"I don't care what you think unless it's about me."
― Kurt Cobain
Part I: Narcissistic Supply
Did you see this?
What the actual f ...
One must observe, with clinical detachment, the spectacle of a man brandishing a real medical instrument as if it were a trophy from a battle he never fought. The Montreal Cognitive Assessment is, in fact, a legitimate tool—a simple test used by physicians to determine if a patient can still remember what day it is or draw a passable clock. To transform this humble diagnostic into a proof of towering genius is an act of such profound, almost artistic, self-deception that it deserves a kind of morbid admiration. It's the equivalent of a man boasting of his literacy because he can successfully identify the letter 'A' on an eye chart.
We are not witnessing the confidence of a superior mind but the frantic, twitching anxiety of mediocrity haunted by the suspicion of his own inadequacy. It's the classic behavior of the con who fears exposure, whose bluster and hyperbole are not tools of persuasion but shields against the crushing reality of his own limitations. He might not believe his own lies; he needs his audience to, for their belief is the only thing that can sustain the fiction he has built of himself.
Have you seen the test? Here it is ...
Honestly, I'd feel a lot better if he could get these three sneaky questions correct ...
1. The Bat-and-ball problem
A bat and a ball cost $1.10 in total. The bat costs $1 more than the ball. How much does the ball cost?
2. The Machine problem
If it takes 5 machines 5 minutes to make 5 widgets, how long would it take 100 machines to make 100 widgets?
3. The Water lily pad problem
In a lake, there is a patch of lily pads. Every day, the patch doubles in size. If it takes 48 days for the patch to cover the entire lake, how long would it take for the patch to cover half of the lake?
Part II: Birding!
1. The Bat-and-ball problem
A bat and a ball cost $1.10 in total. The bat costs $1 more than the ball. How much does the ball cost?
2. The Machine problem
If it takes 5 machines 5 minutes to make 5 widgets, how long would it take 100 machines to make 100 widgets?
3. The Water lily pad problem
In a lake, there is a patch of lily pads. Every day, the patch doubles in size. If it takes 48 days for the patch to cover the entire lake, how long would it take for the patch to cover half of the lake?
Part II: Birding!
Anyway, I did go birding this morning to celebrate May.
Pheasant Branch Conservancy (general), Dane, Wisconsin, US
May 1, 2026 7:30 AM - 9:30 AM
Protocol: Traveling
3.0 mile(s)
44 species
Canada Goose
Wood Duck
Mallard
Mourning Dove
Turkey Vulture
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Eastern Phoebe
May 1, 2026 7:30 AM - 9:30 AM
Protocol: Traveling
3.0 mile(s)
44 species
Canada Goose
Wood Duck
Mallard
Mourning Dove
Turkey Vulture
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Eastern Phoebe
Warbling Vireo
Blue Jay
American Crow
Black-capped Chickadee
Tree Swallow
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Barn Swallow
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
White-breasted Nuthatch
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Northern House Wren
Carolina Wren
European Starling
Gray Catbird
American Robin
House Sparrow
House Finch
American Goldfinch
Chipping Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
Eastern Towhee
Orchard Oriole
Baltimore Oriole
Red-winged Blackbird
Brown-headed Cowbird
Common Grackle
Northern Waterthrush
Blue Jay
American Crow
Black-capped Chickadee
Tree Swallow
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Barn Swallow
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
White-breasted Nuthatch
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Northern House Wren
Carolina Wren
European Starling
Gray Catbird
American Robin
House Sparrow
House Finch
American Goldfinch
Chipping Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
Eastern Towhee
Orchard Oriole
Baltimore Oriole
Red-winged Blackbird
Brown-headed Cowbird
Common Grackle
Northern Waterthrush
Yellow Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Northern Cardinal
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Northern Cardinal
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Creek Corridor © 2026 Mike McDowell