

I've seen the animation that comes up when you finish Chip's Challenge (not because I actually finished it or anything). It's a closer view of Chip and let's just say he shares Bill's hair and glasses...

You know Bill was actually once arrested in the 70's for a traffic violation? I've seen his mugshot!

William Henry Gates III is one smart cookie. It's said his SAT score indicates an IQ of about 170 but strangely he doesn't seem to have ever joined Mensa. Famous Mensans (it makes them sound like aliens doesn't it) include General "Stormin'" Norman Schwarzkopf and actress Geena Davis.

Greet Geena with a "Hej!" and she'll know straight away you're saying hello in Swedish. She happened to become fluent while on exchange. Does this make her a cunning linguist?

Her IQ rates about 140 and aside from using it to remember all her lines, she gives her brain a work out going for bullseye.

"(She) was one of 300 women competing in July 1999 for a semifinals berth in the US Olympic team for archery, to participate in the Sydney Olympics. She placed 24th of 300 and did not qualify for the team, but participated as a wild-card entry in the Sydney International Golden Arrow competition" - Wikipedia

I won't be standing between Geena and a target anytime soon, certainly not with an apple on my head!

And in this week's award for "Too bad, so sad, you turned it down and I made it a hit", it goes to Geena and Susan Sarandon for Thelma & Louise. Geena was 4th choice for her part and Susan was somewhere near 10th! Head to the Wikipedia article and you'll see what I mean. As a teaser, I'll tell you that Cher was first pick to play Thelma but wanted too much moolah after the success of Moonstruck...

Keep an eye out for the next undoubtedly thrilling episode of Trivia Tragic...